A new Kitchen – Part 3 – Electrical
Any home remodel project is certain to run into unforeseen circumstances, especially if it’s a house that hasn’t been updated in nearly nearly 50 years. With the plumbing work finished on our kitchen project, we…
Sipsey Wilderness Journal
I’ve made several trips into the Sipsey over the past few years. My wife, Donna, and I have one previous trek together in our repertoire. In 2010, we made the short nine-mile loop from Thompson…
When to buy high-quality tools and when not to
Woodworking can be an expensive hobby. It can become a very expensive hobby when you start investing in bigger and better tools. When it comes to buying tools, there are as many brands and opinions as…
A new Kitchen – Part 2
After tearing out the hot wall and the flooring, things slowed to a crawl for a couple of weeks. Family time and a stomach bug made for poor progress, but we have something to show those…
A plan: Measure twice, cut once
Check and Double-Check It’s an old saying, but every woodworker will tell you the same…measure twice, cut once. We’ve all cut more than one board too short because we didn’t heed this good advice. In the end, trying…
Our biggest project ever – A new kitchen!
This week, we have embarked on the biggest project in the history of Sawdust Inn – a complete kitchen and dining room remodel for Mrs. Sawdust Inn. But unlike television, we won’t be able to finish our…
The smartest way to increase output in your woodworking shop
A stitch in time saves…seven? I remember my grandmother saying “let me get that tear sewed up before it gets worse!” A native of the backwoods hills of Arkansas, she was putting a country spin…
Replenishing your wood supply on a budget
When I first began woodworking in 2002, every bit of the experience I had with wood and wood tools would fit inside the collet of a small flush trim router. Prompted by watching Norm Abram’s New Yankee Workshop on PBS, I jumped…
5 small shop tools to add to your Christmas list
With Christmas just around the corner, my wife and three daughters know that dear old dad isn’t about to let a golden opportunity pass him by. I don’t ask for much. But once a year, I…
The easy way to fix dings in your unfinished furniture project
Every woodworker strives to produce the perfect project. We want our joints to be tight, our measurements dead-on and our cuts clean and crisp. But no matter how careful we are, wood parts will inevitably suffer an accidental…