While the paint was drying, I turned my attention to the missing till lid. These lids are commonly lost and can be tricky to replace because of the integral tenons installed during the chest’s assembly. Trying to squeeze the lid in after the chest is assembled is impossible. So how to proceed?
The backs of these Boxed Sets we’re making are tapered and slid into a groove in the same way that drawer bottoms were often done in 18th-century cabinet shops. We plowed the 1/4" groove on the sides with a 7/8" groove plane (which was originally made to match a tongue plane). I prefer this tool for this task over the adjustable plow plane because fixed fences make the work consistent – all of my drawer bottoms are set 1/4" from the edge without ever setting a fence. The complication to backs being paneled into a groove is that the groove in the top board would be seen in the dovetails if it ran all the way through. In this case...
As we were packaging up this first batch of Boxed Sets, we remarked at how cool it is to see Issues 1-10 all together. Wrapping copies of Issue One, we shared stories about those early days and the in-over-our-head-but-loving-it feeling that pervaded every step we took. Mike and I have gotten to be the closest of friends over the past five years of this adventure, so for us, this project brings back so many memories: working side-by-side in my 14' x 17' first conservation studio space, taking road trips to woodworking shows in my stuffed-to-the-gills Caravan, learning how to film our own instructional videos, constructing our M&T timber-frame woodshop, our summer workshop, publishing our own books, the Carpenters Without...
Today, Joshua and I put the finishing touches on our first batch of pine boxes for the M&T Boxed Set – we burned our logo into the box sides. This was, I have to say, the most stressful part in the whole operation. Joshua purchased the brand from Gearheart some time ago. Due to supply shortages (which seem common in many areas these days), one necessary part for the electric brand we’d wanted was backordered, but the company owner himself reached out and offered to send us a torch-heated branding iron at no charge while we wait. We took him up on this extremely generous offer so the box project could move forward. Getting the brand just right is a bit tricky....
If we’ve learned anything over our years serving the woodworking community, the thing we’ve become convinced of more than any other is that our readers are supremely discerning and will tolerate nothing less than excellence. They know what true craftsmanship is. They can properly identify mass-manufacture from a mile away. And they know that real artisans have big, shiny beards. And now, we’ve heard your voices, friends. Let me introduce you to the new chapter of Mortise & Tenon, in which we branch out into grooming supplies. I bring you the Mortise & Tenon Signature Series “Artisan Beard Oil” (Certified Authentic). This premium beard oil is a hand-selected, curated blend of Tung oil (long prized by woodworkers for its ability...
The above video is part two of our “Setting Up Shop” series. These are nothing fancy – basically just turn the camera on and blather, but sometimes informal clips like these prove to be some of the most useful resources when you’re just starting out. In this video, I discuss the three types of workbenches in our shop: The 12' English joiner’s bench, the low “Roman” bench, and my 6' travel bench. I cover the overall construction considerations, the dimensions, and workholding. In my opinion, the simpler and stouter a bench is, the better.
– Joshua
This is the last call for Issue Three before it goes out of stock! We only have a few cases left in our inventory now, so this is it, folks. We anticipate that the rest could well be wiped out after this notification. So, if you’re one of those folks who would regret not having your own copy of Issue Three, now’s the time. You can check out the Table of Contents here. – Garrett Hack, Vic Tesolin, Drew Langsner and Kenneth Kortemeier, Brendan Gaffney, the spring-pole lathe, carving, and on and on. This issue is loaded with great stuff. Here’s another excerpt from this issue: More Deftly Without Measures “A unit of measure has a dramatic impact...
We at M&T have long been inspired by the work of David Pye. His arguments and distinctions on the nature of craftsmanship are both clear and controversial. But why are these thoughts on the essence of skill and of tools, encapsulated in his classic The Nature and Art of Workmanship, such hot-button topics among woodworkers and artisans? What gets everyone so fired up about this book? If you don’t know, you should probably read it for yourself. Many folks have strong opinions about Pye’s concepts of “the workmanship of risk” and “the workmanship of certainty,” but often those opinions are based upon an inaccurate understanding of what his book actually says. This confusion is what I attempted to dispel in...
We've been on a bit of a John Ruskin kick lately. In Issue Ten, we printed an excerpt from his classic work, The Stones of Venice, in which he extols the virtues of free workmanship. The opening spread of that article (titled "Savageness") might be my favorite ever. As I wrote in the introduction to that excerpt, Ruskin's impact on the world would be hard to overstate. As a brilliant thinker, social critic, and art scholar, Ruskin's ideas shaped cultural reforms in England, India, France, and many other places. I managed to track down a beautiful, complete set of The Stones of Venice on eBay for less than $50. This is an 1886 edition, published by George Allen. Allen was an early pupil and friend...
“On the spur of the moment, we normally act out what has been nurtured in our daily practices as they have been shaped by the norms of our time. When we sit in our easy chair and contemplate what to do, we are firmly enmeshed in the framework of technology with our labor behind us and the blessings of our labor about us, the diversions and enrichments of consumption. This arrangement has had our lifelong allegiance, and we know it to have the approval and support of our fellows. It would take superhuman strength to stand up to this order ever and again. If we are to challenge the rule of technology, we can do so only through the practice...
