Rex Krueger

Early Access Video: The New Woodwork Economy

Friends: 

You might remember the article I recently wrote on the New Woodwork Economy and the challenges facing woodworkers in the next few years. That article got such a huge response that I adapted it into a video. I expanded on the ideas from that article and added a lot of examples and solutions to upcoming challenges. 

This is the first part in a short series I'm doing this Spring. I'll b...

Archived Video. WBS #008: Konrad Sauer

Friends: 

Our chat with the mighty Konrad Sauer went even better than I had hoped. Konrad shared details, ideas, and artistic inspiration that we couldn't have gotten anywhere else. Our talk ranged far beyond the world of planes and it was incredibly fun. 

Hope you enjoy this exclusive video, just for Patrons at the Partner and Leader Levels. 

Thanks for making this possible through your support!

--Rex

Early Access Video: Making the Big E

Friends: 

This week, a little change of pace. Here's the story of my collaboration with the channel How to Make Everything and how it all went wrong. It's a funny story with a happy ending and I got to make something cool and share it with all of you. 

Hope you enjoy the project and the hilarious misadventures. 

Happy Saturday!

--Rex 

Announcing WBS #008: Sauer and Steiner Handplanes

Friends:

I’m delighted to announce our guest for the next Workbench Session will be Konrad Sauer, owner and builder at Sauer and Steiner Handplanes. I’ve included a bunch of details in the announcement video and there's also a Discourse Discussion thread where you can share pictures and videos, learn about infill planes and ask questions. 

Th...

Special Report: The New Woodwork Economy

When I started woodworking a dozen years ago, everyone knew how to get started. Buy a few old Stanley planes and fix them up. No money for sharpening stones? Grab some sandpaper and get those blades “scary sharp.” Chisels and saws were the same; buy used, restore, get working. If you had to buy new, then premium makers like Veritas and Lie Nielsen sold the best, even for rare and fragile tools like dovetail saws and joinery planes. And wood was just…wood. Most people could drive to a ha...

Early Access Video: How to Pick a Vise

Friends: 

I get a lot of questions about vises. My answer used to be simple: "buy vintage or forget it." Back when I started, all the affordable vises were just garbage. Thankfully, that's no longer true and you can now buy a very respectable vise for well under $100. 

But which one should you buy? What size? Do you need quick-release?

It's still not an easy purchase, but I've made a video to help you choose. 

Happy Saturday!

--Rex

Early Access Video: Turn a Bowl From Firewood

Friends: 

It's a new month and we've got a bunch of great videos for you. First up, let's get back to our introduction to woodturning. 

I'm still not totally sure about this little Wen lathe I bought last year. It's affordable, but is it really good enough for the beginning turner? Is it big enough? Does it have enough power? 

This week, we'll put it to the test by turning a complete wooden bowl from a rough hunk of green wood. This is the mos...

Three Patron Exclusives!

Friends: 

We're back to our normal schedule, which makes this a "week off" (actually a week of web- maintenance and looking for Home Depot receipts, but whatever). 

We're not going to leave the Patron hanging!  We've got 3 little nuggets of goodness. If you remember the expanding table from the most recent Furniture Forensics video, then you'll also remember the amazing 2022-01-29 12:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post

Exclusive Video. WBS #007: Nancy Hiller

Friends: 

Last night, we had the honor of hosting Nancy Hiller. Nancy gave a fascinating presentation on the design challenges of making custom furniture and kitchens in historic homes. She showed remarkable creativity, perseverance, and historical awareness. 

I hope you enjoy the recording!

Thanks to my Leader and Partner Patrons whose support makes these sessions possible. 

--Rex

Early Access Video: Joey the Dentist

Friends:

A few weeks ago, someone sent me a video of a dentist building my English Joiner’s Bench. I thought it was worth a look, but the video was far more than that. It was CAPTIVATING. The fellow in the video had almost no experience with tools or making things. He didn’t even know how to use the few tools he did have, but his perseverance was amazing. He overcame every obstacle and found solutions to every problem with a mix of ingenuity and determination.

I had to talk to...

