Tricks of the Trade

Wood movement can ruin a seemingly well-constructed project. Luckily getting ahead of the material and calculating wood shrinkage and expansion is fairly easy – all you need to do is...

Most furniture fractures can simply be glued back together. But some breaks are messy, leaving splintery fractures that won’t form a strong glue joint. You could replace the entire part,...

Hanging a wall cabinet is usually a two-person job—one to hold the cabinet level and one to screw it to the wall. I’m nearly always working alone, so I came...

My pneumatic nailer makes quick work of assembling cabinets, but if a nail blows out the side, it can be a real mess. Those power-driven nails often bend or break...

A lot of folks use a stone to put the final edge on a scraper before turning its hook, but I prefer to use a diamond paddle. It cuts faster...

I rarely use a stain or dye right out of the can. I make my own custom mixes in small quantities until I get the color just right. In order...

I didn’t notice this misfit miter until glue-up. Fortunately there’s an easy way to hide narrow gaps like this one. Before the glue dries, rub the corner with a hard,...

Lapping the back of the plane blade can be a lot of work. My fingers have often complained very loudly, so I’ve tried many ways to hold the blade more...

When cutting circles on the band saw with a jig, starting the cuts tangent to the right diameter is a problem; this method simplifies it. I started with an extension...

This honing stone setup is part of my dedicated sharpening station. It consists of a plastic tray mounted in a plywood carrier box that also provides solid footing for a...

A micro-Adjust fence is the perfect accessory for making grooves, mortises, or other milling operations using a hand-held router. It allows you to precisely adjust the distance between the bit...

I make my own zero-clearance throat plates for my table saw to minimize exit tear-out on workpieces and to prevent narrow pieces from dropping into the saw. When raising the...