Here’s a roundup of some of the best Prime Day deals on woodworking tools. These prices are only good through the end of the day, so shop now! Up to 20% off Akro-Mils products Up to 50% off BLACK+DECKER Products Up to 20% off on Bosch Drill Bits & Accessories Up to 60% off DEWALT…

Last week I showed how to source and install a missing swivel pad over the ball of a clamp’s screw. That kind of pad only works in a ball and socket situation, so what can we do with clamps that don’t have a ball at the end of the screw?  Many small clamps and mounting…

This Canadian school has its roots in the College of the Redwoods. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the August 2004 issue of Popular Woodworking. Christopher Schwarz visited Rosewood again in 2013 at their new location in Perth, ON, where they still exist today. The photographic image of cabinetmaker and teacher James Krenov looks…

A new entrance to a master’s studio comes from the beginning of his career. Downloads: PDF of this article • Koshi-do_Drawing Editor’s note: this article originally appeared in the October 2013 issue of Popular Woodworking The kōshi-do form (a latticed door) has existed since ancient times in Japanese temples, and has long been used to…

As with woodworking skills, design and drawing skills take practice. For many woodworkers, design seems like a leap into the unknown. It’s one thing to teach our hands to saw to a curved line; it’s quite another to summon our eye to conjure a fair curve. It’s easy to imagine hand skills as a series…

Storage and utility in just the right size. It’s often said that a shop layout is never truly complete. While that may be true, I have discovered a valuable asset in my shop that can move and adapt to changing layouts. I’ve been testing a mobile shop cart over the last several years to make…

Cut precision joints on a large top. Breadboard ends are old devices for improving a solid-wood top. They act like cleats to hold the top flat, which is particularly important when there’s minimal understructure, such as on a trestle table. They also cover end grain, which can help prevent a top from cracking. They’re often…

Having been a woodworker for well over fifty years, I knew what I wanted in a shop: an ample assembly area with plenty of natural light and my tools close at hand. As I live on a small farm, my shop also had to provide room to work on my farm equipment and allow occasional…

Dramatic details showcase leaded glass and English style. Some of the most aesthetically compelling pieces of furniture I’ve seen in the Arts & Crafts style were made by an English company most Americans have never heard of. Between 1890 and 1910, the Harris Lebus Company of London exploited the prevailing fashion in home décor, producing…

I recently was gifted a few old bar clamps from a fellow member who belongs to our local FreeCycle group. FreeCycle.org is an internet-based group that promotes the free exchange of items and supplies among its members. Everybody can join the site and post “I want to give for free” ads or “I am looking…

Armed with a little trickery, you can make the block plane perform a wide variety of tasks. Hang around enough woodshops (or Internet discussion groups) with a block plane in your hand and you’ll eventually be derided for owning a “carpenter’s tool.” It’s a criticism that I’ve never understood. Small trimming planes – no matter…

A concise chronicle of furniture hardware styles to help you build it better. One question I am often asked is, “What hardware should I use?” And the answer is usually, “It depends.” What did you build? Are you refinishing or restoring? Is your work an original or a reproduction? Whether you’re looking to stick to…

Shop-made ply can achieve shapes and forms solid wood just can’t handle. The title of this article may sound silly, or perhaps us woodworkers have just run out of things to write about? Now that is silly. But why on earth would anyone want to make plywood? It’s almost as ridiculous as saying, “Honey, pick…

Customize their fit for comfort and performance. Decades ago, woodturning tools came without handles, and turners would simply fashion their own. This makes perfect sense, because a handle that fits and feels “right” gives a turner confidence. And who better to custom-fit the handle than the person who’ll use the tool? Turning and installing your…

Oxalic acid makes black marks disappear. Nasty stains can occur during glue-up if steel clamp beams are left in contact with wood dampened by glue squeeze-out or by scrubbing off the glue. Removing them requires sanding or scraping… or brushing on a solution of oxalic acid (two heaping tablespoons of crystals dissolved in a pint…