Nancy R. Hiller

Nancy Hiller is a professional cabinetmaker who has operated NR Hiller Design, Inc. since 1995. Her most recent book is Making Things Work.

An apologia for custom work

February 12, 2020

Nancy Hiller has done her best to ensure that custom work is a source of satisfaction, as well as a source of income. Here are a few of her tips.
Free Download: Gimson Chest Carving Pattern

February 7, 2020

Gimson used simple, decorative carving and motifs drawn from rural forms in much of his work. Just a handful of layout and carving tools will yield beautiful results.
Arts and Crafts chest

February 7, 2020

Nancy Hiller builds a time-tested and versatile chest originally designed by Ernest Gimson.
Tool maintenance 101: caring for your most important piece of equipment

January 8, 2020

Taking care of your body is important! Nancy Hiller interviews seven professionals about what they do to make sure this important tool lasts.
On a Job Site, Improvisation Is the Name of the Game

December 11, 2019

If working on site has taught Nancy Hiller anything, it's how to think outside the box in order to get the job done.
To build or to buy?

November 26, 2019

For professional woodworker Nancy Hiller, it's cheaper to buy a workbench than it is to make one.
Waste not, want not: Practical uses for shop waste

October 9, 2019

Nancy Hiller shares a few ideas for what to do with all of the chips and dust created by a pro shop.
Don’t knock the last person’s work

September 11, 2019

Some people criticize others’ work to make themselves look better in the eyes of prospective customers. But Nancy Hiller argues that this is a dangerous way of doing business.
Business Insurance Is Non-Negotiable

August 22, 2019

Nancy Hiller's livelihood is almost entirely dependent on her shop, and while insurance premiums are expensive she can't afford to not pay them
Loose-pin butt hinges: a little play may be better than none

July 10, 2019

I’m working on a set of built-in cabinets in cherry for a late 1920s house in one of our town’s loveliest historic districts. There are two cabinets flanking a large…

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