Writing
Brian Boggs · Writing
This 2016 limited anniversary edition of my shaving horse was produced in our shop, commemorating shared anniversaries with Lie-Nielsen and Fine Woodworking. This one is coming with me to Handworks. I designed it in the late 1980s and then Fine
“Why” and “How” should have quotations around them
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While teaching a new guy named Clay to use my systems on the bandsaw, he began to get variations in the cut shapes. It was clear to me immediately what had happened, but not to
Melanie says that if I were a trout, I’d have been dead a long time ago. She’s probably right. During a talk last week, I was trying to explain something about the economics of design,
Brian with his Tango table, a nine-foot-long, 22-inch-wide entry table. Why make it in the first place? What must it do? How should it be made? What will it cost? These are familiar questions, but
Brian walks through this evolution in a video below. I’ve always asked myself why things are made the way they are. Chairs in particular.That seems to be where my making brain tends to roam the
For four decades I’ve believed a joint should tell the truth. If a mortise and tenon holds a chair together, you should be able to see it do that work: the shoulder line, the pin,
In 2010, Paul Heumiller approached our shop and asked us to design a chair for guitarists. Paul owns Dream Guitars, a fine guitar store offering handmade instruments from luthiers around the world, both new and
I was standing in front of a room in Las Vegas. July 2023. The trade show floor was full of the most capable machines I’d ever seen in one place: CNC table saws, five-axis mills,
Most woodworking projects don’t require extreme precision. But practicing precision, even when it isn’t necessary, can fundamentally change how well your eye understands the work. About forty years ago a student of mine, Tony Hull,
By the time I’d finally made a spokeshave that worked the way I wanted, really worked, the kind you forget you’re holding, I couldn’t put it down. I used it for everything, and when I
Subscribe to our newsletter When I was thirteen, I took my first job off the farm where we lived, tobacco cutting. The work was brutally physical. Armed with a crude tobacco knife and a spear,
Whenever my wife and I go out to eat with friends, I try to look at the menu online well ahead of time. I have a real problem deciding what to eat while sitting at
Editor’s Note Subscribe to our newsletter This essay first appeared in Popular Woodworking Magazine in 2009. At the time, I had already been teaching chairmaking and furniture design for nearly twenty years. Since then, I’ve
My work depended on spokeshaves from the beginning. But I had to design and make my own to get the performance I needed. That started a fun tool design odyssey that continues to this day.
I don’t know how many pins I’ve put in chair slats, but I’m sure it is in the thousands. My process evolved over the decades, eventually settling on the one I show in this video
Without thinking about it much, starting one’s woodworking career with one of the most challenging products in the furniture line-up might seem odd, if not backward. But I don’t think chairmaking poses more difficulty than
I have been wanting to make a video on plane blade sharpening for some time now. I know the 20 minute video format we chose just doesn’t leave room for the whole story. The last
Before making this latest video on scraper techniques, I looked at quite a few YouTube scraper sharpening videos. I watched so many makers talk about their method for getting a good edge with interest. All
James Krenov called hand planes “the violins of the woodworker’s orchestra”. I never got what he meant by that exactly other than to express his own reverence for this group of hand tools. I have
In the larger sense of things, I think of ownership of ideas the same way I think of ownership of land or water. This stuff isn’t ours to own, really. We share it, take care
I began chair making in the early ’80s following the tutelage of Jenny Alexander’s book Make a Chair from a Tree. It took a few years for me to find my own voice in chair
I’ve talked to a lot of people who were having issues with steam bending, and troubleshooting steam bending. At a distance, there is a lot of guesswork, because everything in the process of steam bending,
Mark Barabas writes, “I understand that a finished cut, or one that needs no additional work prior to finishing, can come from an edge tool, like a drawknife, plane, or spokeshave. I don’t understand why
Patrick Daugherty writes, “I’ve heard it said that there’s no such thing as a glue-starved joint. I suppose it is to imply that, as long as the glue bonds to the fibers, the film thickness
Jeff McCampbell writes, “I’ve asked about seat comfort, but I was wondering about the curves and steam bending,” and let’s see, this is Jeff. Man, you’ve been asking all the questions. He wants it all.
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Ask Brian
Understanding how tools actually work
Ask Brian · Tools
What actually happens when a sharp edge meets wood?
View Answer
A sharp edge doesn’t just push wood fibers aside — it severs them. The geometry of the bevel determines how the wood splits ahead of the edge and how much it springs back. When the edge is truly sharp, the cut happens cleanly at the exact point of contact. When it isn’t, the fibers compress, tear, and drag. The difference is felt more than seen, especially in difficult grain where the edge needs to be doing real work rather than bullying its way through.
