Unfinished wood, woodcraft and more

I carve a lot of spoons. Most of the post-bandsaw shaping takes place with the work secured in my bench vise. However, sometimes I need more positioning  exibility. It turns out that a spreader bar clamp is just the thing. You can remove its reversible jaw in order to slip the bar through a standard  "-dia. dog hole. Replacing the jaw in its normal orientation— but below the benchtop—then creates a very e ective bench hold- down. It can be operated with one hand so I can quickly and easily reposition a workpiece as needed to  nish shaping and smoothing it. —Bob Poling, Parkersburg, West Virginia No-spin dowel sawing Most woodworkers know that crosscutting dowels on a miter saw can be dicey because the blade can grab the piece and spin it out of your hands. To prevent this, you can secure the piece in a sandpaper-lined wooden V-cradle, or temporarily a x self-adhesive sandpaper to your fence and table. However, I’ve found that the quickest approach is to simply...

If your dream of owning handcrafted furniture is a little out of your budget, this guide will help you give any wood item an antique faux finish for that old-world charm. Step 1: Sand the wood Sand the wood to allow the paint to stick. Use a fine-grit sandpaper. Smooth corners and uneven areas to create a distressed look. Tip Use an electric sander to make the process easier. Step 2: Add marks Add dents and scratches using a hammer, screwdriver, and chisel to give the wood character and add an illusion of wear and tear. Step 3: Start with a dark base color Use a paintbrush to apply a dark base color sparingly and in a sporadic pattern to convey aging and time-induced water damage. Wipe away any excess paint before it dries. Tip The dark base shouldn't cover the wood completely -- just hit the high areas that would see the most damage. Step 4: Apply your main color Apply your main paint color from the top of the wood toward the bottom. Allow the brush to run dry to create a worn...

Create a fool-the-eye timeworn look. Some projects, like wine server for your wood cabinet, are not unlike a pair of blue jeans, Both look better after a few years of regular use. To create that well-worn look wood finish, I have come up with a finishing schedule that can add a century's worth of character in less time than it would take to stonewash a new pair of Levis. At first glance, this four-step finish might appear demanding, bur keep reading. As you'll soon learn, this special finish amounts to little more than a combination of a few basic techniques you've probably used before. The “pickling" and - “highlighting” I use aren't much different than whitewashing a fence. Simply brush on the color and then wipe some off until it looks good to you. And after each step you'll apply a quick-drying seal coat to save your work. Besides providing an additional decorative element to your work, antiquing has some practical advantages. Adding color t...