Trash Can Outfeed
To save space, my trash can doubles as a work support. I made a dolly with locking casters to fit the can’s bottom, so I can roll the unit to wherever it’s needed. The work support is adjustable [...]
Self-Cleaning Blast Gate
When sawdust got packed into the back end of my planer’s blast gate, I couldn’t close the gate all the way. I solved this annoying problem by cutting a notch in the gate. Now, when I close the [...]
Tenon Preview
A tenon should be one-third the thickness of a rail—at least, that’s what an old rule of thumb recommends. A 3/4″ board should have 1/4″ tenons, for example. But what about a [...]
Offset Biscuit Joints
I use biscuit joints in lots of small projects, particularly for joining rails to legs. I usually reference from the bottom of the plate joiner rather than use its fence. When I want to make an [...]
Drawer Stop Screws
Making an inset drawer line up flush with the face of a cabinet can be fussy work. To make it easy, I just install two screws on the back of the drawer and turn them until the drawer’s front is [...]
Cedar Plant Stand
An Asian-inspired display stand for deck, patio or porch. This stand was originally designed for bonsai plants—dwarf trees or shrubs—but it can be used to display any kind of potted plant. As a [...]
Lock Miter Setup Jig
Tool: Groove Center Buy Now Manufacturer: Prazi MSRP: $149 A lock miter is an excellent joint for building boxes and small cases. It creates lots of surface area for glue and a tight [...]
Jessica’s Jewelry Box
Display all your skills building an exquisite project. Building a small box can challenge your skills just as much as making a huge cabinet. This box, made from maple, cherry and ebony, will take [...]
No-Clamp Featherboard
I added a pair of powerful handled magnets [buy on Amazon] to my shop-made featherboard. They fit snugly into two notches and hold the featherboard absolutely rigid. The magnets enable me to [...]
A Router’s Best Friend
Tool: Bench Paws Manufacturer: Platte River MSRP: $26.49 We’ve all heard of bench dogs—the devices that clamp the ends of a board to keep it from slipping—but have you heard of Bench Paws? [...]
Cam-Action Bench Dog
I made a clamping device for my bench that can quickly snug up a board just by swinging a lever. The lever has a cam that pushes a sliding stop tight against the board. I made all the parts from [...]
Replaceable-Head Bits
Tool: EZ Change Bits Manufacturer: Amana MSRP: $25+ Plastic laminate and other composite materials dull even the most expensive router bits in a hurry. A busy shop that kicks out a lot of [...]
