Archives

Rigid Routing Sled A routing sled is a great help when coping the ends of rails and stiles. But I had a problem when I built my first sled. The pressure from the toggle clamp caused the [...]

Can I Sharpen My Router Bit?   Q: I’ve got a carbide router bit that’s caked with pitch and leaves a rough cut. Can I rescue it or should I buy a new one? A: A bit can be brought [...]

This week I was in the shop working on an upcoming magazine article. On the case back there are two dados that locate and hold the drawer dividers of the project. For me, that generally means I [...]

Although introduced at the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta in 2012, there has been relatively few published articles or blog posts written about the Excalibur Deluxe Router Table Kit [...]

Q & A: Anti-Kickback Router Bits Q: I’ve noticed some router bits are available with an “anti-kickback” feature. If this works, this seems like a great thing. Does it? [...]

I’ve spent the last couple days working on a project for our December issue. It’s a wall-hung tool cabinet and when I designed it, I included several drawers and arranged them for [...]

Router Scarfing Jig Boatbuilders often need to join boards end to end to make longer planks. Instead of a butt joint they make a long taper on each board and overlap the ends. This is called a [...]

Three Steps to Precise Cuts By Richard Tendick A trim router is a precision tool—if it’s tuned up correctly. Tuning corrects two common problems: an uneven cut and a sticky base. By [...]

Routing a Gooseneck Molding Making the molding on the top of this clock required an unusual method of template routing: using an overarm guide (see photo at right). The overarm guide is attached [...]

Woodworking is not a difficult endeavor. It’s not, really. It is woodworkers that make it difficult. Over-thinking and sweating the small stuff causes us to pause, or even stop. It’s [...]

Take a look inside almost anyone’s shop and you’ll see the regular assortment of power tools. You’ll see a table saw and a band saw, and you may stub your toe on a jointer and [...]

Q & A: Help! My Router Makes Sparks! Q: When I run my router I see lots of small, blue sparks inside. Recently the sparks have grown larger. Is this OK?   A: Nope. Small sparks are [...]