July/August 2021

July/August 2021 Issue Preview

This issue’s shelf, coat hook and lamp projects can help beautify your home in small ways. But all three of these accent pieces teach valuable woodworking techniques as an added benefit. Consider “summer school” to be in session!

Cloud Lift Chair: If you liked the look of last issue’s “Cloud Lift Table” project but wished we would have provided a chair plan to complement it, you’re in luck! This stylish chair also features Rockler’s easy-to-build, exceedingly sturdy Beadlock loose-tenon joinery.

Slatted Cherry Shelf: If you’re a fan of floating shelves but not the “slab-wood” variety, here’s a visually lighter cross-lapped alternative that’s fun to build.

Making a Lamp and Shade: Who says lamps are humdrum? Our publisher challenges that notion by putting a stunning piece of box elder on the lathe to turn a custom base. We raise the stakes even higher with a rice paper lamp shade project you can build for it.

Scandinavian Modern Steam-bent Coat Hooks: A band saw isn’t the only way to make wood conform to curves. In this starter project, you’ll learn how to bend air-dried stock to your will with steam.

Woodturning: Turning a tray will improve your tool control for large faceplate work. Ernie Conover shares the step-by-step process.

Tool Tutorial: Can you imagine woodworking without a cadre of clamps? We sure can’t! When it comes time to put the squeeze on your next project, A.J. Hamler discusses the primary clamp styles no woodworking shop should be without.

Tool Preview: If our description of the Cloud Lift Chair left you wondering about Beadlock joinery, here’s a two-page tour, featuring an updated jig that makes loose tenons even easier to install.

Hardworking Woods: While the first thing that probably comes to mind with “mesquite” is a savory barbecue, we put that application on the back burner to consider this desert-tough tree’s potential as woodworking lumber.

Shop Talk: Meet Stevie Estler, an up-and-coming maker/influencer. And if you’ve been wondering why lumber prices are sky-high these days, our report explains several causes.

Buying Lumber: Whether you’re making cabinets, jigs or templates, sheet goods generally are the go-to material choice. Here are six smart options for woodworking.

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