Archives

  If you’re unhappy with how your stained finish is turning out, the problem might be in the way that you’re sanding. Follow these tips and you’ll be good as gold! Go E-Z [...]

I like to use purpleheart pen blanks because they’re less expensive than other exotic hardwoods. Recently, I stumbled on a cool trick. I discovered that I could cause the wood to overheat and [...]

One of the most mundane – but important- tools in our toolbox is a sanding block. We, and I include here my students in grades four to twelve, are using our sanding blocks during the last [...]

Tool: Pro Grade Precision Sanding Sheets Shop Now  Manufacturer: 3M MSRP: $4.79/pack Everyone knows using the right tool for the job is the way to go, and that rule definitely applies [...]

When turning, I like to have all my supplies close at hand, ready for use.  I use an index card box to store and organize cut pieces of sandpaper. It has a lid and dividers,  so everything is [...]

Tool: Workcenter Buy Now Manufacturer: Festool MSRP: $415 Remember the old adage “a place for everything and everything in its place”? Well, Festool’s CT Workcenter puts everything right at [...]

I’m making and installing approx. 5000-bd.ft. of hard maple trim. Keeping track of what I’ve already sanded is difficult, so before sanding, I rub artists non-oil pastel chalks (also available at [...]

Efficient, cheap and simple to make. This magazine puts a lot of emphasis on hand tools – that is, tools without motors. Common subjects include handplanes, chisels, scrapers etc. But when 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 [...]

I find myself needing a lot of small circles for use on wooden toys. When I cut those disks out with a circle-cutting jig on the band saw, the edge is a little too rough, so I’ve made a fixture [...]

Tool: DEROS Manufacturer: Mirka MSRP: $625 Editor’s note: This review originally appeared in the April 2015 issue of Popular Woodworking. The tool is still available and just as great as [...]

Tool: Contour Sander Manufacturer: Arbortech MSRP: $79 I’ve been building a stacked-lamination piece with plenty of concave and convex curves that require a good deal of sanding. Arbortech’s new [...]