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My wife loves the look of built-in furniture and cabinets, so when I finished a family room in our basement I wanted to incorporate some built-in cabinetry. The challenge that I faced in designing this was that the room was relatively small, and we had many items that we wanted to incorporate, so space was…
Homemade Christmas ornaments are special, especially those that contain the images of family members. I was amazed and inspired by the work of silhouette artist Clay Rice. Rice cuts interpretive silhouettes from paper freehand while looking at the subject. This form of art is far beyond my reach but, using a digital camera, computer, and…
This is the second in a two-part series on biscuit joiners. The first article provided instruction on using the machine. This article covers real-world applications of biscuits. View part one of the story here. You can also view a companion video to this article. Edge band the shelves. Biscuits can be used to apply edge…
I blame it on Norm. Ever since I saw him “shoot a couple brads to hold things together until the glue dries” some 15 years ago, I have been fascinated with pneumatic nail guns. I feel almost superhuman as I drive 2+ inch nails into rock maple in a split second, perfectly countersunk, and without…
This is the first of a two-part series on the biscuit joiner. This article provides instruction on using a biscuit joiner, along with advice on setting up your machine, choosing the correct size biscuits, proper gluing techniques, and more. Woodworkers know that there are many approaches to joining two pieces of wood together. The key…
Pet Peeve # 173: Safety goggles that fog up when I wear a dust mask with them. I like to wear a dust mask when I am making sawdust, but I commonly have to choose between shielding my eyes and protecting my lungs, which is a horrible choice to have to make. I have at…
I wasn’t asking for much as I hunted for a new miter saw. I simply wanted a unit that was rock solid with no slop in any moving part, super lightweight for portability, easy to adjust, precise locking locations for common cuts, high powered, and under $200. I was willing to forego the depth capacity…
Tool reviews are often written based upon an experience with a brand new tool just pulled out of the box. In this case, however, I am writing about a tool that has been put through some extreme paces for about a year, as my father and I use it extensively in his woodworking business. You…
OK, let’s start with full disclosure; I enjoy hand planing more than almost any other activity in the shop, and I have lusted over Lie-Nielsen hand planes for over a decade, but I haven’t purchased one until now. Why? Two reasons. First, they cost more than most hand planes on the market, and I am…
If you ask most woodworkers to cite their least favorite aspect of woodworking, most would say “sanding”. When I asked that question of my father a while back, he said “I don’t mind sanding, but what bothers me is having to stop sanding about every 10 minutes to clear the filter on my shop vacuum”.…
Paul Mayer
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