The original factory cart I built has served me well for many years, primarily carrying lumber, toolboxes, machines, and various supplies. However, as space has become even more constrained in…

For a two-car garage shop, optimizing space is always the top priority. To help wrangle materials and supplies, I recently built a cart based on a brilliant piece of industrial…

This dust collection cart houses a vacuum and cyclonic dust separator for an efficient, clean workstation. Project #2509 • Skill Level: Beginner • Time: 2 Days • Cost: $180 Every…

I frequently need an outfeed table or work support for long pieces, so I built this T-shaped assembly to use in conjunction with my Black & Decker Workmate. The table…

Build the perfect place to store and charge your growing collection of batteries and cordless tools. Cabinet making is a great skill to have, and once you successfully tackle your…

Plastic storage tubs make instant drawers for organizing shop supplies. When I worked in a restaurant as a teenager, I hauled dirty dishes in plastic bus boxes. Using them to…

Not too big, not too small. This chest is a handy size for a basic set of tools. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of…

All living things evolve, and so do woodshops. No matter where I’ve lived, I’ve changed my shop around — relocating cabinets or shelves, changing one work area to another, adding to…

In order to keep my bench clear for working, yet have the tools I need close at hand, I came up with this stowable mounting system. Each of my bench…

Jim Moon produced a faithful replica of this iconic cabinet, with a decorative touch or two of his own. In the world of historic furniture-making, Jim Moon casts a long…

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…

Cut completed boxes from a simple glue-up. If your shop is like mine, every horizontal surface collects stuff—the necessary minutiae of woodworking. It’s all good stuff, to be sure, but…

Everyone can use some creative storage solutions in their shop, which is why we dug through the American Woodworker archives for some classic storage tips. Portable Hose Reel Instead of…

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:…

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…

Like many home woodshops in North America, mine is set up in a two-car garage. Similar to other suburban homes, our garage has two steel columns in the middle, supporting…

Is it the saw or where the saw lives that increases your accuracy? There are two types of miter saws. The first can be a mainstay in the woodshop, dependably…

Practice your hand-tool skills and make a pair of strong, collapsible workshop companions. About a year and a half ago my wife took a job in eastern North Carolina. My…

This traveler’s tool case project is a great way for the wayfaring woodworker to bring tools along for the ride.

My lathe tool rack is based on a fishing rod rack that I made some time ago. Made from 3/4-in.-thick walnut, it measures 3-1/8-in. by 10-in. by 30- in. I…

These simple shop storage solutions are quick to build, but will make a big impact in your shop. Project #2408 • Skill Level: Beginner • Time: 1 Day • Cost:…

Every shop can use more storage. This set of cabinets looks as good in the shop as they would in the home. Project #2411 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time:…

Here’s a great space-saving tip. I first made “floor drawers” like these for under-the-bed storage. They worked so well I decided to use them in the shop. Floor drawers work…

This saw till is a great way to keep your saws organized, protected, and close at hand. Project #2405 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 3 Days • Cost: $150…

While French cleat systems for woodshop walls are well-known, the concept of utilizing French cleats inside tool cabinets remains relatively unfamiliar to many. The limited popularity of this approach in…

Like many other woodworkers, I work in a small garage shop where every square inch is precious. So, making good use of my wall space was essential. Sure, I could…

Optimize your shop space with this multi-function outfeed table that gives your CNC router a convenient home. My one-car-garage-turned-shop doesn’t have room for a 4’x4′ CNC router. I just couldn’t…

This rolling stand is the perfect mobile workstation. Use it for a computer in your shop or to mount a power tool.  Project #2303 • Skill Level: Beginner • Time: 2…

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….

