by George R. Walker Jim Tolpin
Jim Tolpin shares three ways to generate a right angle using old school methods with just a compass and straight edge. Note, the one method utilizing a triplet can and was used on a larger scale ( like plumbing a corner post) with a ten foot pole marked off in two foot increments. If you d [ ]
I once read that a good children’s book can be more difficult to write than a novel. On the surface that seems absurd. Yet, a child’s book must convey a story within a small package, each sentence carefully crafted to capture the imagination of a young boy or girl. Our latest book “Good Eye” has [ ]
On this this July 4th holiday I m re-posting this tribute to a woodworker and mentor, Bonner Hall. Bonner Hall stooped down and flicked a Japanese beetle off the barely open rose blossom. He paused to relish the fragrance and take in the beauty unfolding before him. Bonner was sixty years my senior, quiet, spent most [ ]
Old-school method for calculating linear ratios such as board footage. This particular example is from Deane s Doctrine of Naval Architecture published in 1670. See the store page to download a free PDF that explains the process.
Geometry is a mysterious bird. The ancient geometers thought it mysterious because its secrets were like jewels that fell from the heavens. Though it’s the earliest form of mathematics, it doesn’t rely on numbers. In its purest form, geometry was expressed using points, lines, and elemental shapes such as the circle and the square to [ ]
My Mother-in-law loved to watch TV shows about aliens and UFOs. She also thought you could fix anything with duct tape, even a leaky water line. It always amazed me how an eighty year old lady could squeeze under her kitchen sink and mummify a leaking pipe with a big old roll of gray tape. [ ]
Would it surprise you to learn that an ordinary try square can take you to places far beyond simple rectangular boxes? In fact, learning how to unlock the power of a right angle can unpack a whole new world of design. What if I told you a right angle is key to understanding a wide [ ]
This is a bit more detail from an Instagram post I published about dividers. In some trades, especially carpentry work, dividers were sized to provide a quick job site reference. The overall length when the dividers were closed could double as a handy way to step off common distances. Case in point is these two [ ]
Our book Euclid s Door went off to the printer this week. It s a step by step guide to building a set of layout and design tools that were commonly user made in pre-industrial tool kits. Jim and I wondered why artisans usually bought many of their tools like saws and chisels, yet they made their [ ]
Over at the Lost Art Press Blog, Chris Schwarz made a series of short videos about the pros and cons of the workbenches in his shop. It s a wealth of workbench wisdom for anyone intent on building or upgrading their bench. I have to admit, it brought to mind the shortcomings in my own bench. [ ]