Shop-made Pinch Rods
One of the most accurate approaches for checking a case or other assembly for square is to compare the inside diagonal measurements for equidistance. The easiest way to do this...
Tips For Using Shellac
Make friends with this beautiful, versatile finish Recently I was asked to judge a woodworking show. One of the best pieces was a wonderfully constructed grandfather clock. Unfortunately, a quick...
Clear Up Scuffed Blade Guards
After years of use, I could hardly see through my table saw’s guard. While at a car show, I heard that polish for renewing aluminum wheels also worked to clear...
Making an Adventure Chest with Shaper Origin and Workstation
Sponsored by Shaper Tools. Cutting dovetails with Shaper Origin and Workstation is a very precise and adaptable process you can use on all kinds of casework, drawers, boxes and more....
Czeck Edge Carbide Birdcage Awl
Tool: Carbide Birdcage Awl Shop Now Manufacturer: Czeck Edge MSRP: $74 The first thing you notice when you grasp a Czeck Edge Hand Tool birdcage awl is how well it fits...
Super Glued
SUPER GLUED After making a small repair with super glue, I put the tube in my pocket and forgot about it. Later, when I saw the tube’s cap sitting on...
Split Bench Hook
A bench hook is an indispensable workholding device for crosscutting. The traditional bench hook is made of a base, a stop or rest and a cleat. It is usually...
Repairing a Slippery Vise Mechanism
Two years ago I wrote about the ordeal of finding spare parts for the popular (but now discontinued) US-made Jorgensen rapid action vises. Unfortunately, after many years of smooth operation,...
Magnetic-mount LED Work Light from Lee Valley
Tool: Magnetic-Mount LED Work Light Shop Now Manufacturer: Lee Valley MSRP: $36.50 I have a perfectly good light for my workbench, on an attachment that slips into the dog holes. And,...
Authentic Sloyd Tool Cabinet
This reproduction is a fun build and a great gift for a budding woodworker. Project #1922 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 3 days • Cost: $200 “Hand and heart...
Better Shop-made Dowels
I have to admit that I’m not very fond of dowel joinery. I’ve repaired too many old dowel joints over the years to trust them. Part of the problem is...
The Times, They are a-Changin’
Even in wood finishing. One of my favorite songs back in the 1960s was Bob Dylan’s, The Times, They are A-Changin’. This theme applies today to what’s happening in wood...
