MDF vs. Particleboard

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 [...]

Economical Inserts

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 [...]

Hide-Away Bin for Short Stock

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 [...]

Tablesawn Circles

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

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 [...]

Surefire Marking Gauge

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 [...]

Instant Wheel Dressing

I use my grinder almost exclusively for beveling my chisels, so I like to keep the tool rest set to produce the 25-degree bevel I prefer. Having to reset the angle after using my diamond wheel [...]

Versatile Router-Bit Storage

When it comes to router-bit storage, I could write a book. I've tried everything, but I think my latest design is a keeper. I prefer to keep my bits protected in a drawer. At first, I just [...]

Perfect Holes for Router-Bit Tray

I decided to organize my router bits by making a tray from a scrap block of wood. But I soon discovered that my 1/2-in. shank bits wouldn't fit into 1/2-in.-dia. holes – the holes [...]

Clothespin Holder

I love having a cutting list close at hand. But hanging on to it when both hands are busy was a problem – until I bought 24 clothespins for $2 at the hardware store. I epoxied the wooden [...]

Replaceable Fence Faces

It's hard to improve on the performance of a T-square fence, but I think I've done it. I got frustrated with clamping on an additional subfence every time I wanted to make a rabbet with a [...]

Rock-Solid Bench Support

The face vise on my workbench didn't hold long boards rigidly enough until I added this adjustable "bench slave." And it only cost about $30. First I milled a board to attach to the [...]