10 Shop Organization Tips
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 woodworking. Sound like a [...]
Accurate Inside Measurement
An accurate inside measurement is sometimes difficult to obtain. For example, I needed to take a measurement behind a cabinet’s face frame to fit a new shelf. Typically, most people would [...]
60th Birthday Shop
For more than 30 years my workshop consisted of a workbench and my Shopsmith tucked into a corner of the garage. I either had to set up and tear down every time I worked or park the car in the …
Think Spring
Featherboards are an important accessory, providing both accuracy and a measure of safety. Typically, a featherboard is just a board with thin fingers sawn into the end that act as springs to [...]
Krud Kutter
Resin build-up on saw blades makes them less effective. A clean blade runs cooler, doesn’t cause burning on your workpiece, stays sharp longer and cuts more accurately. Cleaning blades is a [...]
Shop-made Bandsaw Fence
Unsatisfactory bandsaw fence? This simple shop-made fence and track system could be the answer. The tracks are formed by gluing up three pieces of hardwood. A slotted fence provides adjustment [...]
Comfy Handle
The handles on hand-wheels are uncomfortable. The one on my lathe, for example, was difficult to turn when drilling into hard wood with a Forstner bit. Using a chunk of scrap, I turned a 2 [...]
Contact Cement Cover
Applying contact cement with a roller is my preferred method, as opposed to spraying it on. There’s not as much clean-up, and I don’t have to deal with overspray. There are drawbacks [...]
The Trapped Reverse Chuck
In bowl turning, good craftsmanship requires that the bottom show no evidence of how the bowl was mounted. It’s also important to learn how to keep the chuck from dictating key aspects of [...]
Festool Jigsaw Editor’s Pick
Tool: Festool Carvex Manufacturer: Festool’s Price: $390 The jigsaw is a tool that I’m glad to see folks are still striving to make better. It’s an indispensable shop staple as [...]
Multi-Function Router Base
Tool: CRB7 MKIII Manufacturer: M.Power Price: $83 A router base can be nothing more than just that; a base. Or, as in the case of the CRB7 MKIII kit from M.Power, it can be outfitted to help your [...]
Hobbyists Cabinet Saw
Tool: Powermatic PM1000 Manufacturer: Powermatic Price: $2400 (50″ fence) The list of 110 volt cabinet saws continues to grow. That’s great news, as it puts a great many of the [...]
