Peter and I are at it again. Last year’s wheelbarrow class was so much fun we’ve decided to do it again. A local sawmill is at work sawing one of the last green ash logs in the Piedmont for barrow frames (no thanks to you Mr. Emerald Ash Borer) and we’ve got Roy Underhill’s foot-powered […] The post A new Wheelbarrow Class first appeared on Elia Bizzarri - Hand Tool Woodworking.... Read more

Come See Us at the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking Open House – April 26-27 We will be set up and selling and talking tools [...]... Read more

 On Tuesday I ordered a new nasal mask hose for my CPAP machine. I tried to order it locally (surprised by how many there were) but none would sell it without a prescription from a doctor. Amazon had it and said I would get it next day on Wednesday. At 2100 last night Amazon apologized for the delivery delay and said they wouldn't charge me until the mask was delivered. Update for Amazon, you charged me in full for it... Read more

A Smoother Built in 2015 (My #4-2015)... Read more

At 2 p.m. (Eastern time) on Friday we will open up ticket sales for our Backwoods Chairmakers event that will take place on June 2 at Berea College. Tickets will be $33 for the event. This fee covers only the honorariums for the 13 chairmakers who have agreed to attend. Berea College Student Craft and...... Read more

Like to the fleeting world of ours,Methinks, are the frail cherry-flowers,For they that bloomed yesterdayAre seen to-day to fade away. Anonymous It’s cherry blossom season in Japan. Your humble servant works hard to keep this website focused on tools, as promised, and strives to not pad it with pointless pictures of pets, projects, or product … Continue reading Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo →... Read more

[Note: this step should not be needed with a new Japanese plane.]This being a used Japanese plane, the blade isn’t perfect. It’s got a fair amount of mushrooming around the top of the plane blade.The mushrooming is in three spots — at the top, and on the sides. This speaks to how consistent the previous owner of the plane must have been when tapping the blade to adjust its position. It also makes me think that the previous owner might... Read more

 I've been crunching the Amtrak schedules and I thought I had figured out how to do it. Found a train from Waterloo to Chicago that leaves at 0630 and gets into Chicago about 3 hours later. The bad part is I would have a 12 hour layover because the train to Boston leaves at 2130. I'm a year shy of 70 and killing time in a train station were I would stick out like dumb lost tourist isn't a comforting... Read more

Following the conclusion of Woolley and Wallis’ recent auction, lot 17, the William and Mary olivewood and marquetry chest, realised £18,900 (AUD 36,567; USD 23,543). Lot 23, the small George II walnut gate-leg table, made £1,071 (AUD2,072; USD1,334). Lot 57, … Continue reading →... Read more

 Still having hiccups trying to buy season 4 of Spiral. I can buy the BBC DVD set of all 8 seasons (86 episodes) for $54 from Amazon. But the caveat is the DVDs are region two which means that they won't play on a USA DVD player which is region one. Multi-region DVD players are relatively cheap but there are caveats with them too. There is the possibility of DRM stopping the DVD from playing. Really don't want to flush... Read more

Last week was a lead-in week to more full-time working where I tested different parts to my body to see what could and would not work and to see what I could and could not do. This was all in relation to pain surrounding my ribs being broken and the breathing issues that followed. During... Source... Read more

I have been invited back to Germany this summer to teach a four-day introduction to chairmaking course at Dictum’s classroom in Niederalteich, a gorgeous monastery in Bavaria. The class is in English (my German is terrible), and the location is a fantastic place to stay and learn. You can rent a room at the monastery....... Read more

Andy Glenn’s new book “Backwoods Chairmakers” has been a runaway hit – we’ve about blown through the first press run after only 3-1/2 months. Recently, Andy had the great idea to gather the chairmakers from his book at Berea College so readers can meet these chairmakers, hear their stories, see their chairs and watch demonstrations...... Read more

The mercury got pushed up to 79F (26C) in my part of the universe today. Spent the morning working on the transitional herd cleaning them up. The PM I spent in the backyard doing some yard maintenance. I promised my wife months ago I would do it and today it was made good. It was a good time to squeeze it in because I'm on the fence with the next project. I want to make a new bedside table. I want... Read more

House & Garden magazine in the U.K. has a nice feature on vernacular stick chairs and cricket tables in its current issue. You can read the article here. Tim Bowen of Tim Bowen Antiques is quoted throughout. Tim and Betsan Bowen authored “The Welsh Stick Chair,” a lovely book that we stock. (It is the...... Read more