The Woodworking Gurushows us how a wooden spoon can be transformed using simple applied carving. 1. For this project, you will only need a couple of knives to get you started, a pencil and something to chip carve – it doesn’t have to be a spoon handle but I intend to focus on this as I have developed my own ...

Spalting is a by-product of the rotting process that affects all wood to a greater or lesser extent. It’s caused by moulds and fungi, and can create many different and beautiful colours and patterns in the wood. This makes spalted wood highly prized for its looks, especially by turners While there are many examples of wooden artefacts that are a ...

The Woodworking Guru make a traditional high stool that incorporates both Windsor chair and Arts & Crafts styles. Making a stool can seem quite complicated and in a sense it is. It incorporates a series of joints in legs that splay at an angle, which creates problems, and seat shaping that looks a big challenge, although it is easier than ...

The Woodworking Guru recreates a classic childhood favourite – the pull-along brick truck – in durable beech, guaranteed to last a generation or two My own children had a truck full of plain beech bricks, and it proved to be popular and hard-wearing when they were between two and five years old. This type of toy never seems to go ...

This combined egg cup and side bowl was made from a single disc of English cherry – a lovely creamy-textured wood that’s easy to work, making it an ideal turning timber for beginners Start off with a disc about 150mm in diameter and 80mm thick. Attach it to the lathe using either a screwed-on faceplate or a single screw chuck, ...

The dovetail is one of the most instantly recognisable of all the woodworking joints. Not only does it look good; it’s also an incredibly strong and efficient construction. Here’s a particularly attractive variation on the theme The design of the dovetail joint gives it considerable mechanical strength, needing little adhesive to hold it. The joint is also seen as the ...

In this extract from Woodworking from Offcuts, Woodworking Guru shows us how to make this garden planter using just a few pieces of leftover decking. When making anything for use outside, select a material that is fit for purpose. This garden planter is made from iroko (Milicia excelsa) sourced from decking material; it requires the minimum of finish for it ...

This is a heart-warming tale of how one young American couple took their housing needs into their own hands. It may be somewhat unorthodox but it’s very practical and utterly charming! Carpenter Dave Herrie always loved the open air. He had a desk job, but he hated it. Born in Westbrook, Connecticut, he took a break and hiked the length ...

The Woodworking Guru is asked to make a desk with a large work area, which is easy to move around and capable of hiding clutter. When our daughter went to university, I thought it would be nice if she had a small reminder of home to take along. I was thinking a photo, or perhaps a nice notebook, but she ...

No glue here! The Woodworking Guru looks at the loose-wedged mortise & tenon joint, an easy, strong and attractive joint for a variety of applications Not all woodworking joints are held in place with glue. In fact, there are circumstances where it is useful for a joint to be easy to dismantle – for instance, so that a large piece ...