The cover project of the October 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking is a versatile new 21st-Century workbench designed and built by senior editor Robert W. Lang. Elements from historic benches makes this the ideal work-holding bench for both power and hand tool woodworkers.
Our series of articles by David Mathias continues with Greene and Greene: Details and Joinery with more never-before published photos of this incredible body of work.
Michael Dunbar lists the layout tools we all need as well as how to use them in power and hand tool applications.
Looking for a new random-orbit sander? We’ll help you choose as we test 10 sanders head-to-head.
Editor Christopher Schwarz reveals his top tricks for taming handplane tear-out.
Marc Adams continues his Woodworking Essentials series with ways to work smarter (and safer) at the table saw.
Detailed article previews are below. Online Extras for this issue are found inside their respective articles.
Whether you do hand or machine work, these layout tools are indespensable. By Michael Dunbar Pages: 52-57 From the October 2008 issue #171 Buy this issue now Layout tools are woodworking’s widows and orphans. The work they do seems pretty mundane, so we woodworkers tend to focus our attention and our expenditures on the fancy … Read more
A Better Way to Work: Part 7 By Marc Adams Pages: 45-51 From the October 2008 issue #171 Buy this issue now It is estimated that nearly 80 percent of all woodworking requires some type of sawing. The power, accuracy and control of the table saw has made the process of sawing wood a lot … Read more
This hybrid design holds work any which way you want to. By Robert W. Lang Pages: 34-42 From the October 2008 issue #171 Buy this issue now Good design is little more than selective thievery. This workbench is a good example of that. A combination of features from several historic forms, ranging from the Roubo … Read more
By Christopher Schwarz Page: 32 From the October 2008 issue #171 Buy this issue now You don’t have to have a specialty set of chisels to make hand-cut dovetails, but it sure does make parts of the process easier. When dovetailing, chisels are used for three jobs: Chopping out the bulk of the waste, paring … Read more
By Christopher Schwarz Page: 32 From the October 2008 issue #171 Buy this issue now Anyone who dabbles in the history of handplanes can tell you this: There are no new designs out there. However, after trying the new Blum planes, I’m not sure I agree. They have a lightweight wooden body, which gives them … Read more
By Glen D. Huey Page: 31 From the October 2008 issue #171 Buy this issue now If you look at the price of this new Festool router before reading this review, you’re going to miss the details of an extremely innovative tool. So resist that urge. I think many router manufacturers will copy features of … Read more
These surfaces are truly flat, have less vibration, are easier to set up and no rust – ever. By Robert W. Lang Pages: 30-31 From the October 2008 issue #171 Buy this issue now At the last AWFS show in Las Vegas, the big news was the introduction of granite tops as a replacement for … Read more
