Q & A
I am a relief wood carver. My question is, what is the best way (and what tool should I use) to bring out the back of the carving? I would like some depth to it.
 
 
E-mail us with your woodworking questions. If yours is selected for publication, we'll send you a free Highland Woodworking hat.

 
Hands-On Bowl Workshop with Mike Mahoney
January 21-22

Register now for 2 full days of personal hands-on instruction with master bowl turner Mike Mahoney.
 

Highland's Upcoming Woodworking Class Schedule in Atlanta
 
Many classes fill up quickly, so please register now to make sure we hold a spot for you.

January 10, 2009
Beginning Turning

January 17, 2009
Basic Bowl Turning

January 21-22, 2009
Turning With Mike Mahoney

January 24, 2009
Hand Cut Dovetails

January 25, 2009
Mortise & Tenon By Hand

January 28, 2009
French Polish Workshop

January 30, 2009
Bookcase Design

January 31, 2009
Make & Take a Bookcase

January 31, 2009
Turning Pens

February 7, 2009
Sharpening for Turners

February 7, 2009
Tablesaw Basics

February 8, 2009
Bandsaw Basics

February 14, 2009
Hollow Vessel Turning

February 15, 2009
Basic Bowl Turning
 
February 21
Picture Framing

February 22
Picture Framing
 

Classes Suitable for Teens

 
 
 

 
 
Saturday Mornings at Highland
They're Always FREE! 
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
We invite you to attend one of our free educational woodworking demonstrations which take place every Saturday morning at 10 AM here in our Atlanta retail store.
If you are interested in teaching one of our Saturday morning demonstrations, please send an email to Alexandra . (We compensate Saturday Morning instructors with a $50 store Gift Certificate.)
 

Visit Our Store
If you live near Atlanta, or are just passing through, we invite you to visit and leisurely browse our amazing retail store. The thousands of woodworking tools on display here await your personal examination.
   
1045 N. Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, Georgia
   
 

 
Don't  have our big
Winter 2009 Tool Catalog yet?
   
 
Highland Woodworking Gift Certificates
 
An awesome present that's always appreciated by just about any woodworker anywhere.

 
Order from us now and get
FREE SHIPPING
on orders over $100*
  
*Applies to ground deliveries within the 48 contiguous states. Excludes items noted
freight collect or with extra weight charges.
 

  
Woodworking Workbench  
 
My Unusually
Small Workshop
 
By Dilo Marcio Fernandino
Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

My first workshop was the kitchen of my rented apartment. I purchased a small carving bench (23" x 23" top) and sharpened my few old chisels. My first adult-age project was a double bed with matching side tables. A few years later we moved into our own apartment where my wife granted me the exclusive use of a 7 ft x 6 ft
service closet where I have now been working for over 30 years. Despite its lack of elbow room and my wife's prohibition against dust and noise, this space became my "paradise" where I have managed to build a few very nice pieces.

 
 
Going Pro as a Woodworker
Part 4 of a Series:
 
Tooling Up
   
By Douglas Bittinger
Smoky Mountain Woodworks  
 
It should be safe to assume that anyone who is considering making the leap from part time to full time woodworker already has a full stable of tools -- at least enough to do whatever kind of woodworking you are considering.  But, for the sake of completeness and as an aid to those who may be just at the "ogling" stage, here are some thoughts on tool selection based on many years of personal experience.

Thoughts on Tool Selection:


 
 
Axes: Timber Framing Tools
of the Trade
 
By Gabel Holder

Axes come in all shapes and sizes, from small 1-1/2 pound hatchets to large broadaxes with a 14" edge. While we don't use every one of the axes pictured, we do use many of them regularly in our work of building and restoring traditional timber frames.
 


Finishing Wood
with Alan Noel

 
THE REAL SECRET TO
BETTER WOOD FINISHING

Nothing is more frustrating than to spend countless hours building something with our own hands only to feel helpless when it comes to adding that final touch, the magic color or finish that we see in our mind's eye that will make it complete. Or, to put it another way, building a Rolls Royce and having to paint it with a brush.

Want to know the secret?


 
Why Not Write
Your Own Article
for Wood News?
 
We actively solicit contributions of editorial material (articles, photos and videos) from our customers and readership, and for every one we accept and publish in Wood News Online , we will compensate the contributor. We typically pay up to $100 (in the form of a store gift certificate) for a thousand-word article with photos. The amount of the gift certificate may be prorated for shorter articles. Articles submitted may be edited by us at our discretion, and compensation may vary depending on the published length.
 
More Information
 


WOODWORKING
TIPS MAP

 
 
An easy way to navigate our
entire highly-informative
woodworking website
 
  


Stay Up-To-Date on
All That's New at the
Highland Woodworking



   

Highland is Offering Great Mail Order Prices on STEEL CITY TOOLS!
 
We are extremely impressed with the superb workmanship and innovative design built into each of these Steel City machines. American tool industry veterans (including former leaders of Delta Machinery) have created this new line of tools manufactured in China to an exceptional standard of quality. A change in the model year allows us to offer great prices on a number of these terrific machines. Act now to take advantage of these super deals.
[Click on images for more info]
 
  
   
 
   

In Stock Once Again!
Our Premium German Woodworking Workbenches
 
Hoffman & Hammer is a small family-owned German company that takes great pride in its reputation for well-built traditional-style workbenches, for which we have been the major American importer for a number of years. At the end of December we received a new ocean container of these fine benches, more than half of which were purchased during their first week in stock. Here's what one customer told us after setting up his new bench:
  
"This workbench is fantastic, especially for the price. It was packed and shipped beautifully and I was able to assemble it in 15-20 minutes. The two vises close flush with the bench surface and the top is near perfect flatness. I had minor racking when used heavily, but I built a short cabinet underneath to triangulate the stretchers and legs... needless to say it is now a COMPLETELY solid bench. I have used an Ulmia bench for years and this bench fits right in. "
 
We do still have a few of the small , medium and large workbench models on hand available for immediate delivery.



January Book Feature:
 
The Workbench
 
A Complete Guide to Creating Your Perfect Bench
 
b y Lon Schleining
 
This splendid book is not just a bunch of pretty pictures, although it is indeed richly and beautifully illustrated in full color. A labor of love which occupied the author for many years, The Workbench succeeds as an authoritative source that will thoroughly educate anyone who wishes to navigate the challenge of acquiring just the right bench for their woodworking needs. With thanks to the Taunton Press for their permission, we are reprinting Lon's delightful Introduction here in its entirety.
 
 
This Month's Featured Tool Department:
Wood Router Bits
 
Over the long haul, woodworkers typically invest far more in router bits than they do in the wood router itself. Our huge offering of high quality carbide-tipped router bits has grown to meet the needs of both serious amateur woodworkers and discriminating professionals. Machined for precision and rugged durability, these are among the best router bits available, and they're backed by industry leaders including Amana, CMT, Eagle America, Toolmasters and Whiteside.
 
 
Articles worth studying:


This Month's Featured Highland Staff Member

  
  Phil Colson
Assistant Manager
 
Although a number of Highland staff members are heavily into woodturning, no one here is more passionate about it than Phil. He has now entered his 24th year working at Highland Woodworking (and he was a frequent customer for several years before that.) Phil is a veritable reservoir of all sorts of woodworking knowledge, and he's always glad to share it. Be sure to visit his woodturning website at:
www.philcolsonwoodturner.com
 


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Highland Woodworking | 1045 N. Highland Avenue, NE | Atlanta | GA | 30306 | 404.872.4466

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