This rare and timeless silhouette is updated for contemporary use. When our youngest went off to kindergarten, my wife took on freelance copy-editing and needed a work station. An executive-size desk would not fit in out compact Chicago apartment, but this classic drop front, originally designed by Arts & Crafts master Charles Limbert, only needed…

Make your ‘MegaSled’ into a shop workhorse.  Previously, we built the MegaSled – a table saw sled designed to accommodate a series of joinery jigs. The jigs and attachments I cover in this article are just the beginning – and with them, you can cut flawless finger joints, tenons, lap and bridle joints, and even…

Too many times we look for complex solutions when the answer is right in front of our eyes. This is an old trick, but a good one – drilling pilot holes for nails using the nail itself. It works with both wire nails and cut nails. With a pair of lineman’s pliers, clip the head…

Add a new dimension to your work with a few basic skills and an inexpensive machine. Woodworkers are joining the welding renaissance that’s happening among makers. Understanding the fundamentals of welding is key when you begin welding. Here’s how to incorporate beautiful welded frames into your furniture using simple designs and just a few tools….

We’re interviewing makers from all 50 states. Today we’re featuring Baboucarr Faal, a woodworker and philanthropist from Virginia. How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? As someone who studied Engineering, my 9-5 isn’t remotely close to working with my hands or creating. Woodworking has given me that outlet to pursue my desire…

This workbench form is uncommon today, but it is still a sound bench because it allows you to perform all of the critical workbench operations with relative ease. Benches are a triumph of function over form. When it comes to building or buying a bench, most woodworkers get wrapped up in what form it should…

We’re interviewing makers from all 50 states. Today we’re featuring Char Miller-King, a woodshop educator from Georgia. How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? I am a self-taught maker. My first project was a platform bed that I made in 2003 with a borrowed drill and battery-powered screwdriver. My bed was inspired…

If you are relying on your kitchen sink and countertop as your sharpening station then you know how messy things can get. Stones, even those with rubber feet move on you, water migrates all around, and then if you leave behind wet or slurried surfaces your spouse will definitely express their discontent.  A few months…

Make accurate and safe crosscuts with ease – and set the stage for clever accessories Most power-tool woodworkers have at least one table saw sled. And while a sled can make your work safer and more accurate, a well-thought-out sled can also do much more. Sometimes I call this one the “MegaSled,” other times the…

We’re interviewing makers from all 50 states. Today we’re featuring Jess Crow, an epoxy/wood artist from Alaska. How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? I entered the woodworking field by accident. I wanted a coffee table for my bedroom, and I couldn’t afford one. I found some free dunnage and had just…

Tool: SG-31 Lightweight Hearing Protection Band Manufacturer: SensGard MSRP: $24.99 Before reading why these SensGard hearing protectors are so good, consider if you share some of the problems I have had with other protectors. I do not like stuffing things into my ear canals, such as foam plugs that must be compressed with often dirty fingers, then…

The universal and timeless structure of our imaginations. Woodworking spans the globe and is a common thread linking humans across the ages. This craft shares a basic tool kit across time and space with more similarities than differences. An artisan from feudal Japan might view a Western backsaw with suspicion, but would still recognize it…

Learn why certain oils cure better and what makes an oil suitable for finish. Oil is one of the most important ingredients used in finishing products. Besides being a finish all by itself, oil is an important component in varnishes, polyurethanes and furniture polishes; a primary binder in stains, glazes and pore fillers; a plasticizer…

A simple-to-build tote, perfect for tool and supplies transport. I designed this stacking tool caddy to hold small parts and a few tools. It’s comprised of three tool trays that stack and interlock together to form a single unit that can be carried wherever needed. Best of all, it stores my screws, nails and small tools…

Apply layers of milk paint to add depth and contrast to your work. A visitor asked, “Paint over wood? Aren’t you obscuring wood’s natural beauty?” There are two assumptions behind these questions: Wood is naturally beautiful. Paint is thick, looks like plastic and hides whatever it covers. I’d say both assumptions are partially correct. Paint…