Splinters with Gary Rogowski

My First Shop Reconsidered

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 18:30:47 +0000

The Tool Wall

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 17:52:13 +0000

Thanks

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 18:35:03 +0000

Practice at the bench to give thanks.

Q&A #4

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 21:39:12 +0000

Why Bother?

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 00:28:22 +0000

My First Student

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 22:25:49 +0000

https://northwestwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/My-First-Student.mp3

Furniture Design: On Chairs

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 13 May 2025 22:35:15 +0000

April’s Gluing Fool

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 08:15:43 +0000

Furniture Design

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 01:41:30 +0000

The Chair: Considered

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 02:57:00 +0000

Q&A #3

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 02:24:56 +0000

Q&A #2

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 02:24:48 +0000

Setting Up Shop

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 23:07:11 +0000

Q&A on Woodworking

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 21:04:33 +0000

Nuts and Bolts and Screws

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sun, 17 Nov 2024 02:21:14 +0000

I Get It

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 23:37:33 +0000

To Be Seen

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sun, 08 Sep 2024 11:30:52 +0000

Teaching Styles

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 22:25:48 +0000

Flow in the Shop

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 19:39:48 +0000

Lyricism

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 20:23:46 +0000

Precision

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 22:03:06 +0000

Creativity: Hustlers, Fakers, & Thieves

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 18:01:58 +0000

Cutting on the Wrong Side of the Line

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 20:30:19 +0000

Reading the Fish

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 21:55:48 +0000

Musing on Mastery

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 18:07:51 +0000

Creativity and You, the Student of It

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 17:58:48 +0000

A conversation with Matthew Lynch, OMP graduate, Part One. Matt and Gary talk about the two year program and its challenges and rewards.

Addled

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 22:44:32 +0000

Dead Bird

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 22:37:12 +0000

My First Shop

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 01:31:53 +0000

Setting Up Shop

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 01:59:51 +0000

Flow

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 20:03:15 +0000

What Happened?

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 03:24:01 +0000

Open That Door

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 17:11:37 +0000

Counting the Rocks

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 22:39:41 +0000

What If?

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 18:47:05 +0000

Rock Climbing and the Online Mastery Program

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 12:33:55 +0000

Pay Attention

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 24 May 2022 13:30:45 +0000

Bird Brain

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 15:21:50 +0000

Footsteps

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 02:19:30 +0000

Dead Weight

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 01:25:37 +0000

Borrowing My Chisel

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 01:03:42 +0000

At the Bench

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sun, 28 Nov 2021 03:01:07 +0000

https://northwestwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/At-the-Bench.mp3

Question Your Assumptions

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 00:51:38 +0000

Why Do This Work?

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 17:46:02 +0000

Gargantua

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 00:49:19 +0000

Which Wood, Why, reprise

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 19:35:53 +0000

Change

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 19:23:11 +0000

I hate change. I love change.

The Problem at the Bench As Well

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 19:15:57 +0000

A Spoon in the Road

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 19:12:43 +0000

Something Useless

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 31 May 2021 19:08:50 +0000

Stuck Again

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 18 May 2021 19:04:45 +0000

Playtime

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 04 May 2021 18:51:14 +0000

Test

Transitions

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 18:44:23 +0000

Shuck and Jive

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 20:30:47 +0000

The Joy of Gluing

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 22:39:10 +0000

Choosing Lumber

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 22:56:18 +0000

Balancing Act

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 01:06:26 +0000

Slack

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 01:09:02 +0000

Deadlines

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 02:27:55 +0000

Pass the Wine

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 01:26:12 +0000

Salt

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 28 Dec 2020 14:35:45 +0000

The Garrett Wade Catalogue

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 01:20:54 +0000

The Garrett Wade Catalogue has been bringing fine tools to the woodworker since 1975. The offerings have expanded in some areas like gardening and woodsman tools today. But the idea of starting a company with nothing to build a brand of quality items is an intriguing one.

Jumbo Shrimp

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 18:30:28 +0000

My First Mistake

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 18:22:32 +0000

Keep your head on a swivel when working alone.

