Welcome to the December to Remember 2021 Sweepstakes! Popular Woodworking Magazine and its sponsors will award one prize each day from November 25 through December 31. The prize pictured on each day in the calendar below is the prize offered for that day. To register for a chance to win each prize, you must enter…

It starts out the size of a smartphone and opens to make your reading (or cooking) easier. How-to books, cookbooks and sheet music are inconvenient to use while you’re in the workshop, kitchen or concert hall. That’s why bookstands (and music stands) were invented. These, however, can be bulky. And so the mechanical minds of…

When I bought my expensive 24″ machinist’s straightedge, I wasn’t sure where to store it. It didn’t include a hole for hanging, and I was reluctant to drill into the hard steel for fear of devaluing the tool or compromising its accuracy. I didn’t want to stash it in a drawer or on a shelf…

Great-looking wood and bright-colored felt lining reel in my customers. I’m hooked on making jewelry boxes–for sale. I’m retired, so I don’t live on the income, but making dozens of boxes keeps me in the shop, where I like to be. I sell my boxes at local craft shows. Let me share with you four…

Welcome to the 2021 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! Know your price point? Jump right in below, or keep scrolling if you’re just browsing for ideas. $30 and under • $30 to $100 • $100 to $200 • $200 And Up This year we’re featuring a ton of great tools new and old,…

Protecting our ears in loud environments is paramount for our audio health, but blocking our ears from listening to our surroundings can throw off our spatial awareness, which can lead to bodily injuries. I am not claiming that humans are like bats (who totally rely on their hearing capacity for in-flight navigation) but from my…

I made a go-anywhere task light by retrofitting an old, broken fixture with a new, battery-powered LED light. First, I removed the cord and inner workings from the task light. Then I screwed a plywood disc into the light’s shade and stuck the adhesive-backed LED light to the disc. I’ve used my light for hundreds…

Destroying 10 joints taught us surprising lessons about joint design, wood failure and the tenacity of modern glue. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the December 2005 issue of Popular Woodworking, when Robert W Lang decided he really felt like smashing things with an anvil. It has been said that we learn more from…

Tool: 14″ Precision Carcase Saw, aka ‘the Bayonet’ Shop Now  Manufacturer: Bad Axe Toolworks MSRP: $295+ If you’re looking for the ultimate expression of a carcase saw, the 14″ Bayonet Precision Carcase Saw from Bad Axe Tool Works is the definitive answer. The Bayonet is both fast and deadly accurate. With the recommended 14 ppi…

Our staff offers simple, strong and fast ways to make this important furniture component. In woodworking magazines, books and plans there’s almost always an omission that’s big enough to drive a truck through: How to build the drawers for the project. Usually the woodworking author (always well-intended, I can assure you) writes instructions such as:…

Some high-end combination squares have a built-in lip or tab for the purpose of resting the tool hands-free on a piece of wood. But because most common combination squares lack this handy feature, I developed this inexpensive solution. Simply attach a 3⁄8“-diameter rare-earth magnet to the head. It allows the square to rest in place,…

Nicholas Disbrowe, Samuel Sewall and chairs as corpse transportation. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the August 2017 issue of Popular Woodworking. As I study 17th-century oak furniture, I come up with many dead ends. The surviving objects tell one part of the story, another view into this world is found in the written…

Drilling in melamine, plastic laminate, particleboard, or other abrasive materials dulls a steel countersink very quickly. So why not make it out of carbide? Thankfully, Amana did just that—they say their Carbide Tipped Countersinks will last 100 times longer than steel. Carbide countersinks are available in multiple sizes, and come with either a round shank…

How to build a strong bookcase without a back. When I’m designing furniture, I often turn to the Arts and Crafts era for inspiration. I love this style. It’s simple, but elegant. When a client commissioned me to build a small bookcase, I knew exactly what to start  with: a photograph of a piece built…

After ruining four $90 sheets of plywood by storing them on a damp floor, I came up with a simple fix: PVC feet. Cut several 12″ sections of 2″ dia. PVC pipe in half, lengthwise. Apply traction tape to the convex side, so the plywood doesn’t slide. Place the feet on your shop floor, and…