Tool: Festool MFT/3 Multifunction Table Buy Now Manufacturer: Festool MSRP: $735 If you work in a small space, on a jobsite, or must stow all your tools when you’re done, check out the Festool MFT/3 Multifunction Table. It’s designed to work hand-in-glove with the Festool guide rail system, which accommodates their plunge-cutting circular saw and router….

No matter how good your shop lights are, there are always areas that will benefit from the extra flow of photons. Like most bandsaws, the Grizzly bandsaw that we have (I mentioned it a few weeks ago when I showed how I replaced its tire) did not arrive with a dedicated lamp. Since I use…

Leigh — known for accurate and clever joinery jigs — has a new box-joint jig for routers (for handheld use or on router tables). It’s designed to create 1⁄2″- and 3⁄4″-wide box joints and looks similar to other jigs, so I was ready to be under whelmed until I set it up and started checking out the features.

Unlock your saw’s full potential. by Seth Keller   The tablesaw’s power and precision put it at the center of everyone’s shop. Despite this honored position, a tablesaw is mostly used for mundane ripping tasks. To make better use of my tablesaw, I use these four simple jigs in my shop. They take advantage of…

First a disclaimer: This is a recollection of impressions following the installation and test running of our new 6” Grizzly spiral Cutterhead jointer, that we bought at full price this fall.  As many of you know, I teach woodworking at the Rudolf Steiner School in Manhattan. Our program is mainly geared towards hand tool work….

A Desktop size CNC at an Entry Level Price One of the questions I’m most often asked is “would you do a review of an affordable CNC?”  Up to now, there’ve been few choices for woodworkers on tight budgets with small home shops. Here’s the thing: as woodworkers, we do pretty heavy duty work and…

Track saws are a favorite among on-site installers and carpenters, for breaking down sheet goods, trimming floors and other operations common on the job. Their portability and accuracy make them a godsend for contractors. Many woodworkers have a circular saw in their shop and use it for crosscutting, kerfing out large joinery or cuts where the tool…

Router table cabinets can be a waste of space. This compact, vise-mounted unit stores easily and is just the right size. by David Thiel April 2005 Popular Woodworking Magazine I think it might have been seeing a $1,000 router table setup at a recent woodworking show (it’s very cool, but $1,000?). Or maybe it was…

A few weeks ago one of our remarkable 8th grade students approached me during class and with a sad face as he presented two pieces of steel that just a few moments earlier used to be a vintage socket chisel. He remorsefully said that the chisel broke while he was shaping a round tenon at…

A few weeks ago Veritas tools (Lee Valley) released their most recent plane. The squirrel-looking plane (there are actually two versions of it: a limited edition stainless steel, and a continuous production cast iron) is by far one of the smallest planes around.

A while ago I blogged about a Breast Drill that I bought on eBay and restored. I also mentioned that it is hard to find a good quality drills with concealed gears on the market today. After I wrote the blog I found a supplier of drills who held (and still does) a few tools…

It sure is cute – but is it useful? by Clarence Blanchard from the December 2006 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine Few tools spark the affection of so many as the Stanley No. 1 size bench plane. Regardless of one’s interest, the small plane has a way of catching everyone’s eye. Set one on a…

This article, by John Wilson (of The Home Shop, which offers Shaker boxes and supplies for making them) first appeared in the August 2005 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. While we’re still calling it the “$5 Router Plane,” it’s possible it will now cost a bit more to make – but likely still less than $10…

When I was learning to sharpen and set saws in the 1990s, I was desperate for information. All I had was one modern book, a somewhat helpful video and the attempts I had made on my bargain basement saws. It was a slog. While today there is a lot more information available on saws and…

Tool: Festool MFT/3 Multifunction Table Buy Now Manufacturer: Festool MSRP: $735 If you work in a small space, on a jobsite, or must stow all your tools when you’re done, check out the Festool MFT/3 Multifunction Table. It’s designed to work hand-in-glove with the Festool guide rail system, which accommodates their plunge-cutting circular saw and router….

Tool: Dadonator Jr. – 6″ Stacked Dado Saw Blade Set Buy Now Manufacturer: Infinity Tools MSRP: $209.90 Every woodworker deserves a good dado set, but if you own a portable saw or a contractors saw, you may be missing the party. With their limited power, these saws should be equipped with a 6″ set rather than…

Tool: AirStrike 23-Gauge 1-3/8 in. Headless Pin Nailer Buy Now Manufacturer: Ryobi MSRP: $129.00 In my shop, my most used pneumatic tool by a wide margin is a 23-gauge pin nailer. So when I tripped over my compressor’s hose and the nailer hit the ground for the umpteenth time and finally gave up the ghost, I headed…

Tool: R1 Tape Measure [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: M-Power MSRP: $15.90 Have you ever noticed that the numbers on a tape measure read upside down? Think about it. If you’re right-handed, like me, you hold a pencil in your right hand and a tape in your left. Whenever you pull the tape from right to left to make…

Years ago, I made a corner cupboard from black walnut. I thought the wood was magnificent, but a can of rusty cut nails I used in building it proved to be far more important, taking me on an unexpected journey into my past. My father gave me these nails, saying that they were left over…

Tool: ZEROPLAY Miter Bars [Buy Now]  Manufacturer: Microjig MSRP: $35.95 A crosscut sled is one of the handiest jigs you can build for your tablesaw, but making the runners is fussy work. They have to fit tight in the miter slots, yet still be loose enough to slide. This requires a tolerance of only a few thousandths…