Cheese and Chairs

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 00:37:31 +0000

Ratso’s One Lone Post

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 23:16:10 +0000

Tolerances

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 23:14:24 +0000

Nuts and Bolts

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 23:13:12 +0000

The Sentry

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 23:10:42 +0000

A story about Jimmy the Beagle and his watchful eye. Also information about our Online Lectures and Workshops. Plus a brief description of our new Online Mastery Program coming this Fall.

The Trail Ride

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 23:02:04 +0000

Inlay Magic

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 22:53:15 +0000

Inlay is a mark left behind by the maker. A mark that says I built this. It was important to me.

Why Planes

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 21:58:07 +0000

Why hand planes are time savers at the bench.

The Lowly Scraper

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 00:01:27 +0000

Milling Lumber

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 21:38:58 +0000

Shadows Again

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 21:38:27 +0000

Stay the Course

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 18 May 2020 21:37:36 +0000

Stuck

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 04 May 2020 21:36:55 +0000

That’s the This

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 21:35:44 +0000

The beauty of language.

Straight

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 21:34:53 +0000

The concept of straight is as important as any at the bench. Get that straight.

Balance

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 21:34:15 +0000

How do we find balance in a world that has gone topsy turvy? How do we find balance in our work at the bench?

Don’t Think

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 21:33:36 +0000

Slow Down

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 22:32:24 +0000

The best way to move quickly is to move slowly with purpose. Fast work of things usually makes mistakes.

Restraint

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 22:31:48 +0000

Restraint refers to so many things in our life. But also to breadboard ends.

Mastery

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 22:31:21 +0000

A chat about the Mastery Program at the Studio. Its values and value.

The Bandsaw

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 22:30:17 +0000

Bandsaws are the most versatile machine in the furnituremaking shop.

Resistententialism

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 22:29:36 +0000

You know it when your tools hide from you, resist your efforts, thwart your progress.

The Nature of Quality

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 22:27:38 +0000

To be involved with one’s work is not just a question of what gets produced but how it gets produced. This is in the nature of Quality.

Gathering Inspiration

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 22:26:59 +0000

Our muses can be difficult to locate on some days. Pay close attention to them.

The Screwdriver

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 22:26:01 +0000

The screwdriver. One of our most indispensable tools.

On Creativity

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 22:25:15 +0000

Molly Major, metalsmith, and Gary discuss creativity.

Mistakes

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 21:23:52 +0000

You can handle a mistake in several different ways. Choose the one that yields the most for you.

On Beginning

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 21:23:16 +0000

Starting out can be a challenge. Keep an eye on the prize.

Starting Out

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 21:22:26 +0000

There is no shortcut to learning skills. It’s just like taking a hike. All the steps have to be made.

ReCo Bklyn Lumber

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 21:21:36 +0000

Roger Benton runs a wood resource center in Brooklyn, New York. His sawmill saws up tons of wood every year rescuing these trees from the landfill. He does this to save beautiful wood to produce incredible slabs, dimensional lumber, and to build his own line of furniture.

The Jointer Revealed

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 21:20:34 +0000

The jointer is as sensitive a piece of cast iron as exists in the shop. Learn how to tune and use yours to get the results you are after.

My Top Five Hand Planes

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 21:19:02 +0000

These hand planes I find indispensable at the bench. They are time savers for me.

Get On With the Work

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 21:16:38 +0000

There are a lot of tools one needs at the bench. Being able to bounce back from a mistake or two is one of them.

Glue Changes Everything Too

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 00:28:51 +0000

A reprise of a favorite episode, our Season Two opener.

Which Wood Why, Rewind

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 00:28:05 +0000

Picking out your lumber and milling it makes a difference in the look and longevity of your piece. Learn some of the qualities of wood to watch for.

Accuracy Too

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 00:27:25 +0000

Slow down, I’m in a hurry.

Chapter 12 Reprise, Handmade:Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 00:26:13 +0000

Sharp, Dull, Sharp Again

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 00:25:08 +0000

Time to sharpen again. Not because I’ve been using so many of my tools and made them dull. No, it’s our summer break now and this is a podcast broadcast in Season One. Enjoy.

