Double-duty Dynamos
Lasers can be both woodworking and metalworking tools. I got my laser engraver/cutters primarily to work wood and consider them woodworking tools first and foremost. But woodwork is supported by [...]
Small Tool, Big Wind
This handy little tool is like an air compressor in your pocket. I love finding new tools, or even tools that have been around a while that I’ve just learned about. Not sure what I was actually [...]
Judging Panels
It’s pointless to complain how “they don’t make ’em like they used to.” I’ve pointed out that that’s not always true: They still make ’em, but it will cost you more. And unless you’re lucky, [...]
Crooked Cabinets
Take the money and run. At least, until you’re caught. Every professional woodshop has heard horror stories about subpar work and unreliability of some shops. They give the good shops a bad name, [...]
Theory of Evolution
All living things evolve, and so do woodshops. No matter where I’ve lived, I’ve changed my shop around — relocating cabinets or shelves, changing one work area to another, adding to the [...]
A Clear Alternative
What could you do with see-through wood? Transparent wood isn’t a new thing. A German botanist developed a basic way to create it three decades ago. It wasn’t very good and, honestly, not all [...]
The Latest in the Game
There’s new player in the loose tenon market. I’ve talked a couple times now about inexpensive jigs that turn a small router into a Festool Domino type tool. Available in a couple variations from [...]
The Market is There
With the right pricing formula, there’s always someone ready to buy your work. Pricing isn’t mysterious. Typically, it’s a factor of time and materials. The cost of materials is set by someone [...]
Magnetic Muscle
Is there any doubt that magnets positively rule? I’ve never welded anything in my life, but found a great woodworking use for something familiar to metalworkers. And it’s no wonder I like them: [...]
The Well-Groomed Woodworker
You want your projects to look good, so what’s better than a set of grooming tools? I’m a big fan of cheap, disposable tools. The kinds of things you don’t really have to take care of, or can [...]
Not Ready for Prime Time
Here’s my first thoughts about that router jig that emulates a Festool Domino. Last month, I described some router jigs that enable trim routers to cut mortises like a Festool Domino. Like a lot [...]
Big Box Surprise
I never expected to find thick, live-edge boards at my local Big Box store. While shopping for odds and ends, I did a double take as I walked past the lumber racks. In the board section was a [...]
