Make a habit of applying finish to end grain first. Why? It’s all about avoiding drip shadows.    Sounds creepy, doesn’t it? Here’s the deal: let’s say you’re finishing a top. You’re merrily brushing the first coat of finish back and forth on the top’s surface, and some finish happens to drip down an edge,…

When faced with the task of refinishing a large, heavy oak door, I wanted to complete the job as quickly as possible by being able to work on both faces of the door without having to wait for one side to dry. To solve the problem, I began by drilling a 1⁄2“-diameter hole in the…

Have you ever tried to use varnish from a skinned-over, half-used can? Even if you remove the skin carefully, lumps of dried finish get mixed in with the remaining varnish and eventually end up on your project. But don’t throw the stuff away—there’s an easy way to get clean varnish from a used can. Just…

Do the clothes really make the man? Try taking a tip from turners and dress up for dust. Wear a jumpsuit and a face shield when you can’t collect sawdust at the source. This is the outfit turners wear when they’re making lots of chips. A jumpsuit is easy to brush off when you’re done…

  These furniture maker’s symbols are an international language. They have been used for generations because they’re easy to make and easy to understand. A board’s working face and edge are the surfaces that all measurements are taken from. This dates back to when boards where planed by hand. You couldn’t count on every side…

I have a couple tools from which I frequently remove the dust collector hoses. I got tired of getting out my screwdriver and cranking out the adjustment bolt every time. After a bit of experimenting I came up with this quick-release solution that uses a wire hose clamp and a plastic spring clamp with removable…

In order to keep my bench clear for working, yet have the tools I need close at hand, I came up with this stowable mounting system. Each of my bench tools is mounted on a board with slotted guide bars that ride on dowels. When the tool is in use, the board locks in position…

I cut dados for a tight fit. When I make them too tight, I use a jig that I call a Dado Tuner. The sole is 1⁄2” Baltic birch plywood, measuring 41⁄2“ x 12″; the open slot is 1″ x 6″; and the adjustable sanding fence is 3″ x 6″. The body and handle were…

I’ve acquired a bunch of routers over the years—enough so that I can afford to keep a few permanently mounted in these mini router tables. For lots of jobs, you don’t need a large table or a sophisticated fence; a small, flat surface and a board clamped to the top will do. The base’s overhang…

I well remember the day when I couldn’t get a mortise-and-tenon joint to come together no matter how hard I tightened the clamp. I had ignored a fundamental rule: Always make mortises 1/16“ to 1/8“ deeper than the tenons. There are two reasons for doing this. First, you don’t have to obsess about marking a…

When used as an undercoat or sealer, brushable epoxy greatly reduces expansion and contraction in wood. Coat all parts prior to assembly and make sure epoxy gets down into the fastener holes. If the wood absorbs a lot of the epoxy, sand the first coat after it cures and apply a second coat. Epoxy is…

Is there any doubt that magnets positively rule? I’ve never welded anything in my life, but found a great woodworking use for something familiar to metalworkers. And it’s no wonder I like them: They’re based on my favorite shop helpers, magnets. My dad (a professional welder in addition to being a woodworker) tipped me off to…