Just Right

A shop with all the tools neatly racked, and no chips are like a clean desk—a sign of a sick mind.

Speed

"You can't gain mastery unless you can do slowly what you now do at full speed."

Critical Tool?

Rather than think about the one indispensable tool think about the suite of tools that make your work possible.

For Beginners

I've prepared some materials for beginners, which I hope will make the first steps in carving easier, and help to make you a more successful woodcarver. Please bear in mind that without attention to safety woodcarving can be dangerous. Always use protective goggles against flying chips, be careful to plan out cuts so that you …

Vernacular​

It's preindustrial, and made from scrap, but it works.

What’s Old, Stays New

What's old is not necessarily discarded. Not in tools nor skills. My shop is soooooo small that I can only fit one of those tiny 6-inch jointers in it — this is fine for most of the hoop tray portraits that I do. But, the carving of the Cunard liner Servia is much larger, and …