Heartwood: Woodworking by Rob Porcaro

Here is the shop-made fence that I have been using since well before the current manufactured versions became available. It works very well for planing a board to a straight, 90° edge. Here is how to make it. Start with settled dry wood. I used quarter-sawn walnut with a straight, even grain. It is 11” […]

I have had these small sayings posted in the shop for a long time. I look at them often for their help. The one from the late Sam Maloof, above, is on the door of my drafting setup. I really need that advice! In the photo below, it is from the late James Krenov. It […]

Here is one more thing to add to a manufactured device for sharpening. The previous post explains the issue: for sharpening plane irons that have a slightly curved edge, which is most of them, a subtle curve needs to be added to the roller. (This does not apply to nearly all chisels.) I have two […]

Perhaps you use, or have at least tried, the sharpening method by hand discussed in the previous two posts. In any case, here is another approach that involves a straightforward angle holder.  The woodworking tool (plane iron, chisel, etc.) is inserted into the holding guide. The pair is placed onto the angle gage, the tool […]

Here are the angle gauges that I use for the method discussed in the previous post.  The size for all is about 4 1/2” long, 1 1/2” wide, and 1/2” thick  and made from cherry or African mahogany. They about 10 to 20 years old.  The sharpening angle goes back about 1” for all the […]

When we hand sharpen a tool, such as a chisel or plane blade, it must be accurately and consistently held at the desired angle to the stone. Most woodworkers and most teachings use an angle holder. With some exceptions such as tiny or odd blades, I generally do not. I do have a metal gauge […]

We turn to little planes when the regular big ones, such as the #4 smoothing, #5 jack, and #7 jointer will not do the job or are awkward. These five little planes are worth having in my shop.  Left to right in the photo above: 1. Veritas Bevel-up #1. The blade bed is at 15°. […]

If you are going to put a lot of work into making a nice wooden small box, you might as well use fine quality hinges and possibly other products.  So, let us go through options of hinges, lid stays, and locks. I will make recommendations. I will hold off discussion of feet, nobs, and latches. […]

These small pieces have been cut and labeled from readily available sheets. Having had them for many years, they get lots of use. They are a quick way to assess small measurements without having to stare and dwell over minute ruler values, or evaluate confusing visual input. The product is TTC PSS5A 14 Piece Plastic […]

Have my techniques in dovetailing changed? Yes, of course. Many of my shop techniques do indeed change over time. I like to refine, alter, and upgrade most skills.   For dovetails, I adopted important techniques from the outstanding David Barron. He has 51 videos on YouTube at David Barron Furniture. Many are directly for dovetail […]

A humidity meter is something you really should have in your shop. The cost is trivial. A thermometer is combined with most of them, as shown above. This one can fit conveniently on the wall with a screw, or stand on its leg, or grip steel with its magnet. As we all know, wood is […]

These wooden dogs grip a work piece using the rectangular openings in your bench top. They are easy to make and better than anything you can buy. I only use the steel ones that came with my bench over 40 years ago for very tall pieces of wood. For the frame, use moderately dense wood, […]

Here is how you can reduce the cost for a sharpening system that works very efficiently. I described the system in posts on 7/10/25 and 7/17/25. First, let us look at the machine. My Tormek is more than 20 years old, with a 10” wheel. It cost too much but not nearly today’s approximately $1000 for […]

Here are three tools worth having. 1. Mortise Master is a cleverly designed way to use your plunge router to make loose tenon mortises. In other words, you simply make a mortise in both wood parts and then add a separate tenon to fit them together. Does this mean that it will not be a […]

Woodwork that you put yourself into creating can last a long time and have personal meaning. Consider that these are among the reasons it is worth doing. Look back at the item from over 60 years ago discussed in a recent post: Still here My 50-year file of Fine Woodworking magazine is still mostly housed in […]

Four months ago, I replaced almost all of my Norton sanding discs that I had been using with 3M. There is no contest in sanding speed and efficiency: the 3M wins. 3M Xtract Net Disc 710W Cubitron II sanding discs A few different sources online that I read in the past 6 months show a […]