On this weeks episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, it’s just Phil and Logan talking about repairing, customizing, and modifying tools, plus some discussion of shop coffee. Come back next week for an update on John’s drainage issues… Check out the Free plan o’ the week, an Outfeed Table. Find all of the ShopNotes podcast episodes…

Tool: 7 in. Carpenters Vise Shop Now   Manufacturer: Doyle MSRP: $69.99 I recently saved an old workbench from the scrap heap, and the first thing I knew it needed (after a good cleaning and flattening) was a vise. I wondered aloud to Logan if Harbor Freight had anything, then decided to check online. Just…

If your Dad is a woodworker, then this is the perfect Father’s Day gift guide to help you shop. He’ll love anything you get for him on this list. Looking to build something for your Dad? Check out this gift guide instead! FastCap Right Left Tap Measure $7.99 The ability to read this tape measure…

Handmade gifts are one of the most personal ways to say that you love your Dad. No matter Dad’s interest, you’re sure to find something he’ll enjoy on this list. Seeing this list last minute with Father’s Day imminent? Don’t worry, most of these gifts can be made over the course of a weekend (and…

Build this timeless chair with modern methods. When I was 17 years old, my family had an old craftsman style armchair that we’d inherited years earlier. It was an antique chair with solid bones but badly in need of refinishing. It had all the right details, from the through tenons in the armrests to the…

As woodworkers, we possess the remarkable ability to augment everyday objects by adding wooden components to them. From crafting knobs, handles, and legs to forming frames, lids, pedestals, and raised bases for artwork, we can transform and enhance various household items. We can even replace missing or broken parts with custom-made wooden alternatives that often…

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John, Logan, and Phil debate and explain the process of finding and working with “found” wood. You can find the WoodsmithPlans.com Free Plan O’ The Week here. Thanks to our sponsor, Titebond Wood Glues, they have the glue you need to get the job done with confidence….

Protect your “cheaters” in style. Sooner or later everyone’s eyes need a little help—especially for reading or close work. One popular solution is to buy a pair of “cheaters,” those stylish reading glasses that are available in bookstores and practically everywhere else. How to protect these delicate, inexpensive glasses—especially the compact versions—is always an issue….

While turning wooden pens, students in my woodshop classes kept wearing out the points on the live centers of our mini lathes. The points fit into the hollowed end of the pen mandrel. If the mandrel isn’t clamped tight enough between the lathe’s head and tailstock, it spins on the point and wears it out….

With thirty-five years of experience, Jimmy Clewes knows a thing or two about woodturning. We’ve decided to tap into that knowledge with this exclusive video of Jimmy covering all of the basics of turning. Even experienced turners are sure to find a trick or two they can use as well. Enjoy!

An essential part of your turning tool arsenal. There’s a theory in woodturning—popularized by some British turners—that wood “prefers” to be cut rather than scraped. While I agree with this notion, I’ve also found that scraping tools play an essential role in woodturning. Scraping tools are used primarily for bowl turning, vessels and end-grain hollowing….

Turned drops and legs, arches, and serpentine stretchers typify this ornate 17th-century style. When someone uses the term “period furniture,” we think most often of the Queen Anne, Chippendale and Federal genres. Certainly these have been the most influential styles in Western furniture-making history. But there have been other periods worthy of our attention, among…

Sometimes, unique is exactly what you want to avoid when turning. If you turn, sooner or later you are going to find yourself facing  some project that requires several (or many) duplicate turnings. You may feel a brief rush of mild panic, most likely followed by a powerful urge to check your catalog shelf (or…

Create a beautiful showpiece by power carving on the lathe and adding a splash (or a wave) of colour. Project #2309 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 1 Day • Cost: $100 Looking to create a unique, statement? Look no further—this piece is sure to give you that WOW factor! To get started, I used a…

Trade dangers revealed in 17th-century journals. I thought of Nehemiah Wallington (1598-1658) when I set up my lathe in my nearly finished workshop. A few times a year he pops up in my mind. He was a turner in Puritan-era London, and as unhappy a soul as you might meet. I know of him through…

Taking the time to learn a few basic cuts and moves will help you succeed. Bowl turning was my first love in woodturning. There is something special about a bowl: The wonderful way the shape shows off different aspects of the wood, the roundness and the ability to contain and present nourishment. I still find…

Woodworking is full of smaller subcultures and disciplines that utilize a wide range of tools and techniques. This week we’re looking at one of the most popular: turning. We’ll be sharing our best articles and videos on woodturning from the top modern woodturners. Whether you’re an expert or just getting started, you’re sure to find…

A nervous woodworker is aghast as his best projects arrive from storage. The message “Up”(with a directional arrow, no less) seems unambiguous. When displayed prominently on all four of what should be the vertical surfaces of a crate, the intent of the person who went to the trouble to emblazon that simple message, multiple times,…

Thanks to our sponsor, Titebond Wood Glues, they have the glue you need to get the job done with confidence. For more information, visit www.Titebond.com Find all of the ShopNotes podcast episodes here.

They’re the next best thing to a giant assembly table. Maybe better! The next time you need a sturdy, level work surface, I’ve got the perfect solution for you: sawhorses and a pair of torsion beams. Torsion beams are incredibly strong and will always be dead straight; they’re easy to make and inexpensive. But best…

Small logs from a local downed tree are a great windfall of free lumber for small projects. They’re easy to saw into boards on the band saw once you have established a couple flat reference surfaces for safe feeding. I use a simple L-shaped carrier jig screwed together from scrap plywood to make the initial…

I recently came across another handy solution to prevent jaw-racking when clamping a workpiece on the side of a vise. Most parallel vises tend to rack in such scenarios, but there are situations where clamping on the jaws’ right or left sides becomes necessary, especially when working with long pieces to bypass the central screw….

Battery compatibility across brands has been on the wishlist of many a woodworker over the years, and a new alliance announced today is going to make that a reality for 15 different brands. The new platform, called AMPShare, is powered by Bosch and includes founding partners FEIN Power Tools US and Rothenberger USA, plus 12…

I like to buy used electric motors for powering various tools around the shop. I also use them to mount grinding wheels, wire brushes and buffing wheels. I typically outfit the motors with toggle switches because they’re light and small. However, as unobtrusive as they are, I would occasionally catch my sleeve on a switch,…

Scientific Name: Juglans nigra Other Common Names: Black walnut, American walnut, American black walnut. Growing Regions: Throughout the eastern United States and Canada. Characteristics of Tree: Walnut trees attain a height of 100 to 120 feet and diameters of 24 to 36 inches. Characteristics of Wood: Walnut is a hard, dense wood with a tight…

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, it is Logan, John, and Phil, talking about woodworking seasonality, Spring routines, project/shop updates, and so much more… You can find the WoodsmithPlans.com Free Plan O’ The Week here. Thanks to our sponsor, Titebond Wood Glues, they have the glue you need to get the job done…

I always sign my work, now that I’ve figured out an easy and permanent way to do it: I use an engraver. But not just any engraver—it has to have an adjustable stroke (the distance the tip moves in and out). Set the stroke to maximum. An engraver works just like a pencil, but some…

Kite frames to cabinets: A 50-year journey back to woodworking. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the February 2015 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Before mom’s shop bustled with warmth, woodcraft and cheer, the location of her future endeavors hoarded what dad called, “Relics from the Golden Age of Aviation.” Mom would rebut, smiling,…

We’re interviewing makers from across the country. Today we’re speaking with Jess Hirsch about Fireweed Community Woodshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. How did Fireweed Community Woodshop get started? Were there certain people that inspired its creation? Fireweed Community Woodshop started as a DIY project in 2017 called Women’s Woodshop and after burnout running an LLC, a…

Filling knots with colored epoxy usually works quite well, but sometimes the void is in a spot that’s difficult to fill, like the edge of a board. Here’s how to do it. First, apply some paste wax to a piece of melamine so the epoxy won’t adhere to it. Clamp the melamine to the workpiece,…

Crosscut sleds have been around for a long time, but few are ideal. Many are heavy and hard to store. Most develop an extra-wide saw cut in the fence and allow the blade to throw sawdust in your face. My design solves all these problems.

Before the advent of magnetic-based LED lights, many of us used flexible gooseneck lamps with an incandescent bulb as auxiliary lights on our drill presses and band saws. These lamps were usually screwed or clamped onto the machine. I acquired a Craftsman lamp many years ago, but there were many other brands and styles available….