Ask Brian · Tools
Why does grain direction matter so much when planing?
View Answer
Wood grain is not a surface texture — it’s a three-dimensional structure running through the board. Planing with the grain means the edge slices downward into fibers that are supported by the wood beneath them. Planing against the grain lifts fibers up before the edge reaches them, causing tearout. The trick is learning to read grain direction before committing to a stroke, and being willing to switch direction mid-board when the grain reverses.
Ask Brian · Tools
What does a chisel's bevel angle actually control?
View Answer
The bevel angle is a trade-off between edge strength and cutting ease. A low angle produces a keen edge that cuts easily but dulls faster. A higher angle holds up longer but requires more force. The right choice depends on the work.
Ask Brian · Tools
Why does a hand plane sometimes chatter or skip?
View Answer
Chatter happens when the blade vibrates rather than cuts steadily. The usual causes are poor support at the chip breaker, a loose frog, or gaps that allow movement under load. Fixing it means working methodically through each possible cause.
Ask Brian · Tools
Why do card scrapers cause blisters?
View Answer
Blisters usually mean the tool isn’t doing the work. A properly sharpened scraper should cut cleanly with little effort. If you’re pushing hard enough to get blisters, something is off — in the edge, the burr, or how it’s presented.
Ask Brian · Tools
How do you know when a tool is tuned well enough to learn from?
View Answer
When the tool stops fighting you. A well-tuned tool removes uncertainty so you can actually learn from what you feel.
Ask Brian · Tools
Is there a point where more refinement stops helping?
View Answer
Yes. Refinement beyond the demands of the work produces diminishing returns. The key is closing the gap between performance and need.
Strength, movement, and long-term performance
Ask Brian · Joinery
What makes a joint strong over time, not just at glue-up?
View Answer
Strength at glue-up is easy. What matters is how the joint behaves as the wood moves and the piece is used. A strong joint allows that movement without concentrating stress.
Ask Brian · Joinery
Why do some joints fail even when they seem well-made?
View Answer
Failure usually comes from a mismatch between the joint and the forces acting on it. Good execution can’t compensate for poor design.
Ask Brian · Joinery
How tight should a joint really be?
View Answer
Tighter is not always better. A joint that’s too tight can starve glue or introduce stress. The goal is controlled fit, not force.
Ask Brian · Joinery
What role does grain direction play in joinery?
View Answer
Grain direction determines how a joint behaves over time. If movement isn’t accounted for, something will eventually give.
Ask Brian · Joinery
When should you rely on mechanical strength versus glue?
View Answer
The geometry of the joint should provide structure. Glue reinforces it. Relying on glue alone often leads to failure.
Ask Brian · Joinery
Why is alignment during glue-up so critical?
View Answer
Glue-up makes small errors permanent. Good joinery either locks alignment or allows control during assembly.
Ask Brian · Joinery
How do you decide which joint to use?
View Answer
There’s no best joint — only the one that suits the situation. The choice comes from understanding forces, movement, and use.
Working with wood instead of against it
Ask Brian · Wood Movement
Why does wood move at all?
View Answer
Wood expands and contracts with changes in moisture content. This movement is built into the material and never stops.
Ask Brian · Wood Movement
Why does wood move more across the grain than along it?
View Answer
Movement across the grain can be significant, while along the grain it’s minimal. This difference drives most structural decisions in furniture.
Ask Brian · Wood Movement
What happens if wood movement isn’t accounted for?
View Answer
Something will fail — the joint, the surrounding wood, or the surface. Wood doesn’t stop moving just because the design ignores it.
Ask Brian · Wood Movement
How do you design to allow for movement?
View Answer
You create relationships that accommodate change rather than resist it. Slots, floating panels, and orientation all play a role.
Ask Brian · Wood Movement
Why do wide panels create problems?
View Answer
The wider the board, the more it moves. Wide panels amplify every mistake in design or construction.
Ask Brian · Wood Movement
Can you stop wood from moving?
View Answer
No. You can slow it down with a finish, but you cannot stop it. The goal is always accommodation, not control.
Surface, texture, and final decisions
Ask Brian · Finishing
What is the real purpose of a finish?
View Answer
Most people think of finish as protection or appearance. It’s both, but more importantly, it’s the final decision about how a piece will be experienced.
Finish affects how light moves across a surface, how it feels under the hand, and how the work ages over time. It’s not separate from the design—it completes it.
