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Basements aren’t recommended in this part of North Carolina, and our lot was too small for a detached shop. That meant my woodworking was either going to have to dodge cars in the garage—or I [...]

Elegant results from a humble beginning. Thin strips of wood littered the shop floor after I completed the doors for a custom kitchen. Throwing these “toothpicks” away didn’t seem right, but [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Tool: Laser Drill Press  Buy Now Manufacturer: Delta Delta’s 18″ drill press is specifically designed for woodworking. The difference is in the table: It’s a big improvement [...]

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 unit to [...]

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 other kind of [...]

I bought a keyless chuck for convenience, but I found it hard to tighten and loosen by hand. The knurling on the chuck wasn’t very deep, so my hand just slipped. I often resorted to using a pair [...]

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 it [...]

Tool: 5″ Random Orbit Sander BO5041k [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: Makita MSRP: $89.00 Ever wish you had an extra handle on your sander? Not for extra pressure—that would create unwanted swirl [...]

These advanced dust collectors are now more versatile than ever. Dust collectors for the small shop have come a long way since the days of a broom and a pan. The latest generation—two-stage [...]