Popular Woodworking Magazine October 2011

Our cover story for the October 2011 is on the tantalizing try square that helped launch Bridge City Tool Works. In Try for Your Best Work, BCTW founder John Economaki shows you how to make the iconic square using tools found in most woodworking shops. In Diamond Banding, Rob Millard uses a common router bit and a simple jig to yield a jewel of an inlay piece in the Federal style. In The Best Oak Money Can't Buy, Peter Follansbee tells you why riven oak is the best wood for joinery (and how to do it), but that it comes at a cost – your physical labor. In Portuguese Folding Table, Online Community Editor Ajax Alexandre builds a clever table that is simple to build and folds up flat for easy portability and storage. In Make a Chair That Rocks, Jeff Miller teaches you how a bit of geometry and a simple prototype will ensure your rocking chair design will result in a comfortable seat and a smooth ride. Discover Toshio Odate's philosophy in A Teacup & 8 Dinner Plates, which derives from the ancient Japanese belief that many objects have a spirit. In this month's Tool Test we check out General's beefed up mortiser, Veritas' Dual Marking Gauge, and the '3Rill' drill by Rockwell. In Design Matters, George R. Walker discusses how getting off the straight path can be liberating. In Arts & Mysteries, Adam Cherubini goes over whetstone sharpening. In I Can Do That, Managing Editor Megan Fitzpatrick build a small bench that is ideal for a hallway or porch. In Flexner on Finishing, Bob Flexner discusses four short (but crucial) finishing subjects. In The Addict (the End Grain column), Kevin Thomas discusses how he doesn't want a cure for his woodworking problem. Plus Christopher Schwarz's final On the Level, Letters, Tricks of the Trade and a glossary of woodworking terms used in the issue.