Mice used to rule my shop. They got into everything! That all changed when someone told me that fresh mint repels mice. Mint grows wild in one corner of my yard (it’s a perennial and comes back each year), so every couple weeks, I pick a handful and spread it around my floor. Now my…

Material and finish choice help dictate grit progression. The objective of sanding wood is to remove mill marks, which are caused by woodworking machines, and to remove other flaws such as dents and gouges that may have been introduced in handling. The most efficient method of doing this is to begin sanding with a coarse…

Chamfering an edge with a block plane is often easier, faster and safer than using a router or tablesaw—particularly on a small part. I do it so often that I’ve dedicated one of my planes for the job. To modify your plane, make two 3/16″ thick hardwood sides, two 3/8″ thick chamfering guides and shims…

Vintage woodworking machinery can be a great bang for your buck.  Vintage woodworking tools have always held a certain appeal to me. Earlier this year, I was out in California with David Marks working on an upcoming project. In David’s shop, he has a 24“ jointer of  vintage make, and if you’d watched his TV…

Listener Question — Where does the table saw go? Stephen asks: How can you put a table saw against a wall? There are enough different operations that all sides are required for access. Ripping requires access in the front and rear. Crosscut tables require access from the left side as well as the right side…

An 18th-century French workbench is quite possibly the most perfect design ever put to paper. In the 18th century it was common for the workrooms and living areas of a home to share the same space. A workbench, for example, would not be out of place in the front room of the house. This small…

How do you know if the table on your drill press is square? Not more-or-less square, but precisely square? I’ve adopted an old machinist’s trick, using a very simple jig. To make it, you’ll need a hardwood arm, two 5/16″ carriage bolts that are 2″-3″ long, four nuts and four washers. First, make the arm….

Tool: Bear Crawl “Papa Bear” Mobile Base T28923 Shop Now   Manufacturer: Grizzly MSRP: $93.95 Being able to move heavy machinery in my tiny garage shop has been a game-changer for me. Mobile bases are my go-to instruments for transferring equipment and making space as needed, and I want to share my experience with one…

Turn trash into treasure. I love hard cheeses and hard-crust bread. Although my cheese-making skills are limited and my baking talent is only admired in our household and among close friends, I use woodworking to make distinctive boards to serve the foods I like. The secret to my designs is using cast-off lumber, those short…

Here’s a simple way to sharpen chisels using a 3″ sanding drum mounted in an oscillating spindle sander or a drill press. Cut a squared-up 2×4 the length of the sander’s table. Cut a 2″ deep by 1/2″ wide slot at 45° near the 2×4’s center. Clamp the 2×4 to your sander’s table.  Place the…

Wiping is fast, almost as fast as spraying (without the downside of having to clean the spray gun). Wiping is also every bit as effective in all situations except possibly into recesses such as inside corners, fluting, deep carvings and the like.

If your Mom is a woodworker, then this is the perfect Mother’s Day gift guide to help you shop. She’ll love anything you get for her on this list. Looking to build something for your Mom? Check out this gift guide instead! FastCap Right Left Tap Measure $7.99 The ability to read this tape measure…

Handmade gifts are one of the most personal ways to say that you love your Mom. No matter Mom’s interest, you’re sure to find something she’ll love. Seeing this list last minute with Mother’s Day imminent? Don’t worry, most of these gifts can be made over the course of a weekend (and some in an…

Scientific Name: Quercus macrocarpa Other Common Names: Blue oak, Cucharillo, Encino, Mamecillo, Mossy overcup oak, Roble, Scrub oak Growing Regions: Throughout North America. According to Woods of the World, bur oak is often found on dry uplands, limestone and gravelly ridges, sandy plains, and loamy slopes to moist flood plains of streams. Characteristics of Tree:…

Dust is a real problem when you can’t use a router table’s fence and its dustport. Here’s a clever way to suck up that dust using your shop vacuum’s nozzle.

My lathe came with a lamp, but the lathe’s manual has this weird warning: “Position the work lamp so that wood chips do not accumulate inside the lamp shade and pose a fire hazard.” Now, where in the world could the lamp go? When I turn, chips fly everywhere! It occurred to me that metal…

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast with Logan, John, and Phil, we’re talking about a shop update from Logan, tools, projects that are going on and more from the PopWood, Woodsmith, and ShopNotes Land. You can find the free downloadable plans for the Table Saw Ripping Jig here. Thanks to our sponsor, Titebond…

This two-step process guarantees flawless results. No brush marks, drips, runs, bubbles, hairs, dust or orange peel—and beautiful results every time. For most furniture projects, it doesn’t get easier than using a wipe-on/rub-off finishing process. This two-step method eliminates all the usual problems because rubbing off all of the finish that isn’t absorbed by the…

For small cabinets, I prefer to use small, discreet shelf pins that I make myself. I also make sleeves for the pins to fit into. Sleeves help hold the pins firmly in place. I make the pins from 1/16″ brass rod and the sleeves from 1/16″ i.d. brass tubing. Both of these are available at…

“Kids play with it like a toy, but it drives adults nuts. They think it’s a puzzle. They’re sure there’s some way to get the little cube out of the big cube. You can’t.”

Scientific Name: Peltogyne venosa Other Common Names: Amaranth, Guarabu, Nazareno, Palo morado, Pau roxo, Purperhart, Saka, Tananeo, Violetwood Growing Regions: Purpleheart grows in Central and South America between Mexico and southern Brazil. The trees are most commonly found in the Amazon Basin. Characteristics of Tree: The trees attain heights of 100 to 150 feet and…

Flush-cutting dowels, corner keys or screw-hole plugs used to frustrate me because my saw’s teeth always left scratches on the project’s surface. Rather than buy a special flush-cutting saw, I made one from a hacksaw blade. I used my disc sander to grind off the wavy set of the teeth from both sides of the…

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast with John and Phil, the topics include: how many woodworking techniques are too many techniques, As the Phil Turns, plus updates from the world of Woodsmith. You can find the free downloadable plans for the Night Light here. Thanks to our sponsor, Titebond Wood Glues, they have…

Last week I showed how to modify — using only two copper shims — a tap wrench handle and turn it into a high torque handle to drive augers. This week I will show how to improve this wrench even further by adding a chuck that will hold the bits and provide a stronger fit plus,…

I used to have three shooting boards for planing end grain: one for 90° cuts, one for 45° horizontal miters and one for 45° vertical miters. Now I’ve combined them all into one. The jig’s main body is a typical shooting board for trimming pieces at 90°, except that it has long wedges to tilt…

Simply change the ‘drawer’ and finish to change the look of this easy piece. The first step in building this contemporary side table is to go shopping for the basket that serves as a drawer – then adjust the plans as necessary to fit your choice. The one shown here is an 11″-deep, 7″-tall, 17″-long…

The amazing tool cabinet of piano-maker Henry O. Studley has fostered intense admiration and contemplation surrounding its origins and creator for nearly three decades. I’ve heard a lot of this speculation while conducting research for the book “Virtuoso: The Tool Cabinet and Workbench of Henry O. Studley” (Lost Art Press). About the only thing I’ve…

Tool: Thickness Planer 10044 Shop Now   Manufacturer: Oliver MSRP: $999.99 Oliver Machinery, a name recognized as a manufacturer of vintage woodworking machinery, has returned to the marketplace. Oliver, while no longer manufacturing in the states, has strong ties with their factory and is producing machines in smaller quantities. This allow them to quickly respond…

Tree Anatomy In woodworking, we’re generally concerned about the sapwood, heartwood, and annular rings (which is what we see as “grain pattern”). The slower a tree grew, the tighter the annular rings will be. If a tree grew quickly, it will have large growth rings and a large amount of sapwood. Trees that grew on…

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John, Logan, and Phil are back together to talk about old tools and tools that need a little TLC. Thanks to our sponsor, Titebond Wood Glues, they have the glue you need to get the job done with confidence. For more information, visit www.Titebond.com Find all of…

An F-style clamp works well for getting into tight spaces, but how do you turn the handle? The answer: Just drill a couple of holes through it and insert a screwdriver. A 90° offset to the holes ensures that the handle won’t be significantly weakened and makes at least one hole accessible at all times….

If you like working with hand tools and enjoy timber framing, bushcraft, and other off-grid activities, your typical drilling device is a hand brace.  Since most modern hand braces have limited torque due to their narrow-radius handle, drilling big and deep holes can be tedious or even impossible. T-handles for auger bits used to be…

Harvest green wood saplings, bend ’em, nail ’em and sit yourself down. You can make a pretty good case for bending and attaching green wood sticks as the second oldest wood-furniture making method (after sitting on a log). Today, this type of furniture is labeled “rustic,” so exposed nails, screws, and other hardware are acceptable…

Signature Details Create an Elegant Box. We needed a new mailbox, but I couldn’t find an off-the-shelf version that I liked. So I decided to build my own. As I’ve always admired the work of Greene and Greene, the architect brothers who fused Asian design with Arts & Crafts style during the early 20th century,…

When it comes to milling lumber, chainsaw mills offer a low cost of entry, with some big capacities. The more and more I get wrapped up in the milling, logging, and lumber industry, the more and more questions I seem to get about chainsaw mills. What are my thoughts on them? Are they worth the…

Walk down Main Street in Anysmalltown, U.S.A., and people acknowledge your existence from their porch rockers. They don’t have to say anything, just use their body to move the chair in a friendly, neighborly sort of way. Porch rockers are a part of our popular culture, a bit of Americana. The chair I bought was…

A slab from green wood, some sturdy legs and a sylvan setting are all you need. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the June 2006 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. “A slab like that can make up into a garden bench. Being white oak, they last.” The sawyer was making conversation while cutting my…

Five different types of protection exist. Here’s a guide to choosing the best one for your project.

