Anyone who has tried the Japanese-made WoodOwl Tri-Cut drill bits knows how great they are. These bits (read Chris Schwarz endorsement here) cut fast and clean, clear the chips efficiently, and stay sharp for a very long time. The WoodOwl Tri-Cut drill bit digs and pulls itself into the wood via a snail screw, and…

Tool: Miter-Tight Picture Fram Clamp [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: Rockler MSRP: $99.99 If you’d like to make picture frames—particularly with pre-made moldings—be warned: Aligning those miters can drive you nuts. What you’ll need is a special non-marring corner clamp, such as this new one from Rockler. Unlike similar devices that merely hold the pieces in place, this one…

Add a touch of color to your hallway. Our front hall is usually a disorganized mess: coats on the floor, keys strewn here and there, and hats—well, I can never find them. I built this wall shelf to provide a place for everything and to display some decorative objects, too. When I was done, my…

I often use my shop vacuum for dust collection on hand-held power tools. Two things annoy me about most vacs, though. First, they’re really noisy. Second, when the vac gets full—and that can happen before you know it—the filter clogs up and airflow drops. I solved both problems at once. I put my vac in…

We’re interviewing makers from all 50 states. Today we’re featuring Taryn Pratt, a full-time DBA and part-time woodworker from Arizona. How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? While I’ve always been enamored with the smell of wood, woodworking is a very recent adventure for me. A few years ago, during our DIY…

Back in the early 1920’s, my grandfather, John Rudzki, built wooden truck bodies in Pittsburgh, PA. Customers would order the chassis for a refrigerated truck, a moving van or some other kind of specialty vehicle, and he would build the body behind the cab. The trucks are long gone, but I still have the home-made…

I bought a keyless chuck for convenience, but I found it hard to tighten and loosen by hand. The knurling on the chuck wasn’t very deep, so my hand just slipped. I often resorted to using a pair of channel-lock pliers, but that defeats the whole purpose of a keyless chuck, doesn’t it? While wandering…

26 drawers for tools and supplies. My beat-up garage-sale seven-drawer metal tool cabinet was an eyesore. I wanted something bigger and better, but mostly I wanted something that looked like it belonged in a woodworking shop. Online I found a wooden version that fit the bill, but at $5,000 it was far too expensive. After…

Update 10/15/20: Prime Day is over! Get any great deals? Let us know in the comments! Prime Day 2020 is here! Amazon is actually a great place to buy woodworking tools, and there are lots of deals this year. We’ll be updating this list periodically throughout the next two days, so be sure and check…

Tool: 5″ Random Orbit Sander BO5041k [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: Makita MSRP: $89.00 Ever wish you had an extra handle on your sander? Not for extra pressure—that would create unwanted swirl marks. But another handle would give you extra control and relieve the tedium of sanding with only one hand. If you’re on board, take a look at…

There is no field of woodworking that puts wood – our material of celebration and choice, to the most extremes of tests, use, and abuse, as in the discipline of boat building.

Cutting small parts on a miter saw doesn’t have to be scary or dangerous. I’ve adopted a method that keeps your fingers well away from the blade and prevents the piece you’re cutting from zinging across the shop. First, make a zero-clearance table. It’s composed of just two parts: a base and a fence. Make…

Sponsored by Inventables Like many woodworkers, we can get bogged down in specs when we’re researching a new tool (or car or kitchen appliance). How many horsepower? What size bits can it use? What sort of steel is it made of? What’s the runtime on batteries? How fast does it go? Does it cook both…

Display all your skills building an exquisite project. Building a small box can challenge your skills just as much as making a huge cabinet. This box, made from maple, cherry and ebony, will take your craftsmanship to a new level. You’ll learn an advanced dovetailing technique, make your own inlay, and embellish a piece with…

Tool: 3pc Handyman Tool Belt Set [Buy Now]  and Padded Suspenders [Buy Now] Manufacturer: ToughBuilt MSRP: $39.99 (belt) 14.99 (suspenders) The first thing I noticed when taking the ToughBuilt Tool Belt out of the packaging was the quality of the materials and construction. The fabric was heavy-duty, the seams and stitching were even, and there was no…