Announcing WBS 007: Nancy Hiller

Friends:

Our next guest in the Workbench Sessions will be the multi-talented Nancy Hiller. She’s a professional furniture maker, cabinet-maker, kitchen remodeler, teacher AND an author with multiple books. She has also written numerous articles and been interviewed many times.

Here's the forum thread where you can learn about her, ask questions, and share information about her long and fascinating career: 

2022-01-21 21:04:52 +0000 UTC View Post

Exclusive Video: Hammers and Mallets in the Shop

Friends:

After a much-needed break, we’re back! We’ve taken a little time rest AND we’ve already stared on a fresh batch of videos. This week, a Patron exclusive video inspired by discussions on the Discourse Forum.

Next week, we’ll return with the next installment in our Introduction to Turning series and there’s so much more to come.

It’s 2022, y’all!

--Rex

Archived Video: WBS # 006 Peter Follansbee

Friends: 

Here's the archived post of Peter Follansbee's appearance on the Workbench Sessions. As expected, Peter brought a wealth of experience and a surprisingly wry wit to the whole affair. He was a treat to talk to. 

Thanks to all of you who made this possible. 

Enjoy!

--Rex 

One Week to Woodturning (Revised Edition)

Friends: 

Today, I'm releasing the Revised Edition of my first book. We fixed a few errors, updated some technical information, re-drew a few digital images, and reset the whole thing in a nicer font. 

You can buy it on Kindle, which is a totally fine way to read the book, but startin...

Announcing Workbench Session # 6: Peter Follansbee

Friends:

I’m delighted to announce our final Workbench Session of 2021. On December 23rd at 2:00 PM EST, we will have the pleasure of hosting Mr. Peter Follansbee!

If you watch my videos, you know Peter is a huge inspiration for the work I do. He uses green wood and fairly basic tools to create some of the finest 17th Century reproduction furniture. If you know what a joint stool is, it’s probably because of Peter.

There are plenty of details in the video, but please not...

Early Access Video: What comes with a lathe?

Friends:

To wrap up 2021, we’re going in a totally different direction. Many of you turn and many of you would like to learn woodturning, so let’s do it!

I’ve purchased an inexpensive import lathe and today’s video shows me getting it out, setting it up, learning the accessories, and cobbling together a turning bench and turning space in my shop. The focus is on safety and getting a solid foundation of knowledge before you even turn the machine on.

In 2022, we’ll d...

Free Plans: The Quick-Stack Workbench

Friends: 

After nearly 5 months of work, the Quick-Stack Workbench is ready for the spotlight!

Attached to this post, you'll find the plans, which are FREE to Patrons. (These plans represent a massive investment in time and money for us, so please don't share them outside the community.)

We're also very proud to release our first ever online course. You can find it here. 

2021-12-14 12:25:06 +0000 UTC View Post

Early Access Video: The Quick-Stack Workbench

Friends: 

It took us almost 5 months, but the Quick-Stack Workbench is finally ready!  You asked for a real, knock-down bench that was also beginner-friendly and affordable and we listened. We've created an approachable, inexpensive design that costs LESS than $300, including the vises and hardware. 

This bench will handle any standard woodworking operation and it breaks down to 6 manageable pieces. The best part is that the bench can be broken down...

Free Plans: The Boot Jack

Friends: 

The plans are done early this week, so I wanted to get them up right away. The book jack is just a board with a few saw cuts and a little batten, but it's so useful. Make one for someone in your life!

These are up on the Plan Archive (or they will be soon.) 

If you don't know what the Plan Archive is, then you need to watch our short video 2021-12-07 19:46:30 +0000 UTC View Post

Early Access Video: Last Minute Christmas Gifts

Friends: 

This time of year we all need holiday gifts. I usually make a lot of presents for friends and family, but I'm bad at planning and I often leave things to the last minute. If you're like me, you might need some quick, inexpensive gifts you can make yourself. 

I've collected a bunch of the best fast presents I've made over the years and this video should give you plenty of ideas for gifts you can make in time for the holidays. 

In other news, we are wr...

