Australian Woodsmith

I spoke to Chris Vesper from Vesper Tools recently and asked what tools were popular at the moment. It seems a lot of folk are carving spoons, ladles and scrapers. It is a very therapeutic activity carving something useful from an off-cut or a branch

I used a trick to keep my brushes from drying out while applying finish. I used a silicone iceblock mould to hold foam brushes. After applying finish, I can put the used brush into the tube and seal it. Then, when I need to apply another coat, I simp

In our next issue we focus on clock mechanisms and what to look for when you are designing a clock. We review gloves in the workshop and share our insights into fence design for router tables. In our techniques section we show you how to use a chisel

Incise carving is addictive! Once you learn how to slice the serifs on a letter in the form of a V a whole new world of woodwork will open to you. On page 58 Murray Taylor presents a master class on carving Art Nouveau letters. One tool he uses to ma

One aspect of woodworking that I particularly enjoy is the opportunity to work with different species of woods. And when it comes down to interesting woods, lignum vitae has to rank near the top of my list. Lignum vitae is a tropical hardwood that gr

I think the seed for my woodworking journey was planted in primary school. When we had to get supplies at the start of the school year, one of my favourites was a simple compass set. It was just a pair of stamped metal legs connected by a pivot point

One of the classic hallmarks of fine craftsmanship in woodworking is the dovetail joint. It features two things you don’t often find as a pair; strength and beauty, where form follows function. A dovetail joint wasn’t originally intended to look grea

With a title like “Ripping at the Router Table,” you’re forgiven if you raise an eyebrow in skepticism. And it’s true, I’m not saying you can (or should) use your router table to cut wide boards into narrow parts. Instead, the idea here is more trimm

There’s something about the three-dimensional aspect of shadow boxes that I’ve always found appealing. Unlike a painting or print, the curated items in a shadow box have depth and dimension that somehow evokes the feeling of looking at arti-facts beh

One of the easiest ways to give a project an aged or antique look is by applying a crackled paint finish. This simple procedure creates a maze of tiny cracks and fissures in the surface of the paint, mimicking the look of a piece that’s decades old.

The cradle on page 46 swings on a pair of pins that match the material used to make the cradle — beech. These pieces are easily turned on a lathe. However, not every woodworker owns a lathe. That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck, though. One solution

We often drill and tap golf balls in our workshop and use them for knobs in the jigs we build. Sometimes we use the disc sander to create a flat on the top of the ball (when it is attached to its threaded rod). This is handy when the knob has to work

Art Nouveau developed between 1890 and 1910 as a reaction to the academic art of the 19th century. It was inspired by natural, flowing forms found in nature, especially the curved lines in plants and flowers. Art Nouveau is a complete artistic style

It’s a wonder that the sliding dovetail joint hasn’t made the trench a relic of the past. They’re stronger than traditional trench casework assembly, virtually clamp-free and they have the look of true craftsmanship. But don’t let their good looks fo

My son moved out last month to a share house with four mates. The house needed a dining table and my son needed a queen-sized bed frame and a desk. We got together and designed and built the furniture in the garage workshop. The material we chose to

Woodcraft Supplies has been importing spiral cutting heads into Australia for more than a decade. Robert Gregory has visited the Shelix factory in Kentucky USA (where the system was invented) and the CTS factory in China. Robert has a range of common

If you have made an Australian Woodsmith project, we'd like to see it. Email a quality image to us at julie@australianwoodsmith.com.au Make sure the photo's resolution is high, the light is good and the project is free of clutter. Also, tell us what