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With a few thoughtful tune-ups, your band saw can be a precise cutting tool. Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the April 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. [...]

Understanding the Why is just as important as the How. Hand tools are a pleasure to use — if they’re sharp. Once you have a sharp tool in your hands, you’ll begin to realize why some [...]

Mortise and tenon joints are the best way to go. For a new look in cabinet doors, try mitering the corners. This simple design, as elegant as a picture frame, can dramatically change the [...]

These simple tools are essential for dimensioning lumber by hand or machine.  It’s hard to believe that something as simple as a pair of parallel pieces of stock can be a highly precise tool for [...]

Wipe on years of age in less than a week. If you want to make a woodworker gnash his teeth, ask him to make new cherry look like cherry that has aged naturally to a rich, dark brownish hue. Why [...]

A workpiece ALWAYS SLIPS when placed vertically in my vise, because the vise racks. To solve the problem, I made a vise spacer from a 1”x 2”x 6” hardwood block, a 1/4” T-nut, a 1/4” x …

A table saw and a simple jig make a time-consuming task quick and easy. Woodworkers use all sorts of techniques to scoop out their chair seats. Many commonly resort to hacking out the waste with [...]

While on the job site and installing cabinets, I was preparing to scribe a face frame to fit against an irregular wall when I realized I forgot to bring my compass. I was wondering if I had time [...]

Cutting rabbets by hand can quickly and easily be done with vintage and modern planes alike. Both just take a little know-how. I would consider a rabbet joint an essential woodworking joint to [...]

For thorough mixing, a powered paddle is the way to go. Here’s an easy way to make one from a 3/8″ dowel rod. First, cut a slot in the end of the dowel. To do this, attach a fence to [...]

I ran short of clamps in the heat of making a set of panel doors, so I quickly made more from stuff I had in my shop. These clamps are based on an old design, but the idea still works …

Attaching a triangular jig to your miter gauge enables you to safely cut shallow angles, or any angle beyond the normal range of the miter gauge. The jig is just a 30-60-90 triangle made from [...]