A unique router table, with two machines, does the trick. Making drawers can chew up a lot of time-unless you’ve got an efficient system. I’ve worked in several cabinetmaking shops where drawers [...]
When it comes to the history of woodworking, period furniture styles, and woodworking techniques, most woodworkers think about William and Mary, Queen Anne, Federal, Chippendale, and so on. It is [...]
Most woodworkers are homeowners, but not all homeowners are woodworkers. This article is more for the latter group; an introduction of sorts to the essential tools every homeowner should have [...]
Working wood with a sense of humor. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in American Woodworker #154 Most woodworkers have gotten a chuckle or two out of a piece of furniture [...]
How to choose and apply a long-lasting clear finish. What do fancy wooden boats and beautiful wooden front doors have in common? They both need a clear finish that can really stand up to the [...]
As woodworkers, we rely on electricity to alleviate some of the heavy lifting burdens of milling, sawing, and drilling. Many of us use these machines quite often and I believe we would benefit [...]
Rear Ended After cutting a piece of wood with my ancient radial arm saw, I turned to retrieve the pencil that I’d used to mark the cut—the saw’s vibration had caused it to roll off the table and [...]
Learn the tricks to making sturdy furniture that folds flat. For those with mechanical minds, building furniture that folds into small spaces is great fun. Not only does the piece have to look [...]
For a long time, there was resistance from many in the woodworking community to battery-powered tools. Going “unplugged” usually meant reduced power, frequent charging, and the [...]
Not everything has to have a furniture-grade finish. If you read the woodworking magazines or look online, you often come across instructions for filling pores, glazing, toning, rubbing out, and [...]
In a search for wide boards, it pays to buy whole logs. Visitors to my shop often ask where I buy the wide, matched cherry and walnut boards I use for reproducing classic American furniture. [...]
If you don’t own a big European style table saw or a large miter saw, and need to crosscut wide lumber at 90 degrees you will probably like my newly-built CCS (Cross-Cutting Square). This jig is [...]