Back Leg Boo-Boo
Back Leg Boo-Boo My wife asked me to repair a wobbly kitchen chair. All the joints below the seat had failed, so it didn’t take much to knock apart the legs and stretchers. The joints were a bit [...]
Mop Pad Jaws
Frustrated with my vise’s inability to hold odd-shaped pieces, I tried many solutions: v-notched face plates, cork, bubble wrap, leather, etc., but to no avail. One day I pulled an old mop out of [...]
Quick ID Parts Bin
Like most people, I keep lots of different screws, bolts, nails, washers, and other small parts in bins. Instead of paper labels, I hot glue a sample of the actual part on the outside of the bin. [...]
Touching Up and Tuning a Shoulder Plane – Part 1
A few years ago, my friend Cambell Albritton gifted me with a small Clifton #410 shoulder plane that he no longer needed. The plane was still in its original box but unfortunately developed a few [...]
ShopNotes Podcast Episode 145
On today’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, Phil, Logan, and John talk about cloning projects, having duplicates of tools, and updates from Woodsmith, ShopNotes, and Popular Woodworking [...]
Understanding Cordless Tools
Demystifying volts, amp hours, and types of cordless tool motors. More and more, cordless tools are becoming everyday fixtures in the woodworking shop. The most common of these is the drill, [...]
Sandpaper Cutting Board
Having grown tired of bending and tearing sheet sandpaper again and again to get the size I need, I finally decided to employ the time-honored trick of cutting it with a hacksaw blade screwed to [...]
A Puzzling Beginning
How one woodworker got over her fear of dismemberment: more fear. Industrial Technology. That was the name of the course I took in the autumn of 1993. Beats me as to why it was entitled thus, [...]
Dovetailed Shaker Tray
Requiring sawing, planning, and shaping skills, this tray is the perfect project to put hand-tool lessons to practice. Project #2220 • Skill Level: Intermediate • Time: 1 Day • Cost: $45 This [...]
Jointer Fence Straight-Edge
Can you assume that a board is straight, just because you’ve jointed its full length? Nope. It can still be as bowed as ever. You really should check it before moving on to the next piece. [...]
Experiment for Best Results
Hinges are some of the most important hardware elements at our disposal. We need them for practical reasons, but we also want them to look good – as together with pulls and knobs, they [...]
ShopNotes Podcast Episode 144
On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John, Phil, and Logan have all the updates at Woodsmith, ShopNotes, and Popular Woodworking Magazines, plus the personal projects they have [...]