Friends:
I get SO many questions about saws and it’s time to help the newcomers get a grip on basic saw buying and restoration. Even without touching on backsaws, there is SO much to know about handsaws and panel saws. For such a simple tool, there sure are a lot of variables.
So, let’s do a deep dive into the humble handsaw, one of the most useful and efficient tools in the kit!
Happy Saturday!
--Rex
2021-10-23 11:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
I'm still singing the gospel of painted furniture! Really, it's a great way to make a piece stand out and add a little fun to your home. This desk is for my daughter and she loves the bright color.
For everyone who's never painted a piece before, here's a complete guide with tons of tips and tricks. You can do this, even the first time.
Happy Saturday!
--Rex
2021-10-16 11:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
I'm delighted to come to you today and announce a BIG guest for the next workbench sessions. It's all in the video, but trust me; it's worth the time to watch.
When you're done, head on over to the forum, where I've made a thread and we can all discuss what's coming.
New video Saturday!
--Rex
2021-10-13 19:30:14 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
It's been pandemonium in my neighborhood this week. They're putting in all new gas lines and the construction has been deafening and there were guys walking through my shop! Filming was out of the question.
But I did squeeze in this video on how to access all the benefits of our community. I know there's a lot here and some of it in confusing. This video should make things a lot clearer. Even if you've been here for a while please, please take a few min...
2021-10-09 11:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
It's my monthly week "off" where I do things like payroll and taxes, the detestable parts of being a small business. As necessary as these breaks off, I wouldn't be able to take them at all without the support of my Patrons.
And the work goes on. You probably remember the tool chest I found in my parents' barn. (I made a Patron exclusive video about it.) I've written an article about it for the u...
2021-10-02 11:00:08 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
Last night, we had the privilege of hosting the editors of Mortise and Tenon Magazine for a mind-blowing tour of their pre-industrial shop, including benches, tools, hewing stump and a spring-pole lathe. After the tour, we settled in for a long Q&A about all things furniture and woodworking.
It was a blast and I'm delighted to bring you the video. This recording is exclusive to Patrons at the Partner and Leader level and y...
2021-10-01 12:20:53 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
My plough plane video is a surprise hit! I never know what's going to jump off, but people love tools. I love tools, too. I also love making them and I'm proud to present you with this totally updated Specialty Plane Bundle, totally revamped in Fusion 360.
If you'd rather have the individual plans in the bundle, they are also available (fully updated) on the Discou...
2021-09-30 12:48:17 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
As our hand-tool journey moves forward, there's one tool that we may need to drop a little money on: the plough plane. This tool is essential for drawers, nice doors, and a whole world of frame-and-panel construction. I know I'm the "make it yourself" guy, but this tool probably isn't worth the effort.
In that spirit, I present a brief introduction to understanding and acquiring a good plough.
As usual, the plans are being re-drawn now and wi...
2021-09-25 11:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
This video was years in the making.
For a long time , I've studied classic workbenches from around the world. I've read dozens of books and articles and examined countless benches in person. Workbenches are so varied; every culture seems to have it's own take on the simple work-table. All the shapes and options leave people paralyzed when it comes time to build their own bench.
I'm hoping that this video will solve that problem.
<...
2021-09-18 11:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
It's a big day over here. We're releasing our Frontier Desk, our Softwood Plan Bundle, and our updated DIY Jointer Plane. This is 100 pages of plans they're all yours, for free.
The plans are attached to this post and always available on the Discourse Plan Archive.
You all make this stuff possible, so I hope yo...
2021-09-15 15:15:02 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
Here's a classic of Early American Furniture: the school-house desk. It's got a comfortable slanted top and a hinged lid that lifts to reveal tons of storage. It stands on elegant, slender legs, so it's easy to sweep around. Even better, you can build it from pine boards and a 2x4.
Oh, and don't worry, this is actually a full-size, adult desk! My daughter is very tall and she agreed that I should just build her a grown-up desk so she can't grow out of it...
2021-09-11 11:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
Just wanted to give you a little look at this week's project: a nifty nailed desk from America's frontier era. The picture I've posted here is a Fusion rendering, but there are more pictures and details in the discourse thread:
https://forum.woodworkforhumans.com/t/sneak-peek-the-frontier-desk/11079
See you Saturday!
--Rex
2021-09-08 12:33:39 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
Furniture Forensics returns!! I've been dying to do more of these analysis videos, but Covid made it really hard to get out and find new pieces to look at.
Well, trust in the trash and it will provide. Just last week, one of my neighbors put out this AMAZING old post-and-rung chair. I know it doesn't look like much. I know I seem a little crazy for being this excited.
Just wait until you see the video. There's a lot hiding in...
2021-09-04 11:01:00 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
This is my "week off" where I handle administrative parts of my business. I don't usually do a video, but I've been just delighted to see so many Patrons upping their contribution to get in on the Workbench Sessions. Last night, we hosted Ron Hock, who gave a fascinating interview on edge tools, sharpening, and metallurgy. Everyone learned a lot.
So, as a little thanks for all the n...
2021-08-28 11:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
As a part of ongoing changes and updates to our community, the forum has been moved to forum.woodworkforhumans.com
All the old links should still work and should update automatically. We're making this change so the forum is hosted on a domain that I own, rather than being hosted by discourse. It's a good thing.
Anyway, some people have a bit of trouble logging in. The fixes...
