Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Many woodworkers dream of making the jump from hobbyist to professional, but they have no idea of how to price their work. Others just want to build an occasional piece for sale and not lose their shirts in the bargain. And, of course, professionals had better have their pricing formulas figured out, because their livelihood … Read more
Woodworkers are a thrifty and innovative bunch. When the need arises for a new tool or fixture or specialty jig, many prefer to make it from scratch if possible, not only to save money but also for the satisfaction that goes along with creative problem solving. When one of our regular visitors asked what kinds … Read more
Tools are at the intersection of the woodworker and his or her materials. Because woodworking is a subtractive process, practically everything we do with wood involves cutting it or subtracting from it in some way. No wonder power and hand tools are such perennial hot topics on the WoodCentral messageboards. Over the years, I’ve noticed … Read more
After our recent discussion about sustainable forestry and ways to protect endangered species of hardwoods around the world, I was curious to know which, if any, of the so called “lesser known species” that our visitors had used instead of the over-harvested ones. The fact that we had far fewer responses than usual leads me … Read more
As most woodworkers are aware, the world is losing its tropical rain forests at an staggering rate. The primary causes are intensive logging and inefficient slash-and-burn agriculture in the overpopulated Third World countries, where most of these forests are located. This alarming situation has sparked a decades-long debate about what woodworkers can do to help … Read more
The global reach of the Internet came home to WoodCentral recently when a visitor from the University of New South Wales in Australia dropped by our messageboards to conduct some research on the topic of tool sharing. Apparently, around the world, many communities pool their resources by maintaining “tool libraries.” Our guest was interested to … Read more
In a recent and spirited debate, one of WoodCentral’s regular visitors suggested that “price is something of a badge authenticating the plece.”Red flags went up for Barbara Siddiqui, WoodCentral’s book reviewer and editorial assistant. “What about intrinsic art value?” she asked. Over the next few days or so, our messageboard racked up 56 repiles on … Read more
There’s an old joke that goes, “How do you make a million bucks as a professional woodworker?” The answer, of course, is, “Start with two million.” Despite the occasional cynicism of hard-bitten professionals, “going pro” still holds endless fascination for many amateur woodworkers. I asked WoodCentral visitors: How do you feel about the idea of … Read more
The topic of copying versus imitation is one that never seems to go away. There’s a story going around about a friend of a local furnituremaker who was traveling somewhere off the beaten track and came across a piece of furniture looking exactly like one of his friend’s designs. When he met the maker of … Read more
There’s one thing all woodworkers have in common-tools. We couldn’t ply our craft without them. But, where, why, and how we acquire those tools is another matter, and the Internet is having a big effect on these choices. I asked our visitors, “Where do you buy your tools, and why? And, what drives your tool-buying … Read more
These days, time is in short supply for most of us. Even though we enjoy sensory rewards of woodworking, we also want to accomplish something in our limited time in the shop. This time, I asked our visitors, “What are some of the approaches, habits, and practices that help you to work efficiently and avoid … Read more
Though woodworkers are a diverse group, the one common denominator is that they all have a place to do their woodworking. So, this time around, I asked our visitors, “What is the importance of your shop to you? What makes it special?” “My shop is my kingdom. I am the absolute ruler of this small … Read more
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