The traditional hand saw (when wielded correctly) can size all your stock. Here’s a basic primer. Hand saws were used to make some of the finest furniture ever built. They...

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Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’re looking at a special new tool, an...

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Batching Out Seats I recently completed a batch of 10 walnut Hearth Stools. When making a single stool, I still make it primarily by hand as outlined in the original...

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Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. I’m feeling spicy this week, and throwing out criticism (constructive...

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Tool: Y-2 Chisels Shop Now Manufacturer: Zen-Wu Toolworks MSRP: $69+ If there’s one hand-tool company that’s finally getting the recognition it deserves, it’s Zen-Wu Toolworks. Founded by Luke Lyu, Zen-Wu...

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Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’re looking at gaps, old furniture, and a...

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Often, the old ways are more efficient. I use 18th-century hand tools because I make reproduction furniture. In my mind, the simplest, most efficient way to make authentic-looking furniture is...

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I sometimes think I live under a rock when finding a new tool, only to learn it’s not new at all.  I’ve written about this several times here, most recently last...

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An antique dealer’s secret formula for turning gunk into glow. I’ll bet you’ve got an old, tarnished plane sitting somewhere in your shop. Maybe it was your grandfather’s tool–one he...

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This tool is a carver’s dream, but it had to be saved from history first.  There is an unfortunate reality that many woodworking techniques and tools have been lost to...

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We’re delighted our 24″ Joiner’s Rules got a mention in the April 2026 issue of Fine Woodworking magazine – thank you, FWW editorial staff!

We’re also happy that our brass-bound Joiner’s Rules are now back in stock for the first time since the holidays. All of us have pitched in over the last few days to scribe and ink the lines that help your eyes more easily see quarters and eighths. (And, er, one lucky person will get the special one I stamped yesterday with the Crucible logo between 10″ and 11, instead of our usual spot between 11″ and 12″. It’s sure to be a collector’s item!)

– Fitz

This stool is a simple little seat that combines traditional chair building techniques and good woodworking. When it comes to furniture, one of the most basic things is a place...

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Tool: Veritas Low-Angle Jack Plane Shop Now Manufacturer: Veritas MSRP: $299 In the world of hand tool enthusiasts, there’s a devoted camp of woodworkers who live and die by their...

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Master these skills and you can build anything. From chests to cupboards to cradles, frame and panel joinery opens a whole new world of possibilities.

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This traditional plane is a fun way to cut grooves, and can be made in half of a day. The grooving plane is a hand tool that is faster than a power tool that will do the same task. Not …

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It’s easy to get a handle on which whacker to choose. If you’ve ever whacked a carving tool or pounded a joint using your palm or the side of your fist – I know you have because we’ve all …

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Also, Sunday is the last day to order for Christmas delivery.

We just released our Big Protractors in 1/8” Baltic birch and lowered the price to $45. They’re still made in the USA – they’re just less expensive and made of wood instead of plastic.

For years we used Trolase, a quality plastic product, for our Big Protractos and Bevel Monkeys. Trolase is good stuff, but we are eliminating as much plastic as possible from our products. And in this case, we were able to lower the price as well.

The Big Protractor is based on the oversized protractors that geometry teachers used to draw out things on the blackboard. I picked up one of these old tools years ago and was immediately struck by how useful it is for woodworking. 

Because of its size, it is far more accurate than the tiny plastic protractors. With the little protractors, you can barely infer 1/2° when working. With the big protractors, it’s child’s play to infer down to 1/4° or less. And when it comes to designing chairs, a fraction of a degree makes a noticeable difference in a 20”-long chair leg or a 26”-long spindle.

Made in Ohio.

Tool: F-2 Titanium Hammer Shop Now  Manufacturer: Zen-Wu Toolworks MSRP: $159 It’s not often that a new tool company makes a significant impact in the woodworking market, and it’s even rarer for a hand tool company to do so. …

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Welcome to the 2025 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! This year, the focus is on quality over quantity. These are the tools we’ve used and we’ve loved this past year, combined with tools we’re desperately hoping to find …

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More than a century ago, Stanley introduced a new plane, and I’ve wanted one ever since. Well, no — I’m not that old — but it was still in production when I was born and would continue to be until …

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