I purchased this classic tool chest at a yard sale in Maine, while on vacation. The case had only two drawers remaining, and no handle. The seller said he had…

Large plastic boxes, the kind that restaurants use for bussing dishes, are perfect for shop drawers. They’re strong, durable and lightweight, plus they have built-in handles. They’re perfect for storing…

Get organized fast with easy slat construction and versatile hangers. Whether you have an exquisite collection of antique tools or the latest in high-tech gear, this versatile wall rack stores…

I’m a great fan of aerosol finishes, especially now that many of them have adjustable tips that make much less splatter. But my shop got so cluttered with half-used cans…

Simplification and organization are the keys to success. I’ve worked in a small workshop for many years now. Many, if not most woodworkers, would classify my 7′ x 13′ space…

Put a ton of tools up on the wall in this tool “book.” Hang 1/2“ or 3/4“ thick plywood “pages” 4“ apart on horizontal 2x4s with 3“ door hinges. Screw…

This small rack rolls easily to anywhere you need it. There is an old saying in woodworking that you can’t have too many clamps. While this is true, it is…

Tool: Bear Crawl “Papa Bear” Mobile Base T28923 Shop Now   Manufacturer: Grizzly MSRP: $93.95 Being able to move heavy machinery in my tiny garage shop has been a game-changer…

Vacuum attachments are a challenge to store. They come in so many shapes! I made this device to keep them all together, within easy reach. It’s just a long chain…

  Bodger and blacksmith Don Weber shows how to effectively combine power and hand-tool techniques to build a simple and sturdy toolbox. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the…

Like most people, I keep lots of different screws, bolts, nails, washers, and other small parts in bins. Instead of paper labels, I hot glue a sample of the actual part…

Most of us have used, at some point, a pegboard to organize our tools. In fact, a few years ago, I reclaimed a hanging pegboard toolbox (a colleague of mine…

Separate, sort, and see your collection With just five different parts to make, this easy-to-build caddy accommodates bits with both 1/2″ and 1/4″ shafts. It can be customized to handle…

It’s all made from one sheet of plywood. Space is at a premium in my small shop. Everything goes on wheels and is as compact as possible–including this miter saw…

No matter what your style of woodworking, you need a basic set of hand tools. Here’s where to begin. When I came to America, I had a lovely wife, two…

I needed an easy-access storage unit that wouldn’t take up a lot of room but would hold a large number of tools. My solution was a wall-hung tool cabinet with…

This sandpaper storage system is about as simple as it gets. It’s just a stack of folded envelopes bound with a big rubber band. Each envelope is marked with a…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 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…

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….

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…

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…

Who says you can’t put a square peg in a round hole?  My scrap bin is made from round cardboard tubes made for concrete forms. These tubes are available at…

“You can’t have too many clamps,” a wise cabinetmaker once said. That is certainly true, but in a small shop, you can easily run out of room to store them….

Combine power and hand tools to improve your joinery skills Building a toolbox much like this one was a real turning point in my woodworking career. It was 1999 and…

Storage and utility in just the right size. It’s often said that a shop layout is never truly complete. While that may be true, I have discovered a valuable asset…

Sponsored by Shaper Tools. Cutting dovetails with Shaper Origin and Workstation is a very precise and adaptable process you can use on all kinds of casework, drawers, boxes and more….

This reproduction is a fun build and a great gift for a budding woodworker. Project #1922 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 3 days • Cost: $200 “Hand and heart…

Keeping project parts organized and in proper relation to one another while machining and assembling them can be a real challenge, especially if you’re organizing the pieces for attractive grain…

While building this little station to organize my cordless-drill paraphernalia, I discovered that bicycle hooks make great drill holders. Mounting the station on the wall saves valuable benchtop space. Now…

Building this handmade saw cabinet employs vital hand tool techniques with an emphasis on dovetail, dado and mortise and tenon joinery.

When turning, I like to have all my supplies close at hand, ready for use.  I use an index card box to store and organize cut pieces of sandpaper. It has…

Tool: The Orginal Saddlebag Buy Now Manufacturer: Texas Heritage MSRP: $80 I’m a fan of having my tools out and at hand in the workshop. It’s easy enough to mount the…

There’s never enough storage space in a shop, is there? When I recycled some old kitchen cabinets to use in my shop, I added one more drawer to each one—in the toe-kick space.

