My shop is in a walkout basement with a steep grassy slope from the driveway.  The skateboard-like devices made for moving stock work well on hard surfaces, but not on grass.  My solution is an 8-ft. long two-wheeled cart. To build the cart, start with a 2-1/2″ wide strip of 1/4″ plywood, 8 ft. long. …

Tool: Work Light with Bluetooth Speaker Shop Now   Manufacturer: Infinity X1 MSRP: $39.99 (set of 2) One of the easiest ways to improve the quality of surface finishes like polyurethane is to cast a light across the surface from a low angle- this highlights imperfections or runs that are harder to spot in direct…

Cut mortises of any width and length in stock of virtually any size. Here’s a win-win proposition: Spend a day in your shop and turn your drill press into a mortising machine. This fixture makes it easy to cut mortises in multiples for doors, tables and frames. It has four components: a fixed base, a…

While making a base for a wooden vase, I had to glue up a small octagonal shape. I made this simple band clamp from a piece of string and a rubber band. Here’s how it works: first, tie one end of the string to the rubber band and loop the string around the workpiece; next,…

You can achieve a great finish from commonly available products. We all love home centers for the good stuff they carry and for their low prices. But home centers cater to the lowest common denominator consumer – that is, they carry only the stuff that has a big market. The result is that many of…

Seven Essential Tools The easiest path to a clean shop is to control the dust while working. Even with the best dust collection systems, things are still going to get dirty though. Here are the tools you’ll want to get your shop back to new after finishing your latest project. Broom(s) You’re going to want…

A nice scraper burnisher can be made quickly for little or no cost. All you need is a cheap wooden file handle (available at hardware stores) and an old drill bit. You simply drill into the handle, then leave the bit in its hole with about 11⁄2” of the unfluted end projecting. A 1⁄4“- or…

Rout raised panel look-alikes in minutes.  Raised panel doors made with traditional stile and rail joinery are my first choice for cabinets. But I don’t always use them. For example, cabinets for the shop or laundry room usually don’t require fine woodworking. But that doesn’t mean they can’t have good-looking doors, especially if the doors…

I can’t stand throwing away good wood. When I’m turning a goblet or any other object, I don’t leave the waste areas blank. I pick up a gouge or a skew and use the waste to perfect my turning techniques. –Bob Patros

The inspiration for this “I Can Do That” storage bench was simple – I wanted it. Ever since I picked up a king-size bed at a liquidation sale, I wanted a matching bench to hold my shoes at the foot of the bed. After seeing many designs that were running anywhere from $250 to $400, I thought to myself “I can do that” – and with a sheet of plywood and some pocket screws, you can too.

Tool: Leg-Up Shop Now   Manufacturer: Gorilla Gripper MSRP: $54.90 Most of us know all too well the hassles of working with large sheets of plywood. You get home from the lumberyard, drag your sheet into your shop and lean it against the wall. When it comes time to rip that sheet into usable pieces,…

When we think about modern woodworking, gimlets are probably not on our radar and most likely would not make the cut for the short (or even the longer) list of essentials when we envision a shop that is centered around hand tools.  While they are fondly remembered as tools of the past, for drilling shallow…

Ripping very narrow stock on the table saw can be a bit dicey because your push stick runs so close to the blade. If you’re not careful to keep it against the rip fence, it can tip into the spinning blade. And cutting short, narrow pieces is particularly difficult because the blade’s rising rear teeth…

Runaway Router My first router, a 1968 Stanley, was a heavy, single-speed machine. I remember it well because of what happened the very first time I used it. I chucked up a Roman ogee bit and made my very first pass. As I marveled, spellbound, at the professional-looking profile I’d just created, I switched off…

Sign Up for Popular Woodworking Push Notifications and Never Miss an Article If you’re someone who regularly checks Popular Woodworking for new content, push notifications are the tool for you. Sign up for push notifications and you’ll get alerts for new articles, videos, seminars and more! Our editors pick new content posted to the site…

Discover five cross-grain construction strategies to help keep your tabletops and chest lids flat. Cross-grain construction tends to freak out most beginning woodworkers, but it’s a viable construction method in many cases. Wide tables and chest lids often employ breadboard ends to keep things flat, as well as cover end grain. If it’s done right,…

Every woodworker knows not to rely on inside measurements made with a tape measure. Instead, I use two steel rules with dimensions that run to the edges. I butt one rule at each end, so the graduations overlap. To calculate the exact inside measurement, I read one ruler from the 10-in. mark on the other…

The two commonly available pure oil finishes that can be used on furniture and woodwork with decent results because they cure – that is, turn from a liquid to a soft solid – are linseed oil and tung oil. There are important differences between these two oils. Raw linseed oil cures much too slowly to…

Tool: 7350 Rotary Tool Shop Now   Manufacturer: Dremel MSRP: $29.99 (includes grinding stone, 2x sanding bands, felt polishing wheel, mandrel, and USB cable.) A few years ago I reorganized all of my toolboxes based on the primary use of the tools inside. One for electrical, one for plumbing, general use, etc. Whenever I have…

Welcome to What Really Grinds My Chisels, an occasional feature where the Popular Woodworking editors tackle subjects they feel passionate about. I consider myself a pretty traditional woodworker. I heavily favor hand tools because that’s how I like to work. But, I also realize that there’s a particular part of woodworking that I enjoy, so…

While looking around the shop to find a shim for my dado set, I saw the plastic lid from a cottage cheese container in the trash. Hmm, I thought, that could be it. I trimmed away the edge and measured the thickness. At .022 (about 3/128), it complemented my thinner paper shims perfectly. To cut…

Whenever I admire a fellow woodworker’s finished piece of furniture, I never ask how they did this or that because, quite simply, I am afraid they are going to tell me. Listening to someone describe how they accomplished a difficult or clever woodworking feat is, for me, like listening to someone recount their dream: I…

In my work I often need to draw large-radii curves, for which I use this long beam compass. Built from scrap wood and a dowel center, it’s cheap and easy to make in any length. It can be quickly adjusted and doesn’t need locking clamps or screws to hold its setting.  The compass consists of…

After creating the facets (drawing and image below), we need to round over the mouse’s back. To read the first part of the story click here. Add two additional guidelines above and below the facet and ask the child to rasp and round those areas. Rasp the lower round-over band from the middle of the…

Plow planes are some of the easiest joinery planes to use , once you know a few tricks to getting good results. I struggled with the tools until Don McConnell (now a planemaker at Clark & Williams) set me straight years ago with one simple piece of advice: “Each hand should have a separate job,”…

Tool: PowerStack Battery Shop Now   Manufacturer: DeWalt MSRP: $119 The staff here at Popular Woodworking just wrapped up a 12v drill competition that will appear in the August issue of the magazine. This is the first time we’ve done a drill comparison since 2009, and not to spoil anything, but the drills of today…

This functional form is an ideal intro to the Shaker Style. Learn how to make this useful project, all while sharpening your hand tool skills.

Self-centering drill bits (also called “Vix bits”) are great for quick, accurate drilling of hinge screw holes. Unfortunately, they don’t work very well for many continuous, or “piano,” hinges. That’s because the leaves on continuous hinges often are too thin to allow the chamfered nose of the bit housing to fully seat in the hinge…

Today’s array of bits has nothing on historical practice. In my attempts to recreate period work, I’ve many times come across the need to make holes that no modern tool can practically create. My workbench has 16 1 1⁄2” holes bored into its beech top to house vise screws. I bored them with a framing…

When making French cleats using a handplane, getting a consistent beveled edge can be problematic, particularly as the bevel approaches 45º and the plane gets “tippy.” Also, it’s difficult to get a good bevel established – starting on the small corner of the stock can be awkward. I found it’s best to bevel the two…

Does your Mom love woodworking? Here are some great gift options for her this upcoming Mother’s Day. Milwaukee 4 1/2 Trim Square • $11.47  We loved this square when it came out, and it’s still one of the first ones we’ll grab in the shop. The size and highly-legible etching make it a perfect fit…

Basic woodworking tools are different from beginner woodworking tools. For one thing, I don’t like to use the word “beginner” unless I am using it accurately. It’s not a very useful label, in my opinion, because it implies that there are clear-cut and hierarchical steps in your growth as a woodworker. Who wants to return…

While trying to attach a carved 1⁄8“-thick mahogany veneer to the edge of a curved shelf, an idea came to me as a last moment glue-up solution. Initially I thought I could make it easier to bend by wrapping the sawn veneer in a towel then saturating it with boiling water; this didn’t have the…

Have questions about the features of your drill? We have answers. Check out the short video below, then keep on scrolling for more detailed breakdowns of the clutch and gear adjustment settings. What does the clutch on a drill do? The clutch regulates the amount of torque (power) the drill will generate while driving a…

Tool: Oscillating Edge Belt Spindle Sander R4840 Shop Now   Manufacturer: Rigid MSRP: $299 One of the best value tools for the home shop (in my mind) has just got an upgrade. For years, the Ridgid EB4424 has been a staple for woodworkers. The Ridgid oscillating sander, sold through Home Depot, has gotten an update…

While simple to build, the details present a worthy challenge. While teaching a class at the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking, I was asked to sneak down to the Connecticut Historical Society to take a look around. At the museum, I was shown into a back room full of off-exhibit furniture. Halfway down the first…

Like many woodworkers, I use a bench hook to support small pieces on the bench for handsawing. A typical bench hook is just a small panel with a shortened topside fence at one end for supporting the workpiece and a full-length underside fence on the opposite end that “hooks” against the edge of the workbench….