It’s thirty-six degrees here in Minnesota as I sit down to write this. We’re supposed to get up to 10 inches of snow tonight. But despite what the weather outside tells me, it is indeed spring. Soon we’ll emerge from hibernation and return to outdoor activities, cookouts, and relaxation on the deck. It’s going to…

While staring at the pile of assorted hardware I just accidentally spilled onto my sawdust-covered floor, my thoughts quickly turned from banging my head against the wall to patting myself on the back. Here’s why. I grabbed my MagSwitch featherboard, turned on its two magnets and picked up all the hardware—minus the sawdust—in one fell…

Until recently, my go-to glue-spreading tool for small joints was always a cheap nickel-plated steel brush with natural bristols. I still use these brushes, but ever since I discovered the flexible polyurethane paddles, AKA Glue Spreaders, they replaced the brushed and became my glue applicator of choice.  Plastic spreaders have two main advantages over small…

This traditional joint allows the wings of a table to raise up and have a seamless look. A rule joint uses matching profiles to fit a table top together with a folding leaf. The resulting shapes fit together perfectly and allow the table panel to offer support to the leaf along the edge, something a…

Vacuum attachments are a challenge to store. They come in so many shapes! I made this device to keep them all together, within easy reach. It’s just a long chain with shorter lengths of chain branching out from it. Each branch has a 3″ to 4″ length of 1/2″ dowel fastened to its end. The…

Additional reading: Check out Michael Dunbar’s Sharpening Method Here are some general thoughts and advice on sharpening, as well as answers to some frequently asked questions. Every shop should have a dedicated sharpening system. You should work with sharp tools. It is easier and safer. You are less likely to stop and hone a tool…

Sometimes it’s fun to build a gadget just because it’s a neat idea. There are many ways to draw a centerline, for example, but this method is very clever. It doesn’t require any measuring or trial-and-error adjustments. To build the marker, you’ll need two hardwood bars 3/4″ x 1″ x 12″, two Plexiglas links 1/4″…

On this episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, Phil and Logan welcome guest Kevin Scott, Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft by day and long time woodworker in his free time. This episode of the ShopNotes podcast is presented by Epilog Laser. Quickly and easily customize your woodworking projects for added beauty and value. Learn more at…

After roughly shaping the awl’s handle (read the first part of the story here) on the bandsaw, I clamped it inside my Pattern Maker’s Carving Vise and began shaping the neck. This vise is the perfect tool for holding tapered shapes and any blank with unusual facets. If you don’t have a dedicated vise, you…

We’re interviewing makers from across the country. Today we’re featuring Chris Davis, a shop teacher at Henry Ford II high school in Michigan.  How did you get started woodworking?  I got started in woodworking at a young age with my dad. He was always building something, and I learned a lot of the basics from…

Puzzling lubrication. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the August 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine I ran out of mutton tallow this morning! I searched my tool chests, under the benches and in the drawers hoping to find just enough white magic to ease the passage of the big jointer plane up and…

Tool: M18 Track Saw Kit 2831-21 Shop Now   Manufacturer: Milwaukee MSRP: $639 (includes saw, 6ah battery, charger, and Packout XL toolbox) Few tools in recent memory have been as hotly anticipated as Milwaukee’s new track saw, and the new M18 Fuel model does not disappoint. It doesn’t break much new ground, but it’s a…

Hardware-store parts do the trick. This simple leg vise is based on a traditional design still favored by many woodworkers. My version is built with inexpensive parts you can buy from any hardware store or home center. Every bench should have a good vise. Why use a leg vise, rather than a commercial face vise?…

Basements aren’t recommended in this part of North Carolina, and our lot was too small for a detached shop. That meant my woodworking was either going to have to dodge cars in the garage—or I could turn the space above the garage into a shop. As this was going to be my first real shop…

It is fun to make a tool for your own use. When that tool becomes one of the handiest tools in the shop, you’ll be delighted that you took up that challenge. On the many occasions you hold it in your hand and mobilize it into action, you’ll look fondly at it and be proud…

We’re interviewing makers from across the country. Today we’re featuring Lee Scheffey, a spoon carver from New Hampshire.  How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? I came to green woodworking by necessity, with a need to ground myself in my humanness and the interconnected expansiveness found in wood. As a child, I…

Even though my shop is well-lit, sometimes I need more light right on my work area. Instead of rigging up additional lights, I attach a small clip-on LED light to my cap’s brim. It’s great for working inside cabinets or doing close work of any kind. The light shines right where you’re looking. You can buy…

The world’s best custom-made apron is handmade by husband-and-wife team Patrick and Michelle Melchior. When I step into my shop,a few things happen each and every time — so much that they’re nearly primal instincts. In one motion, I flip all the lights on and slip my shop apron off its hook. My apron goes…

Drawbore it for a joint that will last centuries. I once had a visitor to my shop remark that he’d like to see a book about all the types of joints that I use. I told him it’d be a pretty short book: One page for the rabbet joints I use in boxes and drawers,…

With all the high-tech, expensive tools in my shop, I still find a dozen uses for a simple, inexpensive hunk of paraffin wax. I use it anywhere I need lubrication to slide material: the tops of my tablesaw, router table and jointer, the sides of my miter gauge, the bottom of my router base plates,…

Uncomplicated construction and an easy, attractive finish make this table tops.

In just over 90 seconds Logan walks you through all the main parts of a metal body hand plane. Interested in learning more? Check out the article Handplanes for Beginners. For Basics Week we’re presenting a special offer on our PopWood+ membership, where you can save 25% off your first month or full year when…

It is estimated that nearly 80 percent of all woodworking requires some type of sawing. The power, accuracy and control of the table saw has made the process of sawing wood a lot more productive and a lot less physical. It’s arguable as to who first invented the circular saw, but one thing is certain…

Need to discover the differences among a groove, dado, and rabbet? Have trouble remembering what’s a rail and what’s a stile? Or maybe you just need to know how to spell “cyanoacrylate” (spell check will tell you you’re wrong). You’ve come to the right place! We are building this glossary of woodworking terms based on…

Michael Dunbar distills three decades of sharpening into a simple, inexpensive and do-able system. This is a subversive article. Woodworking gurus and companies that make expensive sharpening equipment don’t want you to read this, because when you discover that sharpening is both easy and inexpensive, they are all out of a job. For Basics Week…

From the PW archives: Megan Fitzpatrick covers the essential measuring tools for beginners, and shows you how to choose ones that will provide accurate results. For Basics Week we’re presenting a special offer on our PopWood+ membership, where you can save 25% off your first month or full year when you use the code BASIC23…

The awl is one of the most useful tools in woodworking and perhaps the most basic of them all. Awls help to initiate indentations into which screws, nails, and drill bits will bore. We use them to mark locations for sawing, and score lines to define parts’ parameters. And awls are used to pock holes…

It’s an age-old question I hear uttered hundreds of times a year: What hand tool should I buy first? Without context, the question is impossible to answer. Most times, I fire back several questions that help people understand why I can’t give them specific recommendations yet. What tools do you already own? What do you…

Prepare your wood, pick the right glue and prevent problems. Baseball bats, utensils, turned items and small carved objects are usually made from one piece of wood. But most woodworking projects are made under the premise of “some assembly required.” Face it: Most everything we make with wood involves one or more boards joined together….

Good stock is the foundation of a good project. But if your foundation isn’t square you’re going to have issues. Learn how to use a jointer and planer to square your stock and create three flat, true surfaces to work with. For Basics Week we’re presenting a special offer on our PopWood+ membership, where you…

About a year ago we did a week of articles focused on woodworking basics, which you all seemed to love. And since we continuously see an influx of new woodworkers visiting our site, we’ve decided to make it an annual tradition going forward. Like last year, we’ll be gathering articles new and old that showcase…

On this episode of the ShopNotes podcast, Logan, John & Phil explore managing expectations while building projects, being “time optimistic,” problems with dado clean out bits, and shop snacks. Find all of the ShopNotes podcast episodes here. The free episode for this week is a set of miterless picture frames. Woodsmith hosted a local 4H…

An historical detail adds refinement to projects both period and modern. The 18th century – a time when human hands were set to work in order to create the objects of material culture; when men and women by their sweat and ingenuity wrought wares in the latest fashions; when the cabinetmaker, toiling away in dusty…

Rebuilding a toy chest is a connection to the past and the future. I do not stem from woodworking lineage, at least not the kind you hear about. My dad wasn’t overly handy. While growing up, I recall most things either went unfixed or someone else was called to remedy the situation. My grandfather worked…

Based on watchmaker and spool cabinets, this project is a great way to hone your hand tool skills. Project #2213 • Skill Level: Advanced • Time: 7 Days • Cost: $300 One of my favorite ways to spend my lunch hour is to pop into any one of the dozen antique and thrift stores within a…

Cordless Curler As I leaned over to press down while drilling some holes in a board, my long hair slipped into the drill’s vent slots and got caught in the motor. Before I could release the trigger, my head was pulled down tight against the drill. In shock, I  ran into the house to survey…

Shellac is a mainstay in my shop, both as a sealer and as a finish. I mix my shellac from flakes and usually go with a 1 lb. cut, which is ideal for brushing ultra-smooth coats. I used to measure out the flakes each time I made a new batch, but here’s an easier way….

