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The handles on hand-wheels are uncomfortable. The one on my lathe, for example, was difficult to turn when drilling into hard wood with a Forstner bit. Using a chunk of scrap, I turned a 2 [...]

Bandsawing long boards without a helper is tricky business. I don’t like roller stands. Most aren’t tall enough for a bandsaw. Also, if your stock butts into the roller instead of [...]

Applying contact cement with a roller is my preferred method, as opposed to spraying it on. There’s not as much clean-up, and I don’t have to deal with overspray. There are drawbacks [...]

Using an awl to precisely locate a hole for drilling can be problematic. Sometimes the awl will drift, going slightly off mark as it’s deflected by the wood’s growth rings. I found [...]

Emptying my dust collector has never been something I looked forward to. For years I wrestled with the unit to empty the contents. First, I’d remove the bag and empty it into a plastic [...]

Simple Storage by Bill Wells Storage space in a small shop is hard to come by. My tool collection keeps growing, but my shop stays the same size! I needed to organize, so I bought a couple milk [...]

Turning Tool Tamer by Richard Tendick I was turning a vase recently, and as I got deeper into the turning, the vase’s rotation pulled the tool’s tip down, making it very difficult to [...]

Applying putty with your finger works great, but it’s messy. Instead of using my finger, I just stick a blob of putty on a pencil eraser. It works great, and my finger stays clean! -Dick [...]

A computer in the shop is becoming increasingly common. I use my tablet in the shop all the time; it’s where I keep project plans, cutting lists, etc. I also use it to video chat with other [...]

Awls, dividers and compass points are sharp and thus can be easily damaged if not protected (or even worse, poke us). Over the years I have used wine corks, plastic wall anchors, and segments of [...]

In the course of a recent kitchen job, Nancy Hiller is faced with a challenge: refacing tilt-out storage drawers, with the sink still in place.

Left unfinished, brass will develop a patina with use. But sometimes you need the patina yesterday. Here are two methods to speed up the aging process.