This coming Saturday I am going to teach a remote whittling class for children, hosted by Peters Valley School of Crafts. Unlike in-person teaching, where the teacher is present in the class/shop and can have much tighter control over the pedagogy, the equipment, and can routinely intervene with the individual student’s project, the nature of…

Tool: 3-In-1 Digital Laser Measurer Shop Now   Manufacturer: Dremel MSRP: $79 Dremel recently released a new 3-in-1 digital measurer that would be a great addition to a carpenter’s toolkit. In addition to the laser measure, it has a tape measure attachment and a wheel attachment for measuring curved and uneven surfaces. All functions are…

When doing repair work, I often have to inlay small patches of wood into a finished surface. To help level the patch afterward without marring the adjacent surface, I made up several of these little detail sanders, band sawing them from 3⁄4“-thick hardwood scraps. A strip of sandpaper wraps around the foot, with one end…

This workshop tip saves both time and money. Make your table saw inserts two-sided to pull double duty on projects.

This simple credenza is perfect for storing your extra dishes and linens. The seamless case features routed joints reinforced with floating tenons as well as easy lock miter drawers.

Shavings Shower Last spring I reorganized my shop and moved my planer near the garage door so it could spew its shavings harmlessly onto the driveway. Now that it’s colder, I work with the garage door closed. One night recently I planed a bunch of boards for a new project. Chips and shavings piled high…

Making an inset drawer line up flush with the face of a cabinet can be fussy work. To make it easy, I just install two screws on the back of the drawer and turn them until the drawer’s front is perfectly aligned.  –Bob Smith

Moby Dick, the Great White Planer The newspaper advertisement was brief: “PLANER, 24″, $450. Call.” My friend Charles Poth and I had been looking for just such a machine. We found the owner’s home outside rural  Jeromesville, Ohio, at the end of a long gravel road. The planer was stored outside under a raggedy canvas…

Like most planers, mine snipes, overcutting a bit at both ends of a board. Sometimes I’ll simply cut off the sniped areas if I can afford the extra board length. However, with precious woods, that can mean trashing a few bucks. Another technique is to closely precede and follow the board with a scrap of…

Nothing in handplaning is more frustrating than tear-out

After cutting out plugs on the drill press, I used to saw them from their blank using the table saw. Unfortunately, this would often send the freed plugs flying across the shop, forcing me to hunt for them afterward. I recently discovered a much better approach. I drill the plugs right at the edge of…

A tale of two components. Tool: Track Saw Shop Now  (Available in late April) Manufacturer: Ryobi MSRP: $329.99 (bare tool + track) $399.99 (tool + track + 4ah battery & charger) The new Ryobi Track saw showing up sparked some debate- which part of a track saw system is more important, the saw or the…

One of the most exciting new tools that my students and I got to try and use this year was the 6 Piece Bushcraft Survival Auger Kit with T-Handle and 5 Auger Bits in Tool Roll from WoodOwl. The new tool (practically it is a nice brass and wood handle) allows you to employ your…

When I was a kid, my dad made a pair of Adirondack chairs that sat out front of the old farmhouse I grew up in. Looking back, they added a quaintness to the house. They were attractive pieces, but in time the finish started to peel off. As other projects came up, refinishing the chairs…

An Asian-inspired display stand for deck, patio or porch. This stand was originally designed for bonsai plants—dwarf trees or shrubs—but it can be used to display any kind of potted plant. As a traditional bonsai stand, it’s designed to be attractive yet not distract from the beauty of the plant. I built the stand from…

This outdoor kitchen keeps everything needed for an outdoor gathering close at hand.  Project #2210 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 5 Days • Cost: $800 If you live in the Midwest, you’ll know that we’re a get-together type of people. I’m sure that’s a true statement across the US. And while the current situation has…

I’m sure you’re thinking, what’s Kubb? The original name, “Kubbspel,” translates (roughly) into  “throwing block game.” The goal is simple: knock over wooden “Kubbs” or soldiers by throwing sticks or batons at them, followed by the king. With two teams and a few basic rules, this game is fun for all ages! Plus, it’s super…

It seats up to 8, but no one has to straddle a leg. Editor’s note: this article originally appeared in American Woodworker #154. Every summer, my uncle Bob tends the grill at our family gatherings and is the last one to the picnic table. He always gets stuck with a middle seat. We’d cheer him…

Combine five 2x4s, a handful of screws and a long afternoon to build a handsome and sturdy sitting spot for your deck or garden. My father always has had a knack for doing more with less. He built the first house on our farm using a Skil saw, a drill and a hammer. Sometime during…

Professional-sized ladder golf sets are larger and more robust than the chintzy ones you usually find in yard game kits. This project is a great way to use some long skinny scrap pieces too.  Read the rules for ladder golf here Build the Sides Plane your side boards to 7/8” thickness, then rip four 15/16”…

Strong, simple joinery provides lasting beauty. If you’ve been thinking about beautifying your patio, and you want to do it in a weekend, I’ve got just the thing. This sturdy planter is made from readily available materials with simple joinery, waterproof glue, and exterior stain for maximum durability. You’ll need two 12′ cedar 5/4 x…

Easy to use and maintain, they keep outdoor wood furniture looking like new. You’ve spent the winter building a set of cedar Adirondack chairs; or maybe you’ve purchased a teak garden bench. You love the look of natural wood and you want to keep it that way. Now you’re wondering what finish to use. I…

It’s April, which means April fools (see ours below), spring, and woodworking month. The change in weather means those of us with unheated shops can finally emerge from hibernation and start building again in earnest. For everyone else that means spring gardening, bonfires, and time outside. So this week we’ll have them both meet in…

A few weeks ago I was gifted an old wooden ammunition box that had one of its handles missing in action. The box also suffered from a few other structural issues, including a lengthy crack on one of its sides. Last weekend I decided to spend some time with the box and restore its structure…

I use lots of wedges in my shop, sometimes as disposable clamp pads for tricky glue-ups or for general shimming chores. Sometimes they’re incorporated into a project, as when making wedged mortise-and-tenon joints. I used to cut wedges on the band saw but the rough surfaces often proved to be a hindrance. I decided to…

Lasers are popping up on all sorts of tools. Are they useful – or just clever marketing? We investigate. Editor’s note: David asked this question way back in 2005, but with tool manufacturers still putting lasers on all sorts of tools, it remains relevant. If you take a look at all the new tools that…

Tool: 30oz Dead Blow Hammer Shop Now  Manufacturer: Lixie MSRP:$68 Well-fit joinery (not too loose, not too tight) and well-planned glue-ups rarely need much persuasion – but I am not always lucky enough to find myself with either of those. In the past, I’ve used big rubber mallets, small sledges and framing hammers (with a…

Understanding the importance of chip load calculations. If you have spent time using handheld routers then you have developed an intuitive sense for what is the ideal feed rate and speed for the cutter. The feedback is immediate and tactile. You can feel if the bit is chattering as it cuts, hear if the router…

When working on small projects, I often need to glue odd-shaped mouldings and tiny trim to box sides and other pieces. Not much pressure is required to hold these small pieces in place, and I find that the humble wooden clothespin is often the perfect clamp for the job. Cheap and easily available, spring clothespins…

A long-time carpenter shares a repair trick to hide the mistakes made by ham-handed apprentices. For more than 30 years I was a traveling carpenter foreman in charge of installation of top-quality architectural woodwork and cabinetry. My job assignments were sometimes small, requiring only eight or 10 carpenters, and sometimes 40 or more men. This…

Tool: FREE Aware Bluetooth Earbuds Shop Now  Manufacturer: ISOtunes MSRP:$199.99 I’ve written before about the impressive ISOtunes Aware headphones, which use a built-in microphone that allows the user to hear their environment while preventing hearing loss from loud sounds. ISOtunes has added a new product to that lineup today, the FREE Aware. I’ve been using…

Talk about a close one… And there you have it folks, our 2022 Tool Madness Champion: The Drill

This versatile router joint is perfect for production work. When I need to batch out a bunch of drawer boxes, I use a lock miter router bit. Not only does this bit create a joint with a clean, mitered look on the outside, but the profile of the bit gives the drawer a good mechanical…

Clamping cauls are indispensable for gluing up casework. A caul is simply a stiff piece of wood used to apply pressure where a clamp can’t reach. Sooner or later, you’re going to run into a situation like this; you’re clamping a wide shelf, for example, far from the end of the cabinet’s side. You can’t…

It’s down to this- drill vs chisel for the championship! Voting ends Sunday night!

