Magazines

Robin Gates gets busy at the grinding wheel

Well, it’s that time again when another great issue of WW hits the shelves, and this time it’s our March edition. As usual, we have something that will appeal to every woodworker’s tastes, whether you fancy building a piece of furniture, making a great project using some offcuts, learning some new skills, or trying your hand at a bit of turning - we’ve got it all covered for you here! We kick off with a great technical article from Robin Gates, which sees him getting to grips with the grinding wheel, restoring bevels with a honing guide, and applying a village carpenter’s remedy to a damaged digit. We also have a great article from David Oldfield as he goes about beautifying a set of Ashley Iles’ chisels with London Pattern boxwood handles; Jeff Gorman shows how clever clamp-work can be used assemble the joints for a mirror frame, before Stephen Simmons offers some great advice on what to do if your furniture is adorned with unfortunate ring marks. And in terms of turning, in the first of a two-part series focusing on woodturning techniques, Bob Chapman begins by looking at those techniques used for turning bowls, as well as beginning to discuss various finishing and colouring methods.

Ian Wilkie’s fretted spice rack would look lovely in any kitchen

We then move on to our projects section, which sees Rick Wheaton building a clever sky mobile from scrap materials - this project will allow you to practise your bandsaw and fretsaw work, steaming and bending, a bit of lathe work and also involves some nifty balancing at the very end. Ian Wilkie proves that variety really is the spice of life as he sets about making a lovely fretted spice rack from 6mm thicknesses mahogany with the aid of with a scrollsaw, and Mike Riley shows you how to make your very own plane hammer using purpleheart - which is ideal for gentle adjustments. And when it comes to benches, everyone has their own idea of what’s best, but Andy King goes his own way as he shares the build of his workbench worktop. And in turning, we have a lovely project from Colin Simpson, which sees him making a home for small treasures using a little known technique called ‘flocking’.

Andy King working with the Axminster Trade Series EX-16 scrollsaw

In ‘Kit & Tools’, our three testers - Mark Cass, Andy King and Phil Davy - put all the latest machines and tools through their paces, starting with the Editor’s review of the Triton TSPS450 oscillating spindle sander, and as he rightly says: “The spindle sander must be one of the kindest and safest workshop machines to use, and with care, very satisfactory results can be achieved by anyone.” He’s impressed with the machine’s performance and thinks it will enhance any workshop. Andy King then goes on to look at the Axminster Trade Series EX-16 scrollsaw - a serious machine that would be ideal for the professional user to upgrade their existing model. This trade-rated machine includes a range of great features to make your journey as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Andy comments that it’s a joy to use and the tool-free blade swaps are a real plus. He also looks at the extensive range of milk paints from General Finishes, which are available in 28 different colours. They get the full five stars from him, so definitely worth having a look. And lastly, Phil Davy gets his hands on the Ryobi R18 Hybrid 18V area light, which ensures you won’t be left out in the dark when it comes to all manner of DIY tasks. Phil says this cordless light would be ideal for the shed or workshop; just make sure you buy into the One+ System first.

Robin Wood’s pieces also involve collaborations with silversmith Owen Waterhouse - this one is a ‘quaich’

Our cover star this month is pole-lathe turner Robin Wood, who has become something of a celebrity on the woodworking and woodturning circuit. This traditional nest bowl turner shares his intriguing story with us, gives us an insight on the history of the craft and tells us about his exciting plans for the future. As well as all this, we also have your usual favourite pages, including our timber suppliers directory, readers’ letters, AOB, archive and marketplace.

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