Magazines

Phil Davy’s display cabinet is designed to house his precious collection of wooden boxes

Our February issue is hot off the press and promises something to entertain and inspire every woodworker and woodturner out there. Gracing the cover this month is Colin Simpson’s offcentre turned box, which features an eye-catching lattice pattern, but we have lots more in store for you as well. Michael Forster presents a novel idea for a key cabinet, which makes use of butt joints and screws; David Oldfield makes a set of French doors to be installed in a Georgian manor house; Ian Wilkie, with the help of his visiting grandson, set about restoring a lovely Ercol dining table and chairs to how they first looked in their heyday, and Tony ‘Bodger’ Scott turns a discarded bed into a home for plants. We also show you a stunning piece by Mauro Dell’Orco - his aRound Cabinet - which is made using American cherry and American maple, before taking a look at the double garage workshop of 85-year-old Guernsey-based woodworker, Norman Dewey. And as we find out, when it comes to making crisp corners the lap joint, and its more complex cousin, the barefaced shoulder joint, can be relied on; Phil Davy constructs a display cabinet for his precious collection of wooden boxes; Robin Gates recalls the rocking horse his father made from a plan published in The Woodworker, and a childhood filled with the scents and sounds of things being made, and on this month’s back page, the Editor recalls chalk and cheese moments of initial site visits.
 

A very nice little cabinet, plus a couple of bonus columns on the Douglas fir!

Made in solid oak with burr walnut bands, this month we look at a complex tobacco cabinet from The Woodworker of January 1937, which would have involved a considerable amount of work and skill, and we also bring you an exclusive feature as we unveil the winners of the recent 2017 Wood Awards.

Niall Yates’ shiny salt and pepper shakers

In turning, as well as Colin Simpson’s lovely offcentre box with a lattice lid, we also welcome back professional woodturner and demonstrator Andrew Hall, as he reports from the recent ‘Harrogate’ show. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to demonstrate as this popular show, then wonder no more, we he gives an insight into what the event entails from a demonstrator’s perspective, and inspired by an unusual source, Niall Yates decides to make his own set of salt and pepper shakers, which feature a plastic coating to give a really high shine.

The smaller blade of the Arbortech mini system enables tighter access for any kind of shaping work

The Editor is busy in the workshop again this month as he puts two new tools through their paces, starting with the Arbortech Mini-Carver power tool, which is much appreciated by professional carvers for its ability to reach into areas where the standard version will not. Take a look at the next issue as he also has a look at what accessories are available. And especially useful in site situations, the Bosch GLI 18V-1900 C 18V floodlight benefits from the latest mobile app technology and features powerful LEDs that really do light up the whole work area. Andy King tests the Axminster Trade Series BS11-INV bandsaw and finds out whether or not it’s worth shelling out for - the answer being a resounding, yes, thanks to its solid construction and metal cutting capabilities, and Phil Davy tries out the Skil Combisaw - a handy 2-in-1 reciprocating and jigsaw combination that is suited for light tasks in and around the house.

And if all that wasn’t enough, we also have your usual favourites, including AOB, courses, timber directory and next month, which gives you the lowdown on what you can expect from our March issue.

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