A friend of a friend asked me to reimagine a previously installed built-in into something modern but still personal. He had originally asked a carpenter to make some shelves, but they sagged under the weight of the books. Since his wife is from Brazil, I chose 5/4 Ipe board to give the project a subtle familial connection. I built seven floating shelves, keeping the design clean without compromising strength. To make sure they wouldn’t bow over time, I added 1/8" brass stock along the back edge at full shelf height. He wanted a touch of class without anything gaudy, so the brass serves as a quiet detail and adds flex resistance. For the finish, I used a beeswax mix that brought out the depth of the Ipe grain and left a smooth, understated sheen—while avoiding any oil or finish bleeding onto book pages. I’m happy with how it turned out. What do you think?

Many woodworkers will tell you that D.R. Barton produced some of the finest steel ever put into edge tools. As one of America’s earliest toolmakers, he was well ahead of his time, and his chisels still hold their own against plenty of modern makers. That said, today’s metallurgy has advanced far beyond what was available in Rochester, New York, back in 1832.

Big congrats to @Darci Bauer winner of our “Favorite Tool To Use” challenge! 👏 Darci takes home a $100 Sawinery Gift Card (more tools for the shop, guilt-free 😉). Thanks to everyone who shared your favorite tools. We loved seeing the variety—from classics to hidden gems—that keep your projects moving. 👉 Our next challenge is already live! Another $100 gift card is up for grabs. Check it out here: https://www.skool.com/woodworking-for-beginners/whats-your-largest-project-yet-win-100-gift-card

Got a 150gal feed tank, built a frame around it and insulated it. All-in before the chiller was about $300. Used some left over wood from another project. Before the build it was at 53 degrees, after we can get it to stay at 40.

I built this walnut console table for our family room. It was my first time using mortise and tenon joints and I’m proud of the result!