From the Editors and Contributors In an effort to inform our readers about the latest and greatest, Popular Woodworking has surveyed the rich landscape of tools and equipment available and made our picks of woodworking tools of note for 2019. Here’s our top ten, plus one tool storage accessory thrown in for good measure. Auto-Jig…

On one end of the spectrum, there’s the router screwed to the underside of a piece of plywood, supported on sawhorses, with a board clamped across for a fence. On the other end, there’s the Festool CMS router table. The basic principle and end result may be the same, but then, the same could be…

We have all seen them: those chisel handles that have crumbled from years of use. Here’s how to easily restore those handles to their former glory.

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…

I started my woodworking career 40 years ago shaving ladderback chairs based on the methods of Jennie Alexander as outlined in Make a Chair from a Tree. Green wood, split from straight-grained logs, aligns perfectly with drawknife work.

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.

When WoodRiver announced its new socket chisels, I was very intrigued. Price-wise, these chisels fall into the intermediate range – $35-$45 for an individual chisel (depending on size). I picked up a 1⁄2“ chisel and a 3⁄4“ chisel to put through the paces. The chisels are ground from 100 CR-V steel and tempered to a…

Tool: Jobsite Saw Pro Manufacturer: SawStop Price: $1400 SawStop released the first version of their portable table saw about five years ago. Packaging their flesh-sensing blade brake technology in a smaller, more affordable format made it more attainable for a larger portion of woodworkers and folks on jobsites. This upgraded version of their jobsite saw…

Tool: Fisch Wave Cutter Forstner Bits Manufacturer: Fisch Tools Cost: $380 (16 piece set) My collection of Forstner bits was cobbled together over the years. I started with inexpensive multipacks. Then I bought a few specific sizes for projects and even sprung for some premium one-offs. And I’ve tried just about every style and brand…

Tool: Bench Dog Tools No. 5 Jack Plane Manufacturer: Bench Dog Tools Price: $169.99 I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the No.5 plane from Bench Dog straight out of the box. After wiping the protective oil off all the surfaces and setting the blade depth, I was able to make de-cent shavings within minutes….

Earlier this week, Lee Valley rolled out their new website, and it’s a beauty. They’ve always been a go-to for me for hand tools and hardware. While the previous version of the site functioned well enough, Lee Valley’s new design feels borderline luxurious in comparison. Browsing and search results are driven by images. That’s especially…

Tool: InKleind Twin Turbo Vise Manufacturer: InKleind Price: $270 There’s a new twin-screw vise on the block designed by Andy Klein that I’ve had the opportunity to test in a pre-production form. The design seeks to solve some of the common issues associated with twin-screw vises. The solid transmission of power through the gears promises…

Tool: Jet JWBS-14SFX Band Saw Manufacturer: Jet Tools Price: $1100 We may receive commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations. I’ve spent a couple of months using the newest 14″ Jet bandsaw and I’m convinced this is an excellent buy at $1,100. This bandsaw bridges the gap between…