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not sure i understand why this is so complicated? I use a moxon vise like Derek's (except it's not nearly as nice) mainly b/c it's higher up than my bench vise, but the bench vise will do. ...

My preference is for an aggressive cut with a scrub -I used a dinner plate to draw the radius so it's probably ~5". Definitely not taking a full-width shaving with this, but that's not the point. ...

You may already know this, but speakers are generally not made from real wood, b/c real wood colors the sound (which is why it's used for the instruments instead). MDF is acoustically dead which is...

Snake oil works best, but it's expensive!

My garage/shop hovers at 75-80% humidity in the summer which is May-Sept (no salty air though). 3-in-1 machine oil or WD-40. I like the smell of 3 in 1...

I also found the price for the stanley 42x a bit high. I have the somax, the version for finer teeth. I use the least amt of set generally (highest setting). Not sure if other saws allow for less...

I'd say go for it. I repurposed an extra jack plane w/ a wide mouth to be my scrub -I think the camber is about a 3-4" radius. I used a small side dish plate as the template. Yes, a jack plane w/...

without hesitation I would climb on top of it and plane the middle perhaps just a hair hollow and then climb off and go from the sides in. If I placed it on the floor, I'd use those thick non-skid...

I like Paul's stuff -good approach as a teacher and has a very simple and encouraging tone/method for getting folks started working wood. I think the condescension of whether his or someone else's...

my other thought would be technique. I sharpen free hand, but the same thought applies -pay attention to your finger pressure and direction you're pushing/pulling b/c it's very easy to skew the...

very cool. I also converted an old skew rabbet to cut the tail portion as per your description. worked quite well! I had not seen the plane to cut the female socket. What do you think of it now? ...

this is why I've come to not like depth stops. Some are more a suggested stop rather than an absolute. I prefer to plane to a line instead.

that's good advice. too much emphasis/mystique is placed on what is a relatively straight-forward joint to cut -slight gaps aren't worth fussing over imo. Most of my mistakes/gaps come from...

but don't hard finishes (shellac, lacquer) tend to show scratches much easier than soft finishes like poly?

totally random thought, but i know that baseball bats used to be boned i.e. rubbed hard...

very helpful Zach. Thanks for posting!

I've bought several replacement vintage cap irons on ebay to replace some snaggle toothed pitted ones and been pleased.

i would also learn how to sharpen the saws sooner rather than later. I'd suspect the bends/kinks in the saw plates could be tempered by students using sharp saws w/ a relaxed rake rather than dull...

I think anyone who uses a guide is a cheater and their furniture should be hacked to pieces and burned!

Seriously, who cares (apparently people here do). Glad people find solace and some peace...

i don't think a steel hammer would be my choice either. I prefer a rubber or nylon mallet of good weight. You don't have to hit them all that hard to get a good hold.

for all these reasons I prefer a wooden skew rabbet -no depth stop or fence to futz with. it's easier to use than you'd think and very repeatable w/ some practice. When I have to plane to a line, I...

I thought I was the only one who does that. It's usually when they fit so well together that I try for an assembly and realize this.

imo, no. For fleam angles, I just pencil a line on the saw vice (mine is wood), so that's easy. As for the rake angle -i take a small block of wood. mark the angle and orientation for the saw and...

i've got a victor stanley from my wife's gpa w/ a wide mouth. Stock iron w/ about a 3.5" radius -whatever our small dinner plates are. I prefer it to a jack w/ a more standard/modest camber b/c...

i prefer a heavy coat of either wd-40 or a light grade machine oil like 3 in 1 on plane soles and other tools immediately after cleaning. Rapid rust is pretty common IME. Not sure if this is...

i hate sanding -either ros or by hand -that's how I started w/ planes. If unfinished, then yes, the surface is much higher quality w/ smoother than sandpaper; w/ finish there's no visual difference...

dumb question, but did you turn the planer on first? mine allows you to switch between the slow and fast speeds only when the planer is on. this wasn't obvious to me the first time.