Tom Begnal is a life-long woodworker whose interest in the craft evolved into a full-time furniture business in northwestern Connecticut. He moved on to become the managing editor of The Woodworker's Journal magazine for more than fifteen years and eventually joined the editoral staff at Shopnotes in Des Moines, Iowa. His final stop was Fine Woodworking magazine where, among other things, he edited the Tools and Materials department. He has also written or edited woodworking and how-to books for several publishers including F+W Publications, McGraw-Hill, Rodale Press and Sterling Publishing. Retired, Tom still woodworks and lives in Connecticut.