Our cover story for the June 2012 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine is an Irish Chair from bodger Don Weber, built from plans dated 1832. Plus, he teaches you how to steam-bend thick boards. Christopher Schwarz, contributing editor, shares his knowledge of traditional Rabbet and Plow Planes — essential joinery tools that are easier to use than you might think. Build The ‘Wright' Shaker Counter with Glen D. Huey, adapted from the work of Grove Wright, a 19th-century Shaker furniture maker. The counter is striking for its asymmetrical layout and fully tapered drawer sides and backs. Contributor Ken Burton shows you how to build a beautiful Oak and Mica Lamp, a blend of Arts & Crafts and Asian designs that will look good in just about any room. Plus, we have Drawboring Demystified, excerpted from Jennie Alexander and Peter Follansbee's new and important book, “Build a Joint Stool from a Tree.” The pair shows you how to execute this traditional joinery that will likely outlast you for centuries — all without using a single drop of glue.
In this month's Tool Test, we review Lee Valley's new knife hinges, thick-kerf, flat-top saw blades from Infinity Tools and Lie-Nielsen's closed-throat router planes. In Arts & Mysteries, Adam Cherubini advises you to “Sweat the Details,” explaining that small touches make a big difference in boarded furniture. With George R. Walker's Design Matters, “Design by Proportion,” you'll discover how to get pleasing and functional results from simple ratio adjustments. Flexner on Finishing demonstrates “Finishing in One Day (Or Less).” In this month's End Grain, Alan Foljambe discusses modern technology in “Nothing is Absolute.” And of course, you'll find Letters and Tricks of the Trade.