Japanese Woodworking Tools

japanese woodworking tools, chisels, planes

Traditional Japanese woodworking is in a class all its own, considerably different than the woodworking of other cultures. The artistic nature of their carving and joinery reflects the nature of the culture it comes from. But much of the defining characteristics of Japanese woodworking and especially their intricate method of joinery is based upon practical … Read more

Cutting Plywood with a Dremel Tool

dremel tool

The excellent Dremel rotary tool has been with us for almost a century. Invented in 1932 by a man named… you got it, Dremel; this compact rotary tool mimics the work of more extensive, more cumbersome tools, such as drills, grinders, routers, and scroll saws. Its compact size and light weight make it ideal for … Read more

What is a Lathe

lathe

The lathe is among the lesser-known specialty power tools in a woodworking shop. By and large, most of us woodworkers don’t have one. That’s because the lathe is a specialty tool with certain specific machining operations that it’s designed to do. If we don’t do those operations, we have little use for a lathe. But … Read more

Woodworking Auger

three-saw,ratcheting brace,hand brace

Before cordless drill/drivers, before the corded electric drill, woodworkers still needed to make holes. In fact, if you go back far enough in time, you’ll find that they needed to make more holes than we do today. That’s because woodworkers held things together with fitted wood pegs, rather than doing it with screws and nails, … Read more