Fully loaded
It was time for me to write another column. But as is pretty common, the question for me was "What should I write about?"
Rob Brown
Rob is the editor at Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement and a studio furniture maker.
Articles by Rob Brown
I hate impact drivers
Two weeks ago, I helped a good friend, a hobbyist woodworker, get settled in his new home.
Breathing new life into an old table
Last week I left off telling you about a tiny, curved lamination being epoxied in the shop to replace some of the trim in the top of a coffee table I was repairing.
More top 5 gift projects
Rob Brown talks about 5 more of his favourite easy-to-make gifts - whatever the occasion, they're sure to please.
Power carving revisited (webinar video)
Rob Brown takes you through more advanced power carving techniques.
Reflections on repairing and refinishing furniture
When I started my own business almost 25 years ago, I did a fair amount of furniture refinishing. The thing that went hand-in-hand with furniture refinishing was furniture repairing.
Almost perfect
In between working in the shop and editing a few articles for the upcoming issue, I've been spending a lot of time with paper and scissors, trying to wrap my mind around a layout for my future backyard workshop.
A new workshop!
I moved to a new home a few years ago, which meant moving out of my workshop, too.
Calling all mitre saw stations!
A good friend of mine just moved into a new house that has space for a small workshop.
Top 10 reasons to use veneer in your next project
Veneer may be rarely used for the majority of a project, but it can often play a large role in furniture construction, especially in high-end pieces. There’s a learning curve when you start using veneer, but that learning will pay off once you’re comfortable with the tools and techniques.
Against the grain
One thing all woodworkers can agree on is that wood grain is a wonderful thing. Having said that, many of us may like different features, or characteristics, of grain.
A reader asks: What’s the design process?
A recent email from a new member included a question I don't often get, but one that a lot of new woodworkers (and many seasoned woodworkers, too) have at least considered.
Matthew Thornhill
New Westminster, BC based furniture maker Matthew Thornhill on dovetails, being critical and working in a two-car garage.
A stool of surprises
As you know, I've been working on a step stool for the past few weeks.
Praise for my shop stools
They may not be high on the to-do list of any new woodworker, but I find a good shop stool can really help out around the shop.
Too much of a good thing?
Two weeks ago, I wrote about a "simple project" I was making for my wife. We needed a two-step stool to reach items on the top shelf in the kitchen.
Romantic Side of Woodworking
When I'm working on a project for a client, I'm mostly concerned with moving the project along as quickly and efficiently as possible. Time is money, and I hate wasting either.
Design frustrations
"It's a simple project," I told my wife. "I can probably finish that build in a day or so," I continued, stupidly.
Gone to the dogs
What do you get for someone who has everything? This question comes up every holiday season in our house.
Wrapping up 2025
The project I probably wrote the most about in 2025 were the koi shoji screens I built. I first met with the client in February and finally got the three pairs of screens installed mid-December.
Not so smooth
Woodworkers generally do their best to make sure all the surfaces of the finished projects they make are sanded or hand-planed smooth.
Straight from the bottle?
If you've been a woodworker for more than an hour, you know glue plays a huge role in the craft.
Make a pill box
A custom-made pill box is a great way to make taking daily meds more enjoyable.
Cutting tiny half laps
Last week I left you with a plan in mind, but no idea of how that plan was going to work. I find myself in that situation very regularly.
