Tricks of the Trade

Attaching a triangular jig to your miter gauge enables you to safely cut shallow angles, or any angle beyond the normal range of the miter gauge. The jig is just a 30-60-90 triangle made from [...]

Make a habit of applying finish to end grain first. Why? It’s all about avoiding drip shadows.    Sounds creepy, doesn’t it? Here’s the deal: let’s say you’re finishing a top. You’re merrily [...]

When faced with the task of refinishing a large, heavy oak door, I wanted to complete the job as quickly as possible by being able to work on both faces of the door without having to wait for one [...]

Have you ever tried to use varnish from a skinned-over, half-used can? Even if you remove the skin carefully, lumps of dried finish get mixed in with the remaining varnish and eventually end up [...]

Do the clothes really make the man? Try taking a tip from turners and dress up for dust. Wear a jumpsuit and a face shield when you can’t collect sawdust at the source. This is the outfit turners [...]

  These furniture maker’s symbols are an international language. They have been used for generations because they’re easy to make and easy to understand. A board’s working face and edge are [...]

I have a couple tools from which I frequently remove the dust collector hoses. I got tired of getting out my screwdriver and cranking out the adjustment bolt every time. After a bit of [...]

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 [...]

I cut dados for a tight fit. When I make them too tight, I use a jig that I call a Dado Tuner. The sole is 1⁄2” Baltic birch plywood, measuring 41⁄2“ x …

I’ve acquired a bunch of routers over the years—enough so that I can afford to keep a few permanently mounted in these mini router tables. For lots of jobs, you don’t need a large table or a [...]

I well remember the day when I couldn’t get a mortise-and-tenon joint to come together no matter how hard I tightened the clamp. I had ignored a fundamental rule: Always make mortises 1/16“ [...]

When used as an undercoat or sealer, brushable epoxy greatly reduces expansion and contraction in wood. Coat all parts prior to assembly and make sure epoxy gets down into the fastener holes. If [...]