Archives

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 [...]

Portable Shaving Horse Bring your shop to the woods. In the modern workshop, the tablesaw is the central tool. A few centuries ago, for coopers (barrel makers), bodgers (chairmakers), and [...]

Q & A: A Brush for Tight Spots   Q: I built a little TV stand for our living room that included a 4-in. space for the DVD player. It seemed like a great idea until I went to varnish …

Smooth-Cutting Hole Saw I cut a lot of discs and large-diameter holes in my shop. I was puzzled for the longest time because I was getting vibration and smoke. It even happened with new hole [...]

Q & A: Lock Miter Joint Q:   How do you set up a lock miter bit?     A:   There are two critical adjustments (Fig. A). First, you set the bit’s height; second, you [...]

Laser Cutting Guide I use a laser pen to improve accuracy when making miter cuts on a compound miter saw. It’s especially helpful when cutting ornate or rabbeted moldings. First I mark the edge [...]

Router Scarfing Jig Boatbuilders often need to join boards end to end to make longer planks. Instead of a butt joint they make a long taper on each board and overlap the ends. This is called a [...]

Taping Diagonals Measuring diagonals with a tape was a pain for me because the hook would always fall off the corner before I could get a reading. Finally I adapted a tape by riveting a small, [...]