Easy Cord Management

Trailing along a power cord when I’m routing can really be awkward. All too often, my cord hangs up on a corner of the project or gets tangled around my legs. Adding a dust collection hose, which [...]

The Right Way to Prepare Lumber

To true your wood with machines, the steps you follow are critical. This time-tested procedure is the best way we know of. I get to meet many woodworkers around the country at woodworking [...]

Centering Mortises For Angled Work

When drilling mortises for chair arms, such as those in a ladderback chair, it can be difficult to accurately center your bit. But wrap a string around the rear post at the mortise location and [...]

Installing 8 Common Hinges

Every door needs a hinge – Nancy Hiller shows you which hinges to use, the advantages of each type, and how to install them. Wherever there’s a door, there must be hinges – and just as there’s a [...]

Rolling Cuts with a Skew Chisel

An Exercise in Mastering the Skew Do you like a challenge? Want to develop your woodturning skills? Can you learn from mistakes? If your answer is “yes”, you’re ready to tackle the rolling cut [...]

Ten-Minute Light Stand

I got tired of jury-rigging extra light for finishing, so I built this light stand from a 4-ft. length of 2×2 and 1/4-in. plywood. The 6-in. by 17-in. legs include 1/2-in. by 3- 1/2” feet. [...]

Safe Straightedge Storage

When I bought my expensive 24″ machinist’s straightedge, I wasn’t sure where to store it. It didn’t include a hole for hanging, and I was reluctant to drill into the hard steel for fear of [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

Start typing and press Enter to search