DEEP IN THE WOODS...

Lies the "why" behind the "how"

Brian Boggs is a master chairmaker with over 43 years of experience. He has made a name for himself with his award winning furniture, innovation, and his thirst for knowledge of wood craftsmanship. One of his greatest passions is sharing that knowledge with the woodworking community; which is why we’re here!

On-Demand Courses

Now Available

Card Scraper Mastery with Brian Boggs

Price: $125

  • Card Scraper Mastery is a focused online course featuring over 2 hours of instruction designed to unlock the full value of one of woodworking’s most versatile tools.
  • Through two on-demand video modules, Brian teaches four key applications of the card scraper: surface preparation, sharpening for the task at hand, carving and shaping, plus three real-world finish repair examples.
  • Most woodworkers ask, “How do I sharpen a scraper?” Brian asks, “What do you need the scraper to do?” This course teaches how edge preparation and technique change depending on the task at hand.
  • You’ll learn practical methods developed through decades of professional furniture making, real-world problem solving, and high-level client work where precision matters.
  • Whether you’ve been frustrated by scraper sharpening, want cleaner surfaces with less sanding, or need better ways to handle finish defects, this course will deepen your skills quickly.

*Note: You’ll be prompted to create a free membership account before checkout. This account gives you ongoing access to your course library.

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Course Testimonials

"Boggs Bench is hitting all the right notes. There are many good online people reaching out to new hobbyists, but few for those like me with decades of self taught experience that want to hear from an established successful woodworker. Card Scraper Mastery is the perfect example. I have used card scrapers for decades and taking wide heavy shavings was the apex of use. Now I know there is not only much more that can be done with a card scraper — how to set it up and do it is a revelation. I will be along for the ride."
Dave LamoureuxCard Scraper Mastery student
"I want to second what Dave said! I haven't even finished the course yet, but I have learned a lot! Thanks for taking the time to put this together, it is exceedingly helpful for those of us who don't have the first hand experience of working with successful people in woodworking and goes much further into the subject than anyone I've watched on YouTube or etc!"
David Thomas

On-Demand Courses

Boggs Timber Frame Table

Price: $800

  • The Boggs Timber Frame Table Course is an intermediate - master-level, on-demand build taught by furniture designer and chairmaker Brian Boggs.
  • Over the span of 30+ carefully produced videos, Brian takes you through the complete process of making a refined timber frame table—from stock selection and milling, to joinery, glue-ups, and final assembly.
  • This course goes far beyond showing what to do. Brian explains why every cut, angle, sequence, and tool choice matters, revealing the thinking that prevents accumulated error and leads to reliably excellent work.
  • You’ll learn the systems, fixtures, and precision-driven workflow Brian has developed over 40 years of building complex, curvilinear furniture.
  •  Whether you’re an intermediate woodworker ready to level up your accuracy or an advanced craftsperson looking to refine your process, this on-demand course gives you the clarity, detail, and repeatability of a true apprenticeship—on your own schedule.

*Note: You’ll be prompted to create a free membership account before checkout. This account is what gives you ongoing access to the course and community

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Build the Boggs Finishing Wand

Price $14
  • This course teaches students how to build and use the Boggs Finishing Wand, a shop-made applicator designed for fast, even, and lap-free application of wood finishes. Students learn the basic design, including the tapered slot-and-wedge system that locks fabric tightly around a padded core.
  • The class covers material choices, cutting wedges and slots, assembling the wand with foam, fabric, and plastic wrap, and using it effectively on small and large surfaces. By the end of the course, students will be able to make finishing wands in custom sizes and use them as a reliable alternative to spraying or traditional applicators.
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Drill Press Precision Course

  • How to set up your drill press
  • How to calibrate your drill press for accuracy
  • How to use your drill press effectively
  • Principles behind each technique (the "why")
  • Tips for precision, safety, and efficiency
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OUR VIDEOS

