Australian Woodsmith

The weeping penstock that runs along Laughing Jack Road near Derwent Bridge in Tasmania is a sight to behold (see page 20). It is hard to appreciate how much straight-grained King Billy pine was used to cooper the huge pipe that transports water from

Honing a razor-sharp edge on a straight blade is a relatively simple action: all you do is nest the blade against the stone, lift it up a fraction, lock your wrist and hone. This process is near impossible to achieve when honing the curve of a gouge

Coopers have been crafting barrels, vats and all things round from wooden staves for thousands of years. At some time in the past a clever cooper found that oak staves cleaved from a log along the medullary rays produced a more waterproof barrel. Sin

Silicon Carbide Silicon carbide is one of the hardest sanding media and it fractures as it wears. This means it produces fresh cutting surfaces so it continues to cut well down to the paper. Often used in wet sanding applications. Garnet One of the o

Traditionally penstock was a word used to describe the pens that water was diverted into as storage ponds to be tapped when required to run water wheels. Penstock is now a term used to describe the large-diameter pipes that run from a reservoir to a

One of the keys to a successful woodworking project is assembling all the parts into a whole that stands the test of time. More often than not, some type of adhesive is used to hold everything together. And one glue that’s stood that test of time is

I was looking for a way to hold some small chess pieces in place while flocking the bottom. Blu-Tack to the rescue! It not only temporarily secures the pieces, but it’s the perfect solution to keep from marring up any of the finish I had already appl

There are all sorts of ways to cut circles out of plywood or solid timber in your workshop. In my workshop, the bandsaw and jigsaw jump to the front. The problem is that they both leave you with rough edges to contend with. I don’t mind sanding and s

It seems that whenever you want to make a replica of an existing piece, even something as simple as a barrel, there can be lots of upfront work to do. Most of that work has to do with measuring parts exactly and keeping track of how they interact. Bu

When you hear the term Empire, the first thing that you think of may not be furniture. Personally, the term conjures images of Sith lords, Jedi and light sabers. However, the Empire style of furniture has some interesting features that really appeal

My challenge this month is to make a kendama. I’ve seen them and the tricks people can do with them but have never made one, so this, and perhaps learning a couple of the tricks, should be a fun one. A kendama is a Japanese skill toy, a little like t

One of the best aspects of woodworking is noodling out a process to accomplish a task. In my experience though, I then look for a different approach that offers a simpler way of getting the same result. The obstacle this time was cutting angled tenon

A Mirka DEROS 150mm Random Orbital Sander from Best Abrasives Valued at $932* * Simply subscribe or renew your subscription to go into the draw to win a Mirka DEROS random orbital sander. Ideal for general sanding tasks on all kinds of surfaces, the

A hand-held router is a great tool for cutting trenches and grooves, espe-cially on large or wide panels. The key is using a straightedge and a properly sized router bit. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to use a number of methods and jigs f

The jig shown here is designed to be a multi-purpose jig for your table saw. Not only can it be used to hold a workpiece vertical to cut tenons, but it can also be used to hold a workpiece to cut bevels at angles not possible with the workpiece layin

It is a near certainty that in April-May 2022 the Tiny Treasures Competition will run and Australian Woodsmith will be happy to hand over the $2500 prize money to the winner. State border closures shut down the Maleny Wood Expo in 2020 and 2021. Even

Best Abrasives at Kogarah NSW is the place to try out the range of Mirka abrasives and inspect the sanding machines designed especially for them. Abranet is a real game changer. Dust is a thing of the past due to the open weave of the net that holds

GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT! $80 for subscribers or upgrade your current disc/USB for only $25* Now is your chance to own 150 issues of Australian Woodsmith on USB. Every project, every tip and every technique from Issue 1 to 150 has been reproduced on this