There are a number of things to think about when choosing wood for your woodworking project.  You can have a great design, but if the material you use in your woodworking project has flaws in it, there may be problems that cause it to break in the future.  I had the opportunity to talk in…

Tool: Small Bench Dog Shop Now  Manufacturer: Big Horn MSRP:$15 (set of 2) Any decent workbench with a face vise will allow you to easily work the ends and edges of stock, but finding an efficient and effective way to flatten and dress the faces of boards can sometimes be a puzzle. The solution is…

Time to chose your favorite power tool and favorite hand tool. Tomorrow they face off for the championship! See the full bracket here.

We redesigned this classic with techniques so simple even a novice can build it! Project #1918 • Skill Level: Beginner • Time: 3 days Almost everyone likes the look of barrister bookcases. But what makes them so appealing? I think there are a number of characteristics that make the barrister design popular and enduring. First…

My basement shop is quite small and my drill press is right next to my workbench. When I needed to drill a long board, I would stack pieces of wood on top of my workbench to act as a support. I decided to build a holder to sit on my workbench that would allow me…

Just a few more votes left until we crown a champion! Which tools are your pick for today?

Designing sag-proof shelves. Have you ever heard a shelf groan? Well, maybe not, but some shelves look like they would if they could. So much stuff gets piled on them that they end up sagging like a limp noodle. It’s not a pretty sight. A span that holds up weight should look strong and sturdy….

Semi-finals are here. The drill and miter saw both walked away cleanly from their prior opponents, but who who will come out on top now? And with the block plane narrowly edging out the bench plane in round 1, can it beat the chisel? Only you can decide!

Although I have several commercially made accessories for clamping mitered frames, they don’t work well on small frames. So, I devised my own small-frame clamping method. First, I made four V-shaped corner blocks out of 3⁄4″ MDF. Along the outside edge of each corner piece, I cut a groove about 1⁄4″ deep and 1⁄4″ wide,…

Final polls for round 1: Planer vs Jointer and Coping Saw vs Japanese Saw. Round 2 starts tomorrow!

You needn’t rely on ready-made patterns to design good-looking gams. Legs with engaging, flowing three-dimensional curves can add immeasurably to the aesthetic success of such pieces as tables, stands and chests. In this article, using the legs for a small floating-top table as an example, I’ll show a practical method for producing such legs, and…

Next up: Router vs Lathe and Spokeshave vs Shoulder Plane. There’s no wrong way to vote, just make sure you keep coming back!

Next up: Table Saw vs Band Saw and Chisel vs Hammer. There’s no wrong way to vote, just make sure you keep coming back!

Our first competitors; Drill vs Miter Saw and Bench Plane vs Block Plane. There’s no wrong way to vote, just make sure you keep coming back!  

The time is upon us! Tool Madness 2022, where we’re pitting power tools vs hand tools in the ultimate showdown, starts today! For the next week we’ll be polling you to decide which tool moves on to the next round and which one bites the dust. What metrics are we considering when comparing these tools?…

With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was obligated to change my curriculum and put our traditional shop work on hiatus. Since I wasn’t able to use our benches, vises, and clamps I had to lighten up the projects, forgo the use of gouges, mallets, and chisels, and come up with mainly whittling projects…

This respiration-protection attachment lives up to the claim of its name. Tool: Dust-Free Router Hood Shop Now  Manufacturer: Oneida MSRP:$34.95 While I appreciate the versatility and power of a handheld router, I often turn to other tools for its typical tasks, in large part because of the dust and noise a router creates. While it…

The best measure of success comes in the doing. I don’t know if I am alone in this matter, but I have to admit that quite often I consider myself a couch builder. Maybe you know the drill yourself. You sit on a couch and read a woodworking magazine not just to get inspired –…

Most of the time, the end vise on my workbench is more than adequate to secure workpieces between bench dogs. Occasionally, though, I need to work with thin wood at the front edge of the bench (such as when using a plow plane to groove small box sides). For this, I need a holding device…

A master craftsman’s method for making perfectly spaced drawers. I made this dresser for a client whose father designed and built similar furniture back in the 1950s. Its grid system is very modern looking, but getting all the spacing just right requires an old-fashioned, methodical approach to ensure that the case is square each step…

The new Marilla and Kinzua are great EDC knives for woodworkers. Tool: Marilla Shop Now and Kinzua Shop Now  Manufacturer: Case Knives MSRP:$164.99 (Marilla) & $139.99 (Kinzua) No tool in my shop gets more usage than my everyday carry (EDC) knife. I use it for opening packages, whittling, as a screwdriver, and prying tool, among…

Six great ideas for space-challenged woodworkers to get more out of their small shops.

Old glasses cases are great for protecting, containing and organizing small tools, scrapers and plane irons. I label the outside so I can see at a glance what’s inside each case. -John Rustan

Learn techniques for ‘shallow relief’ and ‘applied’ carvings. Have you ever been involved in something where you get completely absorbed in it? Where hours go by without realizing it? Those are the moments when you discover something you truly love. Within a month of taking classes from European Master Carver Konstantinos Papadakis, I knew carving…

When I rough out work on the band saw, I often find little pieces getting stuck in the throat insert or the split in the table. Also, I find that work can catch in the miter slot. So, I made an auxiliary table to solve these problems. I used a sheet of 1⁄4“ particleboard that…

One of the strops that I tried in my efforts to find a high-quality yet economic tool was the Lee Valley strop. (Read part 1 of the story here). This strop is made of plywood and comes with separate leather strips that need to be affixed to the paddle via pressure-sensitive adhesive tape. After trying…

Like most woodworkers, I never have enough clamps. Adding to a clamp collection is expensive, so when I needed some deep reach clamps, I made these auxiliary hardwood jaws. The jaws are mortised to slide on the clamp’s bar. You can make them whatever size you like. A stiff wood, like maple, is ideal. –William…

The critical parts are the fluid nozzle and air cap. As I have said many times, spray guns are pretty simple tools. By comparison, they aren’t any more difficult to use than a router. Still, there are a couple of critical parts you should be familiar with to get the best results. These are the…

In need of some quick lumber storage, I rummaged around my shop for a solution.  I discovered a length of PVC pipe left over from a plumbing job and cut it into three 12″ pieces. I also found some 1/2″ rope and cut it into three pieces, 5′ long.  I tied knots on the ends…

Find a piece with great design, such as this Stickley No. 79 bookcase, then make adjustments to the construction to better match your skill set.

Efficient storage is important in my garage shop, so after use, my assembly tables tip, fold, clamp and roll. Each table has one apron-mounted caster ($10 at a home center). I used two sheets of 3/4-in. plywood to make the tabletops and aprons and ordered the folding legs from Rockler. My tables are very stable…

Cost, time, and a spouse’s patience help determine the course of action. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the November 2009 issue of Popular Woodworking.  It’s a dilemma nearly every woodworker must face. Whether you are a weekend warrior or a woodworking pro, eventually you will ask yourself, “Should I build or buy?”…

I made this rack so the finish on my small projects would dry without leaving marks. I cut strips off of a 3/4″ board with my tablesaw’s blade tilted 30 degrees. For each new strip, I just flipped the board and moved the fence over 1/2″ in. Then I glued the strips on a piece…

A perfect platform for teaching woodworking to kids. Woodworking safely with children requires a bench vise to hold stock securely. While stools can raise a child to the height of your workbench, there is nothing safer than having your feet firmly planted on the ground for activities that require physical strength. While most woodworking tools…

I use a portable circular saw to break down plywood and other sheet goods into manageable pieces before bringing them to the table saw for final sizing. I prefer to do the job on sawhorses rather than crouching on the floor. Unfortunately, you normally need three or four horses to provide enough support to prevent…

I use strops all the time to hone our many carving knives, our plane, and chisel blades, not to mention my pocket knife. Strops maintain our edges and gift them with pinnacle sharpness that lasts a long time. If you haven’t accidentally damaged your edge and need to use a more aggressive method of removing…

Tool: D8 Hand Saw Shop Now  Manufacturer: Bad Axe Toolworks MSRP:$395+ Making a good handsaw is difficult; making great handsaws at a production level seems darned near impossible. The D8 handsaws (based on the Disston D8 and Simonds No. 72) from Bad Axe Tool Works somehow invoke all of the best things about the golden…

How to choose a spray gun. A spray gun is a tool that turns a stain, paint, finish or other liquid material into a fine mist—a process called “atomization.” It then propels the liquid onto a work object. Spray guns vary in type and quality, but each is designed to produce the finest atomization possible…

Good Bye Garry I lost a friend and mentor recently, and the woodworking community has lost an icon. Garry Knox Bennett’s accolades are far more than can be mentioned in this article, but I’ll share a few: a 2004 Award of Distinction from the Furniture Society, he was a Fellow of the American Craft Council,…

A Forstner Bit can drill holes other bits only dream about. Forstner-style bits can go where no other drill bits dare. The reason is simple: A Forstner bit is rim-guided while other bits are center-point guided. That means you can use all or only part of the bit’s diameter to drill overlapped, angled or partial…

Expert craftsman Tom Donahey shares his plans for an essential tool to work green wood. Few woodworking experiences are as sweet as working wood that’s just been split from a recently felled tree. Green wood is much easier to shape with hand tools than wood that’s been dried. It has a special character–a pungent odor…

Tool: WD 5/P Wet-Dry Vac Shop Now  Manufacturer:Karcher MSRP:$199.99 Many woodworkers rely on vacuums for their dust collection needs around the shop. These tend to fall into two categories: common wet/dry vacs or much more expensive dedicated dust collector vacuums. The Karcher WD 5/P aims for the goldilocks category right in between those two camps….