Chiseled Twice

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 00:24:14 +0000

Chisels, the wedge, the most important hand tool in the shop.

The Top 5 Machines Not Named the Table Saw, Once More

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 00:23:09 +0000

This is a list of the top machines that a furniture maker needs in the shop.

Splinters Again

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 00:22:09 +0000

This podcast came out in Season One. During a short summer break, please listen to this story of not paying attention and the cost.

Intention

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 00:21:27 +0000

A recorded DESIGN: Open House chat about Intention with John Eisemann, choral master, and Gary Rogowski, furniture maker. Two very different perspectives on considering the creative process.

Shadows

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 00:20:58 +0000

Forgetting your last mistake.

Best Books

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 00:19:27 +0000

Encyclopedia of Furniture Making Ernest Joyce Cabinetmaking for Beginners Charles Hayward Understanding Wood Bruce Hoadley Sharpening Leonard Lee Hand Applied Finishes Jeff Jewett A Reverence for Wood Eric Sloane Tools of the Trade Jeff Taylor 18th Century Furniture Making Jeffrey Greene A Cabinetmaker’s Notebook James Krenov Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Betty Edwards The Nature and Aesthetics of Design David Pye.

Blade Geometry

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 00:17:37 +0000

Tear-out when hand planing can be a frustration. There are simple techniques you can use to change the cutting angle of your blade or your chipbreaker. These will eliminate tear-out in the nastiest of grains.

SawStop Saws with CEO Matt Howard

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 00:16:43 +0000

This is a fascinating chat with Matt Howard, CEO of Sawstop Saws. They have blade technology that shuts off a saw before it can cut through a finger. Crazy and interesting stuff.

The Mastery Program

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 21 May 2019 00:15:10 +0000

At The Northwest Woodworking Studio, we offer a school of thought and practice in the skills of design and woodworking.

The Nature of Workmanship

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 14 May 2019 00:14:35 +0000

The very act of building/ creating/ making furniture is an act filled with implications about you and your goals.

Models and Design

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 07 May 2019 00:12:46 +0000

Front end load your design work and you will feel better at the back end when you finish a piece. Sketching, full scale modeling in cardboard, and quarter scale models are enormous aids in discovering what’s right and what’s wrong about your design ideas.

Pad Sanders I have known

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 00:10:40 +0000

I know plenty of pad sanders. But I’d trade them all away for a sharp hand plane. Hand planes can be time savers when it comes to smoothing surfaces. They also fight that perfectionism that pad sanders lead you to.

10 Things to Know about Wood

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 00:08:59 +0000

Wood doesn’t just sit there. It’s alive. It moves, it changes dimension, it colors over time. Learns some essential facts about wood so you can choose your wood for your next project with more information at hand.

Beginners Mind

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 09 Apr 2019 00:08:06 +0000

Everyone starts at the beginning. Yet our expectations rarely match our skills then. The hardest thing is to be patient as we learn.

The Total Body Work-out

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 00:04:09 +0000

This April Fool’s Day lecture is on the value of working out with your woodworking.

Brian Boggs, Master Craftsman

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 00:03:21 +0000

Brian Boggs is a chairmaker, artist, designer, and engineer extraordinaire. He is also quite a philosopher on the nature of work and workmanship, the value of excellent work, and how tooling affects design.

Discipline and Practice

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 00:02:26 +0000

Practice is what brings us first to competency and then to mastery. Listen to some stories of discipline that allowed practitioners to work through their own limitations. Quality doesn’t have a shortcut to it.

The Lowly Scraper

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 21:40:38 +0000

The scraper is a small wonder. It is capable of cutting in most any direction without tear-out. How to get one sharp can be frustrating. Listen to one simple tip that will change your method and make sharpening a scraper a snap.

Hock Irons

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 01:00:42 +0000

An interview with Ron Hock of Hock Tools, maker of plane irons and knives. This is a fascinating discussion about starting a business, metallurgy, and the rise of civilizations.