Logan discusses his most-used tool in the shop: his apron.

The perilous flight of the world’s most valuable tool. Half of the airplane’s hydraulic system had failed at take-off; the other half failed as the plane was 10 minutes from the Atlanta airport. So the flight crew prepared the passengers for an emergency landing because they were going to hit the ground at about 200…

  Bodger and blacksmith Don Weber shows how to effectively combine power and hand-tool techniques to build a simple and sturdy toolbox. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the April 2005 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. I’m a bodger and a blacksmith, making tables and chairs in iron and wood. When I’m not in…

They explain so much. It’s often possible to sum up a lot of situations with a rule, a principle that applies in almost all cases. When I teach seminars on finishing, I often find myself citing a rule I’ve created to explain a procedure or to answer a question. These rules can be very helpful…

This strong and simple – but uncommon – joint imparts a decorative touch. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the June 2014 issue of Popular Woodworking. After 20 years of making furniture, it’s not every day that you stumble on a joint you’ve never seen before. But that’s exactly what happened several years ago…

 Here’s a trick for I use for removing a stubborn router bit from the collet. I cut 1/2″ wide slots in a few credit card-size pieces of laminate. I then slide as many cards as I can fit between the collet and the bottom of the bit. As I unscrew the collet, it pushes against…

I buy glue in gallon jugs and, having tried about every glue bottle on the market, I thought I would never find the perfect one. My search ended while washing dishes with my wife one evening.  The dish-soap bottle was empty so I rinsed it out thoroughly and filled it with glue. Just the ticket! —Phillip…

One of the first things that many people notice when advancing the blade of a Preston/Record style shoulder plane (today’s Clifton and Lie Nielsen planes are based on that design) is a scratching noise or a grinding sensation when the nut turns inside the blade’s rectangular recess. This is likely because of sharp edges or…

On today’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, Phil, Logan, and John talk pets in the shop (Because the Baha Men ain’t got nothin’ on us!), cordless tools, and a recap on last week’s episode on having multiples of tools. You can download the free Table Saw Crosscut Sleds plan here: https://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/t… Find all of the…

Last week the PW staff had the opportunity to spend an evening at Festool USA’s HQ in Lebanon, Indiana. In addition to learning some fun facts (the design is nearly identical to the worldwide headquarters in Germany, right down to the floor materials) we were able to check out some of the latest tools coming…

Back Leg Boo-Boo My wife asked me to repair a wobbly kitchen chair. All the joints below the seat had failed, so it didn’t take much to knock apart the legs and stretchers. The joints were a bit loose after I removed all the glue, so I planned to wrap a shaving from a hand…

Frustrated with my vise’s inability to hold odd-shaped pieces, I tried many solutions: v-notched face plates, cork, bubble wrap, leather, etc., but to no avail. One day I pulled an old mop out of the trash. I peeled off its bottom pad, cut it in half and fastened both pieces to the faces of my…

Like most people, I keep lots of different screws, bolts, nails, washers, and other small parts in bins. Instead of paper labels, I hot glue a sample of the actual part on the outside of the bin. It’s much easier to locate what I need by eye than by name. If I ever run out of parts,…

A few years ago, my friend Cambell Albritton gifted me with a small Clifton #410 shoulder plane that he no longer needed. The plane was still in its original box but unfortunately developed a few areas of rust both on its sole and sides.  The Clifton # 410 plane is one of the best small…

On today’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, Phil, Logan, and John talk about cloning projects, having duplicates of tools, and updates from Woodsmith, ShopNotes, and Popular Woodworking Magazine. You can download the free Cheese and Cracker Tray plan here: https://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/cheese-and-cracker-tray/ Find all of the ShopNotes podcast episodes here. Thanks to our sponsor, Titebond Wood Glues,…

Demystifying volts, amp hours, and types of cordless tool motors. More and more, cordless tools are becoming everyday fixtures in the woodworking shop. The most common of these is the drill, which you can see broken down below. Most cordless power tools have the same basic components, though, so once you understand how one tool…

Having grown tired of bending and tearing sheet sandpaper again and again to get the size I need, I finally decided to employ the time-honored trick of cutting it with a hacksaw blade screwed to a plywood panel. The jig is very quick to make, and it allows you to simply slip a sheet of…

How one woodworker got over her fear of dismemberment: more fear. Industrial Technology. That was the name of the course I took in the autumn of 1993. Beats me as to why it was entitled thus, because anyone with two brain cells to rub together could easily see that it was really woodshop, but I’m…

Requiring sawing, planning, and shaping skills, this tray is the perfect project to put hand-tool lessons to practice. Project #2220 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 1 Day • Cost: $45 This tray is a slightly amended version of a shaker cutlery tray and is a great one-day project to help you hone your hand-tool skills…

Can you assume that a board is straight, just because you’ve jointed its full length? Nope. It can still be as bowed as ever. You really should check it before moving on to the next piece. Rather than pull out a long straightedge, I just place the board against the jointer’s fence and look for…

Hinges are some of the most important hardware elements at our disposal. We need them for practical reasons, but we also want them to look good – as together with pulls and knobs, they become accented focal points in the furniture or the boxes we make.  I am in the last stages of building a…

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John, Phil, and Logan have all the updates at Woodsmith, ShopNotes, and Popular Woodworking Magazines, plus the personal projects they have going on at home. Download the free plan for Dresser Top Valet here: https://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/dresser-top-valet/ Find all of the ShopNotes podcast episodes here. Thanks to our sponsor,…

Give ordinary wood the charm of old age. I love the look of old paint—I’ve often tried to capture it in new furniture I’ve made. I’m not trying to build fake antiques, however. I’m just trying to create a simple look that has the charm of old age. I’m also a big fan of using…

I made my own try square using a 1″ x 4″ corner mending plate and a couple scrap pieces of hardwood. To make one yourself, first check the mending plate to be sure it’s square. If it’s off, true it up with a file. Epoxy wood blocks to both faces of one leg, and you’re…

Regular attention to a few simple procedures will keep you turning smoothly. A lathe, like any other piece of woodworking equipment, is exposed to wood shavings, dust and other substances as well as general wear and tear. The bed, toolrest base and toolrest especially require regular attention for easy functioning. I can’t count how many…

You can tune up your band saw to resaw veneer without expensive fences or blades. The subject most often written about in woodworking magazines is probably cutting dovetails. In second place – and not far behind – is likely resawing with a 14″ band saw. To be sure, there is disagreement from one article to…

I wanted to rout some shelf dados, but I didn’t have the correct-size bit for the job. Fortunately, my dad stopped by and, as usual, had the answer to my problem. We cobbled up a couple L-shaped wooden fences from 3″-wide straight scraps, squaring each of the units carefully before gluing and screwing them together…

No joints. Just jigsaw and go. After Hobbit Frodo Baggins destroys the One Ring in Peter Jackson’s epic film “The Return of the King,” there’s an emotional reunion scene when Frodo wakes up in the city of Minas Tirith and is reunited with his long-lost friends. While most viewers were transfixed by the hugging Hobbits, all…

After 50 years of woodworking, I’ve got a confession to make. I enjoy fixing up an old machine or rearranging my shop more than woodworking itself. A few years ago a friend gave me an old Rockwell lathe which clearly needed a lot of help. The motor, pulley, belt cover, tool rest and tailstock base…

As you recall, a few months ago, I wrote about a beautiful chair made of solid mahogany that we bought and found out that it was sadly damaged during shipping. The vendor sent us a replacement, but I decided to fix the broken piece anyway so we could use it. At the time, I thought…

We improve a contemporary design to make it sturdier, a bit curvier and easier to build. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the August 2005 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. It was about 1 a.m., and I was at the grocery on a bleary-eyed run to buy orange juice for the family’s breakfast. The…

To sand a lot of molding, glue 80-grit sandpaper to several inches of the molding. Rub a block of Styrofoam on the sandpaper until the block conforms to the molding’s contour. Glue sandpaper to the block, then sand the molding. This method works best on large cove moldings; small rounds or hollows can loose their…

Beating it requires knowing the right way to nail a board. When I was about 8 years old, I decided that I needed to construct a sturdy fort to protect myself from the army of aliens (who cleverly had taken the form of my older sister and her friends) that were constantly invading my backyard….

There are many things we do wrong but we don’t know they’re wrong. In woodworking there are two kinds of mistakes: There’s the garden-variety gaffe where we simply cut a board too short or botch a dimension, and the kind of mistake that we make over and over again because we don’t even know we…

Phil, Logan, and John are back on the ShopNotes Podcast talking about “What Grinds Your Chisels” and other updates on the latest issue of PopWood Magazine and so much more! Find all of the ShopNotes podcast episodes here.

