Replacing Webbing Under a Seat
Most folks think that once the webbing on a chair starts sagging or snapping, the whole piece of furniture is headed straight for the skip. They'll tell you it’s a lost cause or try to sell you a brand-new replacement that costs more than the original chair was worth. That’s absolute nonsense. I remember one […]
Putting a Machine on Wheels
You don't need a fancy, pre-fabricated kit from a big-box retailer to get your heavy machinery moving; in fact, most of those plastic rubbish bits are a waste of good money. I spent years watching apprentices struggle with machines that felt like they were bolted to the bedrock, only to watch them buy a flimsy, […]
Sizing a Shoe Rack for a Hallway
Most people think that if you want to learn how to build a shoe rack, you need to head straight to the hardware store and buy a mountain of expensive, plastic-fastened kits or a loud, vibrating circular saw. They’ve been told that speed comes from electricity, but I’ve spent forty years on site proving that's […]
A Coat Rack That Holds Wet Coats
Most folks think you need a workshop full of expensive, vibrating power tools to make something decent, but they’re dead wrong. I spent forty years on site watching lads rush through a job with a circular saw, only to end up with splintered edges and a piece of kit that looks like it was chewed […]
Hammer Weight for the Work You Do
I spent thirty years on site watching lads walk into a hardware store and spend forty minutes reading the back of a box, trying to figure out the "optimal striking weight" for a job that just needs a bit of common sense. They think they need some high-tech, vibration-dampening, aerospace-grade gadget to get a nail […]
What Makes a Bench Worth Buying
I’ve spent forty years watching lads walk into shops and spend a small fortune on workbenches that look like something out of a high-end showroom, only to find they’re about as useful as a chocolate teapot the moment a chisel touches the surface. Most people think how to review a workbench is all about checking […]
Rehandling a Hammer Properly
I was halfway through a mortise joint on a piece of seasoned oak when the handle of my favourite mallet finally gave up the ghost, splintering right under my palm. Most lads would have cursed the tool, tossed it in the scrap bin, and gone running for a plastic replacement from the local hardware shop. […]
Where Gloves Are Dangerous
I remember standing on a site in the nineties, watching a lad tear through a pair of "premium" leather gloves like they were made of wet tissue paper. He’d spent a fortune on them because the packaging looked clever, but by lunchtime, the seams had split and his hands were raw. Most people approach the […]
Defenders Versus Plugs
I remember standing in a noisy workshop back in the nineties, surrounded by lads wearing those massive, industrial earmuffs that looked like they belonged on a pilot. They thought they were safe, but they couldn't hear a word I said, and more importantly, they couldn't hear the subtle change in a blade's pitch when it […]
Using the Walls Properly
I spent thirty years on site and another ten in a classroom, and if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that a cluttered bench is a cluttered mind. Most people think they need to go out and buy a stack of expensive, plastic modular bins to get organized, but that is a load of […]