Planer Blade Sharpening Jig

I re-sharpen disposable planer blades a few times, using a shop-made jig, before tossing the blades away. I use a set of three diamond hones to sharpen the blade at...

Part Clamp, Part Cookie

Tool: Bench Cookie Shop Now  Manufacturer: Rockler MSRP: $12.99 (set of four) These aptly named bench cookies are clever and inexpensive problem solvers. A set of four elevates a board...

Cheapest Plumbing Ever

Whenever I need a cup of water or a damp rag, I just turn the spigot on my $3 water jug. That’s much cheaper than plumbing my shop! –O’Neil Long

Planer Blade Drawknife

My portable planer uses disposable blades. When the first set got dull, I didn’t throw them away–I turned the two blades into very useful drawknives.  I wrapped duct tape around...

Adjustable Push Shoe

A push stick is a familiar device to prevent kickback while ripping a board, but I prefer to use a “push shoe.” It’s shaped like a shoe with a handle,...

The Ol’ 1–2

The Ol’ 1–2 I volunteered to drill the holes for the halogen light fixtures in the 6′ tall display cabinet that my cohorts and I were building at the architectural...

Ten-Minute Light Stand

I got tired of jury-rigging extra light for finishing, so I built this light stand from a 4-ft. length of 2×2 and 1/4-in. plywood. The 6-in. by 17-in. legs include...

Task Light Retro-Fit

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....

High And Dry Ply

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....

Ultra-Cheap Face Vise

For years, I sanded and hand planed panel edges by laying them flat on my workbench.  I could never quite squeeze a bench vise into my woodworking budget, so I...

Miter Saw Dust Collection Box

Effective control for a notorious sawdust creator In addition to being versatile, accurate and virtually indispensable, my sliding miter saw also excels at spewing sawdust and resisting effective [...]

Zero-Clearance Miter Table

Here’s a dirt-simple but effective accessory for your miter saw. It eliminates tear-out, allows you to make precision cuts by aligning a pencil mark with the kerf, and provides room...