The cover project for this issue is an 18th-century-style Workbench, first drawn by Andre Roubo in "L'art de Menuisier"; it endures as quite possibly the most perfect workbench ever designed. Our version, built by Editor Christopher Schwarz, was built using exclusively hand tools (except for one 6' rip on the band saw). Senior Editor Glen D. Huey shows you how to turn a puny half-lap joint into a strong Mitered Half-lap Joint in just minutes with a router, a straight bit and a piece of plywood. In this first of two installments from Toshio Odate, discover how to marry Japanese design sensibilities with Western dining table traditions (legs that accommodate chairs) in Magobei's Dining Table. Jim Tolpin shows you how to make a footstool perfectly sized to your own body dimensions (your hands serve as the unit of measure) in Design by Foot, Hand & Eye. Dress up the outside of your shop (or your house) with this easy-to-build Old Plane Birdhouse (the only birdhouse Christopher Schwarz has ever made). Bob Flexner shows you two methods for Filling Pores for an Elegant Look. In Woodworking with Wee Ones, discover the secrets to getting kids into the workshop (all it takes is free range of imagination – and lies). Plus, George Walker writes about Sublime Echoes in Design Matters, Roy Underhi