Ask Brian · Finishing
Why does surface preparation matter more than the finish itself?
View Answer
Finish doesn’t hide the surface—it reveals it.
Any inconsistency in the surface becomes more visible once finish is applied. A well-prepared surface reflects light evenly and allows the finish to do its job. A poorly prepared one makes even the best finish look mediocre.
Ask Brian · Finishing
What does “a good surface” actually mean?
View Answer
A good surface isn’t just smooth—it’s coherent.
The tool marks, texture, and reflectivity all work together. Whether the surface is planed, scraped, or sanded, it should feel intentional, not accidental.
Ask Brian · Finishing
Why do different tools create different surface qualities?
View Answer
Each tool interacts with wood differently.
A plane shears fibers cleanly. A scraper abrades and compresses. Sandpaper scratches and levels. These differences affect how the surface reflects light and accepts finish.
Choosing a surface is part of choosing the final look of the piece.
Ask Brian · Finishing
How do you know when to stop refining a surface?
View Answer
There’s a point where further refinement doesn’t improve the outcome—it just changes it.
The goal isn’t maximum smoothness, but the right surface for the piece. That decision comes from experience and from understanding how the finish will interact with the surface beneath it.
Ask Brian · Finishing
Why do some finishes fail over time?
View Answer
Failure usually comes from mismatch—between the finish and the use, or between the finish and the surface beneath it.
A finish that’s too brittle, too soft, or poorly bonded will eventually show it. Durability comes from choosing a finish that suits the conditions it will live in.
Ask Brian · Finishing
Can finish control wood movement?
View Answer
Finish slows moisture exchange, but it doesn’t stop it.
Wood still moves. Finish can reduce the rate of change, but it can’t prevent it. Designing for movement is still essential.
Comfort, structure, and use
Ask Brian · Chair Design
What makes a chair comfortable?
View Answer
Comfort isn’t a single dimension—it’s a relationship between the body and the form.
Seat shape, back angle, lumbar support, and height all work together. When they’re right, the chair supports the body without being noticed. When they’re wrong, no amount of craftsmanship can compensate.
Ask Brian · Chair Design
Why is seat shape more important than it appears?
View Answer
The seat carries most of the body’s weight.
A flat seat concentrates pressure in a small area. A well-shaped seat distributes that pressure and allows the legs to relax. Small changes in contour make a significant difference in comfort.
Ask Brian · Chair Design
How do you design for a wide range of people?
View Answer
You don’t design for a single body—you design for a range.
That means finding proportions that work well for most people and making small adjustments where necessary. In many cases, seat height is the most important variable.
Ask Brian · Chair Design
What role does structure play in chair design?
View Answer
Structure determines whether the chair survives.
A chair experiences constant stress from shifting loads. The joinery and geometry must handle those forces over time without loosening or failing.
Ask Brian · Chair Design
Why are chairs more difficult to design than other furniture?
View Answer
Chairs combine ergonomics, structure, and aesthetics in a tight set of constraints.
A table can be slightly off and still function. A chair cannot. Small errors in angle or proportion are immediately noticeable in use.
Ask Brian · Chair Design
How does movement affect chair design?
View Answer
Chairs are dynamic—they’re constantly being loaded and unloaded.
That movement must be anticipated. The structure needs to flex where appropriate and remain rigid where necessary.
Ask Brian · Chair Design
What distinguishes a well-designed chair from a poorly designed one?
View Answer
A well-designed chair feels natural.
You don’t think about sitting in it. Your body settles into position and stays there comfortably. A poorly designed chair demands constant adjustment.
Design, production, and making a living
Ask Brian · Business of Craft
What does it mean to make a living as a craftsman?
View Answer
It means balancing the work you want to do with the work that sustains you.
That balance shifts over time. Early on, it may mean taking on a wide range of work. Later, it may mean focusing more narrowly on what you do best.
Ask Brian · Business of Craft
Why is efficiency important in a small shop?
View Answer
Efficiency isn’t about speed—it’s about removing unnecessary effort.
A well-designed process reduces mistakes, improves consistency, and makes the work more sustainable over time.
Ask Brian · Business of Craft
How do you price your work?
View Answer
Pricing reflects more than time and materials.
It includes experience, design, risk, and the realities of running a business. Underpricing may win work in the short term, but it makes long-term sustainability difficult.
Ask Brian · Business of Craft
What role does design play in making a living?
View Answer
Design is what separates your work from everything else.
