Task Light Retro-Fit
I made a go-anywhere task light by retrofitting an old, broken fixture with a new, battery-powered LED light. First, I removed the cord and inner workings from the task light. Then I screwed a [...]
The Anvil Test
Destroying 10 joints taught us surprising lessons about joint design, wood failure and the tenacity of modern glue. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the December 2005 [...]
Bad Axe ‘Bayonet’ Precision Carcase Saw
Tool: 14″ Precision Carcase Saw, aka ‘the Bayonet’ Shop Now Manufacturer: Bad Axe Toolworks MSRP: $295+ If you’re looking for the ultimate expression of a carcase [...]
Four Good Ways to Build Drawers
Our staff offers simple, strong and fast ways to make this important furniture component. In woodworking magazines, books and plans there’s almost always an omission that’s big enough to drive a [...]
‘Attractive’ Rest for a Combination Square
Some high-end combination squares have a built-in lip or tab for the purpose of resting the tool hands-free on a piece of wood. But because most common combination squares lack this handy [...]
Tool & Furniture Records
Nicholas Disbrowe, Samuel Sewall and chairs as corpse transportation. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the August 2017 issue of Popular Woodworking. As I study [...]
Longer-Lasting Countersink
Drilling in melamine, plastic laminate, particleboard, or other abrasive materials dulls a steel countersink very quickly. So why not make it out of carbide? Thankfully, Amana did just that—they [...]
Stickley Bookcase
How to build a strong bookcase without a back. When I’m designing furniture, I often turn to the Arts and Crafts era for inspiration. I love this style. It’s simple, but elegant. When a client [...]
High And Dry Ply
After ruining four $90 sheets of plywood by storing them on a damp floor, I came up with a simple fix: PVC feet. Cut several 12″ sections of 2″ dia. PVC pipe in half, lengthwise. [...]
Enough With ‘Tools for Women’ Already
Welcome to What Really Grinds My Chisels, an occasional feature where the Popular Woodworking editors tackle subjects they feel passionate about. I recently received a press release from a large [...]
Ultra-Cheap Face Vise
For years, I sanded and hand planed panel edges by laying them flat on my workbench. I could never quite squeeze a bench vise into my woodworking budget, so I came up with this fast, inexpensive [...]
Template Routing
Simple to advanced methods for precisely duplicating parts. No other method for shaping is as fast or efficient as template routing. It works like this: the part to be shaped is fastened to the [...]