The fundamental rules (and devices) to keep you clear of danger at your saw. I once heard that 90 percent (or more) of all table saw accidents involve some type of kickback, where the work flies back at the operator. Imagine what would happen to table saw accident statistics if we could eliminate kickback altogether….

Tool: PRO Aware Shop Now  Manufacturer: ISOtunes MSRP: $129.99 Every once in a while a new product comes along that’s a real game-changer in the workshop, and the new ISOtunes PRO Aware headphones is one of those tools. Many of you are familiar now with the ISOtunes family of OSHA-compliant hearing protectors with music streaming capabilities….

After years of use, I could hardly see through my table saw’s guard. While at a car show, I heard that polish for renewing aluminum wheels also worked to clear up old headlight lenses—so I tried it on my saw’s guard. After two applications, it was as good as new! Since then, I’ve cleaned all…

Tool: Benchtop DC Personal Dust Collector Shop Now  Manufacturer: Oneida MSRP: $599 Dust really is the bane of the power tool woodworker. It’s also hazardous, especially if you spend much of your time woodworking. Dust collection on stationary tools and portable tools (hooked to a dust extractor) is getting better and better, but there are still times…

When I need to cut a bunch of small, equally sized pieces, I install this simple jig. It holds short pieces securely during and after cutting, so they don’t get caught by the blade and thrown around the shop. My jig is just a hold-down clamp attached to a squarely-cut piece of plywood. This clamp…

Tool: Thin Rip Tablesaw Jig Shop Now  Manufacturer: Rockler MSRP: $34.99 This tablesaw jig allows you to rip consistent thin strips safely and accurately. The jig clamps in the miter slot to the left of the blade. After each cut, you move the rip fence until the board touches the jig—then rip again for another perfect strip….

Rear Ended After cutting a piece of wood with my ancient radial arm saw, I turned to retrieve the pencil that I’d used to mark the cut—the saw’s vibration had caused it to roll off the table and onto the floor. When I bent over to pick it up, though, I felt something funny, because…

FRAMED The old family photograph that needed a new frame was an odd size, 10-5/8 in. by 11-3/8 in., so I knew I couldn’t buy a frame to fit. Starting with a length of straight-grained oak, I used a combination of router bits to create a unique profile for a new frame. I sanded, shellacked,…

Blowin’ in the Wind My wife and I ran out of plywood as we were adding shelves to the garage, so we headed to the home center for another sheet. We hadn’t noticed how windy it was until we came out of the store with the plywood propped sideways on a cart. We more or…

Kick the Can When I was a boy, my dad taught me a great way to re-seal a can of stain. He would place the open can on the floor with the loose lid in position on the can, and place a paper towel on top of the lid. Then he would place his foot…

SURE SHOT When I found out my wife was pregnant with our first child, I decided to make a cradle. Nine months seemed like plenty of time, but naturally, I finished building the cradle with only a week to spare. I decided to apply the oil finish outside, thinking it would speed up the drying…

Snake Surprise While I was visiting my brother in Florida, he showed me his latest toy, a Wood-Mizer portable sawmill. A huge hickory log was mounted on the cutting platform. Sawdust puffed as the blade effortlessly sliced a 3″ thick section from the top of the log. “That was the ‘clean cut,’” he said. “The…