This week I finished building a pine slant-lidded chest over two drawers for Popular Woodworking Magazine. But they don’t care about the chest. They’re looking at the grain painting. A while back, Megan asked if I’d be write an article about grain painting for an upcoming issue. She told me I could just whip up a small pine box to use as a canvas for the article. “Seems simple enough”, I thought. It was… until I asked my wife if there was any use for a new chest in our house. We both brought our ideas to the table and ended up with the slanted lid to showcase the graining and make accessing the contents inviting and two drawers because drawers are...
Ryan and Tanya come as a pair. Although the strengths they bring to M&T are different, their many years together has made them a cohesive and wonderfully interdependent couple. I first met Ryan a few years back when he was working at the legendary Liberty Tool Company. Ryan was the red bearded guy whose insights and advice won him fan mail from around the country. As woodworkers vacation through Maine to visit the woodworker’s Mecca in Liberty, they often feel overwhelmed by the endless shelves jammed to the brim with ready-to-restore antique hand tools. Ryan, in his characteristic soft-spoken lucidity, would help align each customer’s purchase to their intended use. (In fact, this...
I'll be the first to admit I have no idea how to run a magazine. I started this publication assuming this hand-tool-only pre-industrial publication would be too narrow to generate broad interest. When I began to realize how wrong I was, I called Megan Fitzpatrick of Popular Woodworking for help. See, one of the downsides to self-published material is that there is often no copy editor to make sure all the i's are dotted and t's crossed before it goes to print. I told Megan that I didn't want to rely on my inadequate grammar skills as the final pair of eyes. Thankfully, she agreed to join the M&T team as copy editor. If you found M&T intelligible, thank Megan. She's got...
Last week I got back from a trip to Wisconsin to visit extended family. It was a great time off from work to simply play around and catch up with many people I hadn’t seen in years. During the trip, I made sure to drop in at my printer’s facility. M&T is printed at Royle Printing in Sun Prairie, WI. I brought the wife and kids and my folks even came along too. I was really interested to see the place this magazine was made. I chose Royle based on a recommendation and was delighted with the final product but, wow, I wasn’t prepared for how classy this facility was. When we arrived, we were greeted by a sign at...
The other day, Kieran Binnie at Over the Wireless posted an interview with me about my work. Because I involve myself in a variety of types of projects, I do get questions about it regularly. How does my magazine, conservation practice, and house project all fit together? How did I get into conservation in the first place? I think Kieran did a good job with this one. I was honored to be asked. Check it out here: https://overthewireless.com/2016/04/24/getting-to-know-joshua-klein/
When I began wading into editing Issue One’s manuscripts, I quickly realized I needed help. I saw the need for an experienced editor who could bring expertise and tact to the table. The very first person to come to mind was a blogger I had recently befriended named Jim McConnell. McConnell’s writing over at The Daily Skep impressed me right out the gate. His candid, personal, and fluid word crafting was unlike most of the other writing I had seen online. Jim’s training and previous experience as a writer and editor clearly set his work apart from the rest. When I approached Jim about his availability to join the Mortise & Tenon team, I was delighted to hear his enthusiasm. I...
Mike and I first became close friends through the house project my wife and I began last summer. I hired him as an extra pair of hands and was blown away by his efficiency of work. He worked carefully and precisely at a rate not many could keep up with. That is not common. I knew that when the time came to hire someone on part time in my studio Mike was the very first person on my list. Since December last year, Mike has been working on projects with me to try and keep some furniture moving through my studio. This has worked out wonderfully. Not only is he a conscientious worker but he is also a good friend and...
For those of you that have tried to order an indigo shirt the past few weeks only to find your size out of stock, good news: they’re back. These shirts have been pretty popular with folks. Besides appreciating the saying “We Plane. We Saw. We Conquer.” on the back, customers have been giving feedback that they really love the soft vintage feel of the shirts. I don’t personally wear t-shirts much but these might convert me. It almost feels like an old worn pair of jeans. I called the printer, Shannon Brantley (IG: @nubthumb) to ask him, “Why do these feel so nice?” He said that they are 4.3 oz rather than the standard 6 oz weight and also because...
Courtesy: Oldwolf Workshop I have been following some of the buzz going around about M&T since its release. Although there are a few folks that were hoping the magazine would have been something other than what it is, I would have to say that 95% of what I’ve seen people saying is very positive. For that I am very grateful. There are also some official reviews that have been published. These are good for folks that have never heard of it and need an introduction. They assess the value of the publication and give a final thumbs up or thumbs down. I find they generally approach the task in a distanced and clinical way. At times, the legitimate desire...
Spent yesterday at the Northeastern Woodworkers Showcase and, wow, what a blast. My presentations went well (with folks standing in back and out in the doorway) and the Mortise & Tenon booth was super busy all day long. I’ve had a great time chumming along with the other presenters, Garrett Hack, Jeff Miller, and Phil Lowe and a whole cadre of amazing other folks. As you can imagine, going out for beers with these guys is amazing. We’ve had some lively discussions/debates about authenticity of details in reproduction work versus a high level of refinement and premium stock choice. Our diverse furniture making objectives opened up a series of discussions related to craft work and the business of it. I’ve got some great stories to...
