I struggled for years, trying to work with planes and chisels that were only "factory sharp," which isn't sharp at all. Sharpening them wasn’t a lesson my dad passed on to me and it turned out that I didn’t have anyone else to do so either. First, I started "freehand" sharpening them by hand, with nearly disastrous results. Since that didn't work, I eventually bought one of those sharpening jigs with a wheel on the bottom. While better, the end result was that the angled portion of my blades, where you sharpen them, ended up with a whole bunch of different “facets,” from a lack of consistent angle setup. It worked... sort of. Then I found our sharpening jig, and that changed everything for me. Now I've got planes and chisels sharp enough to take shavings off of Ebony with. That may just sound like braggadocio, but the reason we're carrying this sharpening jig, is that it's the best thing I've found. I'm so sure you'll be as impressed with it as I am, that I'm offering our Skool community a $20 coupon for the jig. Just use the coupon SKOOL20 on checkout. Plus we give you a lifetime warranty and free shipping. Attached a video showing exactly how to use the sharpening jig + some reviews from existing customers below. Check out the sharpening jig here: https://www.sawinery.net/products/plane-chisel-sharpening-system Happy Woodworking!

Merry Christmas everyone, another year is quickly coming to an end. I fell a cedar a few years back and didn’t want it to be added to the firewood pile so I made a table and benches. A couple mortise and tenon joints on both benches with a water based poly finish on the table top and oil based poly on the benches. I’m not a master in woodworking but I’ve been in the trades my entire life. My goal is to learn more joints and the appropriate time to use them. I have a decent back log of completed projects and will try to be as active as possible, feel free to reach out and teach me something. Enjoy the rest of your day.

My grandfather was a carpenter died in 1956 when I was eight years old. Grandma called in all the grandkids and had them look through his things and pick out mementos that would make a good keepsake for them. I was the youngest and I was last but I looked over what he had and I picked out 3 or 4 different tools that he had used for many many years. Even when he was in Germany he worked as a carpenter and when he came to the United States he continued. Those tools I still have and this 24 inch folding ruler I still like to take out occasionally and use. It's just as accurate as it as it ever was. I find the craftsmanship extraordinary and the brass edging and hinges work like new.

The first project that really made me feel like I "got there" in my wood working was a porch swing. A late request changed it from a swing to a bench. Not one screw but 64 mortis and tenons.

Every woodworker has that dream build — a workbench upgrade, a rocking chair, maybe even a canoe. You’ve got the plans, maybe even the wood… but somehow “someday” keeps getting pushed back. What’s that project you can’t stop thinking about but haven’t started yet? 🏆 Prize: $100 Sawinery Gift Card (maybe this will be the nudge to finally start!) 📅 Winner announced on December 8! 📍 Open to U.S. customers only (for now). We’re working on making them available in more locations soon!