Learn how to make compound-angle dovetails building this handy stool and portable tool box. For my job as a trim carpenter and furnituremaker, I’ve always needed a sturdy stool to…

To Get the most from my limited shop space, I built a two-sided “mobile tool wall” to park in front of my overhead garage door. The wall is just basic…

Plastic bins are excellent for storing hardware and other small items. After purchasing all the types and sizes of bins I needed, including some complete cabinets, I made this shelf…

Back in the early 1920’s, my grandfather, John Rudzki, built wooden truck bodies in Pittsburgh, PA. Customers would order the chassis for a refrigerated truck, a moving van or some…

26 drawers for tools and supplies. My beat-up garage-sale seven-drawer metal tool cabinet was an eyesore. I wanted something bigger and better, but mostly I wanted something that looked like…

Tool: 3pc Handyman Tool Belt Set [Buy Now]  and Padded Suspenders [Buy Now] Manufacturer: ToughBuilt MSRP: $39.99 (belt) 14.99 (suspenders) The first thing I noticed when taking the ToughBuilt Tool Belt out…

You can hold anything on your workbench with just pegs, wedges & notches – no fancy vises required. It’s difficult for most woodworkers to imagine a workbench without screw-driven vises….

Like all of our I Can Do That! projects, this router bit storage case is designed to be useful, easy to build and made from inexpensive materials.

A simple-to-build tote, perfect for tool and supplies transport. I designed this stacking tool caddy to hold small parts and a few tools. It’s comprised of three tool trays that stack…

It won’t solve a tool addiction, but it’ll make finding tools easier. You’ve no doubt seen photos of the H.O. Studley tool cabinet – the Sistine Chapel of tool cabinets….

Don’t reinvent the wheel when storing your tools. A proper chest is still the best. When I tell people that I’ve worked out of a traditional tool chest for 15…

An embellished lid is your woodworking calling card. Embellished tool chests are perhaps the quintessential calling card of the cabinetmaker. From Benjamin Seaton’s mahogany and tulipwood masterpiece to the unequalled…

Historic proportions and details are still the best. Since I started woodworking in about 1993, I’ve stored my tools in almost every way imaginable – from plastic buckets to wall…

Great shop storage isn’t always built using plywood. As I look around my shop, or most woodworking shops, I see cabinets built with plywood and screws. But there are other…

Store all the tools you need in easy reach If I were to make three lists – the tools I want, the tools I own and the tools I need…

Whenever I work on a project, I end up with my handsaws scattered about the shop. I thought about storing them under my bench, but my bad back keeps me…

Cutting dovetails by hand is supposed to be an orderly, precise process. But when you’re in the thick of it, it’s all too easy to end up with a bench…

Unique because of its appearance and easy to build because it’s constructed using basic woodworking techniques, this two-part cabinet provides copious storage and signals the work—and the shop—of a true…

Wedged through-tenons keep this handle secure. Whether you’re using it for woodworking tools or garden tools, a tote is a simple and quick project. It’s so simple, in fact, that…

When I think of a tool chest, I think of a carpenter’s box, usually open and inviting, a little rough perhaps but clearly made by the hand. Think of Roy…

Close your eyes and picture it: your entire shop organized, a place for every tool, never struggling to find your cardscraper when you need it, and a stress-free day of…

A simple box for basic household tools. Common in the 19th-century, a “Gentleman’s Tool Chest” typically contained a set of fancy household tools including the first “multi-tools” – a handsome…

Machinists and mechanics keep their small tools in a chest with shallow drawers. I do, too—except mine is custom-built, sized to exactly fit what I want to keep close at…

Swiped from a French engraving, this easy tool rack works in your shop or even in your kitchen. It’s good to keep your tools protected (think: tool chest). But it’s…

This 3-cabinet unit is designed to organize and store finishing supplies ranging from flammable liquids to Q-tips in ways that makes them easy to access and (just as important!) easy…

A word about Plywood I used 3/4″ thick Baltic Birch for this cabinet. It has a thicker, more durable veneer than typical plywood. Like all plywood, however, 3/4″ doesn’t mean…

Designed to work closely with your bench, this toolbox keeps your tools organized and close at hand, but out of the way of your project. By making it the same…

A storage tray is a useful addition to any stationary tool. After adding this one to my tablesaw, I don’t know how I ever did without it. I made the…

Simple Storage by Bill Wells Storage space in a small shop is hard to come by. My tool collection keeps growing, but my shop stays the same size! I needed…

Store and use key benchtop tools on a single mobile unit. Innovative features such as a lever-operated mobile base and dual-height pullout tool platforms give this bench a five-star rating,…

While working on my pegboard cabinet and trying to integrate into it most of my frequently used tools I noticed that one of them, a Woodriver spokeshave, didn’t have a…

An accurate combination square is the cornerstone of every layout work. It allows us to measure and mark joinery, and check for flatness and squareness of workpieces, setups and tools….

