Introduction

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Working wood solely with hand tools may seem like an impractical approach these days, especially if you make a living at this craft. But some hand work is necessary in all woodworking, especially if you reproduce period furniture. There's a lot that can be learned from the ways of 18th century craftsmen, some of it useful, some of it simply interesting from a historical perspective. It is pretty amazing what these folks did back in the days before routers and drum sanders. The Working Wood in the 18th Century conference in Colonial Williamsburg, Va., is a glimpse into that world.

This year the conference, now in its fourth year, will focus on the craft of making tables. The conference is sponsored by both Colonial Williamsburg and Fine Woodworking magazine. Beginning Monday, Jan. 21, editors of Fine Woodworking will be posting brief reports and photos on this site from Williamsburg. If you have any questions regarding the conference, feel free to post them to this folder and we'll try to answer them.

Phil Lowe and Will Neptune will be giving hands-on seminars on table making. Lowe will focus on making a round tea table and Neptune will show how a small table with a drawer is constructed. We can't in this forum give you detailed instructions on how to reproduce these pieces. Our aim, instead, is to simply provide a few snapshots of working wood in the 18th century.

Stay tuned.

--Anatole Burkin
Executive editor