Steam-Bending Kit
Tool: Steam Bending Kit Manufacturer: Rockler MSRP: $79.99 The first hurdle in steam bending is just getting set up. How are you going to boil the water? How are you going to get the steam to the [...]
The Secrets of Spalted Maple
What makes this wood so special? Fungus. If there’s one wood that can really challenge your sense of design—and your woodworking skills—it’s spalted maple. Those inky black lines can both delight [...]
No-Finish Look, Poly Protection
Tool: Ultimate Matte Finish Polyurethane Manufacturer: Rust-Oleum So you want the look of raw wood and excellent protection against spills and scratches? Until recently, that request might have [...]
How to Make a Sled from a Tree
An ideal first project for working with green wood. This little sled is a perfect introduction to the age-old tradition of working green wood. Building it is a completely satisfying experience, [...]
Tool Talk: Festool CMS Router Table
Tool: CMS Router Table Manufacturer: Festool Price: $1720 On one end of the spectrum, there’s the router screwed to the underside of a piece of plywood, supported on sawhorses, with a board [...]
The All-But-Forgotten Spill Plane
What’s a spill plane? Well, it’s a little-known specialty plane that creates a shaving – called a spill – that’s tightly curled on itself and tapered to a point. In the days [...]
Waffle Trivets
These waffle-patterned trivets are perfect for the last minute “shopper”. All you need to crank them out by the dozen is a dado set or router table and a plywood frame. You can make [...]
Krud Kutter
Resin build-up on saw blades makes them less effective. A clean blade runs cooler, doesn’t cause burning on your workpiece, stays sharp longer and cuts more accurately. Cleaning blades is a [...]
Hand-Sanding Helper
Clogged sandpaper is really a pain, rendering useless your sandpaper and your effort. I was mindlessly sanding a project a while ago when I looked at my pile of discarded paper and had a [...]
Wooden Router Plane
The modern router didn’t arrive on the scene fully evolved; it descended from a hand-powered tool called the router plane. A quick glance at the router plane’s handles – and the tasks [...]
Contemporary Cutting Board
If you like giving gifts that actually get used, a cutting board is the perfect choice; I use one almost every day. But not only will this cutting board get regular use, it’ll get [...]
Router Table Dovetails
There are lots of excuses for not using dovetails; cutting them by hand takes time, patience, and lots of practice. A dovetail jig is relatively fool proof, but if you don’t use it [...]