I made more than 300 chairs before I owned a tool that plugged into the wall. Post-and-rung construction made sense for the tools and technology available to me then—but eventually I began questioning every round leg, rung, and joint. Round joints remove valuable material from the most highly stressed areas of a chair. Once I began designing the shape of each part around the joint it needed to hold, I was able to rethink the engineering of the entire chair. In this video, I trace that evolution—from early post-and-rung chairs to massive joints, taper-locking joints, and what I call the universal joint. Read this week’s From the Bench essay, “Why I Left the Round Leg”: https://boggsbench.substack.com/p/why-i-left-the-round-leg Explore more of my writing, courses, and approach to furniture making at: https://boggsbench.com #Chairmaking #FurnitureDesign #Woodworking #greenwoodworking #postandrungchairs
Why I Stopped Using Round Legs in Chair Design
A spokeshave chatters when the tool fights your hand instead of moving with it. I designed the Lie-Nielsen Boggs Spokeshave with no adjusters protruding from the surface, so I can flip it, reorient it, and grab it any way the work demands — without anything digging into my palm. Last week's Substack essay, Worthless Paper, covers the history behind this tool — why I designed it the way I did, and how Lie-Nielsen manufactures it to that design. This short video shows that reasoning in the hand: why the back stays clean, why balance holds no matter how you hold it, and why a tool with nothing sticking out is a tool that's always ready. Read the full story: https://boggsbench.substack.com/p/worthless-paper #Spokeshave #ToolDesign #BrianBoggs #BoggsBench #LieNielsen #HandTools #FineWoodworking #Woodworking #Craftsmanship #Handmade #StudioFurniture #asheville Why doesn't the Boggs spokeshave have visible adjusters? Adjusters sticking into the hand break the clean surface needed to reorient the tool quickly during work. I wanted a spokeshave I could grab any way I needed, with nothing in the way. Why does balance matter this much in a hand tool? A tool that's balanced no matter how you hold it never fights you — it doesn't chatter, and you don't have to work to keep it under control.
Why the Lie Nielsen Boggs Spokeshave Has No Adjusters
I was thirteen years old, cutting tobacco on a farm, and the tool I had was destroying my wrist. So I made a better one. That moment — realizing I didn't have to adapt to the tool, I could adapt the tool to me — changed everything. The full story, including the worst spokeshave I ever bought and the one that finally took me across a different kind of barrier, is in this week's essay at Boggs Bench. READ IT HERE: https://boggsbench.substack.com/p/the-tool-that-wouldnt-let-me-go Brian Boggs has been making chairs and tools since 1982. Boggs Bench is where he shares what 40+ years in the shop actually teaches you. #spokeshave #handtools #woodworking #toolmaking #boggsbench
The Tool That Wouldn’t Let Me Go
I've always had an appetite for tools and machines. It's gotten me into trouble more than once. Forty years in the shop taught me there's a real difference between buying capability and buying hope. I didn't always know which one I was doing. This grinder took me about a year to decide on. How I got here — and the questions I wish I'd had at twenty — is in this week's essay. https://boggsbench.substack.com/p/do-you-need-that-tool #woodworking #toolsofinstagram #sharpening #chairmaking #handtools #woodworkingtools #craftsman #boggsbench #woodworkinglife #makersofinstagram
The Questions I Wish Someone Had Asked Me Before I Bought My First Tool
Most woodworkers assume the hard part of using a card scraper is turning the burr. In my experience, that's rarely the problem. If the scraper is properly prepared, turning the burr is easy. Most scraper frustrations begin much earlier in the process. In Card Scraper Mastery, I walk through the complete system I use for sharpening, preparing, turning, and using a scraper—not just for surface preparation, but for shaping, refining curves, and solving problems throughout the furniture-making process. Learn more at https://boggsbench.com/card-scraper-mastery-with-brian-boggs/ #CardScraper #Woodworking #HandTools #FineWoodworking #FurnitureMaking #Woodworker #WoodworkingEducation #BoggsBench
Turning the Burr Isn't the Hard Part
Most table bases are designed around what looks right. This one is designed around where your feet actually land. In this video, Brian Boggs uses borrowed shoes and an MDF board to walk through the ergonomic principles behind dining table base placement — specifically, why the foot of a table base needs to center on the 24-inch mark, how to keep legs clear of your guests' knees, and why those angled legs on the Timber Frame Table aren't just an aesthetic decision. If you've ever felt cramped at a beautiful table, this is why. What's covered: — The 24-inch-per-person rule and what it means for base placement — Why trapezoidal bases create a knee problem — How to position a base for both stability and clearance — The geometry behind the Timber Frame Table base design This video accompanies Brian's Free Substack essay "Start with the Feet, Everything Else Follows" — link: https://boggsbench.substack.com/p/start-with-the-feet-everything-else?r=1wt7hw Want to work through the full geometry yourself? The Timber Frame Table course covers base positioning, structural logic, and the complete sequence from rough stock to finished piece: https://boggsbench.com/boggs-timber-frame-table/ #TableDesign #DiningTable #FurnitureDesign #WoodworkingTips #BrianBoggs #BoggsBench #CustomFurniture #Ergonomics #Woodworking #FineWoodworking #TimberFrameTable #FurnitureMaking #HandmadeFurniture #WoodworkingVideo #Asheville
Why Most Table Bases Are in the Wrong Place
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