Welcome to November’s tool of the month, this month it is the panel gauge!

The panel gauge is basically a larger version of a marking gauge. It has a longer shaft and a larger fence and is designed to mark parallel lines on wide boards. Some will use a sharp pin to scratch a line, mine uses a small single bevelled blade which gives a cleaner line. Some panel gauges use a pencil instead of a blade/pin which is handy for rougher marking or when drawing a full size template/drawing. The shaft on my Lie Nielsen version can be turned around and has a slotted hole to put a pencil in.

That’s it for November, look out for the next Tool of the Month blog post!

Welcome to June’s Tool of the Month post! This month a super fast look at a handy tool everybody has used.... the calculator!

There really isn’t very much to say about the calculator only that it is very helpful in the workshop for working out all kinds of things from joint layout to converting cutting lists into cubic feet. No matter how good at maths you are a calculator is always worth having!

That’s it for June, look out for July’s Tool of the Month!

We have recently completely revamped the tuition and courses part of the website, this has been under development for a while and there’s still more to come later in the year!

The main focus of this update is the creation of five brand new one day courses aimed at new and hobbyist woodworkers. The new courses tackle subjects that I am most frequently asked for advice about, while offering these as one day courses has the added benefit of being easier to fit around my normal workload and for the prospective ‘student’ to fit their diary.

For more information about these new courses please visit the link below!

For those who haven’t visited the workshop in the last 18months or haven’t seen my social media posts.... In September 2017 we gained a 4 legged apprentice named Monty!

Monty is a very friendly and very bouncy Sprocker Spaniel! He has made the Workshop his 2nd home since Christmas time 2017 and now has his own page on the website with some information about him and some nice photos!

Monty will no doubt be a regular feature on the blog in the future, now that I’ve caught up on 8 months worth of posts!

Welcome to May’s blog post! This month I’ll continue to show the different types of sharpening system I use in the workshop. This time it’s a little look at ‘scary sharpening’.

‘Scary Sharpening’ uses abrasive sheets mounted to a flat surface instead of using individual sharpening stones, this is one of the most affordable sharpening systems available these days and it is the system I’ve been using most over the last few years (I was a bit late to the scary sharp scene).

Unlike water or oil stones this sharpening system never has to be re-flattened due to the flat surface being constant, float glass is the most common surface used but you can also use a bit of mdf or granite. I’ve got one of these... https://www.axminster.co.uk/veritas-glass-lapping-plate-476783

To stop the glass sliding around I use a cheap bath anti slip mat from Tescos!

The abrasive films seem to last quite a long time and when they are worn out you simply peel them off and stick a fresh sheet down. I’ve been using the sheets from Workshop Heaven https://www.workshopheaven.com/hand-tools/sharpening-tools/scary-sharpening.html

This system works well free-hand or with a honing guide, just have to be a little careful not to tear the abrasive with the blade, but that’s pretty simple once you get used to it.

Most of my one to one tuition students find this system perfect for getting started due to its simplicity and low cost.


Look out for next months Tool of the Month!

Next up on the list of website updates!

The aftercare information sheets supplied with Stable Stool’s and the range of kitchenwares is now downloadable/printable via my main website. Handy if your original information sheet has gone missing!

My website has been a little bit neglected recently so here is the first of several updates...


I have been using this in the workshop for nearly two years now as a general purpose finish for smaller items and on restoration work. The wax has been available alongside my original Food Safe Wood Wax in the workshop and in my neighbours plastic free shop ( www.love-joy-home.co.uk ) for around 6 months, now finally it’s made it’s way onto my Etsy shop!


Natural Wood Wax is food safe so perfect for keeping your wooden chopping boards, spatulas and other wooden cookware in good condition. It can also be used on many wood finishes used on furniture and is especially useful for oil-based finishes and for reviving the colour on older furniture.

This is an old fashioned polish made from natural materials namely beeswax, raw linseed oil and carnuba wax which imparts a fine lustre to the wood.

It is available in three sizes 60ml, 125ml and 250ml and will be posted out with instructions on how to use it.

Welcome to April’s Tool of the Month, this month a brief look at Awls....