Elliptical Router Jig for Any Size Oval
I love routers and this elliptical router jig makes me love them even more. I’ve made countless circles with router jigs over the years, but this simple jig for creating a multitude of oval [...]
‘Woodworker’ & ‘Woman’ are Separate Nouns
I’ve been trying for weeks to write this editorial; it is difficult to do because my idealist view competes with reality. I have long been ambivalent about woodworking shops and classes [...]
Testing the Maslow CNC
The Maslow CNC is a CNC kit that costs just $350. For that price, you should expect a few compromises. For one thing, you have to put it together. Of course you’ll get the key mechanical, [...]
Make a Traditional Rabbeted Door Frame
Today it’s easy to make glazed doors and mirror frames by using a router to rabbet a mortise-and-tenon frame after assembly: Cut your joints, glue the frame together, rout the inside edges [...]
Against Perfection, Precision or Accuracy
It’s difficult to argue against perfection in woodworking. That’s because the counter argument is something like: “You’re a hack and can’t get it right, and so you say that your imperfections are [...]
The Case Against Tail Vises
If workbenches were like automobiles, then I’d consider the tail vise to be like the heated seats in a car. They’re an option, of course, but they are by no means standard equipment, like tires. [...]
Book Giveaway: Making Wooden Toys
Thanks for all the great comments! Congratulations to “Desimaker,” the winner of this book giveaway. Stay tuned for more exciting book giveaways and if you’re interested in a copy [...]
3D Carving the BARN Workbench Vises
A workbench designed for hand tool woodworkers but made (partially) with a CNC. Each bench features a unique 3D carved leg vise. Here’s a video introduction into how they were made. The [...]
Shaving Horse & Drawknife Basics
Traditional chairmaking starts with a shaving horse and a drawknife. Used with both green and dried wood, woodworkers have relied on these two tools for centuries. Simple to use, there are just a [...]
How to Make a Window
Woodworkers often find themselves doubling as the resident fixer-upper. As the go-to person who has the tools you’ll often be asked to “fix this” or “build that” for [...]
The Student with a ‘Pause’ Button
My skew and I have a troubled relationship. It is by far my favorite turning tool and when things go right I feel I can do anything. We also fight a lot. To the level where those “never again” [...]
The Galbert Caliper and my Pigheadedness
I don’t care for gizmos, jigs and silly accessories. So even though I spend a fair amount of time on the lathe, I resisted purchasing the Galbert Caliper for many years. In its place, I used [...]
