WORKING WOOD

Hey reader- thanks for stopping by. I'm afraid I haven't had much time to update this blog lately but I have been busy on my website www.theunpluggedwoodshop.com If you'd like to follow a...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-unplugged-woodshop.html

FROM LEE VALLEY & VERITAS   PM-V11. Sounds like a new music video station, no? I know I’m a little late on this post but I wanted to share my two cents about the new steel alloy from Ver...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/09/pm-v11.html

Piper and I in one of the oldest Sugar Maple stands in North America. About an hour North of our home on Cape Breton Island. It’s been awhile…after two amazing months out East I’m back...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-did-i-miss.html

THE NEW BENCH CHISELS FROM VERITAS   ” The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price has been forgotten.”  Benjamin Franklin Well in case you haven’t ...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/06/in-balance.html

Well it’s the middle of June and that means that the Spring Class Session is over. Thanks to all my students who spent some time with me over the last few months in the wood shop. From begi...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/06/spring-classes-wrap-up.html

READERS PROJECT   I was thrilled to receive a letter from a reader in Burma this past week who made a version of my side table – Skinny legs and all… In case you don’t know, Burma is ...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/06/teak-legs-from-burma.html

FROM HIGHLAND WOODWORKING   I just received the new issue of Wood News Online , the monthly newsletter by Highland Woodworking . I always like reading this newsletter as it’s been full of gr...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-review.html

"...STOP AND RECOGNIZE LIFE IS NOT A RACE BETWEEN US AND THEM. IT'S A JOURNEY WE ALL SHARE."  

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/06/happy-bang-7-day.html

TONGUE-AND-GROOVE ACCESSORIES FOR PLOW PLANE   Veritas Small Plow Plane with 1/2-in. cutter and conversion kit installed. One of my favorite, and most used tools has to be the Small Plow...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-offerings-from-veritas.html

PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO   Hey folks, I just received an email about the 30 Craft Market in Peterborough, Ontario and thought I’d pass it along for any Ontario readers. These are the detai...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/06/30-craft-market.html

" I'M NOT WRITING IT DOWN TO REMEMBER IT LATER, I'M WRITING IT DOWN TO REMEMBER IT NOW."   Field Notes- National Crop Limited Edition So before I even begin, let me say this post isn’t...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/05/in-field.html

Workshop Appliances I think anyone who uses hand tools on a regular basis would benefit from some simple work bench appliances. Whether you build your own or purchase them, they really make...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/05/workshop-appliances.html

Veritas Dual Marking Gauge When I first starting using the new, Veritas Dual Marking Gauge late last fall I wasn’t sure how often I’d actually use both sides of the gauge at once. Up u...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/05/two-is-better-than-one.html

The more I do woodworking the more I realize I’ve developed a kind of compulsive obsession to count…I mean I count almost everything! Maybe it started at a young age first learning to pl...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/05/count-on-it.html

Fine Homebuilding When people ask me what I do for a living I tell them I’m a wood worker…sometimes. Sometimes I say I’m a musician. Sometimes I say I’m a Dad. Sometimes worlds colli...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/04/soundtrack-of-life.html

A new Blog from Maguire Workbenches I just received a letter from Richard Maguire in the UK and thrilled to report he has joined the online blogging community with his new blog The English W...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/04/english-woodworker.html

ANOTHER DAY OF MAGIC.   After seeing her big brothers magic wand we made last week, my 5 year old daughter Piper decided she needed a little magic of her own. We followed the same basic steps...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/04/not-to-be-outdone.html

THE BASICS WITH DAVE RICHARDS   As you probably already know I’m a huge fan of sketching…by sketching I mean with a pencil on paper! But that is only the first step I take when designin...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/04/new-sketchup-guide.html

POTTER STYLE   My seven year old son Nelson, recently watched the final part of the Harry Potter movies. He’s a bit of a book worm to say the least and ever since watching the series, he ha...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/03/making-magic.html

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE.   Well it seems the heat wave we’ve been having here in Ontario is finally ending and temperatures are going back to the normal seasonal range. Winter to summer i...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/03/hand-tool-events.html

“Slayer of the winter, art thou here again? O welcome, thou that bring’st the summer nigh! The bitter wind makes not the victory vain. Nor will we mock thee for thy faint blue sky.” – Wi...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/03/marching-on.html

1964-2012 Its been a very busy week here in the wood shop. Some shop made tools were at the top of my list both new book projects as well as a few made out of necessity. A furniture project th...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/02/mitre-shooting-board.html

BEVELED EDGE CHISELS BY ASHLEY ILES American Pattern Beveled Edge Chisel           In the Autumn of 1949, a pattern maker named Ashley Iles began making and selling tools in a small ...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/02/american-pattern.html

COINCIDENCE? I recently volunteered on my sons Grade 2 class visit to the ROM and a funny thing happened. The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum ) is a spectacular way to spend a day if you’re ever i...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/02/there-must-be-something-in-water.html

FROM GREG IN GLASTONBURY, CT   "Ain't no feathers around here boys..." I just received an email from Greg in Glastonbury, CT. He just finished the second project from Made by Hand, the do...

http://tomfidgen.blogspot.com/2012/02/aint-no-feathers.html