Hello again,

Spring is a time of growth, and that's certainly true here at woodezine this month. The circulation of our modest little magazine is up about 250% over last month's numbers! I'd like to thank each and every one of you who passed along our address to your friends and fellow woodworkers. We're hoping the popularity has something to do with the content, but we also think people just like the idea of having a safe haven on the Web that doesn't bombard you with pop-ups or sell your e-mail address.

This month, I'd like to introduce you to some extraordinarily nice people. Many of you are already familiar with the work of Louise and Drew Langsner, who operate the nonprofit Country Workshops school in the Blue Ridge mountains. They teach traditional hand skills (ladderback and Windsor chairmaking, spoon and bowl carving, etc.) on their small, very personal campus in courses which include accommodation, meals and materials. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience that any woodworker would relish, and we are constantly surprised by their extremely affordable fees. You can stay with the family for several days, build a chair, gain an unbelievable amount of knowledge, enjoy a superb natural environment, and completely forget about work and worry - all for what the same chair would cost in a decent furniture store.

Jumping across the pond, I'd like you to meet the affable and talented Joseph Hemingway. He's an incredible carver from England who has recently completed two Rococo chairs from original Chippendale designs - projects which Chippendale himself actually found too difficult to complete! Joe builds all sorts of exceptional pieces: he's an accomplished cabinetmaker, too. The photos on his Web site utterly fail to do justice to the skill of this remarkable craftsman. And if you're a Chippendale fan, he's available to create reproductions to order.

Elsewhere in this issue, we take a quick look at adding three-phase power (and serious woodworking machines) to small shops; bring you carving and turning news; enjoy a quick introduction to hand planes; and round out the menu with our regular departments like the desktop download (images we create which you are free to use for logos and Web sites) and our FREE classifieds section. If you have any tools to sell, or you're looking for a part, or you need a source for materials, drop us a line and we'll set you up with a free classified ad. We can even add color photos at no charge.

Perhaps the best way to enjoy this issue is to add the Table of Contents page to your favorites list, and then you can come back whenever you have a free minute. You can enjoy some of the features from past issues too, by clicking on our archives page.

Until next month, remember to wear your safety glasses!
John

John English
Editor, woodezine.com