OF

The tool I reach for most is my Japanese cranked-neck paring chisel which I bought - used - nearly 40 years ago. From cleaning off the tops of screw plugs to fine-tuning tenons and shaving end-grain, it can't be beat. I even use it to clean out mortices after drilling. I keep it scary sharp. An apprentice used it once despite my dire warning about even thinking about touching my tools. The dolt dropped it and nicked the blade. I damn near cried when I found out. Took me a long time to restore the edge. It now rests in my locked tool chest whenever I'm not using it.

I've always been fascinated with the Shaker style. It makes the most of the wood I have to work with and it can be easily adapted to almost any application from a box to a kitchen to a house. Though they don't know it, my two favorite mentors who taught me a great deal about designing and building in the Shaker tradition were Christian Becksvoort and Norm Abrams. When I grow up I want to be just like those two great craftsmen - I'm pushing 70.

Why go to all this time, trouble and expense? I've been using benches similar to the Joshua Finn bench shown in FW "Tools and Shops Annual" for my shop work and finish carpentry on job sites for 40 years. Essentially, one or more box beams on stands or, in my case, saw horses. Flat, light, cheap, super-strong, easy to move and store with a lot more uses than any other bench I've seen. When they're too worn for cabinet work mine become scaffold stages, ramps or bridges over troubled water (pot holes).
Old Fox Woodworks