2025 was not a banner year for my woodworking. I did very close to nothing in the second half of the year due to knee problems and ensuing knee replacement surgery. I've been getting back to it lately, albeit slowly. Hopefully 2026 will be a better year. That said, here's what I got done in 2025.
Projects
This year started out with a (sort of) Shaker handled step stool. It was a great project from a joinery standpoint, with dovetails on the front corner and multiple through mortise and tenons at the rear.
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| Shaker step stool with heart-shaped handle for the wife |
In May, I made a picnic caddy for my sister. This was my take on a similar item we saw at a restaurant, and it came out great. It's got dovetailed corners, dividers in dadoes, and a bottom fitted into grooves in the sides and ends.
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| Picnic caddy |
Also in May, I made a Paul Sellers project: a woven seat stool. This also went to my sister. This was an easy project, but I really wanted to try a seat weaving pattern I had not done before. The weave isn't perfect, but it's good enough.
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| Easy woodworking, but tedious weaving |
In July I made a quick cutting board to replace the plastic one we had been using for years. This maple board has been very handy.
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| Another easy and quick project |
Finally, I'm just finishing this project now, but it was mostly made in July through December of 2025. It's a miniature chest of drawers that I hope my 2 1/2 YO granddaughter will use as a box for jewelry or treasures. It's made of red alder, which I think is a very attractive wood.
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| Shellac yet to come |
Tool Making or Rehab
In January, I made a new iron for my homemade extra-course scrub plane. The old iron I had found at a garage sale, but it turned out not to be good tool steel. The new one is from a piece of O-1 steel and I shaped it, hardened and tempered it, flattened the back and sharpened it. It's thinner steel than the old iron, so I had to modify the wedge to accommodate the change.
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| Shaping the bevel with a file |
In February and March, I was focused on threading small diameter wood. I had done larger diameters, typically 1-2", a few years ago, but I was interested in trying diameters of 1/2" and 3/8". It was a big time sink, but eventually I had success with a homemade "machine" that could cut the inner and outer threads for these sizes. This was helped immensely by a YT video from Paul Hamler.
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| Overhead view of threading machine clamped in vise |
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| Eventually it allowed me to make this thumb screw for a marking gauge shown below |
That walnut thumb screw was the finishing touch on a marking gauge I made in March. I really love this gauge. I knifed and marked 1/8" graduations on one side of the beam.
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| A walnut beauty |
The impetus for the marking gauge was an old Worth marking gauge that I had been given years ago. The mortise in the fence had gotten too big for the beam, and the wooden thumb screw to hold the beam in place was no longer holding. So I made a new fence and wood/metal thumb screw and the gauge is a user tool again.
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| The old (right) and the new |
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| Odd contrast in woods, but it works great now |
I found this snipes bill plane at a tool show, but the body was bent and the boxing was warped. I managed to get it into better working condition.
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| The front showing the profile |
I can't recall where I found this old screwdriver. It's got "POLAND HITEST" stamped on it. But I cleaned it up and now I have a big honkin' screwdriver in the kit.
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| POLAND HITEST screwdriver with wooden scales |
For some years now, I've used a makeshift small router plane that utilized a 1/8" chisel as the cutter. But I always wanted something better. In June, I made a better small router, using modified Allen wrenches as the cutters. It has come in handy, and it works well.
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| The small router |
Miscellaneous
In January, I made a spreadsheet that would help me calculate radius, given an arc width and desired bulge of the arc. This was helpful when looking at the camber of the scrub plane iron. But the spreadsheet can also be used when figuring out an arc at the bottom edge of a table apron or a rail component of whatever furniture you want a curved rail on.
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| A simple little spreadsheet |
Well, that's it. I hope 2026 will be a better year for projects. My knee is doing much better now, but my leg gets tired quickly and I'm just not used to being on my feet for long periods. Hopefully that's nothing that more shop time won't cure. To all who read this, I hope you have a healthy and productive year!