Drilled and Screwed

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 00:57:26 +0000

Drilling and screwing a box together. What could be simpler? But it often turns out to be a test of your patience, your dexterity, and your ability to forgive yourself.

The Block Plane

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 00:55:25 +0000

All block planes are not created equal, even ones with sentimental value.

Thomas Lie-Nielsen Interview

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 00:54:26 +0000

Thomas Lie-Nielsen and Gary chat about tools and hand tools specifically. What drives his company to build quality tools in a throw-away society? And what is the value of Quality?

Hand Tools vs. Power Tools

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 00:50:16 +0000

What tools do you always carry to work? Is it all in one sector or another? There is a middle ground for woodworkers who both seek quiet at the bench and results at the end of the day.

Flow

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 00:36:35 +0000

The ease with which you produce work depends upon how smooth your flow is at the bench. The distractions you allow, the interruptions you permit or block, all contribute to your success. Achieving flow is the key to successful work.

Purpose vs. Intenet in Design

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 00:34:59 +0000

An episode in which we discuss the idea of purpose vs. intent in a design. This difference is that between the absolute basic functional requirements of a piece and its plan to entice, soothe, or beguile a viewer.

Glue Changes Everything

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 00:20:22 +0000

Glue changes everything in an assembly. An assembly that has gone together dry several times with no mishaps, no errant angles, no parts stuck in odd places, now, with the introduction of glue, can be difficult, anxiety producing, and vocabulary building. Why is that?

Gift Giving Guide

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 23:40:35 +0000

Here are some gift ideas certain to please every woodworker. Or ones that will make a great list to place where your gift giver can see and seize the Aha! moment.

My Top Ten Tools to Take to a Desert Island

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 23:38:10 +0000

Which tools are the most necessary at the bench? There are so many choices and limiting it to just ten of them makes for hard decisions. Learn what makes the cut in this episode.

The Woodworker in Captivity

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 05 Nov 2018 23:36:32 +0000

Come with us to observe the Woodworker in Captivity. They are a shy proud and circumspect beast. Approach with caution, perhaps with beer, but always with a healthy respect as we spy on their unusual behavior at the bench.

What Is Sharp

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 22:35:21 +0000

Learn about the methods for sharpening. Sharp tools cut better and cleaner. And if you cut yourself with one you heal up faster too.

Accuracy Drives Me Nuts

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 22:33:52 +0000

Everyone has standards of accuracy. What are the ones that you can adopt that won’t drive you crazy trying to be perfect? Give a listen to this podcast on being accurate and how it can affect your time at the bench.

The Top 5 Machines in the Shop Not Named the Table Saw

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 21:38:45 +0000

A furniture maker needs several machines to build their work. But a table saw isn’t one of them.

Splinters I Have Known

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 21:36:44 +0000

Splinters are a sad and pointed part of a woodworker’s life. Reminders of several truths to be found at the bench. There are the attractions of wood, its beauty, its luster, and its grain. And then there are the moments when we forget how sharp wood can be and how direct. Listen to tales from the bench on memorable splinters and their removal as well as a short chapter from the new book: Handmade, Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction.

Which Wood, Why

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 21:34:57 +0000

Your choice of wood can make a difference to your happiness in the shop. Learn about the differences between hardwoods, ring porous vs. diffuse and semi-ring porous woods, and how grain will affect the look but also how a piece moves over time. These little bits of information can help you choose the right wood for you and the job.

Handmade

Northwest Woodworking Studio — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 19:19:01 +0000

Our very first podcast opens with a chat about the new book by Gary Rogowski called Handmade: Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction. www.handmadecreativefocus.com. Gary is a furniture maker, author, former contributing editor at Fine Woodworking Magazine, and the Director of The Northwest Woodworking Studio, A School for Woodworkers, in Portland, Oregon. This maiden podcast is a short practical and philosophical stroll through some of the topics to be found in his new book. He touches on subjects like the only two things that woodworkers can agree upon, the “Right Way” of doing things at the bench, and forgiveness in the wood shop. The book argues for taking a chance on your creativity and the value of working with our hands in this digital age.