Archives

Why you’re better off to look this gift horse in the mouth. There is a trap lurking within the pages of our magazine. It is also in most woodworking magazines, and many books. It is called the [...]

Fine furniture calls for an elegant drawer. A master cabinetmaker shares his approach to design and fitting. There are just a few things my partner at Philadelphia Furniture Workshops, Alan [...]

Trimming small parts on a table saw using a miter gauge can be a little nerve wracking. In order to trim small parts safely, I mounted a handscrew to a piece of plywood. First I trimmed the [...]

My lathe tool rack is based on a fishing rod rack that I made some time ago. Made from 3/4-in.-thick walnut, it measures 3-1/8-in. by 10-in. by 30- in. I made the matching front and back tool [...]

It can save you lots of money—and grief! Are you a scrounger? Always looking for a deal? Self-reliant? Those words fit a lot of woodworkers, particularly those who search for unusual or [...]

Creating a Nautilus Star Inlay is a great way to add detail to your woodworking projects, big and small. Online Extras: Download a PDF of the Nautilus Star layout instructions A nautilus star, [...]

My bandsaw’s blade-tensioning system used to be wobbly and difficult to turn. Instead of shelling out for a quick-release lever, I came up with this simple, inexpensive fix. To stabilize [...]

Adding a hold-down to my shop-made crosscut sled makes the sled easier and safer to use. My parts don’t slip and my fingers are far from the blade because I don’t have to hold the workpiece. The [...]

When I needed to mix two different paint colors to create a new one, I came up with the idea of removing the rod from my broken caulking gun and mounting it in my drill to serve as a paint …

Shape wood with a propane torch. Here’s a simple, but effective way to bend thin stock (1/4″ thick or less). The only tools you need are a length of 1-1/2″ galvanized pipe, a propane [...]

Fictional ‘incidents’ give a piece a believable back story. In Part 1 I gave an overview of creating an aged look for new pieces of furniture, and discussed mechanical wear. The second prevalent [...]

Here’s an easy way to cut bowl blanks from half log sections. Cut a round guide disc from 1/4″ thick material the size you want your blank to be, and countersink a hole in the center. [...]