After watching the video and using the drawings included in this article, if you have trouble making a wooden miter saw stand….you probably shouldn’t be using a miter saw. :-) I’ve been using an old Ryobi miter saw stand for about thirty-five years. Yes it lasted THAT LONG! But Ryobi doesn’t make it anymore—maybe that’s... Read the full article ..read more

I am grateful for living at a spectacular time—a moment in human history when technology has dramatically transformed our lives. As a kid, black-and-white television was still new, the NBC color peacock was a few years away, and Disney’s Wide World of Color didn’t premier until 1961—I was old by then, somewhere between nine and... Read the full article ..read more

“How did you start the Roadshow?” I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked that question. There are two answers—a long one and a short one. The short one is: hard work, luck, and opportunity. The long answer…   Whenever a big change occurs in my life, I often think of Larry Haun and... Read the full article ..read more

A handsome staircase is always the glory of any home interior. It is also subject to many onerous contemporary code requirements, and requires the highest level of finish carpentry in the house. Planning ahead is all important. Many carpenters and not a few architects have heard me say that the best way to design a... Read the full article ..read more

Like every part of my new home in Southern Oregon, I wanted the garden fence and gates to reflect the architectural style I enjoy the most—the craftsman style that I learned to love while living in California, surrounded by bungalows and Greene and Greene homes. I can’t count how many times I’ve visited the Gamble... Read the full article ..read more

Feminism in the construction industry “We have deeply ingrained ideas about what women are qualified to do, or want to do. So many women aren’t even aware of career paths that are available to them. Part of our intention is for women to know, ‘you’re needed, and you’re wanted.’” Mary Ann Naylor has been working... Read the full article ..read more

After several meetings, site visits, and of course navigating through circuitous telephone menus, I finally obtained the documentation needed to satisfy all the requirements to get a demolition permit in-hand. The only requirement that I became concerned about was the hazardous material inspection. The inspector took no less than nine samples from different parts of... Read the full article ..read more

Have you ever wondered how a furniture builder can replicate several pieces that are all exactly the same without the use of any fancy CNC machines? Well fortunately there is a method that won’t break the bank, and can be done in a reasonable amount of time. All it requires is some scrap wood or... Read the full article ..read more

Producing the Katz Roadshow has provided benefits I never imagined. One reward has been the almost electrical experience of meeting carpenters who share the same passion for craftsmanship—which in our business also means a passion for productivity and solid profits; a passion for education and teamwork; a deep distaste for waste, and an eye for... Read the full article ..read more

Murphy Beds are incredibly popular, probably because they help us use space more efficiently, and today, with living space at a premium, that’s critical. It sure was for me. I wanted to use the guest cabin I built down by the river as a yoga studio—after all, guests aren’t that common, but yoga is. And... Read the full article ..read more