Practical solutions to common plane problems. When a plane is working right, it can produce a silky-smooth surface that absolutely glistens. When it doesn’t work, you get an ugly surface covered with blemishes. The problem can be your sharpening, your technique, or the plane itself. Quite often, it’s the plane. These troubleshooting tips should go…

I have a humble number of bar and pipe clamps and no time or desire right now to build a dedicated clamp rack for them. Instead, I installed a standard closet bracket on my shop wall for the purpose. Now the clamps are centrally located and easily accessed. I hang the clamp head on the…

Learn how to stain pine with a few simple tricks. With the right technique, you can make this inexpensive wood look like a million bucks.

I don’t have a lathe, so when I need to make a cylindrical part, I do it by hand. Using this holding device, I can easily turn a square piece into a round piece using a hand plane—and you can, too. This jig is about as simple as it gets. It’s just a wide board…

A look into the larger-than-life. Sometimes inspiration comes from the strangest places. Take a tree stump bust and an inlay backgammon table for example. Two very different woodworking mediums that couldn’t be further apart, but for artist Michael Ferris it’s the original source of his unique sculptures. His father, who was Lebanese had a pair…

Tool: Plunge Cut Track Saw TS 55 FEQ-F-Plus Shop Now  Manufacturer: Festool Coming March 2022 Festool today announced the new Plunge Cut Track Saw TS 55 FEQ-F-Plus, an all-new model they claim cuts twice as fast as the older model. The next-generation saw features an ultra-thin saw blade, easy blade changes, and the usual Festool…

In my furniture repair shop, I repair a lot of chairs.  I’ve seen many DIY mistakes over the years that didn’t need to happen.  Repairing a chair with loose joints is a relatively easy project to tackle with a bit of knowledge.  I’m sharing my top 5 chair repair mistakes to avoid, so you can…

Bessey K-Blocks are great for holding K-clamps in position for glue-ups, but they’re also quite handy for other things. I milled hardwood strips the same dimensions as my K-clamps and use them to raise work pieces for stacked glue-ups. I also use the blocks and strips for pocket-hole assembly, so I don’t have to hang…

Ready-to-carve 3D images make it easy to produce finished machine carvings or hand tool ready roughouts. Creating stunning carved woodwork has never been easier with a CNC router. Think of all the creative possibilities for carvings: door panels, box lids, frieze boards, emblems, awards, artwork, signs or having your signature carved into the back of…

Following a Passion Two years ago, Steve Thomson fell in love with creating art, with wood as his medium. The graphic-designer-turned-marketing-director decided to steer his artistic passion toward the workshop. Beginning merely as a hobbyist, he created gift items like cutting boards and jewelry boxes, gradually learning enough to move up to quality furniture. However,…

In this last wrap-up entry of my four-part series on Dan Dargon’s Torii table I will show how Dan build the table’s drawer, applied finished, and finally assembled it all.  Read: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 With its grill-like front, Dan’s drawer is definitely an unconventional furniture part. But once we try to understand…

I found yet another use for my trusty speed squares. Just clamp one or two of them inside the corners of a cabinet when you’re gluing it up. This guarantees that the corners will be square.  –Charles Mak

What tools do you need to start your woodworking journey? “What tools should I buy first?” is one of the more common questions I get from friends who are getting started woodworking. When you look on YouTube, everyone (ourselves included) is using a fully decked-out shop with all the newest, fanciest tools out there, and…

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.

The right techniques and tools (plus a few tricks) will give you a good start on mastering this fine traditional joint. Dovetails have long been recognized as the premier joint for casework and drawers – and for good reason. They’re the strongest way to join the corners of a box, and they look great. However,…

This kitchen workhorse presents a surprising and rewarding challenge. A wooden spoon – you can get one for a dollar in many places. It’s just a stick with a hollow shaped at one end. Why go to any bother over such a thing? Use them to stir sauces, dole out rice and beans, then forget…

Hey! In our last episode of I Can Do That, we introduced the table saw. This time, we’re covering three table saw basics that will take your woodworking to the next level. We start by angling the blade. By angling the blade, you’ll be able to make bevels and chamfers that add a lot of…

Double-check your tools, your technique, and your thinking. One of the most important skills in woodworking is rarely discussed or considered as a thing that needs to be learned or practiced. The basic skills of measuring and its close cousin, layout, are essential to produce quality work. As a bonus, mastery of these basics reduces…

Understand the fundamentals. A wood finish is a clear, transparent coating applied to wood to protect it from moisture and to make it look richer and deeper. This differs from paint, which is a wood finish loaded with enough pigment to hide the wood. And it differs from a stain, which is a wood finish…

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 tools in that they are the most versatile tool in a shop. They do so many varied jobs, that the more…

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…

Seasoned professionals also benefit from woodworking safety. Regardless of your experience level, it never hurts to review the basics. In fact, I believe there are a number of standard safety items and practices that not only help keep you safer in the shop, but also could very well improve the quality of your work. Personal…

A near-universal truth about woodworkers is that they’re always working to improve their craft and expand their skills. That goes for the authors and editors here at Popular Woodworking as well; we just can’t resist trying something new every time we undertake a project. This mindset isn’t without faults though- the wide variety of techniques…

After portioning out some of the Paulownia logs into smaller units Dan set up his lathe and began the turning process (read about the genesis of this great project here: part 1, part 2). He turned the raw wood into a cylinder and then marked the leg’s specific turning zones with a parting tool. After…

For turning spindles, there’s nothing like having a  really long tool rest. You never have to move it! I made my own with parts from the hardware store. This rest is just a length of square steel tubing with a steel rod fastened to its top. The rod’s rounded surface makes it easy to slide…

This intriguing utilitarian design is at home most anywhere. As a curious designer I often find myself frequenting estate sales, online auctions and even local antique stores in search of oddities and relics of the past. This exercise affords me the opportunity to be exploratory in my quest for inspiration and has become a practice…

There’s no single surface in my shop that’s the ideal height for every job. With my adjustable-height sawhorses, I can quickly set up an outfeet table, drawing table, or assembly table at different heights as nee need arises. My sawhourses are the folding, galvanized-metal kind, but any type will do. Cut 2×4’s to fit on…

Hold and guide your work like never before with this fixture that will (finally) fix your drill press. There probably isn’t any machine more ignored in my shop than my drill press. Even though I use it constantly for one thing or another, the last significant upgrade it saw was a slab of leftover plywood…

Tool: Slab Flattening Mill Shop Now  Manufacturer:Woodpeckers MSRP:$799.99 (Basic mill) $1099.99 (Extended mill) There’s no denying the popularity of live edge slab furniture (I’ve even seen full slabs wrapped in plastic at the big box store). Just add legs and you’ve got yourself a coffee table. However, if you don’t purchase a pre-flattened slab, your…

Learn the nuts and bolts of making hardware new again. From the time I began collecting reclaimed wood I remember salvaging all kinds of hardware pieces. I like to dismantle hardware from found furniture that is either too damaged or too big to haul back home, or impossible to take apart and lift from the…

This jig makes it easy to set up the bit for routing flutes and dadoes. I simply drop the appropriate depth gauge into the channel, set my router on top and lower the bit until it touches the gauge. The base is an 8“ square piece of 3/4“ MDF. Two strips of 3/4“ MDF on…

This walnut table features simple router inlay and can be easily built during a long weekend.

