Archives

Simple Storage by Bill Wells Storage space in a small shop is hard to come by. My tool collection keeps growing, but my shop stays the same size! I needed to organize, so I bought a couple milk [...]

Turning Tool Tamer by Richard Tendick I was turning a vase recently, and as I got deeper into the turning, the vase’s rotation pulled the tool’s tip down, making it very difficult to [...]

Applying putty with your finger works great, but it’s messy. Instead of using my finger, I just stick a blob of putty on a pencil eraser. It works great, and my finger stays clean! -Dick [...]

A computer in the shop is becoming increasingly common. I use my tablet in the shop all the time; it’s where I keep project plans, cutting lists, etc. I also use it to video chat with other [...]

Awls, dividers and compass points are sharp and thus can be easily damaged if not protected (or even worse, poke us). Over the years I have used wine corks, plastic wall anchors, and segments of [...]

In the course of a recent kitchen job, Nancy Hiller is faced with a challenge: refacing tilt-out storage drawers, with the sink still in place.

Left unfinished, brass will develop a patina with use. But sometimes you need the patina yesterday. Here are two methods to speed up the aging process.

You can use a router to joint two boards at once. This is a really handy trick if you don’t have a long-bed jointer or you don’t have a jointer at all, and you’re working with [...]

Mistakes are always exasperating, but much less so when you have a few tricks up your sleeve to make them right. Here's one of mine.

A storage tray is a useful addition to any stationary tool. Add a table saw tray to your shop to keep tools handy, yet out of the way.

Various methods are used to create an ellipse. The method shown here, often called the trammel method, is relatively simple and you can use it to make an ellipse of just about any size.

Getting a mirror finish on the contoured profiles of carving gouges can be a real hassle. Fortunately, making a custom gouge strop is easy.