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2 months ago | 
finewoodworking.com | Michael Pekovich
The thought of cutting dovetails can be stressful. A big challenge is that it doesn’t consist of a single task. Instead, it requires a number of steps that involve multiple skill sets. This is not to say that it needs to be a daunting proposition. Rather, success lies in understanding the process and having a sound approach to each step.
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2 months ago | 
finewoodworking.com | Michael Pekovich
I use a dado set on my SawStop table saw quite a bit. When setting up wider cuts, I encounter a problem, running out of room on the arbor to fully seat the nut. In the past I’ve resorted to leaving off the arbor washer, but I’ve never felt good about that. Woodpeckers must have sensed my frustration and so has created a narrow-profile arbor nut with a washer built in. The Dado Nut can seat fully on the arbor threads, and it offers the support of a washer to keep the blades flat and cutting smoothly.
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Nov 6, 2024 | 
finewoodworking.com | Michael Pekovich |Ben Strano
I am a long-time woodworker and a faculty member in the Fine Woodworking Department at the Santa Fe Community College in Santa Fe, N.M. I’ve noticed that while we certainly teach it and emphasize the fundamental concepts of it, we rarely define for our students what “fine woodworking” means. My research on the internet has not really met that need for me, so I thought maybe you could help.
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Aug 7, 2024 | 
finewoodworking.com | Michael Pekovich |Ben Strano
“Take your time.” That’s what I tell myself when things start to get a little out of control in the shop. At the beginning of teaching a weeklong class, I warn the students that this is an artificial way to be working. Along with the stress of navigating an unfamiliar shop and practicing unfamiliar techniques, there is the issue of time. To start with, woodworking for 8 to 10 hours a day is not something most of us are used to.
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Apr 18, 2024 | 
finewoodworking.com | Michael Pekovich |Ben Strano
Blue Spruce Dovetail Saw: BlueSpruceToolworks.com $295MY FAVORITE THING about the new Blue Spruce dovetail saw is that it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. It’s simply a very good dovetail saw, which is difficult enough to achieve. The fit and finish of the saw is excellent. A 16-ppi, 11-in.-long blade, made from Swedish steel, is mounted to a slotted steel spine, which is then attached to a resin-infused maple or walnut handle. The saw cut beautifully on a range of hard and soft woods.
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Apr 3, 2024 | 
finewoodworking.com | Michael Pekovich |Ben Strano
Growing up, I saw my dad’s garage as a refuge, a place I could go and dig through scraps and build something. Today, my shop still plays that role. While I’ve been getting into the shop on a regular basis, a lot of that time has been spent preparing for classes or working on articles. I enjoy that work, but it’s not the same as just going out there and making something.
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Mar 6, 2024 | 
finewoodworking.com | Michael Pekovich |Ben Strano
It has been a while since Fine Woodworking has held a live event, and we figured the best way to get back on track is with a free event hosted by Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking. The Fine Woodworking New England 2-day event in Manchester, Connecticut, will feature dozens of demonstrations by Frank Strazza, Steve Latta, Larissa Huff, Andrew Hunter, and many more. The show will also feature tool makers as well as an antique tool flea market.
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Oct 31, 2023 | 
finewoodworking.com | Michael Pekovich |Kaitlyn Hayes
My shop is a mess at the moment. That’s not a great thing, but it isn’t all that bad. There are two types of mess in my shop. One stems from the natural activity of woodworking—the piled-up scraps on the router table, the tools not exactly where they should be, the workbench surface that’s a little too cluttered. I can work in this situation—and frequently do, until I finally stop and reset.
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Oct 17, 2023 | 
finewoodworking.com | Michael Pekovich
ON-DEMAND COURSE AVAILABLE NOWFoundations of Woodworking gets to the very core of the craft of woodworking: laying out, cutting, and assembling joinery for furniture and other treasured wood objects. This in-depth course will take you step-by-step through basic woodworking strategies that apply to anything you might build. Pekovich dives project-by-project into the essential wood joints, from rabbets and dadoes through dovetails and miters.
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Sep 7, 2023 | 
finewoodworking.com | Michael Pekovich |Ben Strano
A recent article in the Washington Post bemoaned the lack of quality in today’s manufactured furniture. I don’t think that this is news to anyone, especially to those of us who have spent any time woodworking. Furniture being made today, like many other goods in our culture, is often viewed as disposable. That said, I do think that there is a desire to own good-quality, handmade work. That’s where we can play a role.