After building an I Can Do That: Tool Rack , I wanted to have my planes accessible on the rack as well. So here’s my solution. Cut two pieces of oak into 1⁄2” x 3⁄4” pieces, one 2″ long and the other 3 3⁄8” long. Form a “T” by cutting a sliding dovetail with the…

Using your hands to sketch can teach your eyes to really see. Most of us use our eyes to avoid bumping into things; we probably are only using 20 percent of our visual ability. I had a student some years ago at Rowden Workshops who had a history in the special forces. “I’ve never drawn…

Editor’s note: Special thanks to reader Bob L, who pointed out that putting a rare earth magnet that close to a moving saw blade can have catastrophic consequences. If you choose to use this tip, please ensure the magnet is adequately recessed and high enough to be out of the way for your specific saw. …

Dan’s wood of choice for the Torii table (read part one of the story here) was Paulownia, a fast-growing tree that is both soft and strong, and that has been part and parcel of the remarkable Japanese woodworking tradition. I wrote about this light color and silky-looking wood a few years ago in a story…

This well-machined workholding device is easy to assemble and is solid. Tool: Moxon Vise Kit Shop Now  Manufacturer: Lake Erie Toolworks MSRP: $209 Sure, you can make your own double twin-screw vise, but you don’t have to – there are several excellent commercial options, like this Lake Erie Toolworks Moxon Vise kit. This hard maple vise…

Create a Soda-Shop Classic  In simpler days, soda jerks quickly and efficiently dished perfect servings of ice cream with sturdy wooden-handled scoops. Once you’ve collected the metal parts (see Sources), a small block of wood and a little turning skill, I’ll show you how to create a classic ice cream scoop that will make you…

A felt-tip pen is the best tool I’ve found for adjusting a grinder’s tool rest. When you need to find the center of a bevel in order to duplicate an angle, color the whole bevel with a Magic Marker or a Sharpie. Adjust the rest to the approximate angle of the bevel, then start up…

How do you make strong joints in wood like this? When I need wood for a project, my first stop is a small mill near my shop that specializes in local hardwoods. On one particular visit I noticed a pile of offcuts sitting out in the rain. As I pawed through the pile. A slab…

Ready to play one, two, or maybe all three of your new shop-made games? Here are some game rules to help you out: (Looking to print these out? – download the easy-to-print PDF)Kubb (Viking Chess) OBJECTIVE: Be the first team to knock over all the other team’s kubbs, followed by the king. GAME PIECES: Batons…

This sled allows me to cut the 1/8-in.- wide strips of veneer that I often use for inlays. I can cut strips all day without having to measure or reposition the saw’s fence. The sled consists of a 13-in. by 24-in. piece of 1/2-in. MDF with a hardwood runner attached to the bottom. Battens and…

Apply this Classic Finish Like a Pro If you aren’t brushing shellac, it’s either because you’ve never tried it or you’ve had a bad experience. Let’s see if I can change that. The number one reason people abandon shellac is they expect it to behave like polyurethane. But shellac and poly are different animals. For…

Tool: PM2820EVS Drill Press Shop Now  Manufacturer: Powermatic MSRP: $2709.99 The PM2820EVS drill press from Powermatic incorporates a very interesting motor design, combining an electronically controlled variable speed motor paired with gears. This gives the machine incredible torque, and it’s all controlled with a simple interface to dial in the correct bit speed. The low-speed…

Solutions for common situations, from softening edges to stripping. Here are 10 tips and tricks you might use to both speed your finishing and get better results. I’ve arranged them in the rough order of typical finishing steps. Soften Sharp Edges Machining wood leaves edges sharp. Always soften them with several light passes of medium-grit…

Under a makeshift awning in a quiet valley near Jerusalem, Israel, Dan Dragon, a multi-faceted maker, has just finished one of the most interesting pieces that I have seen to date. It’s a sophisticated knockdown table that draws its esthetic and joinery vocabulary from the rich Japanese building traditions. Dan based his design on the…

Tool: Original Cabinet Hardware Jig Shop Now  Manufacturer: True Position Tools MSRP: $199 Installing cabinet pulls can be a bit daunting. It’s usually one of the last steps in the process, and when you’re close to finished. Making a measure, marking or drilling mistake this late in the game can really be a bummer. And…

Notched and nailed joints add visual interest to this simple project. This form is typically called a Shaker silverware tray – but it comes in handy for ferrying all sorts of things hither and yon. I got lucky at the big box store in finding some perfectly straight, flat and clear 1⁄2″-thick white pine with…

In my work as a luthier, I sand a lot of curved surfaces. I’ve found that I can make perfect sandpaper backing pads from “kneeling cushions” sold for garden work. Available at home-supply stores or on Amazon for a few bucks, these 1″ x 7″ x 16″ foam cushions can be cut up to make…

We’re interviewing makers from all 50 states. Today we’re featuring Astrid Beatriz, an artist and woodcarver from Oregon. How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? My husband, Brent, is a trained luthier (he builds guitars) and graduated from Minnesota Technical University. I initially used chalk pastels as my artistic medium. My husband…

Tool: Edge-Sanding Guide Shop Now  Manufacturer: Festool MSRP: $99 Sanding the edge of a table or interior of a face frame with a power sander can be a fraught affair. There is huge potential for tipping or losing control. Festool’s edge-sanding guide pairs with their 5“ random orbit sanders to make edge sanding more precise….

A proven design that will last a lifetime. I have many fine tools in my shop, but the most important one is my bench. It has a classic design, favored by cabinetmakers for generations.    I’ve spent a long time refining the details of this bench. I’ve built 15 of them over the years, simplifying…

Small tools are easier to reach since I added two rare-earth magnets to my apron. I epoxied the 1/2″ dia. magnets to two 1″ square pieces of leather, punched 1/2″ holes in the apron, and then epoxied the leather squares to the apron’s back side. –Mark Thiel

Disc Break Back when I bought my radial arm saw, onboard braking systems didn’t exist. But I’m a gadget freak, so I bought an electronic brake and mounted it on top of the saw. The brake worked by converting the AC input to DC, essentially turning the saw motor into a big magnet to stop…

I don’t know about you, but when I’m working in the shop, I usually try and carve out at least a few hours. Enough time to make some progress on a project at least. Often, this means standing for long periods of time. And, while I do what I can to try and have anti-fatigue…

A dive into the world of non-fungible tokens reveals what’s real in the world. It seemed like a simple enough idea at the time: let’s make an NFT. Thirty seconds of google quickly told me it was never going to be a reality- a real NFT is bound to a piece of cryptocurrency called etherem…

I’m happy to announce a new, online woodturning symposium that’s going to be taking place March 19th & 20th. Tickets for Meet the Woodturner Live are available here. Here’s a little of the backstory: Working in the woodworking media world, I have the pleasure of meeting some of the most talented people in the industry….

Accurately set up for and safely make these versatile curved shapes. It was the 1970s. I was a young, lost woodworker out cruising the West Coast in search of inspiration, mentors, cool old tools and furniture to study. I found legendary furniture maker Art Carpenter at his studio in Bolinas, Calif. He showed me two…

Bullet-Catch Bench Dogs When I built my workbench, I drilled round bench-dog holes in the top so I didn’t have to cut square mortises. Being a thrifty sort, I didn’t want to shell out for store-bought dogs, so I made my own. At first, I thought all I’d need was a couple 3/4″ dowels with…

While preparing to sand some cutting boards for customers, and after noticing how blissful the weather was I decided to do the sanding outside. After all, why have dust in the shop when I can spread the particles in the yard? I could have rolled out one of my long extension cords (or perhaps buy…

Tool: Birdcage Awl Shop Now  Manufacturer: Shenandoah Toolworks MSRP: $59.99 If you’re in the market for a birdcage awl, this Shenandoah Tool Works version offers a stylish twist – that is, the hand-forged 01 steel shaft is actually twisted during manufacturing. While this aesthetic touch has no effect on performance, it looks nice – and…

Your handmade pie deserves more than a generic roller. Handmade pizza is a mainstay at my house, but I never knew how much fun cutting up a freshly cooked pie could be until I made a rocker. This baby doesn’t fool around; the hefty blade cleanly slices the thickest of crusts and layers of toppings….

Specialty hardware can be really annoying. Take the T-bolt—it’s essential for attaching anything to a T-track, but where can you buy one at a moment’s notice? Hardware stores don’t carry T-bolts, but I’ve found that they always have a good substitute in stock: closet bolts. Closet bolts are used to fasten a toilet to the…

Get better woodworking results with these 12 tips. I’ve been teaching now for more than 15 years. And in that time I’ve thought a lot about why students are or are not able to do certain things. Problems arise only rarely as a result of a student not having good information about how something should…

Ordinary push pads tend to slip, I’ve found, when face-jointing a board. I modified one of mine by cutting 1/2″ of the rubber padding off its back end and then screwing on a 1/2″ x 1/2″ cleat. Now the rear push pad hooks the back end of the board. No more slipping! –Mike Cyr

Hone your hand skills with a project that has low risks but high rewards.

