Archives

One day while disposing trash at the landfill, I discovered a pristine miter saw. It looked perfect—well, almost. The blade was covered with nasty burn marks. I love fixing old tools, so I took [...]

I hated the black hole that appeared when I installed corner bifold doors in my kitchen cabinets. To get rid of this annoying gap, I decided to make the main door (the one with the hinges) [...]

Six great ideas for space-challenged woodworkers to get more out of their small shops.

Countersink first, drill the pilot hole second. That may sound backward, but it’s the easiest way to ensure a perfect countersink.

Here’s a no-frills, adjustable block for making stopped cuts. Cut three pieces of 3/4″ plywood sized to fit your tablesaw’s rip fence. Install a T-nut in one of the side pieces before [...]

I frequently need an outfeed table or work support for long pieces, so I built this T-shaped assembly to use in conjunction with my Black & Decker Workmate. The table is just a horizontal [...]

A workpiece ALWAYS SLIPS when placed vertically in my vise, because the vise racks. To solve the problem, I made a vise spacer from a 1”x 2”x 6” hardwood block, a 1/4” T-nut, a 1/4” x …

I ran short of clamps in the heat of making a set of panel doors, so I quickly made more from stuff I had in my shop. These clamps are based on an old design, but the idea still works …

This beauty dates from 1939. The motor hangs off the back, like a contractor’s saw, but the trunnions are bolted to the body, like a cabinet saw. The body is all cast iron; I made the base below [...]

In order to keep my bench clear for working, yet have the tools I need close at hand, I came up with this stowable mounting system. Each of my bench tools is mounted on a board with slotted guide [...]

Back in the late 1960’s, the folks at Record tools in Sheffield, England, redesigned their classic 044 plow plane (or plough plane, as they spelled it). It’s a tool used for making grooves by [...]

While lounging at the pool one afternoon, I had an inspiration. I “borrowed” one of my kids’ floating pool noodles, cut it into sections and used the pieces as universal connectors for vacuum [...]