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In the 21st Century it is rare that a tool can revolutionize a wood joinery technique, yet the Festool Domino does just that. It borrows the portability and engineered fasteners from the biscuit jointer, and the robust joints created by a slot mortiser to result in a super-efficient joint making machine. The first time I…
There is actually no single, authentic, “Arts and Crafts finish,” rather many different schools of thought and technique that comprise the totality of the discipline. It seems that people are looking for that radiant, reddish chocolatey finish when uncovering an antique Stickley chair at a garage sale. In my research, I found the original Stickley…
Few tools are as simple and utilitarian as an apron plane. I had a $100 Lie-Neilson Apron Plane years ago, and it disappeared in my co-operative shop. Chamfering, trimming tenons and cleaning up tear-out are just three of the myriad uses for this little tool. I always wanted to replace it, but just never got…
Hybrid table saw innovation is less than a decade old. It marries the benefits of stationary cabinet saws like a cast iron top, full-depth T-Slots, great dust collection, and a high quality adjustable fence with the merits of the contractor saw including low amperage draw, reasonable price and portability. The hybrid has become a favorite…
I use a lot of salvaged lumber, and have devastated my planer and jointer knives, not to mention my saw blades, with embedded nails, screws, and even a bullet! Now that I have the Little Wizard II, I no longer have that problem. This compact metal detector is extremely sensitive, able to detect framing nails…
I needed a new dust collector in a bad way. Shop vacuums are a great way to start collecting dust and chips out in the garage or basement, but a full sized dust collector offers much more suction as well as greater capacity for chips on tools like the planer and jointer. It is always…
My family lives in Northern Michigan, where we get tons of snow. While we love to cross country ski in the woods, we also like to go for walks out on the snow-covered road. I wanted to pull my two-and-a-half year old daughter in something a bit more stylish than an orange or red plastic…
I made a quick fix the other day I thought I’d share with you. I needed to make a 5/8″ wide stopped dado with a round end. I didn’t have a 5/8″ router bit, so I planned to make the round ends with a Forstner bit, and the length of the dado by taking multiple…
The spokeshave is an interesting tool; boatbuilders, luthiers and furniture makers have utilized this humble tool for centuries to chamfer, shape and smooth all manner of parts, from cabriole legs to guitar necks. Master bowyer Tom Turgeon needs a spokeshave to ’tiller’, or shape the longbows he makes. Finding all of the commercially available spokeshaves…
When I started woodworking, I had a lot of tools to acquire. Of course, the table saw was the first big purchase. After a while, I got a really nice sliding miter saw, and then a planer. One of the ‘big’ tools that took me a long time to acquire was a bandsaw. I love…
Seth Keller
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