2021-08-27 23:25:21 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
The second Work Bench Session just wrapped up an hour ago and we had a GREAT time with Ron Hock, the brains behind Hock Tools. Ron was so gracious with both his time and knowledge. I think everyone learned a lot....well, I learned a lot. There's also a lot more for me to learn.
This video is only available to Patrons at the Partner and Leader levels. Thanks for making it possible.
Hope everyone is having a good end to the week!
--Rex
2021-08-26 22:30:11 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
During my recent trip to see my family in CT, I took half a day and made a video about all the little spots where people did woodwork over the years. I found at least 5 distinct locations where people had benches or workshops and made or repaired wooden items. It's fascinating to see how the craft jumped around from place to place. There's also a wealth of old benches to check out and many of them do not conform to our expectations.
I hope you enjoy this little look...
2021-08-21 11:00:07 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
The greenwood odyssey continues! If we're going to make greenwood projects, then we need to be able to process logs into usable components. That means splitting. Luckily, the tools for splitting logs are quite cheap. Even better, you can make several of your own for no money!
In this video, I'll make 3 common greenwood tools (plus a bonus tool). These are great, simple projects for your next afternoon in the garden.
And if this greenwood thing isn'...
2021-08-14 11:00:03 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
James Wright (Wood By Wright) has kindly invited me to be interviewed live on his second channel tonight at 8pm CST, 9pm EST. Here's the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whjxm2WEPRo
If you can join us, I'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun.
--Rex
2021-08-10 17:47:22 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
I've been doing a lot of green woodworking recently, and it's got me thinking about the chair bodgers and Appalachian chair-makers. You know, the guys who really pioneered green woodwork. A lot of these craftsmen worked in the woods, right next to the trees they used.
So, could we do something similar? Could we leave our garages and basements and go work in the actual woods?
I know, many of you live in cites and suburbs; hardly the wilderness that ...
2021-08-07 11:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
After a lot of thought, I've decided to share the recording of the first Workbench Sessions with ALL PATRONS, regardless of your support level. Everyone here has helped me get to the point where I could attract a guest of Shannon's stature and pay him a fair fee for his time.
Several Patrons have also asked if they could see one of these before deciding to upgrade, and that's a very fair request.
We had some technical hurdles with ...
2021-07-30 14:28:57 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
On Sunday, I announced the Workbench Sessions Lecture Series and we're getting ready for the first live-stream in just two days!
To get ready, I've created a Discourse thread where we can share our favorite ...
2021-07-27 11:51:03 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
I'm delighted to announce a major new Patron reward: The Workbench Sessions digital lecture series. All the details on this new series are in the video.
The first installment will be this Thursday, July 29th @ 4:00 PM, EST.
As I explain in the video, this reward will be for $5 and $7 members only and starting Monday, new Patrons will need to sign up for at least the $5 level.
None of this affects current $2 members. You...
2021-07-25 11:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
Many people will tell you that you simply MUST replace the irons in old Stanley planes. They go on forever about thick modern replacements and their smooth, chatter-free performance.
So.....are they right?
I'm your no BS tool reviewer, so I got a thick iron and ran it though the ringer. The results were....complicated. Join me as we work through it.
(There's a tiny audio mistake at about 10:45. I will be fixed on Monday). ...
2021-07-24 11:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
I'm really excited to bring you these shavehorse plans. These are some of the longest and most detailed plans we've ever done. I worked with my designer to make every step clear and every measurement easy to read. These plans will walk you through every part of the build with total confidence.
Of course, these plans are completely FREE to Patrons (everyone else pays.)
If you'd like to look at older plans, they're all on the 2021-07-21 15:54:42 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
You've waited so patiently and now it's time for me to deliver the goods! I spent weeks designing and re-designing this shavehorse, constantly paring away every bit of fat until the whole thing fit on just two boards. But even then, I didn't know if it would actually work until I built it and well.....
It works.
Brilliantly.
This woodland bench does everything a chair-maker could want. It's cheap and durable and you can build your own in abou...
2021-07-17 11:01:01 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
Man, am I excited! I've spent weeks figuring out how to squeeze a full-featured shave horse out of just two boards, but I've done it! This English "bodger's horse" is made from just one 2x12 and one 2x4 and it works great.
I just finished yesterday and I had to share.
The video will be up Saturday as usual and your FREE plans will follow soon after.
Apologies for the less-than-stellar picture. I'm rushing to get the script writte...
2021-07-14 13:47:26 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
I'm delighted to bring you my restoration of the rarest Stanley bench plane in the world: the storied No. 1! Stanley's most adorable plane is also the most valuable they ever made with even mediocre examples going for $1000 or more. One of my viewers (who just joined us here in the community) leant me his No. 1 in exchange for a restoration.
I put a LOT of tips and tricks into this video. It's stuff you can use on any old plane, even if it's only worth $...
2021-07-10 11:00:04 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
I'm (finally) back in action!
I feel about 90% back to normal after weeks of doing very little and concentrating on my health. Thanks to everyone for being patient while I recovered.
This week, I hit the road to do field research on actual period furniture. I've got a video jam-packed with authentic 18th and 19th Century pieces. We're going to study them and learn everything we can about real hand-tool furniture making.
The results mig...
2021-07-03 11:00:05 +0000 UTC
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Friends:
I'm still a bit under the weather, but here's a little vlog on things that are in the works, some fun tools, and future projects. Hopefully, we'll return to regular videos next week.
There are still just a few autographed books available:
https://rexkrueger.com/everyday-woodworkingautographed-editions
Please feel free to share this link to ...
2021-06-26 11:01:00 +0000 UTC
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