Read part 1 here and read part 2 here. As the design and construction of the rack was completed (see part one of the story) and after I  added the…

Read part 1 here and read part 3 here. As I was about to finish the rack, I began contemplating what would be the best way to hang it on…

Read part 2 here and read part 3 here. The pegboards hanging system was, and still is, one of the most common shop organizing platforms out there. It is a…

Using digital tools, you can make this handy tool tote in less than an hour. Learn how to build and customize your own tote.

“I was looking for a tool tote to set beside my shave horse when doing demos with the SCA East Kingdom Foresters Guild. I attached the cover with hinges and added tool slots for use when working. Chisels store in till when traveling.” –Bill Childs

I’m excited to share that my traveling tool case is featured on the cover of the December issue of the magazine. If you are a subscriber, you should receive your copy…

I bought my first set of nice joinery saws a decade ago. Since then, I’ve acquired a handful more. A saw till has been on the to-do list this entire…

Before I developed the tool tote project, I did some online research and discovered that there are two major trends in the design of simple wooden totes: (A) Those whose tall…

On top of the daytime woodworking classes, my school offers to our students the opportunity to stay later for an hour and half of “extended day” classes. My woodworking class is…

Tool storage – is it the most controversial subject in the craft? People have debated it. Great books have been dedicated to it. Philosophies have developed and wars fought over…

My favorite project from 2014 is one I haven’t been able to talk much about, until now. Jameel Abraham of Benchcrafted and I collaborated on building a tool chest for…

In some Victorian books on woodworking, the author suggests that if you don’t have a shop you could use a chest of drawers as a woodworking bench, tool chest and…

I’ve worked out of a traditional floor chest since 1997 when I built my first cover project for Popular Woodworking Magazine. It’s not that I’ve always been monogamous, however. I’ve…

You can now get both Dutch tool chest plans – both the big one and the little one – in the October 2013 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, which recently…

I’ve been teaching classes on building “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” for two years now, and with every class I find some way of goosing the students a bit further along….

I’ve now built more than a dozen traditional tool chests entirely by hand. Hand-cut dovetails. Hand-cut mouldings. Hand-cut shiplaps and beads. Hand-cut blah blah blah. These chests take me about…

If a workbench or a tool chest is on your list of woodworking projects to build this year, you’ll definitely want to read on about two upcoming DVDs I’m working…

OK, so let’s say you are too cheap to purchase a blacksmith-made lock for your next tool chest or blanket chest. Wait, that wasn’t very kind of me to call…

While I think a tool chest is the best place to store your tools, the chest can also become a rusty tomb if you aren’t careful. Woodworking shops can be…

This weekend I finished work on a traveling version of my “Anarchist’s Tool Chest” that will fit in my hatchback and will carry (almost) a full set of tools. The…

When you write for a woodworking magazine, there are several pat phrases that you use all the time. Such as: 1. Joint and plane all your stock flat and square….

Ah, Thursday – day four of a woodworking class. This is the day that most students hit a wall. They take naps at their benches. They sneak off to their…

The first lesson of handwork is this: Most things that you think are important are not important. Most surfaces do not need to be true. Most edges do not need…

Years ago when touring Winterthur, I saw a lot of wacky Pennsylvanian dovetails on old chests. These joints had been wedged through their pins – a feature I had not…

If you ever want to try out a lot of different workbench designs before you settle on building one for your shop, you might want to take a class at…

I’ve hauled my tool chest all over the United States and Canada, and I remain impressed – deeply impressed – by how it has handled all the miles. I’ve even…

Though I like to work out of a full-size tool chest (38” x 24” x 24”), it’s obvious that a chest like that would be too big for a job-site…

When I inspect an antique tool – especially one that hasn’t been messed with much – I always take a look at the cutting edge. How was it sharpened? What…

I’ve always liked artwork and woodworking pieces that were executed by someone with a good deal of talent but a lack of formal training. Some people call this “outsider” work,…

Dovetailed Tool Box Fill it, carry it, bang it around: These joints will last forever. By Seth Keller A lightweight, sturdy toolbox is perfect for odd jobs around the house….