A simple table saw technique levels four legs in no time flat. Rock-n-roll. That’s what four-legged pieces have a habit of doing – even with perfect joinery and a careful and unhurried assembly. Even with all the care and attention you paid to building it correctly, it doesn’t sit flat on your floor but moves…

The truss system of the spine looks curious, but it works gangbusters. Tool: 5″ Titanium Birdcage Fret Saw Shop Now  Manufacturer: Knew Concepts MSRP: $235 (includes saw and Pegas #7 skip tooth woodworking blade) The crazy design of this titanium 5″ woodworker’s fretsaw from Knew Concepts is, I think it’s fair to say, the first…

Some straight talk about cherry and blotching. When I opened my furniture-making and restoration shop in 1976, the woods considered best for high-end furniture were walnut and mahogany. Of course, oak and maple were also used, and sometimes cherry. As had been the case through the previous three centuries, cherry was still thought of as…

Old bandsaw blades can easily be recycled into useful marking or carving knives. One blade nets you a slew of small pieces. Use a tin snip to cut off a piece of the blade, grind off the teeth, and then grind the profile. Quench the blade in water quite often so you don’t burn it;…

Add this flexible material to your shop repertoire. Plastics are amazing materials. Their lightweight grain-less structure gives them uniform strength in all directions making it an ideal material for all sorts of parts and projects. Available in clear, translucent and opaque plastics add a whole new level to your workshop’s repertoire. While there are dozens…

When finishing a flat panel, I use plastic soda bottle caps as standoffs to raise the panel above the bench. First, I finish the back side of the panel. Then I set the wet side on the upturned soda caps and finish the front side. One small problem–the soda bottle tops have a series of…

Here’s a fun way to save money, be creative, make something useful, and use up scrap stock: make your own picture frames. You can start from scratch and have finished frames in a day or less, and the only tools you need are a table saw and a router table. The challenge is to create…

When gluing miters for small mouldings, clear packing tape makes an ideal clamp. Begin by placing a strip of tape across the bottom of the joint; this will prevent glue squeeze-out from getting on your bench. As you push the joint together with one hand, wrap the tape up and over the top of the…

A guide for woodworkers, makers, and designers. Last June I was invited to give the keynote presentation on reclaimed wood during the 2021 World Wood Day Symposium. Because of the disruption caused by the Covid epidemic, the symposium took place online and my presentation was recorded and now is available on YouTube. In this presentation,…

How does Dremel’s newest rotary tool stack up to one from 30 years ago? Tool: 8260 Cordless Smart Rotary Tool Shop Now  Manufacturer: Dremel MSRP: $169 (includes tool, battery, and carrying case) When evaluating a new tool, there are two paths often taken- how does the tool function for its intended purpose, and how does…

  These tips and tricks will take you a long way toward success. The router is, simply put, a multi-tasking workhorse in the woodshop. But you would be surprised by how many folks don’t get the most out of their router experience. After all, this hand-held powerhouse has the potential to create, and an equal…

While sawing dovetails for a jewelry box, I found my back was hurting from hunching over my bench vise. In order to work more comfortably, I built this vise extension that works on the same principle as a leg vise. The fixture is nothing more than a couple short sections of 2×12 lumber connected with…

Hammered Cat The handle on my favorite hammer needed to be refinished, so I sanded it, sprayed on a coat of polyurethane and hung it over the edge of the picnic table to dry. A moment later I heard a blood-curdling yowl, and looked around to see my big fuzzy yellow cat sailing across the…

Tool: Scotch-Brite Deburring Wheel Shop Now  Manufacturer: 3M MSRP: $50+ Someone saw this deburring wheel on Instagram and clued me in to it; sold. It’s really a metal-working tool for knocking off sharp edges and small bits of metal. But if, like me, you have rusty old tools sitting around your shop (say inherited chisels…

Greetings Fellow Woodworkers, As we look forward to the new year, I hope this letter finds you, your friends, and families well. The new year can be an exciting time, packed with anticipation for what the upcoming months hold. Many people plan vacations, home improvement projects, and even lifestyle changes. Some make resolutions and use…

The price of good turning tools can be pretty steep. Since most of the better lathe tools can be purchased without a handle, put your money where it counts—in the steel, not the handle. After all, it’s the steel that does the work, and high-quality steel gives you an edge that lasts a very long…

2021 is coming to a close, and as is the tradition, we look back at the most popular articles we published in the past year. Our reader’s interests were as diverse as ever, branching across time and topic- there’s techniques, projects, comedy, and one controversially messy shop. Was there an article you particularly enjoyed that…

Tool: LINK Wall Storage Shop Now  Manufacturer: RYOBI MSRP: $5.98+ Today we’re trying out the new RYOBI LINK system and seeing if it’s a good fit for woodworkers, or better for the general DIY type instead.  

Easily organize, store and transport all your small woodworking accessories with this clever cabinet and inexpensive plastic tackle boxes – instead of drawers. One of my favorite things to do when I have free time is to tinker around my shop, organizing my small stuff. I actually enjoy sorting through nails, bits and staples; and…

40 years is a long time to be doing anything, including existing as a magazine in this modern digital age. Check out our 40-year history with this in-depth timeline, which you can also download as a free PDF.

As a sawyer, I always have a few questions for a client as I prepare to saw their logs into lumber. The first is: “How do you want this cut…live edge or boards?”. My second question is always “How thick do you want it?”.  More often than not, I get asked for my opinion. And…

Check out these 11 methods to make layout easier. Write With Chalk Lay out “cut here” marks on rough lumber with chalk. Chalk marks are easy to read, even on the scruffiest surface. Unlike ink, pencil or crayon, chalk marks are easy to erase if you change your mind. (I often do!) Just scrub the…

Editor’s Note: Back when we began putting the 40th-anniversary timeline together, we reached out to some of our previous editors with a few questions of what PW meant to them. Rob Cook, editor from 1992-1994, said “your questions brought back a lot of memories when I had your job.” Little did we know that we…

If all you have is a hammer, well, you might need another hammer. One of my favorite quotes is Baruch’s Observation: If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. It seems like an accurate observation of the way people adapt to their surroundings. When it comes time to move out of…

After my students finished flattening enough surface at the back of their branches (read the first part of the story here) we designed and worked on augmenting the branch’s parts. I showed them the different inspirational design ideas for the finials and terminus, but I also encouraged them to think about ideas of their own….

Tool: GEX18V-5N Brushless 5 In. Random Orbit Sander Shop Now  Manufacturer: Bosch MSRP: $129 (bare tool) Bosch recently introduced new 12V and 18V brushless cordless random orbit sanders. In addition to the latest brushless motor technology, Bosch paid special attention to lowering the center of gravity of the tool, allowing your hand to be closer…

Your joints will last for decades if you know how to apply your glue. Much of woodworking is joinery: An edge-to-edge joint is used to join two or more boards to create a tabletop, dovetails are carefully cut and fit to create a box for a chest of drawers. And the corners of a door…

I re-sharpen disposable planer blades a few times, using a shop-made jig, before tossing the blades away. I use a set of three diamond hones to sharpen the blade at an angle 5° higher than the factory bevel to minimize the amount of metal I have to remove. The jig is a single block that’s…

Although this project uses 40 feet of moulding, it’s quite simple to make. My wife and I recently attended our niece’s wedding in Ft. Wayne, Ind. We realized after checking into the hotel that we had several hours to kill before the event, so we got directions to the nearest antique mall and spent two…

Some people get pretty worked up about using the right word for the right joint. Perhaps they have a point since imprecise use of terms can lead to confusion. So, to be precise, here are the proper definitions: A dado is a U-shaped, square-bottomed channel cut across the grain. A groove looks just like a…

Editor’s note: This dovetail method is referenced in the October 2021 issue of Popular Woodworking, so we are republishing it to the home page. The blog below was originally published in September 2012 to coincide with the release of the video.  I’m in the midst of making a place to put my woodworking stuff, a…

I recently thought I’d outfit my portable “benchtop” table saw with a zero-clearance throat plate to reduce tear-out and to prevent narrow strips from falling down through the wide throat opening. Unfortunately, the throat plate opening is very shallow and requires accommodating numerous odd-shaped tabs, so making a custom throat plate wasn’t so easy. I…

I was first introduced to branch hooks and their organic beauty while reading Peter Follansbee’s excellent article on the subject in Popular Woodworking magazine. Peter showed how to turn a typical forked tree branch into a functional hook that someone can employ in the hallway, the kitchen, and practically everywhere. A few years later I…

Tool: Bench Cookie Shop Now  Manufacturer: Rockler MSRP: $12.99 (set of four) These aptly named bench cookies are clever and inexpensive problem solvers. A set of four elevates a board for sanding, routing or staining, while firmly gripping the piece in place. The cookie is composed of a plastic base sandwiched between two pieces of…

