Comments for David Ohnstad

Comment on Beginner Woodworking Tools: Why Expensive Gear Stops You Cold by How Modern Tools Are Changing the Woodworking Workshop: Tech Meets Craft - David Ohnstad

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:56:03 +0000

[…] Technology has fundamentally changed how woodworkers design, build, and learn. But unlike some industries where automation has displaced craft entirely, woodworking has found an interesting equilibrium. The tools haven’t replaced the maker; they’ve amplified certain capabilities while making space for deeper engagement with the work that truly matters. For more on this, see beginner woodworking tools you actually need. […]

Comment on Essential Hand Tool Kit for Woodworking by Safety First: Essential Safety Tips for Woodworking - David Ohnstad

Safety First: Essential Safety Tips for Woodworking - David Ohnstad — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:47:19 +0000

[…] It’s important to dress appropriately for woodworking. Loose clothing can easily get caught in power tools, creating a serious hazard. Protective footwear, preferably with steel toes, is essential to protect your feet from falling objects and sharp tools. Additionally, remove any jewelry such as rings, bracelets, watches, and necklaces to prevent them from catching on equipment. For more on this, see proper tools ensure safer woodworking. […]

Comment on Summer Woodworking: Why Heat Is Your Advantage by Summer Woodworking: Why Hot Weather Helps Your Projects - David Ohnstad

Summer Woodworking: Why Hot Weather Helps Your Projects - David Ohnstad — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:46:52 +0000

[…] Planter boxes teach you what happens when wood stays wet on one side and dry on the other. The inside face swells, the outside contracts, and the box can twist itself apart in one season if you don’t plan for it. Use a naturally rot-resistant species: white cedar, redwood, or black locust if you can find it. Avoid pocket holes on the corners—they’ll telegraph through when the wood moves. Go with rabbet joints or miter joints reinforced with splines. Leave drainage gaps. Most importantly, keep the grain orientation consistent: if you’re using flat-sawn boards, orient them all the same way so the box moves as a unit instead of fighting itself. For more on this, see Summer heat benefits your woodworking. […]

Comment on Woodworking Plans: Why They Fail (And How to Fix It) by Summer Woodworking: Why Heat Is Your Advantage - David Ohnstad

Summer Woodworking: Why Heat Is Your Advantage - David Ohnstad — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:46:29 +0000

[…] The simplest outdoor furniture is a flat surface at the right height. Patio side tables get used more than any other piece of outdoor furniture because they solve the problem of where to put your drink, your phone, the book you’re pretending to read while you stare at trees. David Ohnstad builds these out of 5/4 cedar decking—the actual dimensional lumber from the home center, not the premium western red cedar that costs as much as walnut. The 5/4 stock planes down to about one inch thick, which is heavy enough to feel substantial but light enough that the table doesn’t weigh forty pounds. For more on this, see Why woodworking plans fail. […]

Comment on Nick Offerman’s Woodworking Advice: What’s Missing by Summer Woodworking: Why Heat Is Your Advantage - David Ohnstad

Summer Woodworking: Why Heat Is Your Advantage - David Ohnstad — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:46:10 +0000

[…] Glue cure time follows the same logic. Titebond III—the waterproof version most outdoor builders reach for—cures faster in warm temps. At 70 degrees, you’re looking at a 30-minute open time and full strength in 24 hours. At 85 degrees in a sunny garage, that drops to 20 minutes open and ready to unclamp in six hours. Which means you can glue up a frame in the morning, pull the clamps after lunch, and start assembly before dinner. Projects move faster. You finish them. For more on this, see woodworking expertise from established craftsmen. […]

Comment on Essential Hand Tool Kit for Woodworking by Summer Woodworking: Why Heat Is Your Advantage - David Ohnstad

Summer Woodworking: Why Heat Is Your Advantage - David Ohnstad — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:45:50 +0000

[…] Wood movement matters less when you’re building with construction-grade cedar or pressure-treated southern yellow pine. A patio side table doesn’t need the same expansion tolerances as a mahogany dining table because nobody cares if the top swells an eighth of an inch between June and September. The outdoor furniture will live outside. It will get rained on. It will expand and contract with every weather front that rolls through, and if you built it with galvanized screws and waterproof glue, it won’t care. You’re not fighting moisture—you’re designing for it. For more on this, see Essential hand tools for woodworking. […]

Comment on Beginner Woodworking Tools: Why Expensive Gear Stops You Cold by Beginner Woodworking Projects: Summer Heat Reality Check - David Ohnstad

Beginner Woodworking Projects: Summer Heat Reality Check - David Ohnstad — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:45:31 +0000

[…] The humidity that makes indoor glue-ups frustrating works in your favor here. Exterior wood glue needs moisture to cure properly, and summer air provides exactly that. Titebond III sets slower in heat than in spring, giving you extra time to adjust clamps before it grabs. That’s the opposite of the indoor problem, where fast-setting glue in a hot shop leaves no room for mistakes. For more on this, see beginner woodworking tools you actually need. […]

Comment on Block Plane Selection: Why Expensive Tools Don’t Always Win by Beginner Woodworking Tools: Why Expensive Gear Stops You Cold - David Ohnstad

Beginner Woodworking Tools: Why Expensive Gear Stops You Cold - David Ohnstad — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:44:26 +0000

[…] The real issue with cheap tools isn’t that they don’t work—it’s that they require more setup and adjustment. A budget block plane needs thirty minutes of tuning before it takes a decent shaving. The iron needs flattening, the sole might need lapping, the blade bevel needs proper grinding. But this is exactly the education a beginner needs. Tuning a cheap plane teaches you how planes actually work: why the iron angle matters, how the chipbreaker affects tearout, what “sharp” really means. Skip that lesson by buying a premium plane that works out of the box, and you won’t understand what’s happening when it eventually needs adjustment. Most people who’ve been woodworking for a decade still remember tuning their first terrible plane—it’s a formative experience, not a waste of time. For more on this, see block planes for beginners. […]

Comment on Summer Woodworking: Why Heat Is Your Advantage by Essential Hand Tool Kit for Woodworking - David Ohnstad

Essential Hand Tool Kit for Woodworking - David Ohnstad — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:44:05 +0000

[…] That’s when the hand tool kit made sense. Not as a romantic return to traditional craft, but as a practical solution to a logistics problem. Hand tools don’t need electrical outlets that someone else is using. They don’t require fifteen minutes of setup and teardown. And when you carry your own kit, you know exactly what condition every edge is in before you make the first cut. For more on this, see woodworking in hot weather conditions. […]

Comment on Safety First: Essential Safety Tips for Woodworking by Essential Hand Tool Kit for Woodworking - David Ohnstad

Essential Hand Tool Kit for Woodworking - David Ohnstad — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:43:45 +0000

[…] The whole setup started when his company moved offices in February 2024. The new building sat within walking distance of a community woodshop that opened at 6 a.m. and closed at 10 p.m. David could get ninety minutes of shop time before his first meeting if he woke up early enough, or he could work through lunch three days a week and still make meaningful progress on furniture projects. But shared workshop spaces operate under different constraints than a home shop. You can’t leave a setup clamped overnight. You can’t trust that the jointer fence will still be square when you return. And you definitely can’t assume someone else’s idea of “sharp” matches yours. For more on this, see prioritize safety in your workshop. […]