Checking a Level Against Itself
I remember a lad I taught back at the college, a bright enough kid, who spent three weeks’ wages on a fancy digital laser level because the brochure promised "unmatched precision." He spent more time calibrating the bloody thing than actually setting his frames. It’s the same nonsense I see online today—people getting bogged down […]
Testing a Combination Square for Square
I’ve spent forty years on site and another ten in the classroom, and if there is one thing that gets under my skin, it’s the way modern tool reviews try to turn a simple piece of steel into a high-tech gadget. You’ll see these glossy videos talking about "ergonomic grips" and "proprietary coatings" as if […]
Lifting One Board and Putting It Back
Most people think that if they want to fix a gouge or a split, they need to go out and buy some expensive, noisy sander or a specialized filler kit from the big-box stores. They spend a fortune on "solutions" that end up looking like a patch job within six months. The truth is, if […]
The Block Plane Does More Than You Think
I remember standing on a site in the late eighties, watching a lad struggle with a power sander for twenty minutes just to smooth out a stubborn end grain. He was covered in dust, his ears were ringing, and the wood still felt hairy. I walked over, handed him my Stanley, and showed him how […]
Trimming a Tenon With a Shoulder Plane
I spent thirty years on-site watching young lads rush toward the router table the second a joint looked a bit wonky, thinking more power equals more precision. They’d spend twenty minutes fighting a machine only to end up with a crushed grain or a messy shoulder that needed more sanding. It’s a waste of time. […]
A Router Plane for Consistent Depth
I remember standing in a workshop back in the eighties, watching a young apprentice try to fix a wonky tenon with a loud, vibrating power router. He was fighting the machine, gouging the wood, and sweating through his shirt, all while the joint looked like it had been chewed by a dog. I walked over, […]
Two Tapes That Disagree by Two Millimetres
I remember standing on a job site back in the nineties, watching a lad struggle with a piece of expensive, "professional grade" tape that kept buckling every time he tried to reach across a frame. He’d spent a fortune on it, but the numbers were already rubbing off and the hook was wobbling like a […]
Setting Fence Posts in a Straight Line
Most people think that if they want to learn how to build a fence, they need to go out and spend a fortune on a heavy-duty power auger and a cordless impact driver. They think the noise and the speed are what make the job professional. I spent forty years on sites seeing the opposite; […]
Hearing Damage Is Cumulative
I remember standing on a site in the mid-eighties, the air thick with sawdust and the relentless, bone-shaking scream of a circular saw that hadn't seen a service in years. I watched a lad, barely out of his apprenticeship, working away without so much as a bit of foam in his ears, acting like he […]
A Gate That Still Shuts in Five Years
Most people think you need a shed full of noisy, vibrating power tools and a massive budget to learn how to build a gate. They’ll tell you that if you aren't using a heavy-duty mitre saw and a cordless drill, you’re just wasting your time. I spent forty years on site and ten years teaching […]