How to choose, condition, and clean a finishing brush. It’s really tempting to buy an inexpensive brush for finishing. Say you spend $4 on a standard paint brush and throw it away rather than taking the time to clean it. You may buy 40 such brushes over the next 10 years … that’s $160! A…

Measured drawings for some, story sticks for me (and others). I once had a job making a couple of wainscot chairs and chests for the National Park Service. After barely surviving the paperwork it took to get the job in the first place, I was then confronted with the horrible task of making and submitting…

I don’t like to lay my router on its side with the bit exposed, so I built a stand for it. It’s just a 3/4″ x 8″ x 8″ board with a 2″ dia. hole in the center. The board sits on 2″ tall legs. I added shelf liner to the top of the stand…

It’s just like sawing a cove molding, but now the wood is round. “You’re kidding me!” That’s everybody’s first reaction when I tell them that I’ve figured out a way to make a bowl on the table saw. Then they ask, “Isn’t it dangerous?” Believe me, if it were, I wouldn’t be writing about it….

The limited crosscut capacity of my cabinet saw made it a challenge to cut wider boards, so I designed an infeed table that hangs on a wall when not in use and quickly and securely attaches to the front rail of my saw with Universal Fence Clamps (Rockler #31373). To make the infeed table, use…

Diamond stones are the bedrock of my sharpening routine. I use them as my main abrader throughout my sharpening/honing sessions because they preserve their flatness and keep their hard particles sharp longer than other media. But even diamond stones get dull over time. Most of the stones I own have lost diamond particles, mainly around…

This week on the ShopNotes Podcast, Phil, Logan, and John are reading some listener comments from last weeks episode, talking shop injuries, and updating you on the latest goings on in the woodworking world. This episode’s FREE plan is a set of stackable tool totes: https://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/stackable-tool-totes/ Find all of the ShopNotes podcast episodes here.

Make your own light-duty one-handed workholding wonders. Like most workshops, mine is well-populated with spring clamps, the ubiquitous tool for applying localized pressure with one hand while holding the workpiece (or workpieces) with the other. But one of the most intractable problems is the need for either gentle holding pressure or a much greater throat…

Cooking wood in your kitchen can produce results that rival specialty kilns. Luthiers have long used roasted or tempered wood in stringed instruments because the roasting process pre-stresses the wood and caramelizes the sugars, sealing the pores and rendering them more resistant to moisture. While these properties are beneficial for guitars and violins, it occurred…

Simple joinery will keep this piece together for centuries. Books, papers, lamps, candlesticks, spoons, Legos, clothing, electronics and more all end up on top of any flat surfaces in our house. As a joiner, I have made lots of carved boxes over the years. My family has between four and eight at any given time…

Wiping varnish is simply any brand of oil-based alkyd (regular) varnish or oil-based polyurethane varnish in any sheen (gloss or satin) thinned about half with mineral spirits (paint thinner). Rules for Application ■  Wipe or brush on the wood and ■  Wipe off all the excess; or ■  Brush off some or most of the…

Bench grips are handy for holding parts above the bench for routing, sanding or finishing.  To make them, just cut some wood and rubber shelf liner into 2″ to 3″ squares. Glue the shelf liner onto both sides of each square using spray adhesive, such as 3M Super 77. –Marlin Davis

A project with a bite. This article originally appeared in the February 2011 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine How do three carpenters feed an abandoned baby squirrel? Glass dropper in hand, huddled around a kitchen table in the historic district of downtown Alexandria, Va., we discovered the answer: with great difficulty. The day previous, atop…

Just the good ol’ boys, Phil, Logan, and John are making their way the only way they know how by kicking off the first podcast of the year by discussing the tool buying process and so much more. Free Stacking Sawhorse Plans: https://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/stacking-sawhorse Find all of the ShopNotes podcast episodes here.

We’re interviewing makers from across the country. Today we’re featuring Amanda Ewing, a luthier from Tennessee.  I was chosen by my path not so long ago. Thanks to all of the twists, turns, and detours along the way, lutherie is where I find myself now. It is at times difficult for me to forget the…

Good light is a must in every workshop, but sometimes I need a little extra light in just the right place. To make my light/magnifier more portable, I drilled a hole in a handscrew to fit the light’s post. Now I can clamp the light to any of my benches, stationary tools, or shelves. –Edward…

Most of us have used, at some point, a pegboard to organize our tools. In fact, a few years ago, I reclaimed a hanging pegboard toolbox (a colleague of mine discarded it) and have been using it ever since. While pegboard hanging is not a rock-solid way to support heavy tools, it does provide a…

Separate, sort, and see your collection With just five different parts to make, this easy-to-build caddy accommodates bits with both 1/2″ and 1/4″ shafts. It can be customized to handle just about any collection. Long bits have plenty of room on the top shelf. The caddy stands solidly on its wide base, stores easily on…

Instead of measuring for my circular saw’s offset each time I need to make a cut, I use a modified edge guide. I screwed two 3/4″ x 3/4″ x 12″ hardwood blocks to the front and back clamp bars of the guide and clamped the guide to a board. Next, I placed the saw’s base…

Let’s face it: running a twisted board through the planer doesn’t make it flat. The board will still be twisted when it comes out. The trick is to use a sled that prevents the board from rocking as it’s being planed. That’s not a new idea, but I’ve made a sled that accommodates a board…

As we wrap up 2022, let’s take a look back at the articles you kept coming back to time and time again this year. 10. Modern Shaving Horse 9. Master Cabinetmaker’s Bench 8. How to Make Lock Miter Drawers 7. A Better Table for a Drill Press 6. How to Stain Pine 5. Outdoor Finishes…

A simple case is elevated by a unique leg design and elegant suspension. Project #2203 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 2 Days • Cost: $150 This was a real project of growth for me. I’ve written before about my woodworking journey being defined by life functionality over my desire to create interesting things. Even my first…

Tool: Whiteside Plus by Dimar Industrial Saw Blades Shop Now   Manufacturer: Whiteside MSRP: $76+ I had the opportunity to spin the newest blades from Whiteside Plus by Dimar. I thoroughly tested the Whiteside Plus dado blade in cabinet-grade plywood, both with and against the grain. The dado blade didn’t falter in sheet goods, but…

Planer-Puss After my friend Jason and I purchased a truckload of rough lumber, we headed for his garage workshop to plane the boards before divvying them up. All of Jason’s tools are on mobile bases, because he has to share the space with the family cars. So, as he horsed the planer into position, I…

Since I received my Benchcrafted Roubo workbench a year ago, my woodworking life has tremendously improved. My new and heavy bench (I wrote about it here and here) has 1” holdfast holes that can be fitted with the excellent Crucible tools ductile cast iron holdfast that Chris Schwarz makes. The 1” holes and the monumental…

To support a large panel while I drilled holes in the edge for dowels, I added a second sliding clamp jaw to a pipe clamp and clamped it to the edge of my workbench. -Steve Keller

Bringing an old hand plane back to life is simple to do, and will yield a top-not tool. When I build a project, I use a variety of “fancy” tools (readers’ words, not mine). Lie-Nielsen, Bill Carter, and Blue Spruce, amongst others. It never fails that I get comments about how “it must be nice”…

A 12-step program for regrowing forearm hair. I head through the main doors, down the stairs to the basement, arriving at the third door on the right. Like everyone else, I grab a cup of coffee before finding a seat. By the time the clock gets close to 7 p.m., the entire group is sitting….

Tool: BladeClean Shop Now   Manufacturer: Microjig MSRP: $99 Sharp bits and blades are the keys to getting clean cuts and crisp routed profiles. More often than not, what appears to be a dull blade can simply be a dirty blade. The new BladeClean from Microjig helps take care of all your blade cleaning needs…

I have two kinds of push sticks I use all the time. The first is the excellent Big Horn 10230 orange plastic push stick which is good for anything wider than ⅞” (otherwise, you’ll be risking grooving its sole). The Big Horn stick has a handy spring-loaded heel that adjusts to the thickness of the…

I own several routers and they all have thin wrenches that are awkward to hold. To avoid frustration, I made the handles thicker by housing them in transparent plastic tubing from the hardware store. To keep the tubing in place, I wrapped the handles with athletic tape first. –Serge Duclos

On this episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John and Phil talk about the science behind woodshop worksurface usage and discuss what woodworking, Christmas gifts we have on our list. This episode is brought to you by Shaper Tools, makers of Shaper Origin, the handheld CNC router that brings digital precision to the craft of woodworking….