Not Your Average Rotary Tool As a woodworker and self-proclaimed tool connoisseur, I have found a big difference between the “consumer” and “professional” grade tools. Recently, I had the chance to play around with a professional tool, the NSK Evolution. Think of the Evolution as the hybrid between a dentist’s drill and a standard rotary…

Whenever I need a cup of water or a damp rag, I just turn the spigot on my $3 water jug. That’s much cheaper than plumbing my shop! –O’Neil Long

Look to your firewood pile for plenty of project inspiration. I’ve been cutting up my leftover bits of green wood for firewood to use in my new workshop. It’s not going well. I have a feeling that we green woodworkers freeze to death in the end. It’s because when we’re splitting firewood, we keep finding…

Tool: Cooltainer Systainer3 M 437 CP Shop Now  Manufacturer: Festool MSRP: $149 Festool recently announced a newly-updated addition to their Systainer system: the Cooltainer. This fun(ctional) storage solution can keep items hot or cold, and is compatible with all existing and previous Systainer generations. That means you can attach it to the top of their…

It isn’t called shou sugi ban, nor is every charred workpiece in a project called yakisugi. It’s simply a charred finish with its origins in Japan. An important lesson I learned during my five-year military enlistment was the concept of always leaving something better than it was. My unit would ensure a range used during…

Tool: MP160 Jointer Planer Shop Now  Manufacturer: Wood-Mizer MSRP: $4995 Wood-Mizer has started developing standalone woodworking machinery. This combo jointer/planer caught our eye because it does both operations without flipping the jointer beds up or otherwise adjusting the machine between operations. The machine has a 9″-wide jointing capacity and 16″-wide planing capacity—impressive for the footprint….

A simple sharpening technique for unbelievably sharp edges that are tough and long-lasting. By David Weaver, Winston Chang, and William Tindal Nothing slices, chops or pares through wood like a freshly sharpened chisel, but sharp edges don’t last forever. Frequent sharpening is a must, particularly for tools that are subjected to punishing tasks like chopping…

My portable planer uses disposable blades. When the first set got dull, I didn’t throw them away–I turned the two blades into very useful drawknives.  I wrapped duct tape around the ends of the blades and touched up their cutting edges with a diamond paddle. The narrow profiles of these tools are perfect for cutting…

Simple in theory, not in the real world. A reader of my blog  asked me to explain what polymerized oil is. So here goes. On one level the explanation is incredibly simple and on another it’s representative of all that makes finishing and finishes so hard to understand. Let’s begin with a definition of polymerization….

Tool: 12V Max Brushless 2-Speed Screwdriver Shop Now Brushless 3/8″ Hammer Drill/Driver Shop Now  Manufacturer: Bosch MSRP: $100 (Screwdriver with battery) $120 (hammer drill/driver with battery) In the shop, unless I’m drilling big diameter holes, 12-volt tools provide all the power I need for drilling pilot holes and countersinks and driving screws. The new ultra-compact…

The gift of a handwritten letter shows appreciation for Canadian forces. Editor’s note: this article originally appeared in the February 2007 issue of Popular Woodworking. About two years ago I was selling some of my woodworking and pens at a craft show. After the show, I had several pens left and remembered reading about a…

I made a built-in bookcase for my daughter that required attaching the face frame after installing the case. I didn’t want to mar the face frame with nail holes, but I don’t have any special-purpose edge clamps and didn’t want to buy a bunch for this single application. I remembered seeing wedges used for various…

Two tones of color and sharp, square edges give this piece modern flair. Inspired by a design in the February 2008 issue of the German magazine Selbst, this “I Can Do That” project commenced (as always) with a pilgrimage to the home center, where I picked up four 6′ 1x12s and one 6′ 1×6 of…

I previously wrote about several types of hinges commonly in use and described various techniques for installing them. For the second article in this series, here are five hinges with more specialized uses. 95° Stop Hinges Stop hinges are an excellent choice for box or chest lids in cases where you want to avoid extraneous…

Tool: Magnetic Dovetail Guide Shop Now  Manufacturer: David Barron Tools MSRP: $54.99 If you’re struggling for cut perfection on your dovetails (or you’re just learning to cut this important joint), a magnetic dovetail guide from U.K.-based furniture maker and teacher David Barron is just the ticket. These guides are made of sturdy anodized aluminum and…

Welcome to my home shop. It’s fairly small — about 14×24 and located in our finished basement. It houses my collection of hand tools, lathe, table saw, router table, drill press, band saw, and various smaller “benchtop” type tools.  While I spend most of my time at my bench with handtools, the first thing you…

A push stick is a familiar device to prevent kickback while ripping a board, but I prefer to use a “push shoe.” It’s shaped like a shoe with a handle, and has a heel, just like a boot. The heel pushes the work through the saw. I’m more comfortable using a push shoe because the…

After receiving and unwrapping the bench (read part 1 of the story here) I had to decide whether to finish it or leave it smooth and raw. Benchcrafted provides a very good reference sheet filled with info about the bench’s initiation process. In it, they mention that while the user can finish the base with…

Occasionally while woodworking, we all find the need to work on tapered parts. But how do you hold those parts in a vise or with a clamp in order to do the work? I saw a product in a catalog that used the age-old concept of a pivoting jaw mounted to a sphere to clamp…

The Ol’ 1–2 I volunteered to drill the holes for the halogen light fixtures in the 6′ tall display cabinet that my cohorts and I were building at the architectural millwork company where we worked. I chucked a hole saw in my trusty 1/2″ electric drill and climbed up on a stepladder, so I could…

Trailing along a power cord when I’m routing can really be awkward. All too often, my cord hangs up on a corner of the project or gets tangled around my legs. Adding a dust collection hose, which can run off in a different direction, just makes matters worse. One day I got so balled up…

To true your wood with machines, the steps you follow are critical. This time-tested procedure is the best way we know of. I get to meet many woodworkers around the country at woodworking schools, seminars and while answering e-mail messages. I find that one issue pops up repeatedly: “What is the correct method for milling…

When drilling mortises for chair arms, such as those in a ladderback chair, it can be difficult to accurately center your bit. But wrap a string around the rear post at the mortise location and then around the front post, and finding the center gets a lot easier. By resting the bit extender on the…

Every door needs a hinge – Nancy Hiller shows you which hinges to use, the advantages of each type, and how to install them. Wherever there’s a door, there must be hinges – and just as there’s a galaxy of door types, there is a variety of hinges and modes of installation. Even when we…

Layout Tool Haiku A framing square, small Enough to fit in your hand Is nuts-on 90. (originally published in American Woodworker #158) Veritas precision square Buy Now 

An Exercise in Mastering the Skew Do you like a challenge? Want to develop your woodturning skills? Can you learn from mistakes? If your answer is “yes”, you’re ready to tackle the rolling cut with a skew chisel. The rolling cut is most often employed to cut beads in spindle work. Without a doubt the…

I got tired of jury-rigging extra light for finishing, so I built this light stand from a 4-ft. length of 2×2 and 1/4-in. plywood. The 6-in. by 17-in. legs include 1/2-in. by 3- 1/2” feet. The post aligns with the bottoms of the leg cutouts, so it doesn’t touch the floor. Each leg simply butts…

In the hands of genius, ordinary items become fine art. One of the best-known quotations to arise from the Arts & Crafts movement is from William Morris. A founding father of the movement in England, Morris was part designer, part philosopher and part social activist. He famously said, “Have nothing in your house that you…

Although I did not grow up in the United States (I came here in my 30s), the American holiday of Thanksgiving was not totally foreign to me. The notion that once a year we collectively reflect on the things that we have accomplished, the people who have helped us, the family members who were kind…

Welcome to the December to Remember 2021 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…

It starts out the size of a smartphone and opens to make your reading (or cooking) easier. How-to books, cookbooks and sheet music are inconvenient to use while you’re in the workshop, kitchen or concert hall. That’s why bookstands (and music stands) were invented. These, however, can be bulky. And so the mechanical minds of…

When I bought my expensive 24″ machinist’s straightedge, I wasn’t sure where to store it. It didn’t include a hole for hanging, and I was reluctant to drill into the hard steel for fear of devaluing the tool or compromising its accuracy. I didn’t want to stash it in a drawer or on a shelf…

Great-looking wood and bright-colored felt lining reel in my customers. I’m hooked on making jewelry boxes–for sale. I’m retired, so I don’t live on the income, but making dozens of boxes keeps me in the shop, where I like to be. I sell my boxes at local craft shows. Let me share with you four…

Welcome to the 2021 edition of the Popular Woodworking gift guide! 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 to $200 • $200 And Up This year we’re featuring a ton of great tools new and old,…

Protecting our ears in loud environments is paramount for our audio health, but blocking our ears from listening to our surroundings can throw off our spatial awareness, which can lead to bodily injuries. I am not claiming that humans are like bats (who totally rely on their hearing capacity for in-flight navigation) but from my…

