Sometimes a little talking-to (and video surveillance) is all it takes. I have noticed three things about tools and kids. Kids can find tools even if it requires tunneling under the garage wall. Kids can claim complete innocence when asked why tools are missing. Two days after the tools go missing the same kids manage…

Tool: Detail Rabbet Plane Shop Now   Manufacturer: Veritas MSRP: $72.50 Years ago, I bought my first rabbet plane, a Clifton 410, to get me out of a jam. My bread and butter work was repairing antiques, and I needed a particularly narrow rabbet plane (the Clifton is only 11/16″ wide) to repair some drawer…

Learn how to turn a classic wooden baseball bat. This timeless project is a great opportunity to practice your turning skills.

A piece of thick plate glass is dead flat and it’s easy to use to align standard jointer knives that have gib screws. A couple of rare-earth magnets secured to the glass with double-sided tape keep it flat on the jointer’s outfeed table. Two more magnets on the glass over the cutterhead serve as an…

Pocket screws are a wonderful thing. They’ve been used to build furniture by everyone from Shakers to Makers. However, using the proper pocket screws in your project is the difference between having a project that’s locked together tightly or one that will strip out, loosen up over time or poke through the side of your…

The summer is here in earnest, and with it came the rising humidity. Humidity and ferrous-based metals such as carbon steel and cast iron don’t get along that well, and the result of the turbulent relationship between the two is rust.  I try to prevent rust infestation by covering my tools and machines’ exposed surfaces…

A slick technique makes the divided-light door a snap. In 2008, I built a contemporary maple chimney cupboard to hold towels in my bathroom. Eight years on, I decided it was time for a matching medicine cabinet – in large part because the house I recently bought has solid masonry walls, so I needed a…

When a family friend recently visited my new cabinet shop, he commented, “Your dad and grandpa would’ve loved this place. It wasn’t always like this!” He meant that although both men were pro woodworkers at various times in their lives, neither ever experienced the pleasant working conditions, robust tools, or the wide variety of materials,…

I use biscuit joints in lots of small projects, particularly for joining rails to legs. I usually reference from the bottom of the plate joiner rather than use its fence. When I want to make an offset joint, I cut the slots in the rails first. Then I add a large shim plate to the…

A single cable provides 120-volt and 240V service. Every article I’ve seen describing the wiring of a shop for both 120 volts and 240V uses separate cables for each voltage, which is a significant waste of time, effort and cable. Here I describe how a single cable can be used to provide both 120V and…

Some of the most common questions we get are about finishing. How do I get a better finish on my project? What’s the easiest finish to apply? What’s the most durable finish? Unfortunately, finishing almost always ends up being an afterthought, when in reality, it should be one of the first things you think about…

Like many woodworkers, I own a basic half-blind dovetail jig, which I use only occasionally for making utility drawers. During the interim, I tend to forget the setup procedures and spacing required to create those elusive “perfect” dovetails. To help refresh my aging memory, I made up a full-width sample joint that I can refer…

They’re cheap! All you need is some PVC and plastic laminate. A central dust collection system is a big improvement to any shop, but the cost can really add up. With commercial gates going from $4 to over $50 each, building your own can help lower the bill. I make my own gates from a…

To conclude this series of entries about lapping/flattening the soles of metal planes (read them here #1, #2, #3, #4), I wish to share some information about the precision tools I use.  The difference between Straight Edges and Rules The primary tool I mentioned throughout this series was the straight edge. I use it to…

Rare earth magnets make really slick hinges for small boxes. The lid on this ring box pivots on two hinges made from 10mm magnets—nothing more. Each hinge is composed of two magnets: one is glued to the box’s side; the other is glued to the cleat under the lid. The cleats are carefully positioned so…

[Updated July 13th 1:20 CST) Amazon Prime Day is here, and we’re rounding up the best deals for woodworkers! Keep checking in throughout the next two days as we update the list! Lightning Deals: CNC Spoilboard Surfacing Router Bit, 1/4″ Shank 1-1/2″ Cutting Diameter JET JJ-6HHBT, 6-Inch Helical Head Benchtop Jointer (718600) and Universal Benchtop…

Here are some finishing tips I hope you find of value. They are arranged in roughly the order of the typical finishing steps. Sand Oil Finishes Wet It’s not at all necessary to sand wood to very fine grits with oil finishes to get very smooth results. After sanding the wood to about #180 grit,…