Tricks of the Trade

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 …

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“ [...]