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From the M&T Daily Dispatch 

From the M&T Daily Dispatch 

From the M&T Daily Dispatch 

No, I’m not making a miniature dugout canoe or a wooden gutter, but it kind of looks like it. This is the most extensive rafter repair we have to do for the House by Hand project, and I’ve been excavating the rot pocket out and creating a space to graft in a nominal 4x4 with epoxy. This will allow the faces of the rafter (which will be visible in the final construction) to retain their patina as well as strengthening the whole thing significantly. We’re confident about this type of repair because the roof system will be two layers – another insulative "skin" will be framed atop this one. But more on that in the months ahead. (We're posting regular...

From the M&T Daily Dispatch 

From the M&T Daily Dispatch 

From the M&T Daily Dispatch 

John Brown had a unique shop habit that caught the attention of anyone who entered as he worked on his chairs: At one end of the workbench, he kept a lit candle. Now, as anyone who has done a reasonable amount of handplaning can attest, the curly waste products so produced do not mix well with open flames. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that they mix all too well – a spark or drip of flaming wax into a pile of shavings creates an almost instant conflagration. But Brown used the candle as a device, a means, to promote focus. Counterintuitively, he introduced this new element of risk as a way to actively prevent mishap. He explained:...

From the M&T Daily Dispatch 

From the M&T Daily Dispatch