A.J. Hamler

I just finished the most difficult project I’ve ever made. It was a project I never really wanted to do, but I was asked to do it and couldn’t – wouldn’t – refuse because it means so much to me.

What’s the longest it’s taken you to complete a shop task? For me, it’s about 30 years – give or take a decade.

Getting sick often means you don’t feel like doing any work. But for woodworkers, it frequently means that you shouldn’t even try.

Despite your best efforts, sometimes things go sideways no matter how carefully you plan.

Woodworkers are nothing if not do-it-yourselfers. But there are a few things that baffle me that anyone would want to do themselves.

Remembering to open a blast gate is a pretty basic first step in effective dust collection.

After more than four decades of woodworking, there are still some basic things I can’t do. For those, I get help.

Using things while it’s fresh is always a good practice, whether in the kitchen or in the shop. Glues and finishes come immediately to mind.

Sometimes the hardest part of a project is the first step: Picking which side of a piece of stock to be the one everybody sees.

Whatever happened to NiMH tools? For that matter, do you even remember them?

Wood prices and availability are getting better every day. But the quality, not so much.

Nothing kicks your brain into safety mode in the woodshop like a blood stain.

There’s such a thing as “Too Much Information.” Right now, though, I’m experiencing a different kind of TMI: Too Many Ideas.

Lumber prices are coming down. Whether you’re benefitting yet depends on a couple factors.

Small tweaks to projects are often necessary, but they never take long. Except when they do.

In his most recent “Taking Stock” column, Woodshop News Editor Tod Riggio discussed knock-off tool batteries. I decided to look a bit more deeply into them.

It’s amazing how some tools evolve for the better when you’re not paying attention.

Getting finished lumber today is difficult, but there was a time when just getting the timber itself was a Herculean effort.

Yea verily, creating a working pattern for a reproduction when thou canst not touch the original doth presenteth a challenge.

There comes a time when you have to get rid of perfectly good tools for whatever reason – you never use them, you already own one (or more) that you prefer to use, you don’t need backups, or you somehow acquired too many. Who really needs five nearly identical circular saws?

The most beautiful woodworking joints are usually showcased for all to see. Except when they’re not.

Sometimes, your favorite new tool is something you never even knew you wanted.

Need to buy some decent Baltic birch plywood? If so, I hope you win the lottery.

I was robbed of some of my best wood supplies! Fortunately, I found the thief – she was upstairs getting a cup of coffee.

Internet advertisers for furniture restoration have always exaggerated to make sales, but some just outright lie to the unsuspecting.

After at least 15 years, an old “brand new” tool is finally ready to see some action.

A jig I made for one-time use decades ago still proves its worth from time to time.

The “newest” spin on CNC is as old as pen and ink.

Wooden utensils have been around for centuries, but this is the first time I’ve seen any like these.

It’s not the best router around – not even the best that I own – but it’s still a personal favorite.

I finally decided to try a tool I’ve resisted for years and bought a cordless sander.

When making a reproduction, sometimes you make a lot of guesses. But other times, you can just let a pattern be your guide.

I’ve said here at least a dozen times over the years that there’s no such thing as scrap. There is, however, wood that’s just not very useful.

I finally fixed something that’s bothered me for years. It took some scavenging to do it, though.

Looking for extremely wide boards? A time machine can help.

Burl of any species is probably my favorite “exotic” wood to work with, and always pick some up whenever I see it. Well, almost always.

I can’t tell you what art is, but I know it when I see it.

I think every woodworker has a file full of notes and sketches on dream projects they want to do “someday.” I know I do.

Woodworking photos used by non-woodworkers can be funny – and terrifying. The Internet is full of woodworking articles and ads written by people who are just content providers with no real idea what they’re writing about.

Trying to remember things in the woodshop often comes down to a case of opposites.

It’s amazing how many people, when setting out on a career change, choose woodworking as the direction they want to go.

You know the feeling when you come to the last piece of a wood in a special stash? I’m feeling that now.

The last thing I expected in a gourmet shop specializing in artisanal olive oil was a full crop of woodworking items.

This is another first for me: Using epoxy to fill some large-scale cracks.

I used my wife as an excuse to buy a new tool. Do I feel guilty? Nope.

My daughter asked if I could fix an old, broken chair. Naturally, I said I could.

It’s the oldest power tool I have, and after many years of good service it’s earned a rest at last.

I just had a scary, but not injurious, table saw kickback.