I made a go-anywhere task light by retrofitting an old, broken fixture with a new, battery-powered LED light. First, I removed the cord and inner workings from the task light. Then I screwed a plywood disc into the light’s shade and stuck the adhesive-backed LED light to the disc. I’ve used my light for hundreds…

Destroying 10 joints taught us surprising lessons about joint design, wood failure and the tenacity of modern glue. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the December 2005 issue of Popular Woodworking, when Robert W Lang decided he really felt like smashing things with an anvil. It has been said that we learn more from…

Tool: 14″ Precision Carcase Saw, aka ‘the Bayonet’ Shop Now  Manufacturer: Bad Axe Toolworks MSRP: $295+ If you’re looking for the ultimate expression of a carcase saw, the 14″ Bayonet Precision Carcase Saw from Bad Axe Tool Works is the definitive answer. The Bayonet is both fast and deadly accurate. With the recommended 14 ppi…

Our staff offers simple, strong and fast ways to make this important furniture component. In woodworking magazines, books and plans there’s almost always an omission that’s big enough to drive a truck through: How to build the drawers for the project. Usually the woodworking author (always well-intended, I can assure you) writes instructions such as:…

Some high-end combination squares have a built-in lip or tab for the purpose of resting the tool hands-free on a piece of wood. But because most common combination squares lack this handy feature, I developed this inexpensive solution. Simply attach a 3⁄8“-diameter rare-earth magnet to the head. It allows the square to rest in place,…

Nicholas Disbrowe, Samuel Sewall and chairs as corpse transportation. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the August 2017 issue of Popular Woodworking. As I study 17th-century oak furniture, I come up with many dead ends. The surviving objects tell one part of the story, another view into this world is found in the written…

Drilling in melamine, plastic laminate, particleboard, or other abrasive materials dulls a steel countersink very quickly. So why not make it out of carbide? Thankfully, Amana did just that—they say their Carbide Tipped Countersinks will last 100 times longer than steel. Carbide countersinks are available in multiple sizes, and come with either a round shank…

How to build a strong bookcase without a back. When I’m designing furniture, I often turn to the Arts and Crafts era for inspiration. I love this style. It’s simple, but elegant. When a client commissioned me to build a small bookcase, I knew exactly what to start  with: a photograph of a piece built…

After ruining four $90 sheets of plywood by storing them on a damp floor, I came up with a simple fix: PVC feet. Cut several 12″ sections of 2″ dia. PVC pipe in half, lengthwise. Apply traction tape to the convex side, so the plywood doesn’t slide. Place the feet on your shop floor, and…

Welcome to What Really Grinds My Chisels, an occasional feature where the Popular Woodworking editors tackle subjects they feel passionate about. I recently received a press release from a large power tool manufacture titled “Gift Ideas For Her This Holiday Season.” This piqued my attention- not because I’m working on a gift guide myself –…

For years, I sanded and hand planed panel edges by laying them flat on my workbench.  I could never quite squeeze a bench vise into my woodworking budget, so I came up with this fast, inexpensive clamp rail. I recessed a 36” long 2 x 6, into my workbench’s face, and secured it with wood…

Simple to advanced methods for precisely duplicating parts. No other method for shaping is as fast or efficient as template routing. It works like this: the part to be shaped is fastened to the template; the router follows the template as it is guided around the template perimeter (Photo 1). Template routing ensures that each…

Effective control for a notorious sawdust creator In addition to being versatile, accurate and virtually indispensable, my sliding miter saw also excels at spewing sawdust and resisting effective dust collection. I tried connecting a shop vacuum, but even when I remembered to turn it on, the vacuum only collected about half of the dust. I…

A few weeks ago I talked about the shop-built cross-cutting square that helps me achieve quality right angle cuts on solid lumber. This week I am going to show how I am using a few inexpensive jigs that assist me when I am dealing with sheet goods.  The Platform My technique is predicated on a…

Here’s a dirt-simple but effective accessory for your miter saw. It eliminates tear-out, allows you to make precision cuts by aligning a pencil mark with the kerf, and provides room to screw or clamp a stop block anywhere along the fence. Originally, I built this table for extra support when cutting long pieces. But it’s…

I was about to make a desk for my son John’s bedroom and in my mind it was a beautiful thing: simple, sleek and with elegant proportions. Drawings and a cut list were completed. Walnut boards were purchased and transported to Cerritos College in Norwalk, California where I am a community-ed student on Sundays. There…

Tool: Small Double Square Shop Now  Manufacturer: Lee Valley MSRP: $49.50 A diemakers’ square with a narrow blade is an excellent tool for determining minute problems with your joinery, allowing you to get in between narrow dovetail pins, for example, to check for sloping walls. But a true diemakers’ square (on which the blade angle…

Master this most basic turning tool. When I introduce someone to woodturning, I choose the spindle roughing gouge. When I work with kids, it’s the first tool I place in their hands. Why? Because, used correctly, the spindle roughing gouge is the safest, most user-friendly turning tool of them all. And don’t be fooled by…

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in American Woodwork #142, June/July 2009. I stumbled onto pen making seven years ago, as I was scouring through my husband Jerry’s woodworking magazines and catalogs, looking for a special Christmas gift for him. I came across a mini-lathe that was advertised as the perfect tool for making custom…

Problem Solver: The Milwaukee Electric Chain Saw Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the May 1981 issue of Pacific Woodworker. This particular model is obviously no longer sold in stores, but you may be able to find one on eBay if you feel like recreating the experience.  If you have ever thought about the…

Develop a delicate touch by creating graceful shapes. As an alternative to mass-produced items, Christmas ornaments rank high on the list. They easily become treasured keepsakes and the delicate spindle work and hollow turning involved will certainly test your skills. Each ornament contains three parts. I suggest making the long “icicle” spindle first, then the…

Crawling around under the basement stairs to find what may or may not be in this box or that was a pain. However, leaving the space empty was not an option. I built this cart to make use of every inch of priceless basement real estate. The cart is made from 2 x 4’s, with…

We’re interviewing makers from all 50 states. Today we’re featuring Terry Streetman, a sustainability-focused woodworker from Nebraska. How did you get started woodworking? Who were your mentors? I got started with woodworking relatively recently, back in early 2019 when my wife Emily and I bought our first house. I had always been interested in the…

Tool: Paralign Single Featherboard Shop Now and Paralign Double Featherboard Shop Now Manufacturer: JessEm MSRP: $27.99 & $48.99 At first glance, JessEm’s Paralign Featherboard might look like any other featherboard–except for those two extra knobs. What’s the deal? You tighten one set of knobs to lock the featherboard’s mounting bracket. Then you slide the featherboard…

Hone Your Skills Making Functional Storage PROJECT #2102 • Skill Level: Advanced • Time: 1 day • Cost: $50 It’s rare that I afford myself the opportunity to spend time and experiment at the lathe. Much of this could be attributed to the fact that turning (to me) has always had the perception of being…

To set the height of a router bit—within .001″, if necessary—I made this simple stand for my caliper. It works on a router table or a hand-held router. Two screws with washers secure the caliper. When I need the caliper without the stand, it’s easy to remove. The exact position of the caliper on the…

Tool: M5 Dust Cyclone Collection Shop Now Manufacturer: Mullet Tools MSRP: $229.99 When I heard that a handful of former YETI guys had created a new dust collection system I was intrigued. I’ve gone through several iterations of dust collection in my shop. I started with a hand-me-down 70 gal dust collector before realizing it…

Bee Gone  So, I’m using a wire brush chucked in a drill to clean the rust off of some old metal brackets that I’m planning to use in my new lumber rack. I’ve got a bracket in one hand and the drill in the other when a bee lands on my chest. That little voice…

As it often happens with my ideas, the moment I start thinking about some type of innovation or another I gravitate to my sketchbook and try to evolve it on paper until I feel certain it has ripened enough and is ready to be built. But sometimes, at least with me, I have to force…

From way back in Popular Woodworking #39, here’s a very tongue-in-cheek quiz to determine what your woodworking skill level is.

Simple joinery creates a compact cabinet with full-size storage.    When I spied an old machinist’s chest loaded with narrow drawers in my neighbor’s garage, I knew my small tools were finally going to have a permanent home. My version isn’t nearly as grand, but it’s just as useful, and it only took a couple…

A friend needed a small tool to clean out glue inside small places. So I made him a mini-scraper using an indexable blade from my planer, screwed to a turned handle. Each blade is about $3, plus the screw and scrap of wood turned for the long handle. The carbide cutter scrapes like a dream,…

If anyone ever sees that, they’re looking too closely. I spend a lot of time looking at antique furniture, often from below. My interest is pieces made about 100 years ago, from the Arts & Crafts period of the early 20th century. I share a passion with those who collect these pieces, but I look…