Kellogg Depth Gauge Review
Tool: Extra-Fancy Depth Gauge Shop Now Manufacturer: Kellogg Fine Tools MSRP: $80 Sometimes, having a simple tool is best. That doesn’t mean that your simple tool can’t be fancy, however....
Isometric Drawing Tool
Tool: Magnetic Straightedge Shop Now Manufacturer: Lee Valley MSRP: $7.50 Don’t have a drafting table? Can’t draw freehand to save your life? Here’s a tool from Lee Valley that lets...
Precision in the Woodshop
You’re measuring wrong, and making it more difficult to do good work. If the title has you expecting high-tech procedures or suggestions for expensive measurement gear that’ll get you closer...
Upgrade Your Miter Saw for Woodworking
Turn a contractor’s tool into a precision woodworking machine. I don’t know of too many woodworking shops, whether home or professional, that don’t have a miter saw as part of...
Drill Press Test
How do you know if the table on your drill press is square? Not more-or-less square, but precisely square? I’ve adopted an old machinist’s trick, using a very simple jig....
Centerline Marker
Sometimes it’s fun to build a gadget just because it’s a neat idea. There are many ways to draw a centerline, for example, but this method is very clever. It...
Goof-Proof Center Finder
To mark the exact center of a board, I measure an equal distance from both ends and make two marks. This distance is just an approximation—it doesn’t matter if it’s...
Are Lasers Just a Gimmick?
Lasers are popping up on all sorts of tools. Are they useful – or just clever marketing? We investigate. Editor’s note: David asked this question way back in 2005, but...
Precision Drill Press Table
For accurate drilling, build an engineered table. Did you know that most drill press tables are made for metalworking? Woodworkers need a better table: it should have a broad surface,...
Breadboard End Joints
Cut precision joints on a large top. Breadboard ends are old devices for improving a solid-wood top. They act like cleats to hold the top flat, which is particularly important...
Shedding Light on Compound Angles
Affordable line lasers and a simple setup make for perfect angled drilling. I’m a 21st-century Windsor chairmaker. I build chairs using mostly hand tools: froes, drawknives, spokeshaves, [...]
Precision Inlay, Simple Tools
A few shop-made appliances allow you to add stunning face-grain inlay to your work. Geometric bandings and inlay patterns, or parquetry, are widely used, from Japan to Egypt to Spain....
