A.J. Hamler

Yea verily, creating a working pattern for a reproduction when thou canst not touch the original doth presenteth a challenge.

There comes a time when you have to get rid of perfectly good tools for whatever reason – you never use them, you already own one (or more) that you prefer to use, you don’t need backups, or you somehow acquired too many. Who really needs five nearly identical circular saws?

The most beautiful woodworking joints are usually showcased for all to see. Except when they’re not.

Sometimes, your favorite new tool is something you never even knew you wanted.

Need to buy some decent Baltic birch plywood? If so, I hope you win the lottery.

I was robbed of some of my best wood supplies! Fortunately, I found the thief – she was upstairs getting a cup of coffee.

Internet advertisers for furniture restoration have always exaggerated to make sales, but some just outright lie to the unsuspecting.

After at least 15 years, an old “brand new” tool is finally ready to see some action.

A jig I made for one-time use decades ago still proves its worth from time to time.

The “newest” spin on CNC is as old as pen and ink.

Wooden utensils have been around for centuries, but this is the first time I’ve seen any like these.

It’s not the best router around – not even the best that I own – but it’s still a personal favorite.

I finally decided to try a tool I’ve resisted for years and bought a cordless sander.

When making a reproduction, sometimes you make a lot of guesses. But other times, you can just let a pattern be your guide.

I’ve said here at least a dozen times over the years that there’s no such thing as scrap. There is, however, wood that’s just not very useful.

I finally fixed something that’s bothered me for years. It took some scavenging to do it, though.

Looking for extremely wide boards? A time machine can help.

Burl of any species is probably my favorite “exotic” wood to work with, and always pick some up whenever I see it. Well, almost always.

I can’t tell you what art is, but I know it when I see it.

I think every woodworker has a file full of notes and sketches on dream projects they want to do “someday.” I know I do.

Woodworking photos used by non-woodworkers can be funny – and terrifying. The Internet is full of woodworking articles and ads written by people who are just content providers with no real idea what they’re writing about.

Trying to remember things in the woodshop often comes down to a case of opposites.

It’s amazing how many people, when setting out on a career change, choose woodworking as the direction they want to go.

You know the feeling when you come to the last piece of a wood in a special stash? I’m feeling that now.

The last thing I expected in a gourmet shop specializing in artisanal olive oil was a full crop of woodworking items.

This is another first for me: Using epoxy to fill some large-scale cracks.

I used my wife as an excuse to buy a new tool. Do I feel guilty? Nope.

My daughter asked if I could fix an old, broken chair. Naturally, I said I could.

It’s the oldest power tool I have, and after many years of good service it’s earned a rest at last.

I just had a scary, but not injurious, table saw kickback.

We all know about the myriad safety warnings associated with woodworking tools. But what about warnings for other things that impact using woodworking tools?

Although I know better, I would have been a lot happier with a recent lumber purchase if I had looked a little closer at both sides of the issue.

In my decades as a woodworking writer, I’ve never knowingly said anything false or misleading. But a bit of photographic trickery is sometimes OK.

I pulled out a tool I haven’t used in a while, only to find that while stored it caught some kind disfiguring disease.

“There’s always a first time” is one of those old sayings that applies to everything, especially woodworking.

If there’s any constant about this time of year, it’s that I’m in my woodshop making gifts. Until this year, that is.

Despite what it may actually know, the brain has a tendency to draw its own conclusions.

Hey, I can’t think of everything. That’s why I steal great woodworking ideas wherever I can.

My daughter got rid of the desk I made her nearly 30 years ago, and was almost afraid to tell me.

Unexpected commissions are the best kind, especially when they come out of nowhere when you have extra time on your hands.

What’s the opposite of ambidextrous? Spoiler alert: It’s me.

I love new tools, but two that I’ve gotten in recent months have proven to be real keepers.

Lumber prices are falling, and that’s good. But availability is still spotty for the “good stuff.”

It’s that time of the year again when the seasons change. Before, though, they never changed in my shop.

I had quite a surprise when I started putting together a “sample set” of wood species.

I used to really like dark stain and used it on almost everything. Now, I rarely touch the stuff.

Remember your very first real shop? Sally was digging around through photographs and came across a picture of my very first real, permanent woodshop. Oh, I’d been woodworking for more than a decade, but it was always in a not-a-real-shop location, like the patio, driveway, porch or any other area where I could swing a hammer and make some sawdust.

When you alter an in-progress project, the changes wind up as waste material unless you consider the possibilities.