Archives

Straight-Shooting Drill Jig You may not face this problem often, but when you need to drill a hole nice and straight but the part is too big to fit on the drill press, here’s what to do: [...]

Double-Decker Mini Clamp Here's a great little clamp for those light-duty hobby or craft jobs. Start with two ordinary clothespins, then modify and combine them as shown above. You now have a [...]

Workbench Joint Plans for my knock-down workbench called for the 2 x 4 stretchers to be fastened with bolts and hex nuts. I'd have to rout huge pockets, weakening the stretcher, in order to [...]

Edge-Banding Clamp I ran out of clamps and patience the last time I applied a veneered edge to a long piece of plywood. The tangle of clamps to hold the veneer and cauls in place was more than I [...]

Glue-Up Helper I've always struggled with the rubber bands I use to hold jewelry box sides square and steady during glue-up. The biggest pain in the neck was cleaning the glue squeeze-out [...]

Tabletop Connection Steel tabletop fasteners are a great way to attach a tabletop to its base while still allowing for seasonal changes. On a table with straight aprons, it’s easy enough to [...]

Tablesaw Sled Cutoff Block My sliding cutoff sled gets lots of use for repetitive cuts. In the past, I clamped a board to use as a stop, but moving it for different cuts became cumbersome. To [...]

Getting the Point I frequently use awls in my work and like to keep them needle-sharp. This little jig takes only a few minutes to make and guarantees a fine, tapered point. The magnets keep the [...]

Flammables Cabinet Keep your shop and family safe! Have you got finishing supplies scattered all over your shop? Concerned that they’re a fire hazard? Organize them into this cabinet built [...]

Cross-Grain Trim I recently needed to attach molding across the sides of some bookcases. Because the sides were solid wood, I had to allow for some seasonal movement. I used a table-mounted [...]

Repairing Ripped Belts Sanding belts can rip at the worst possible moment – such as when you're out on a jobsite with no spares. When this happens I remove the belt, turn it inside out [...]

Tablesaw Jig Clamp I added this hold-down to my tablesaw’s sliding cutoff jig and find it a great convenience, because the height of the clamp is easily changed. This clamp uses a standard [...]