Wiping Varnish
In the November 2011 issue, Bob Flexner submitted this excerpt from his book "Wood Finishing 101," along with the article on wiping varnish. It is a useful document that you can post in your [...]
Vac/Dust Extractor Combo
Tool: DWV012 10 Gal wet/dry vac Manufacturer: DeWalt Price: $470 Wouldn’t it be swell to have a vac that could both clean your shop and suck dust from portable power tools? That’s the [...]
A Craftsman’s Tool Chest
Machinists and mechanics keep their small tools in a chest with shallow drawers. I do, too—except mine is custom-built, sized to exactly fit what I want to keep close at hand. And it’s more [...]
Clamp the Clamp
When your hands aren’t strong or large enough to put the last squeeze on a big clamp, try clamping the clamp. My ingenious wife, who has very small hands, invented this solution. She works [...]
Sweet-Cutting Blade
Tool: Super General T.K. Manufacturer: Infinity Price: $109 Do you avoid changing blades on your tablesaw? Do you feel like your tablesaw doesn’t have enough power? Is your current blade [...]
Distinctive Jewelry Box
Clean lines and graceful curves are just the beginning. This jewelry box also features mitered corners, decorative keys, a textured panel and a distinctive brass handle. Inside, sliding trays [...]
Pipe Clamp Vise
Tool: Pipe Vise Manufacturer: Lee Valley Price: $65 A tail vise is an essential part of a first-class workbench. It’s used to hold work on top of the bench, between dogs. Most types of tail [...]
One Coat Coverage
One Coat Coverage I had finished building new frame and panel doors for my kitchen cabinets and knew the stain would really make the grain pop. I laid the first door on my workbench, with the [...]
Outdoor Lantern
Add some mood lighting to your next outdoor affair with this great Arts & Crafts luminary.
Plywood Cutting Guide
Think of it almost like a DIY track saw. Crosscutting a full sheet of plywood on a tablesaw is pretty difficult, particularly when you don’t have any help. I use a circular saw and this [...]
Interview With Mark Sfirri
Mark Sfirri isn’t just a wood turner—he’s a turning teacher, turning researcher, turning author, turning lecturer and turning exhibit curator and judge. What’s odd about this [...]
Gorilla Glue, Travel Size
Tool: Gorilla Glue Minis Manufacturer: Gorilla Glue Price: $7 (pack of 4) A little bit of Gorilla Glue will do just fine, thank you, for lots of jobs. It now comes in small Single Use Tubes, 4 to [...]