Building a throne for the common man. I’m sitting here listening to Fiona Richie’s “Thistle & Shamrock” radio show, thinking of an old friend, John Brown, from Ireland, and the ties between the Welsh and Irish cultures. I’ve been building Welsh stick chairs for ages, influenced by the ancient chairs in St. Faggon’s Castle and…

Tapping a New Thread When you can’t find the right thumb screw for an old tool (see Part 1 here), your best option is to drill and tap a new hole to accommodate a modern fastener. In the case of our antique divider, I found an old thumb screw from a lampshade retaining ring that…

There’s not enough room in my garage shop for a tablesaw with a 52-in.-capacity rip fence. But no worries—I don’t need one! To make wide cuts, I simply install a shop-made extension that bridges my saw to the wall—and doubles its 30-in. rip capacity! I made my extension by framing a piece of 3/4-in. mdf…

This weekend project lets you show off one dazzling board. True story. I first built a headboard like this years ago using only a miter saw, router, sander and a drill. My shop was just a driveway. The project really is that simple. For materials, all you’ll need is a huge board (this one is…

Adapted from a 19th-century example, this wall-hung shelf is perfect for displaying your treasures.

I use dividers regularly in my work. They’re indispensable for spacing out and dividing lengths—whether laying out dovetails, bisecting a line by drawing intersecting arcs, or sketching circles and curves. At my school, we have a few old dividers, some over a century old, that are still functional. However, one was missing the retaining screw…

This weekend project lets you show off one dazzling board. True story. I first built a headboard like this years ago using only a miter saw, router, sander and a drill. My shop was just a driveway. The project really is that simple. For materials, all you’ll need is a huge board (this one is…

This Charles Limbert table was sold as a fern stand, but it’s a great addition to any home. Project #2503 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 3 Days • Cost: $250 At first glance, Arts & Crafts style furniture often looks simple to build. Afterall, there are no turned legs or intricate moldings to contend…

This traditional, lightweight stool is an excellent first step toward chairmaking. One highlight of a visit to historic Old Salem in North Carolina is the beautiful Moravian furniture and woodwork in the village’s buildings. My favorite piece in the town is a small stool that shows up in many of the buildings. It’s a tough…

This versatile approach is easily adapted to other styles and uses. Project #1916 • Skill Level: Advanced • Time: 2 Days • Cost: $300 It’s deeply satisfying to sit in a chair that you’ve created in your own shop—and watch others do the same. Building chairs is also a great way to learn new skills…

With one board, you can put together this side table that packs in a bunch of great woodworking techniques. Project #2418 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 3 Days • Cost: $250 I enjoy a good scrap wood project as much as the next woodworker but you can only make so many cutting boards. Surprisingly,…

This live-edge coffee table is just the beginning of what you can build with a $20 doweling jig. Project #2302 • Skill Level: Beginner • Time: 4 Days • Cost: $400 This walnut coffee table is featured in my latest book, “Build More Stuff with Wood,” (see all the places you can purchase it here)…

Make your bench indispensable. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the February 2004 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Christopher Schwarz has published numerous articles on workbenches since then, and his thoughts have evolved on some of the topics discussed here. Still, this is a good guideline for anyone looking to upgrade the workbench in…

In 2005, I loaned my French workbench to a friend to use in his booth at a woodworking show. As I rolled the 350-pound behemoth onto the show’s floor, I heard a couple wolf whistles (really?), then one of the show’s vendors stopped me. “How much for the bench,” he asked. I didn’t know what…

For a quick and simple bench stop, I mounted a sliding bolt taken from an old door to the end of my workbench. In the locked position, the bolt stays put, and in the unlocked position it’s completely out of the way. -Darryl Thomas

I felt like I won the storage-space lottery when I came up with this bench design for my shop. I wanted a way to store lumber and my benchtop tools. The backbones of this bench are the 2 x 4 frames. For my 8-ft. bench, I made four frames. The rest of the materials were…

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…

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…

Make this sturdy circle cutting jig in a day, with readily available hardware, and you’ll be cutting perfect circles at the bandsaw. I delayed, stalled, and put off a circle cutting jig for the bandsaw. After all, I had a small trammel for cutting circles with a router, so I was not sure how much…

There’s not enough room in my garage shop for a tablesaw with a 52-in.-capacity rip fence. But no worries—I don’t need one! To make wide cuts, I simply install a shop-made extension that bridges my saw to the wall—and doubles its 30-in. rip capacity! I made my extension by framing a piece of 3/4-in. mdf…

Make your bench indispensable. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the February 2004 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. Christopher Schwarz has published numerous articles on workbenches since then, and his thoughts have evolved on some of the topics discussed here. Still, this is a good guideline for anyone looking to upgrade the workbench in…

Turn your miter saw into a precision cutting tool by building this storage-packed miter saw station. Project #2420 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 3 Days • Cost: $600 Over the years, I’ve found two opposing mindsets when it comes to miter saws. One group believes that, while miter saws are okay for trimming a…

Build a tool chest that’s worthy of your tools. Customize it to fit exactly the tools you want. Project #2115 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 4 days • Cost: $250 I have a confession. I like nice tools. There’s something about boutique tool makers that I love. I’m guessing it’s the combination of high-quality…

After detailing the design approach and layout in my last entry, I moved on to building the actual components for my garage post-shelf system. This phase involved crafting and installing brackets that would not only securely clamp onto the steel columns but also support a functional, sturdy shelving solution. To begin making the 2×4 brackets,…

Adapted from a 19th-century example, this wall-hung shelf is perfect for displaying your treasures.

Finishing it all up. Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7 • Part 8 After many hours of meticulous work (see previous entries), I was finally approaching the completion of the Megillah boxes. With the hinges basins created, my next focus was…

Installing the hinges. Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7 • Part 8 Most of the time, when building furniture or boxes, I opt for high-quality extruded brass butt hinges, such as those made by Brusso. These hinges are superbly machined from…