Last year, I found myself in a hardware store gripping two bottles. One said Hardwax Oil. The other said Danish Oil. Both promised beauty, natural protection and durability. One was nearly three times as costly as the other. Like most people, I…
Step into a woodworking shop, and typically two machines dominate the space from their location in opposite corners: the band saw and the table saw. Both are robust, both are reliable and both can revolutionize the way you work with wood. But…
Brick homes can really catch people’s attention. They feel substantial, old-fashioned and made to last. But here’s a little secret that many homeowners don’t discover until issues arise later: most modern brick homes aren’t built with solid brick at all. Instead, they employ…
You’d think that picking out cabinet doors would be the quick and easy part of a kitchen remodel but it is one choice you’ll have to live with for years. When you enter a warm, traditional kitchen that feels like homey and…
When I first started learning woodworking, an older craftsman once showed me a workbench that was older than both of us. He tapped one corner and said, “That joint has lasted generations because it was the proper way to do it.”…
What Is a Hip Roof? A hip roof has four sides, of which all the sides slope downwards to the walls. There are no flat ends the way a gable roof does. Each side of the house is sheltered by a slanting…
The Real Timeline Every Tile Project Needs to Know You’ve just now completed grouting your tiles. The lines are smooth, the mess is gone, and now you’re standing there asking yourself: Can I walk on it yet? Can I shower? Can I…
If you have ever found yourself inside a hardware store staring at hammers and mallets, you are not alone. At first glance, they appear similar. Both have a handle. Both are meant to hit things. But the wrong one can mess…
I tried turning a bowl a few years ago without any accessories other than a faceplate and screws. Halfway through the job, the blank came off, hurtled across the workshop and crashed into the wall. Fortunately, I wasn’t hurt — but I was…
Mallets: Last month, I watched a friend struggle to put together flat-pack furniture with an ordinary hammer. Each blow was leaving marks in the wood,parts shifted out of place, and frustration kept growing. I handed him my rubber mallet and suggested, “Try these…