Without it, you’re competing on execution alone. With it, you’re offering something that can’t be easily replaced.
Ask Brian · Business of Craft
How do you balance quality with production demands?
View Answer
Quality comes from clarity in process.
When the process is well understood, you can maintain quality while increasing efficiency. Without that clarity, production pressures erode the work.
Ask Brian · Business of Craft
Why do many craft businesses struggle over time?
View Answer
Often because they don’t evolve.
Costs change, markets shift, and the work itself develops. A sustainable business adapts while maintaining its core values.
Ask Brian · Business of Craft
What does long-term success in craft look like?
View Answer
It’s not just financial.
It’s the ability to continue doing meaningful work, to keep learning, and to build something that has lasting value—both for yourself and for others.
For 15 years I have enjoyed excellent service from my Ulmia cabinetmaker’s workbench. It is a massive piece of Europeanbeech with enough power to crush mostany piece of wood I put in its jaws andenough
Brian Boggs’s strong and nimble work station sets your materials in motion. Synopsis: There are a lot of ingenious details to this shop cart. The top is designed to tuck under the long rails, which allows
If you have only a bit of steaming to do, or want to experiment before investing in a proper steambox, stovetop steaming will get you by. The simplest steamer I ever made was a stovepipe
Brian Boggs has steam-bent dozens of different woods over the years. Here he tells his favorites and why. Wood that will be steam-bent should ideally be between 15% and 20% moisture content. Boggs highly recommends
Use steam to create strong, curved parts with continuous grain. Synopsis: Brian Boggs has been steam-bending wood for almost 40 years, and he knows that the process, although mysterious and fascinating, can be much more predictable
Replay Join Brian Boggs for a fascinating discussion on his evolving chair designs. Brian Boggs, one of the preeminent chairmakers in the United States, shares the story of his development in this webinar. The story starts
Brian Boggs argues that his bandsawn bridle joints are simpler and more efficient than tablesawn bridle joints—and they can be cut entirely without layout. Synopsis: Making bridle joints? Brian Boggs would like you to kindly step
Brian Boggs designs his two-part bending forms so that they mate exactly only after the laminates and cauls are in place; if they match with nothing between them, the fit will be imperfect once the
In the Fine Woodworking Archive
Welcome to the first episode of the Ask Brian Boggs Show! Brian Boggs provides direct, answers to questions on a wide range of topics. He covers woodworking, tools, business, work/life balance and much, much more.
In this episode, Brian explains his design thinking process, gives his recommendation regarding hide glue, shares his process for storing designs on digital format, his thought regarding domino joinery, woodworking trends, and much more! Watch
In this episode, Brian reveals his favorite bandsaw blade, shares his thoughts on Lee Valley vs Lie-Nielson bench planes, sharpening stones, the importances of a moisture meter and more. Subscribe on YouTube – Listen on
In this episode, Brian reveals what makes a greenwood chair work, steps to avoid wood warping, how to avoid sticker stain in lumber, and much more. Subscribe on YouTube – Listen on iTunes TOPICS COVERED
In this episode, Brian answers questions about using adhesives! https://youtu.be/lBZbgqMITkw?feature=shared Subscribe on YouTube – Listen on iTunes TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE Using Epoxy For Maloof Type Joints Adhesives For Exterior Bent Laminations How To Prevent PVA
In this episode, Brian answers questions about using adhesives – part 2! Subscribe on YouTube – Listen on iTunes TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE So What About Nexabond Best Adhesive For Lamination Best Glue For
In this episode, Brian answers questions about joinery! Subscribe on YouTube – Listen on iTunes TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE Impact of Moisture In Joinery Round Joint Fit Tolerance Burl Wood In Chair Seats Glue
In this episode, Brian answers questions on the evolution of his designs, acclimating lumber, comfort curves and predicting steam bent spring-back. Subscribe on YouTube – Listen on iTunes TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE The Evolution
In this episode, Brian answers questions on how to consistently saw several pieces of wood to the same length using only hand tools, glue starved joints, scrapers, and shares some nuggets about steam bending vs
In our tenth episode, Brian Boggs chats with Jon Binzen, editor of Fine Woodworking Magazine. This 30+ year friendship began in Berea, Kentucky and extends to this day. Enjoy their conversation which ranges from their
Brian's Published Work in Fine Woodworking
Fine Woodworking Archive
Decades of articles, techniques, and shop thinking — collected from Brian’s long editorial relationship with Fine Woodworking magazine.
Keep Learning from the Bench
Get new essays, insights, and ideas as they're published — straight from the shop.