The elegant arched case of this tea cabinet is a great way to practice bent lamination and showcase some unique wood. Project #2216 • Skill Level: Advanced • Time: 3 Days • Cost: $150 If you’re like me, it’s difficult to imagine beginning the day without a piping hot cup of a caffeinated beverage. For some,…

Improve your results by understanding wood characteristics. Each species of wood has unique finishing characteristics, both positive and negative. To help you determine how to choose the right wood and get the best results when you finish your next project, I’ll explain those characteristics and sum them up in a chart that divides 11 commonly…

Tool: 9 1/4″ 36V Track Saw XSH10 Shop Now   Manufacturer: Makita MSRP: $542 As the owner of a sawmill, I have a variety of sizes of lumber that I work with regularly. Recently, as I’ve gotten into bigger pieces of live-edge lumber, I’ve found a need for a hand-held solution for cutting slabs to…

Both fast- and slow-growing wood present good opportunities. Wood selection is an important part of any woodworking project. I sometimes feel like I take it to an extreme, like I’m some kind of oak snob. Sometimes people see pieces I reject and they can’t understand what’s wrong with me. Too much twist, a bow here…

Some simple adaptations turn this 19th-century bench into a modern mudroom necessity. There is an old Shaker hymn called “Simple Gifts” that begins with this line: “Tis the gift to be simple.” This bench carries many of the qualities that the Shakers valued. The design is straightforward and driven by function, yet it’s also graceful…

If someone walked up to me and told me I wasn’t a very smart man, I’d have a hard time arguing with them. There are often times when I do something knowing full-well that the outcome isn’t going to be in my favor. For example, I was recently cruising my local online classifieds when I…

Tool: Card Scraper and Dual-Handle Burnishers Shop Now   Manufacturer: Blue Spruce Toolworks MSRP: $21.99 The very first hand tool that I ever purchased was a set of Lie-Nielsen card scrapers back when I was taking high-school shop. Boy, did I think I was hot stuff with those fancy scrapers. And to this day, I…

On today’s episode of ShopNotes Podcast, Phil, Logan, and John share updates on Popular Woodworking, Woodsmith Magazine, and now ShopNotes Magazine! Plus, join us for a discussion on woodworking tools and more! This episode is brought to you by Shaper Tools, makers of Shaper Origin, the handheld CNC router that brings digital precision to the…

I think my eyes are the most valuable tool in my bodily toolbox, so I’m trying to take care of them the best I can. I am not just talking about the importance of reducing screen time, intermittently gazing at a long distance outside the window, and eating carrots; although eye supplements and the Bates…

Knowing the techniques will help you, even if you aren’t doing the sewing yourself. For a woodworker, upholstery can be intimidating. It’s hard to know what you want, until you can clearly explain the finer points. Even if you have no intention of doing the actual upholstery work yourself, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with…

This modified design builds off a classic Morris chair. Inspiration for the next project can come from many sources, but for me, all it took was a trip to an antique furniture dealer. Legacy Modern is a boutique dealer in Portland, OR specializing in arts and crafts furniture, and they happened to have an original…

It’s all made from one sheet of plywood. Space is at a premium in my small shop. Everything goes on wheels and is as compact as possible–including this miter saw stand. I made the stand quite strong and stiff, so it can withstand being pushed and pulled around my cracked and uneven concrete floor. I…

An ancient European tool that still has a place in the modern American shop. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the November 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Why should you own a bowsaw? Why not? You have many other tools that you use only when you need them. Seriously, if you make 18th-century-style…

Scientific Name: Fraxinus americana Other Common Names: Canadian Ash and American White Ash Growing Regions: Canada and United States Characteristics of Tree: A small- to medium-sized tree, about 50 to 60 feet in height, with a trunk approximately 2′ 6″ in diameter. Characteristics of Wood: A coarse but usually straight-grained wood with almost white sapwood…

I have a hard time throwing things away, such as these chucks from a couple of worn-out drills. To put them back into service, I bought a 3 ft. long, 3/8″ dia. threaded rod at the hardware store and cut it into two pieces, 12″ and 24″ long. I threaded the old chucks onto the rods and…

My son is seven years old, and so far, I have tried to refrain from proselytizing woodworking to him. My hypothesis, at least for now, is that the love for woodworking should come naturally and be cultivated with joy. So when Asher visited my one-car garage shop a few weeks ago and asked me if…

On today’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John, Logan, and Phil discuss new books, a shop update, and the Christmas Project decision tree. Find all of the ShopNotes podcast episodes here.

Craft is a part of well-rounded college education. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. I recently moved to Kentucky from Maine to head up the woodcraft program at Berea College. Most of the undergraduate students who join the woodcraft crew do so without having ever set…

This millwork technique can be used to make curved parts with accuracy and ease. Much of my recent work has been making period-appropriate arch-top sash windows for an historic building. They are 6 1⁄2‘ tall, with a 5’-diameter arch. In other words, they’re a bit larger than what you’d likely need for a furniture piece…

The bench hook is without question one of the most indispensable tools in my wood shop. The force of gravity and the force of using the tool up against a solid fence is all that it takes to keep the work from moving. It’s deceptively sophisticated and exceptionally simple to make. It’s a great choice…

On a crosscut sled, the fence must be absolutely square to the blade. Here’s a super-accurate method of testing for square. It makes errors easier to detect by magnifying them by a factor of four. The same method also works for a miter gauge, using smaller test pieces. Start with a piece of plywood about…

On the last ShopNotes Podcast episode before Thanksgiving, John, Phil, and Logan are gathered around the hearth to give thanks and discuss the cornucopia of woodworking topics of the day.

Dust-Free Display and No Hinges to Mount! Glass doors make a bookcase, but doors that swing on hinges are a pain to install. Ditto for doors that lift open and slide back—on a Barrister’s bookcase, for example. Regular sliding doors are much easier to install. In addition, they’re ideal for a bookcase designed to fit…

Welcome to the December to Remember 2022 Sweepstakes! Popular Woodworking Magazine and its sponsors will award one prize each day from November 25 through December 31. The prize pictured on each day in the calendar below is the prize offered for that day. To register for a chance to win each prize, you must enter…

If you recall, a few weeks ago, I wrote about the unexpected repair job I performed on one of our newly bought solid mahogany chairs (read parts one and two here). What I didn’t expect is that I would have to revisit one of our misfortunate chairs on such short notice – yet again.  This…

My crosscut sled is my “go-to” jig for precise, square cuts. Recently, I added this self-adhesive tape scale – called Peel-n-Stick Ruler Tape – that makes it even more efficient. You can buy this tape on Amazon or at most fabric stores. Peel-n-Stick Ruler Tape is non-metallic, and comes in a 1/2″-wide x 30′-long roll….

We’re interviewing makers from across the country. Today we’re featuring Sammy D, a woodworker and entrepreneur from Connecticut.  How did you get started woodworking? I began about eight or nine years ago when my (now)ex-husband bought a fixer-upper and, oh man, did we learn just how much of a fixer-upper it was! We laugh about…

Countersink first, drill the pilot hole second. That may sound backward, but it’s the easiest way to ensure a perfect countersink.

My simple tenoning jig produces flawless tenons in minutes— even haunched tenons. The jig consists of a sled with a glued-on support block and a screwed-on sacrificial backstop. The sled and support block are flush on the work side and square. The backstop protrudes by the thickness of the workpiece, minus 1/16-in. Before using the…

Welcome to the 2022 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! This year we’re featuring a ton of great gifts for woodworkers, no matter what skill level they’re at. Know your price point? Jump right in below, or keep scrolling if you’re just browsing for ideas. $30 and under • $30 to $100 • $100…

Apply a professional, quick-drying and durable finish at home. You may have heard of catalyzed finishes: pre-catalyzed lacquer, post-catalyzed lacquer and catalyzed or “conversion” varnish. These finishes are commonly used in industry and in cabinet and professional refinishing shops. But there’s no reason you can’t use them also. The primary advantages of catalyzed finishes are…

We’re interviewing makers from across the country. Today we’re featuring Trey Lord, a woodworker and entrepreneur owner from Washington, D.C.  How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? Honestly just kind of picked it up, and never had a single mentor that I could name. I learned some here and there as a…

Scientific Name: Quercus Alba Other Common Names: Swamp Chestnut, Chestnut Oak, Overcup Oak. Growing Regions: USA, Canada and Mexico. Characteristics of Tree: A moderate- ly sized tree, it can reach a height of 100 feet with a trunk diameter of 3 feet in good growing conditions. Characteristics of Wood: A straight- grained wood that varies…

A Game of Thrones inspired coffee table meets a tragic (and ironic) end.

On this week’s episode of the Podcast, Phil and John give the latest update on the Woodsmith World and discuss the things in the shop we avoid doing.

Every good woodworking project starts with properly-dried wood that won’t cause you moisture issues in the future. And unless you want picking out wood to be a big guessing game—and a surefire hazard for your project—then it’s of the utmost importance to buy wood that’s been properly dried to the correct moisture content, usually in…

After Dave excavated the bowl and trimmed the end grain, he sanded the inner bowl and was ready to add one more element – a stabilizing leg that would level the bowl. As I mentioned last week, each of the crotch bowl arms had a different thickness, and once laid flat on a surface, the…

Here is my adjustable jig for ripping thin strips on a table saw. Used with a push stick and zero-clearance insert, it keeps my hands a safe distance away from the sawblade. The base is MDF that’s 3⁄4” thick x 6″ wide x 22″ long. The width of the jig keeps my hand away from…

Router table cabinets can be a waste of space. This compact, vise-mounted unit stores easily and is just the right size. I think it might have been seeing a $1,000 router table setup at a recent woodworking show (it’s very cool, but $1,000?). Or maybe it was realizing that our shop’s router table’s cabinet mostly…

On this episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, Phil, John, and Logan, are talking about transitioning your shop to cold weather work, an update on Logan’s new shop building, and some fun new tools and projects going on in the Woodsmith Shop. Check out all of the Shopnotes Podcast episodes here.

