Tools

A craftsman makes the argument that bevel-up planes are easier to tune for end grain and difficult woods. I can clearly remember my first experience with bench planes. I was in high school shop [...]

Back in the late 1960’s, the folks at Record tools in Sheffield, England, redesigned their classic 044 plow plane (or plough plane, as they spelled it). It’s a tool used for making grooves by [...]

Over the last 40 to 50 years, Pfeil (Swiss Made) has become a highly respected brand in the woodworking community, widely recognized as the benchmark for premium-quality carving tools. This Swiss [...]

I collect all sorts of old tools. I figure that come the day when I need an unusual tool, I’ll have it, even if I only use it once. I’m still looking for the right opportunity to use my latest …

Joinery machines are much more than one-trick ponies. Here’s an intro, and why you should consider adding one in your shop. There are several machines that come up as “shop necessities”. Table [...]

Learn to set up and wield one of the most useful (and inexpensive) handplanes. Also check out: A primer on adjusting wooden planes. Kevin Drake, a furniture maker who trained under James Krenov, [...]

Origin, the hand-held CNC from Shaper Tools, makes creating inlays effortless. Self admittedly, I’m becoming a grumpy old man. I know what I am comfortable with, and it’s fairly hard for me to [...]

After sharing tips on leveling the table saw wings and aligning the blade with the miter gauge slots, I’m concluding this series with calibration advice on setting the 90-degree and [...]

Hand tools complement and complete work begun with power equipment. Most folks I talk with in the woodworking hobby seem to follow a similar path. They start out by emulating what they see on [...]

The difference is more than just pushing or pulling. It’s been over 20 years since the Western handsaw, a tool that cuts on the push stroke and was the pride of the English-speaking world, [...]

Basic woodworking tools are different from beginner woodworking tools. For one thing, I don’t like to use the word “beginner” unless I am using it accurately. It’s not a very useful label, in my [...]

In my previous post, I shared two useful tips to streamline the assembly of a SawStop cabinet saw. In this installment, I’ll focus on aligning the tabletop and the miter gauge slots with the saw [...]