On the cover of the December 2017 issue is Jim Moon’s reproduction of the venerable Studley tool cabinet. Learn about Moon’s motivations and the lessons he learned in creating his own masterpiece in the image of Henry O. Studley’s famous work. Read Elia Bizzarri’s master-class in Milk Paint, and learn how he achieves this classic chairmaker’s finish that complements, not covers, beautiful woodworking.
See Jameel Abraham’s take on a pint-sized bench for kids. Abraham shrank the classic Hayward workbench, but didn’t skimp on joinery or details – it’s a great project for the budding woodworker in your life. Tim Celeski introduces us to a group of woodworkers who have incorporated CNC machines and CAD drawing software into their work – learn about the emerging technology and see what’s possible when you open the door to digital design and tools into the workshop. And, Christopher Schwarz builds a clever folding bookshelf, based on a historic example of campaign furniture. Learn the tricks to making furniture that folds flat and expands to make a portable and useful shelf with early 20th-century style. Plus, we review the Shapeoko XL CNC kit, the SensGard Ear Chamber Hearing Protection and the BearKat Wood Chair Scraper.
In Letters, George Walker walks us through finding a radius in proportional patterns; toolmaker and blacksmith Seth Gould is profiled in Design Matters; Chad Stanton builds a simple and solid stacking tool caddy in our “I Can Do That” column; in Arts & Mysteries, Peter Follansbee shows us how to make a hard-wearing froe club (and teaches us a lesson about putting off our work). Bob Flexner discusses the various oils used in finishing and their properties; and in our “End Grain” column, Eric Key shows us his beautiful project built from the pages of the magazine, and relates a few lessons he learned in using our “woodworking class in print.”