Scientific Name: Swietenia macrophylla Other Common Names: Honduras mahogany, Belize mahogany, Bigleaf mahogany, Mara, Acajou, Caoba. Growing Regions: Mahogany is found in Central and Latin America. The trees grow mainly in dry forests but can also be found in moist forests. Characteristics of Tree: These trees can have heights in excess of 150 feet and…

Last Memorial day weekend, I returned to Peters Valley School of Crafts to teach a Live Edge furniture-making class. Our class was on the short side; concise and intensive. My three students worked hard and completed their project short of applying a coat of finish before they left the Valley’s, as we call it, spectacular…

My contractor saw shares a garage with my car, so it’s stowed against a wall when not in use. It’s not an easy thing to drag into place when it’s time to set up for woodworking, so I decided to outfit it for wheelbarrow-style mobility. I screwed a couple sturdy non-swiveling casters to a stiff…

Learn how computers, software and CNCs can contribute in your shop. There are a lot of ways to do woodworking. For example, there’s more than a dozen ways to make mortises and tenons. The same is true for almost everything a woodworker does. For any given task, everyone finds a way to do it that…

Way back in 2020 our sister publication Woodsmith launched new podcast called the ShopNotes Podcast, which included then-Woodsmith editor Logan Wittmer. Logan has been in charge here at Popular Woodworking for over a year now, but we never got around to sharing those podcasts with you here. We’re finally remedying that now, with episode 134:…

Flying Sawdust Last summer, due to the heat, I covered my portable saw with a canvas tarp and retreated to the cooler air inside my basement shop.  For two months, the saw sat under the shed roof, unattended, until I needed to cut some boards that were too long and unwieldy to maneuver in my…

Before we start carving, here are a few basic carving principles. Stop cuts are cuts that protect areas you don’t want to remove. These simply sever the fibers and define shapes, allowing you to make cuts into them without cutting past them. Next, remember you can always take more off but not add it back….

An illuminating look at the life of a 19th century country cabinetmaker. Daydreaming in my shop, I’m imagining a warm summer day way back in 1899. Just after supper, Henry Lapp sits at a pine table outside a tavern on the Lancaster Turnpike, a few dusty miles past the long bridge over the Schuykill River….

I find cutting dowels on the band saw to be a hassle. For one thing, the blade can grab the round stock and twist it out of your hand if you’re not using a support cradle guided by the miter gauge. And if you’re cutting several dowels to the same length, you have to set…

If you spend any time in the turning community, you’ve probably seen this style of ornament before. The hollow urchin shells are available online (and in various species—the smoother ones are thinner and more delicate). The key to a good-looking urchin shell ornament is to make sure the finials are thin and delicate. Otherwise, the…

A notched batten is one of the best jigs you can make to help in hand planning. This simple thin hardwood strip has a hoof-shaped notch at its end and is used to prevent boards from shifting during planing. The way it works is pretty simple. First, tuck your board against the bench’s planing stop,…

Spring clamps are easily converted to miter clamps by adding swivel jaws. Remove the vinyl tips, and then hacksaw a 1/2″ long slot down the center of the metal jaws. Use needle-nose vise-grips to fold down the two halves of each jaw, and then drill a hole for a small bolt or rivet. To make…

The holidays are busy for most everyone, but there’s always enough time to knock out a project like this on your scroll saw. I sped up the process even more by buying 1/8” veneer instead of cutting it myself. Once you’ve created your template and get into a rhythm, you can make an ornament for…

Scientific Name: Prunus serotina Other common names: Black cherry, cabinet cherry Growing regions: The Eastern half of the United States, plus Arizona and New Mexico; and Mexico and Canada Tree Characteristics: Moderate size, reaching 70 feet in height, with a trunk about 20 inches in diameter Wood Characteristics: Heartwood varies from rich red to reddish-brown…

A few sample boards can save you from future finishing headaches. Finish manufacturers targeting the furniture industry and large professional finish shops provide a lot of information about their products. Unfortunately, the manufacturers who target amateur woodworkers and small shop professionals aren’t as helpful. In the end, we are often left to our own devices…

This versatile hand tool should be every woodworker’s first plane purchase. As a “professional woodworker” I often get asked what’s the best bang-for-the-buck tool by people getting into this craft. My response is always to ask if they have a good quality block plane. I know, it’s not the big, awesome aircraft carrier-like jointer plane….

I edge-band plywood shelves with solid wood, attaching the edge-banding with #20 biscuits. It’s no problem at all to hold the plywood shelf solidly while cutting the slot; that’s what bench dogs and an end vise do so well. But the edgebanding itself can be a little squirmy, either bending or rotating when held between…

From the Popular Woodworking premium video archives, Christopher Schwarz shows you how to build a simple pine bookcase using only hand tools. Watch: Preparing Rough Stock Download: Boarded Bookshelf PDF

Chris Schwarz demonstrates how to prep rough stock in this classic Popular Woodworking video.

Tool: R97801 18V SubCompact Drill/Impact Kit Shop Now   Manufacturer: Rigid MSRP: $199 (includes two 2.0Ah batteries, charger, carrying case) The tool Rigid’s lineup reinvention continues with the R97801 18V SubCompact Drill/Impact Kit. The kit includes their new 18v 1/2″ SubCompact brushless Drill/Driver and new 18v SubCompact Brushless Cordless Impact Drill, plus a charger, two…

These five specialty chisels will be the perfect compliment to your bench chisels. The amount of woodworkers that I meet that don’t have a good set of chisels nearly floors me. With the work I do, I couldn’t survive without my sharp set of bench chisels. Between fine-tuning joints, paring waste, and cleaning up problem…

The history of Popular Woodworking has been a long one. Starting nearly 45 years ago as Pacific Woodworker, Popular Woodworking has since been a trusted source for woodworking information. The pages of Popular Woodworking Magazine have been filled with projects, techniques, tool reviews, shop tips, and more. As the digital age grew and matured, we…

A sharp pencil is a must for accurate work, but having a pencil sharpener permanently mounted in one place isn’t always ideal. The further away I am from my pencil sharpener, the less likely I am to use it, until my pencil is really dull. I removed my pencil sharpener from its permanent location on…

Planing stock to fit standard dados is much easier than trying to find the right chipper and shim combination to fit the dado to your stock. I cut five grooves in a scrap of plywood, using only the blades and 1/8″-thick chippers – no shims or thin chippers – from my dado set. As I’m…

Most of the clamps in our woodworking arsenal are designed to produce tons of pressure per square inch. While we use them to hold pieces over the workbench, close joints, or keep glued parts from moving while the glue dries, these heavy cast iron (or steel) clamps are not very handy when dealing with narrow…

Make your own copy of this precision vintage tool. Even after two years of working alone, I can still hear the visitors to my museum shop where I worked for 20 years: “My grandpa was a carpenter….” It’s a line I heard a lot. I used to wish for a secret button I could step…

An ideal project for learning how to make a bent lamination. A Mouse needs a nice home too, doesn’t it? At least, that’s what a friend had in mind when she asked me to design a little house to cover a mouse-chewed hole in her baseboard. She wanted to turn a lemon into lemonade, I…

No matter what your style of woodworking, you need a basic set of hand tools. Here’s where to begin. When I came to America, I had a lovely wife, two suitcases and 50 bucks. Oh man, where do I start? Everybody needs a basic tool kit, especially if you want to do woodworking. I had…

Building Your Canteen Read part 1 here Materials 1⁄2″ thick lumber – 48″ long 1⁄4″ thick plywood – 10″ x 20″ 1 each, 2″ wide cotton/linen carrying strap 1 each, 2″ strap buckle (optional f/ carrying strap) 2 each, 3 1/2″ long x 1⁄2″ wide leather pieces or steel strap 1⁄2″ leather banding or steel…

Occasionally, I like to veneer my own cabinet doors. Like many small-shop woodworkers, I do the job by covering the veneered face with a platen, then applying clamping pressure onto the work via hardwood cauls that extend across the platen. The cauls are slightly crowned on their bearing edges to better transfer clamping pressure to…

A well-equipped shop will have a variety of clamps for different situations. Here’s our favorites. I think that you’ve probably heard the saying that “a woodworker can never have too many clamps.” Heck, you may have even used that as an excuse (or affirmation) about buying additional clamps. I won’t tell. However, I feel as…

Designing Your Canteen Read part 2 here I initially started my search of how to make a wooden soldier’s canteen of the revolutionary war period, as most folks do nowadays, with a Google search. You will get everything that you probably don’t want and little on the subject except for the sutlers who advertise and…

