Archives

Can I Sharpen My Router Bit?   Q: I’ve got a carbide router bit that’s caked with pitch and leaves a rough cut. Can I rescue it or should I buy a new one? A: A bit can be brought [...]

9 Ways to Untangle Wires By Brad Holden Electric spaghetti. That’s what most of us have lurking behind our computer desks and entertainment centers. Every time you want to add or take out a [...]

Temporary Zero-Clearance Insert My small tablesaw and accessories follow me to jobsites every day. One morning I needed to rip thin slats from a 2 x 4 and wouldn't you know it, I forgot my [...]

Super Chop Saw Stop This stop slides along a rail that's screwed to the top of my chop saw fence, and I can lock it in any position. The hinged block is locked in the down position with a [...]

Q & A: Knocking Apart Loose Joints   Q: I tried reversing a clamp to pull out the rungs of an old chair that needed regluing, but I couldn’t get all of the rungs out.What do I do? [...]

Groovy Dowels Have you ever tried gluing a pin made from dowel rod in a blind hole? If so you've probably encountered the nasty air pocket that forms at the bottom of the hole and makes [...]

Q & A: Sawdust in the Garden?   Q: I spend as much time tending plants in the garden as making sawdust in my shop.Are there any problems with using the sawdust and chips in my [...]

Large Sheet Crosscutting Crosscutting large sheets of plywood on the tablesaw can be difficult, and I usually end up binding the blade, burning the wood, or worse. To get around this, I clamp a [...]

Q & A: Does Polyurethane Glue Fill Gaps? Q: I hate it when I slip up and make a joint that doesn’t fit tight. I heard that polyurethane glue will fill gaps and hold a loose joint [...]

Bench Helper I use this simple device when planing the edges of long boards. It's especially useful when the board is too springy to be clamped between a bench dog and a tail vise. I hold the [...]

Q & A: Silencing a Squeaky Tablesaw Q: My tablesaw screeches like nails on a chalkboard whenever I adjust the blade.WD-40 made the noise go away for a while, but now it’s back. What do [...]

Getting the Point I frequently use awls in my work and like to keep them needle-sharp. This little jig takes only a few minutes to make and guarantees a fine, tapered point. Two magnets keep the [...]