Magazines

Jonathan Salisbury’s completed church ambo

Our April issue is here and while spring may not quite be in the air, we have another great issue for you to enjoy. Robin Gates returns with part 2 of his saw bench build, and with restored panel saw in hand, he sets about building a sturdy bench that’s ideal for ripping, cross-cutting and taking the weight off his feet. Jonathan Salisbury presents an unusual project in the form of a church ambo, which uses reclaimed oak from the old church doors to make a tricky commission that involved a fair bit of thought; while Andrew Hall returns with part 2 of his Blues bowl build. Here, he puts the lathe to one side as he describes how he now takes the project from a bowl and spindle to a musical instrument. Next, using his eye for restoration, Peter Bishop takes a beaten up old roll top desk and sets about giving it a new lease of life, before David Oldfield mixes Masur birch and Macassar ebony to magnificent effect, to create a pair of cabinets that will surely be worthy of generations to come. Continuing our joint making series, we take a look at box mitre joints, which are regularly used to joint box corners. Here we consider how to cut them and how best to add the essential reinforcement they need; and in ‘Me & my workshop’, we step inside the conservatory of Norwich-based father of five Steve Pyne and discover why this small space is so important to him. And last but not least, Robin Gates remembers flying a drop leaf table to France, and in turning, Colin Simpson uses a log of laburnum to create a winged bowl with pyrographed texture.

Woodcarver and sculptor, Mary Anstee-Parry

Features-wise, we have some great treats in store for you, including Dave Roberts’ profile on woodcarver and sculptor Mary Anstee-Parry, before Phil Whitfield sets the Cotswold tone and tells us about the work of Ernest Gimson - a disciple of William Morris, whose work came in for some stick at the time despite being widely revered today; and in archive, we take a folding look back at a long-lasting domestic favourite - the tripod table.

Andy King doing some work on his son’s guitar using a palm router

In ‘kit & tools’ rather than bringing you a selection of tests on a variety of different products, this month we bring you a round-up of three different market-leading routers, which, as we discover, each have their own pros and cons. Here we explain the functions of each and their differences, as well as showing how they suit various operations.

As well as all of the above, we also have your usual favourites, including AOB, courses, timber directory and next month, which gives you a sneak peek at our forthcoming May issue.

All this and much more in the April 2018 issue of The Woodworker, which is now on sale!