Making long, perfectly straight cuts with handheld power saws, such as jigsaws and circular saws, can be a real challenge. They aren’t difficult when a straightedge is used as a guide, but putting that straightedge in the right place can be. With kerf jigs, you can set up long cuts in seconds. Here’s how to…

Egg-oh! My fiancé and I planned an April wedding. To celebrate our marriage, I decided to turn a very special Easter egg. In addition to segmented rings of maple and ebony, this egg would have a laminated band that matched our wedding colors. Tiny bells placed inside the egg’s hollow center would mimic wedding bells…

The last two repair remedies this chair needed before its inauguration into productive service life were reinstalling it with the old leg brackets and creating and installing a set of new corner blocks. The old quarter-circle leg brackets were originally connected with the same kind of inferior screws that I talked about before. So I…

  Every now and then, a new tool hits the marketplace that changes the way we work. In the last decade or so, CNC routers have been one of those tools. Love them, hate them … want one, don’t want one. Whatever your viewpoint is, you can’t deny that they truly open up a lot…

The beauty of utility: coarse and fine combined. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the April 2018 issue of Popular Woodworking. One of my favorite pieces of furniture is a chest of drawers I bought at an antiques store in Reading (the English town, not its Pennsylvanian equivalent) circa 1984. At least a century…

I needed an easy-access storage unit that wouldn’t take up a lot of room but would hold a large number of tools. My solution was a wall-hung tool cabinet with slide-out vertical pegboard drawers. I used 2′ x 4′ sheets of pegboard and a sheet of 3⁄4” oriented strand board (OSB). The outside dimensions of…

An easy interlocking joint begets great strength and style.

A furniture maker visits the Pleasant Hill, Ky., community and unearths a fair number of surprises (nails!) about Shaker joinery. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the December 2005 issue of Popular Woodworking. If you’re planning to stay at the restored Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Ky., I have some advice: At dawn, after…

This simple jig enables you to cut accurate tenons and slice very thin pieces. I use a flush-cut saw because it has no set to its teeth and, therefore, won’t damage the jig. Plus it leaves a smooth surface. The only requirements for building the jig are a flat baseboard, such as Baltic birch plywood,…

Bleeding, blushing, blotching, orange peel and fish eye. The basics of wood finishing are really quite simple: You use one of three tools – a rag, brush or spray gun – to transfer a liquid stain or finish from a can to the wood. Finishing becomes more complex when problems occur. Here are five common…

Learn a straightforward approach to creating stunning details. I come to the field of woodworking with an unfair advantage. I grew up in a family jewelry business and did a lot of detail work from an early age. So it’s no surprise that when I started making furniture I was drawn to the detailed work…

Planing or scraping parts with angled or mitered ends is tricky. Bench dogs will damage a crisp corner, and clamps get in the way. To hold the work, I use an over-sized bench hook with a new twist: a layer of 3M’s grip tape, made for slippery sidewalks and steps. The grit doesn’t mar the…

One of the more disappointing joining methods that miserably failed due to the traumatic fall (or jolt) before the chair had been placed in its shipping box was the leg-to-rail and rails to cross rails connections. These joints were only glued and stapled together (A, below), which is a poor solution. Ideally, these joints should…

Solutions to a baker’s dozen of common finishing difficulties. It’s easy enough to provide instructions for applying finishes. But in the real world, things go wrong; problems occur that you have to deal with. With the combined goals of defining the problems, providing ways to avoid them, then fixing them after they occur, here are…

  A sharp reminder and remembrance of a life cut short. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the October 2014 issue of Popular Woodworking. A chisel roll is an unlikely time capsule. Untouched in the three years since his death, the green canvas Ian salvaged from a discarded patio umbrella has protected his tools…

My shop may appear rustic, but you won’t find a dirt floor or antique machinery inside. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in American Woodworker #146. In fact, my friends all make fun of me for having a shop that’s so nice, someone could actually live in it. One friend even asks if he has…

Tool: PCL401 18v ONE+ Cordless 1/4 Sheet Sander Kit Shop Now   Manufacturer: Ryobi MSRP: $109.97 (includes 4.0Ah battery, charger, 3 sheet of sandpaper) The tool Ryobi’s new 18v ONE+ Cordless 1/4 Sheet Sander runs at 14,000 orbits per minute and features onboard dust collection. The kit includes a 4ah battery, charger, and three sheets…

A coping sled is a must-have accessory for router table work. It helps you hold a narrow piece, such as a door rail, perpendicular to the fence and backs up the cut to prevent blowout. At least, it’s supposed to. On my sled, the backup piece is an integral part. Once you’ve cut one profile…

Create artistic signs the old-fashioned way. You can churn out lettered signs by the dozens with a router and a set of letter templates or produce them by the hundreds with a CNC machine. So why use any other method? Because routing with letter templates limits font choices and letter sizes; and CNC equipment is…

This light-duty clamp is ideal for small parts-and easy to make by the dozen. All you need are a couple wood scraps, a rubber band, and a short piece of dowel rod. You can vary the pressure by changing the position of the dowel or the rubber band and how many times you wrap it….

Cut perfect circles up to 4′ across! Have you ever tried to cut a circle on a bandsaw, freehand? It’s quick, but it sure isn’t exact. Dollars to doughnuts you’ll get flat spots or bumps that are a pain to sand out. Big circles are really tough to get right. Fortunately, there’s a clever solution….

Even with a zero-clearance throat plate in my tablesaw, a thin cut-off slips through now and then. These pieces can clog a vacuum hose or damage the blades of a dust collector.  I made a trap to catch them by attaching a piece of hardware cloth inside my saw, in front of the dust port….

My course of action with any repair, restoration or conservation is: Do No Harm. That is, I try to deal with the essential structural, finish, hardware, etc. issues without forcing changes on the piece’s elements who are otherwise still integral and functioning. In the case of this chair, I set my course of action like…

Tool: Tool Organizers Shop Now   Manufacturer: Tool Hangerz MSRP: $6.99+ Pegboard and slat wall organization have been a staple in shops for years. In my shop, I utilize a slat-wall system for most of my power tool storage. In the past, I’ve needed to make custom holders for many of my tools, due to…

In the world of home-shop dust collection, dust collectors come in (basically) two flavors — single stage and two stage systems. A single stage system is what most of us are familiar with. These are the dust collectors that wheel around the shop and have a blower motor connected to a collection area. The collection…

Watching an expensive router bit roll onto the floor is a heartbreaking experience. In the middle of a project, it can be a disaster. I drilled a few 1/2” and 1/4” holes in the edge of a piece of MDF and fastened it to the back of my router table’s fence. In this nest, I…

A little bit of carving and gilding on the rim of this bowl transforms it from a nice piece to an extraordinary one.  A step away from your ordinary bowl, this cherry bowl with a carved rim is subtle yet powerful. The simple ogee curve on the bottom of the bowl makes it lovely to…

Tool: FitFinder 1/2 Gauge Shop Now   Manufacturer: MicroJig MSRP: $34.99 Dialing in a saw blade, router bit, or other cutting tool to make a cut exactly half the depth of stock seems like a simple task. However, if you’ve ever spent time dialing in a dado or rabbet depth or test fitting a lap…

New hardware is often way too shiny for my taste, so I chemically “age” it. If the metal is raw steel, I use standard gun bluing. But if it’s plated with zinc, I turn to Super Blue, a double-strength bluing.  Super Blue gives zinc-plated hardware a beautiful copper-brown patina. Super Blue also works on highly…

Quicker than starting from scratch, and you don’t waste any material. Editor’s note: Nancy Hiller passed away on August 29th, 2022 after a long battle with cancer. In honor of her memory, we will be sharing some of our favorite contributions from her over the years. This article was originally published in the Popular Woodworking…

Chisels don’t wait to get dull until you’ve finished a job—do they? The trick is to keep them sharp while you’re working. Rather than pull out my stones to renew an edge, I keep a piece of MDF charged with honing compound close at hand. It works just like a leather strop—only I skip the…

Drawers are more practical than doors for most kitchen base cabinets. Here’s a quick guide to converting a cabinet from doors to drawers. Editor’s note: Nancy Hiller passed away on August 29th, 2022 after a long battle with cancer. In honor of her memory, we will be sharing some of our favorite contributions from her…

This sandpaper storage system is about as simple as it gets. It’s just a stack of folded envelopes bound with a big rubber band. Each envelope is marked with a grit number. A thin piece of wood on the bottom of the pile keeps the envelopes flat. Standard letter-size envelopes work well. Fold and tape…

Use this simple, strong method for constructing kitchen cabinets and other built-ins. Editor’s note: Nancy Hiller passed away on August 29th, 2022 after a long battle with cancer. In honor of her memory, we will be sharing some of our favorite contributions from her over the years. This article was originally published in the October…

To mark the exact center of a board, I measure an equal distance from both ends and make two marks. This distance is just an approximation—it doesn’t matter if it’s longer or shorter than exactly half the  length of the board, as long as the marks are reasonably close together. Then I just split the…

One piece of wood and a lot of bamboo skewers do the trick to make this simple and fun knife block.