Four Common Woodworking Joints
From butt joints to dovetails, every builder should know these essential woodworking joints —and when to use each one. The following is a small sample from the book The Complete Starter Guide to [...]
Knee-Saving Compressor Drain
Crouching to operate my compressor’s drain valve was no big deal until my football-ravaged knees started acting up. To keep from grimacing in the sawdust, I devised a more civilized way to clear [...]
What’s a Shaper, and Why Do You Want One in Your Shop?
This shaping powerhouse has fallen out of favor of router tables, but in some instances, it may be the better tool in your shop. When it comes to being a jack of all trades, the router table may [...]
Ten-Minute Light Stand
I got tired of jury-rigging extra light for finishing, so I built this light stand from a 4‘ length of 2“ x 2“ and 1/4“ plywood. The 6“ x 17“ legs include …
Zap the Gap
I hated the black hole that appeared when I installed corner bifold doors in my kitchen cabinets. To get rid of this annoying gap, I decided to make the main door (the one with the hinges) [...]
Convenient Benchtop Protection
My workbench is beautiful and I want to keep it that way, so I cover the top with builder’s paper whenever I’m gluing or staining. But the heavy roll was hard to handle and a nuisance to store [...]
Harvey Compass ST-1500 Sliding Table Review
Tool: Compass ST-1500 Sliding Table Shop Now Manufacturer: Harvey Woodworking MSRP: $1579 There are some tools that, on the surface, appear exorbitant. Sliding tables (or sliding table [...]
Auxiliary Compressor Tank
My small air compressor cycled so often during use that the noise almost drove me crazy. As much as I hated to spend money, it looked like a bigger compressor would be my only option. That’s when [...]
Shaker Side Table
The late Thomas Moser popularized Shaker design. This side table is my ode to him and his contributions to the woodworking community. Project #2508 • Skill Level: Advanced • Time: 4 Hours • Cost: [...]
A Great Finish for Figured Wood
Finishing figured wood is an intimidating thing. You have a special material and you want to apply a finish that is going to enhance the figure that’s already there. Here is my oil-based [...]
Kreg MortiseMate Review
Tool: MortiseMate Loose Tenon Jig Shop Now Manufacturer: Kreg Tool MSRP: $299.99 Kreg Tool, known for their innovations in pocket hole jigs, recently launched their new loose tenon joinery [...]
Blue Spruce Micro Square Review
Tool: Micro Squares Shop Now Manufacturer: Blue Spruce Toolworks MSRP: $64.99-$109.99 Having one or two really nice squares is essential in the shop. Being able to check parts for square, [...]
