Rob does some amazing things with hand tools.  His site is full of instructional material including books, magazines, and DVD’s to help you improve your hand tool skills.  Take a look at his unique boxes and other things he makes which you can buy along with hand tools he uses to achieve absolute perfection in working with wood.

Andrew Crawford – fine decorative boxes: fine boxes to commission, box making courses, books and much more….

This is a unique and classical website centered around box making.  Andrew Crawford didn’t start his professional career as a box maker.  His original training was as a musician, studying flute and classical guitar at the Royal College of Music in London.  Follow his story as he became fascinated by boxes…and still is!  In his words, “……boxes contain things, and more importantly HIDE things from view.  Human nature being what it is one naturally wants to know what’s inside a closed box – so the natural reflex is to open it and if it’s locked, you really want to open it.  What is it that is being so carefully protected, or hidden – what is it that justifies this special treatment, particularly if it is a elaborate or valuable box.”

And Andrew’s boxes are truly a work of art!

The British Antique Furniture Restorers’ Association is the foremost national organization of craftsmen engaged in furniture conservation and restoration and was founded in 1979 to safeguard interests of owners and buyers of antique furniture and the antique trade.

It seeks to act as a bridge between qualified conservator-restorers’ and those whose love of antique furniture requires the highest standards of conservation and restoration.

You can find a restorer, browse their knowledge base or FAQ, read published articles, and many more things.

You can become a member if you have at least five years as a conservation-restoration professional (the average member today has 23 years experience) and pass exacting assessment on their skills, knowledge and business credentials.