Tools

As most of you probably know by now, I’m a woodworker who doesn’t let a bit of rust stand in the way of putting a tool back to work — whether in my own shop or in the woodworking program …

Once you understand the anatomy of a handplane, you’ll be well on your way to using it with success. [View the full-size exploded view of a handplane here] Handplanes are the king of woodworking [...]

For the cost of one large piece of machinery, you can set up a complete shop with hand tools. Here's what you need to get started.

Safety is #1 in the workshop. Before you’re ready to lift a single hammer or cut a single board, you’re going to want to understand the impact of safety in the shop. Accidents can happen to [...]

For those of us who don’t own a lathe, or who sometimes need a quick turning solution for small objects without the fuss of a full lathe setup, there is a way to use a drill press as a [...]

This shaping powerhouse has fallen out of favor of router tables, but in some instances, it may be the better tool in your shop. When it comes to being a jack of all trades, the router table may [...]

Three weeks ago, I decided to check the small shop vac I had hooked up to my Delta bandsaw. To my surprise, it was packed full of sawdust—years’ worth of fine shavings quietly captured since I [...]

A few months ago, while visiting the Rockler store in Cincinnati, I spotted a small ruler hanging by the checkout counter. It was promoted at a cost of around $6. I’ve always had a fondness for [...]

With a few thoughtful tune-ups, your band saw can be a precise cutting tool. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the April 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. [...]

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 [...]

These traditional tools are woefully misunderstood by modern craftsmen. Here’s a primer. In the 1970s when I was the young, innocent and naive chairmaker at Strawbery Banke, a museum in [...]

A craftsman makes the argument that bevel-up planes are easier to tune for end grain and difficult woods. I can clearly remember my first experience with bench planes. I was in high school shop [...]