Getting Sharp: What’s on your bench

This article is from Issue 106 of Woodcraft Magazine.

What’s on your bench?

Among the many perks of working at a woodworking magazine is interacting with accomplished craftspeople. A few of these makers I’m lucky enough to meet in the flesh and perhaps even work with shoulder-to-shoulder. Of the woodworkers I can’t meet in real life, I have the good fortune to correspond with via email or even with good old-fashioned handwritten letters. I’ve learned a lot in this way and have been able to give back by sharing the knowledge I’ve amassed over the years. You’ve no doubt discovered much in your own woodworking journey, and I welcome you to share those experiences with your fellow Woodcraft Magazine readers.

There are myriad ways to join in. Consider submitting to Tips & Tricks (p. 16) to elevate efficiency and safety for woodworkers ranging from newbies to veterans. Our Q&A section (p. 64) provides expert answers to your woodworking questions. And there’s the gallery, where you can showcase your skills through photos of your finished projects (p. 12). The News & Views column (p. 6) offers a curation of interesting tidbits from the woodworking world at large and serves as a platform for your opinions on our content. There, you’ll also find occasional corrections to the inevitable errors that creep into any magazine that’s so jam-packed with information. 

The pages ahead reveal what we’ve been up to. Our lovely, technique-laden café table cover project features a round top with a tapered coopered base (p. 32). Continuing the coopered theme, we offer an elegant caddy for carrying cutlery from kitchen to cookout (p. 40). On page 21, you’ll find a modern stand to display your potted plants. For the shop, there’s a clever, customizable storage solution for an ever-changing hand-tool collection (p. 47), as well as a breviloquent look at bevel-edge bench chisels (p. 26).

So what are you up to? Consider this an invitation to share what’s on your bench and to tell us what kind of work you do and how you do it. RSVP in any way you like (see section at right). While you’re at it, hop online for submission guidelines and free tips such as how to take great smartphone photos of your work. Hope to hear from you soon!