Techniques

A plunge router is a versatile tool, but setting an exact depth can be perplexing. There are a bunch of knobs and levers that control how far down the bit...

Triangle Sandpaper Triangular hook-and-loop sandpaper for detail sanders first loses it’s bite at the end because that part does most of the work. By cutting a used piece, as shown,...

Breaking Rules Don’t throw away that broken, wooden rule. Strip the hardware from a 6-in. section. Then cut a slot for it in the front edge of your workbench with...

Portable Shaving Horse Bring your shop to the woods. In the modern workshop, the tablesaw is the central tool. A few centuries ago, for coopers (barrel makers), bodgers (chairmakers), and...

Q & A: A Brush for Tight Spots   Q: I built a little TV stand for our living room that included a 4-in. space for the DVD player. It...

Smooth-Cutting Hole Saw I cut a lot of discs and large-diameter holes in my shop. I was puzzled for the longest time because I was getting vibration and smoke. It...

Q & A: Lock Miter Joint Q:   How do you set up a lock miter bit?     A:   There are two critical adjustments (Fig. A). First, you...

Laser Cutting Guide I use a laser pen to improve accuracy when making miter cuts on a compound miter saw. It’s especially helpful when cutting ornate or rabbeted moldings. First...

Router Scarfing Jig Boatbuilders often need to join boards end to end to make longer planks. Instead of a butt joint they make a long taper on each board and...

Taping Diagonals Measuring diagonals with a tape was a pain for me because the hook would always fall off the corner before I could get a reading. Finally I adapted...

As you gain experience with SketchUp there will come a day when the light bulb will go on and you will realize that you need a strategy for naming components,...

Q & A: Getting Stain Out of Corners Q: I like using gel stain on difficult to stain woods like birch because it doesn’t leave a blotchy look. But man,...