Reaching down to open and close my tablesaw's blast gate was a real pain until I built this pivoting mechanical arm from pieces of 1/8-in. flat steel and 3/8-in. rod. It may look cobbled [...]
Restore an Antique Oak Table Thoughtful finishing and new leaves prepare this classic for the next 100 years. By Kevin Southwick This old table looks like a prime candidate for refinishing. Strip [...]
Melamine is the professional cabinetmaker’s best friend. Build a cabinet with it and you have a complete, durable interior that requires no sanding (yes!) and no finishing (oh, yeah!). Pros [...]
1. Sandpaper Roll Storage I use pressure-sensitive-adhesive (PSA) sanding discs. For easy access, I like to get them out of their packages and lined up by grit. I hang my rolls of sanding [...]
How two versatile woods can be both a blessing and a curse. by Karen Nakamura Cheap, plain and definitely not wood. That’s how many woodworkers describe particleboard and MDF (medium-density [...]
Commercially made zero-clearance inserts cost about $20. I make my own for less than $3 from 3/8-in.-thick polyethylene cutting boards, which are flat and rigid. A 14-in. x 17-in. cutting board [...]
I don't like to throw wood away; offcuts and other short boards work great for small projects, jigs and shop fixtures. But until I built this mobile cart, my shop was littered with piles of [...]
When I completed this letter holder in 7th grade woodshop, I had no idea that I'd end up as an editor at a woodworking magazine. In those days, woodshop was one of three manual training [...]
I really don't need five cordless drills, seven routers or 24 antique hand planes, but I can't help it. I'm a tool nut. Are you? Have you ever bought an old woodworking machine [...]
It's easy to cut perfectly round tabletops of almost any size on your tablesaw. All it takes is a simple jig (Fig A) and careful setup. With this method, you can safely cut dia-meters from 12 [...]
Simple Lumber Maker By Jay McClellan I’ve turned my bandsaw into a mini sawmill with the help of one dirt-simple jig and a pair of extension tables. The jig is nothing more than a piece of [...]
Screwing plywood pieces with drywall-type screws is quick and easy, but drilling holes in a straight line can be tricky. That’s why I made this handy little marking gauge that allows me to [...]