Archives

Q & A: What’s the Deal with Combination Planer/Molders? Q: I’m shopping for a planer, and am also planning to do a bunch of trim work in my house: crown moldings, door casings, [...]

Mortise Centering Jig With this jig I can rout mortises exactly centered on the workpiece— no measurement or layout necessary. First I drilled and tapped two holes in my router base plate [...]

Plywood Carrier You don't have to be built like an orangutan to carry plywood! This simple carrier extends your reach and turns an awkward job into an easy one. It's quick to build out of [...]

Q & A: Best Grinder for Woodworking Q: I’d like to buy a grinder that will handle a variety of maintenance projects and also be good for sharpening my woodworking tools.What should I [...]

Thickness Gauge I use this handy device constantly to check and compare thickness on a variety of projects. Slide the gauge over the edge of the stock, keeping the graduated edge flat on the [...]

Q & A: Clean Bandsaw Tires   Q: My bandsaw tires have a buildup of pitch and sawdust that seems to be embedded right into the rubber. What’s the best way to clean my tires? A: An [...]

Router Dado Jig In the course of my work as a contractor, I often need to build cabinets and bookshelves on site – without the luxury of shop tools. I gave up on the flimsy router fence [...]

Q & A: One Step at a Time Q: ARGH! I cut all the parts according to the cutting list and my face-frame came up short! I worked out the math and the cutting list was correct. What went [...]

Machine Floor Locks Anyone with a machine on wheels – especially a tablesaw or planer – understands the necessity of locking it in place before using it. I use a pair of toggle clamps [...]

Plastic Stickers Don't Stain I use plastic conduit to make stickers for stacking and drying my wood. These stickers provide consistent spacing and excellent air circulation with minimal [...]

Triangle Sandpaper Triangular hook-and-loop sandpaper for detail sanders first loses it’s bite at the end because that part does most of the work. By cutting a used piece, as shown, and [...]

Breaking Rules Don’t throw away that broken, wooden rule. Strip the hardware from a 6-in. section. Then cut a slot for it in the front edge of your workbench with a router. Place the zero mark [...]