“What we call green woodworking today carried no such particular distinction in the past. Vernacular woodcraft began in the forest, and made great use of the metamorphosing properties of wood as it changes from soft and saturated to hard and dry. Most everything a typical household needed, from treen to transportation, was produced through this process. Nowadays, much of that intimacy with this raw material has been lost as modern woodworkers turn to machines that rely on tame wood and massive infrastructure to function properly. But trees are not tame, and require knowledge and patience to work in the old way. There are valuable returns for the effort, not just in terms of fulfillment for the individual maker, but in...
The “bench hook” (commonly referred to today as a “planing stop”) is an essential workholding feature on my bench. This L-shaped piece of iron is filed with teeth to bite into the end grain of the board to be planed. Peter Nicholson described it well in his 1812 book Mechanic’s Companion: “Near to the further or fore end A B [of the bench] is an upright rectangular prismatic pin a, made to slide stiffly in a mortise through the top. This pin is called the bench hook, which ought to be so tight as to be moved up or down only by a blow of a hammer or mallet. The use of the bench hook is to be keep the...
We’ve waited a while to make this announcement, but now that Issue Three is completely sold out of our store, we’re letting you know about our upcoming book release: a hardbound republication of Issues 1-3. We will include every single page of those three issues in the book, but this is not a simple reprint. This book – titled The First Three Issues – includes behind-the-scenes photographs and stories as well as additional essays from M&T editors Michael Updegraff, Jim McConnell, and me about M&T’s distinctive vision and role in the woodworking community. On top of that, Christopher Schwarz of Lost Art Press (does he even need an introduction?) has written a wonderful foreword. Chris was the first person I consulted...
We launched the M&T Research Grant program at the beginning of the year as a new opportunity for artisans and researchers to explore an area of interest and share their work with our readers. This program is intended not only for those who might benefit from financial support, but also for those who want to get behind new areas of study and invest in growing a deeper understanding of handcraft. We offer an option for folks to donate to the grant program and receive regular updates on the work going on. But we also wanted to thank these generous donors in another way. Back in 2015, when Joshua was working through his vision of what this magazine would look like,...
Mortise & Tenon Magazine · 26 – How Many Tools Do We Really Need? In this latest podcast episode, Joshua and Mike discuss the sweet spot between bare-knuckled minimalism and cupidinous hoarderism (also known as Tool Acquisition Disorder). Although we all can appreciate a sweet new tool, in real-life projects, the most experienced and pragmatic craftsmen tend to work with a small array of cherished tools. Joshua talks about why there is one chisel he loves. Mike echoes that one particular plane from his collection finds regular use. This simple, pragmatic approach is good food for thought for those just entering into hand-tool woodworking. Don’t buy the hype of the advertisers – you don’t need much to do...
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...
