Craig Vandall Stevens’ uncompromising attention to the smallest detail makes him the quintessential artisan’s artisan. Each component of the furniture he makes, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is carefully executed at the highest level — the fit of a hand carved door pull, the curve of a leg, the selection of each piece of component wood — each of dozens of key elements are thoughtfully crafted into his work. The enthusiast could spend hours studying and appreciating the scope of his work. In my recent visit to his studio, I did exactly that.

In this concise video profile, I introduce you to Mr. Stevens and his work. Craig, who trained with the widely respected teacher and artisan James Krenov, is a master cabinetmaker specializing in the creation of highly individualized, “one off”, collectible grade furniture. Much of this work is purposely small in scale, designed to bring focus to the details. The entire process, from initial sketches to final finish, can take months to complete.

Craig is a specialist in the use of Japanese hand tools. His interest in these tools permeates his thinking about craftsmanship and, as we can see in this video profile, becomes part of his work. I hope you enjoy this profile of Craig and his work. Keith (4.5 Minute Video Profile)

For me, any trick that makes sharpening woodworking tools faster and easier, is a trick worth considering. In this video segment, I’ll show you how to build a compact sharpening station designed to hold either oil or waterstones securely to your work surface. This fixture also has the added benefit of helping to keep your worksurface protected from the inevitable sludge and grime that is part of the sharpening process. When you’re done honing your edges, stow the fixture out of the way. (4 Minute Video)

Occasionally it is necessary to sharpen very badly worn and/or out of square plane irons, chisel blades or other tool edges. You could hand sharpen the edge using traditional water or oil stones, but you’ll save time doing the heavy prep work with a power grinder. The key is to make sure you do it right. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a grinding machine. Even a budget model will give you good results. In this short video clip, I’ll take a beat-up, 50 year old plane blade/iron my dad had stored on his shelf and restore a course, but accurate, approximate 25 degree hollow ground bevel in preparation for hand sharpening with japanese waterstones. Learn this time saving method. (5 Minute Video)