Patron Extra: A Clip from Roy Underhill

Friends: 

I hope everyone is recovering from their post-holiday stupor! I admit that my wife and I were disgruntled at the alarm this morning. After just 4 days of sleeping in, we had gotten used to the extra sleep. 

Regardless, the work goes on. 

A few weeks ago, I had the honor of Hosting Roy Underhill for the Workbench Sessions and we had a lively chat on so many topics. We wanted to share a clip of that conversation with all the Patrons. 

Listen...

Exclusive Video: Big Things Coming!

Friends: 

I have a bunch of exciting updates and fun surprises coming before the end of the year and I've made a video to give you an exclusive first look at some of the things that are on the way. 

December is going to be a big month around here. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

--Rex

Exclusive Video: WBS #5 Anne Briggs

Friends: 

I love it when a guest brings new skills to the table and Anne did not disappoint. She delivered an in-depth talk on greenwood spoon carving with special attention to tool selection and preparing wood. 

If that weren't enough, she finished it off by bringing a baby goat on camera!  It was adorable beyond description.  

I hope everyone enjoys this video. It's only available to Patrons at the $5 and $7 level and these videos are only poss...

Updated Plans: Turning Saw and Marking Gauge

Friends: 

We've been hard at work updating all our classic plans and bringing them into the modern age with a full redesign in Fusion 360. Today, I'm delighted to bring you TWO updated plans. They both have cleaner graphics, bolder lines and bigger numbers, so they look better and they're even easier to use. 

Big shout-out to Nate D, who is heading this project (and frankly doing almost all of the work). His technical skills and fine sense of aesthetics have pushed our p...

Workbench Session #5: Anne of All Trades!!!

Friends:

I’m delighted to announce Anne Briggs (Anne of All Trades on YouTube) will be the next guest for the Workbench Sessions. Anne will give an in-depth presentation on spoon-carving and answer YOUR questions.

All the information is in the video, but I've also created this Discourse d...

Early Access Video: Crafting the Wooden Hinge

Friends: 

I promised it and now I'm delivering!

In my last Furniture Forensics, I showed a drop-leaf table with an ingenious wooden hinge built in. I've never seen anything like it before and I just had to make my own and see how it worked. 

Let me tell you, it was an adventure. Hinges are far more complicated that I thought and making a working hinge from wood was a fascinating challenge. Come with me as I reverse-engineer this little piece of furniture history.&n...

Early Access Video: The Expanding Table

Friends:

This week, I was able to borrow a very unusual 19thCentury table. It’s a fantastic drop-leaf with an incredible hidden sliding mechanism that lets it expand to nearly 10 feet long!

On top of all that, it’s also a brilliant example of industrialization creeping into hand-made furniture. While most of the table is handwork, a few elements were probably made on early machines. The piece is a fascinating blend of old and new and I’ve got a full tour of every detail.

Sneak Peek: The Insane Expanding Table

Friends: 

It's my week off (well, week of paperwork, but you get the idea). 

I know everyone likes their little hit of woodwork goodness for the weekend, so here's an exclusive look ahead at next week's video. I'll be doing a Furniture Forensics on this expanding dining table from about 1890. Apparently, these were once commonplace, but it's crazy to the modern eye. The table expands to about 5 times it's starting length. You would have added drop-in leaves (now sadly mi...

Exclusive Video: WBS #4 Roy Underhill

Friends: 

It was much hyped and highly anticipated, but our time with Roy Underhill didn't disappoint! Roy was generous, knowledgeable, precise, and funny as all heck.  We got a healthy dose of personal history, a tour of woodworking knowledge, and some advice that new woodworkers can really use. 

I'm delighted to bring you this EXCLUSIVE video available only to my Patrons. 

I hope you enjoy it even half as much as I did. 

--Rex

Updated Plans: The DIY Saw Vise (Plus news)

Friends: 

I'm happy to present another in our line of updated plans. My designer Nate D. has totally re-drafted these classic plans in Fusion 360 and we've updated them and fixed a few small errors. I think they're great, but I'll let you be the judge. 

Of course, these are already up on the Discourse Plan Archive and you can find all the plans there. 

And if you don...