This cool tool is great for sanding those irregular shapes or cleaning up a radiused corner: stuff where you need that controlled hand/eye combination to get it just right. It’s made from a simple lamination of five 1/8” strips of white oak and has a simple wedge locking system. You don’t need any hardware, just
Half blind dovetailed drawers are great, but clamping the joints properly can be challenging. Using clamping blocks that apply pressure exactly where the dovetail pins and tails join is crucial. These simple-to-make clamping blocks do the trick. I’ll show you how to make a batch with just a few machine setups. Once you’re done you’ll
Does your bottle opener lack pizzazz? This clever opener features contrasting strips of woods, a curvaceous shape, and uses a coin as the bottle opening mechanism. As an added bonus, an embedded magnet catches the cap after removing it from the bottle.
Custom Knobs Create a Warm and Personal Shop Jigs are everywhere in my workspace. Taper jigs, custom sleds and even fixtures for boring holes populate my shop in alarming numbers. Single use jigs are crude, but jigs made for the long-term get special treatment. While cast plastic polycarbonate knobs are available at woodworking stores, I
One of the most frequently used tools in my shop is a joiner’s mallet. I use one for finesse work such as tapping chisels and carving tools, as well as more blunt force actions like banging a carcase together or forcing a panel flat during glue-up. I have made a half dozen or so joiner’s
This is a shop fixture that’s worth getting started on immediately. Stationary drill presses are definitely not set up for DIY woodworking. The cast round table below the chuck isn’t woodworker friendly or even metalworking friendly. Once you build this fixture you’ll love its adjustable fence for drilling equally centered holes and the stop block that
I love the name…It describes this clamp pad perfectly! I use shop-made 1/4″ thick mdf clamp pads to protect my work when I’m clamping. My clamp pads are easy to position on clamps across short distances, but impossible to set across distances that are greater than my reach. My solution was to embed a small
This simple clamp rack solves two problems. It holds a boat load of bar clamps, (there are 46 on mine) and it provides support adjacent to the table saw. You can build the whole thing from home center materials. Casters make it mobile so you can easily move it from bench to saw. Here are
Here’s how to make a dust port for any jig or power tool in your shop. It’s easy to build, uses parts readily available from your local hardware store, and best of all, it really works! I’ll show you how to make two kinds, one for your 2 1/2″ shop vac hose, and the other
My shop produces a diverse collection of projects in a limited space: 12′ x 22′. It’s important that every square foot be used efficiently. As a result I’ve focused on mobility of larger machines and some creative ways of storing smaller equipment. The latter is OK if the tool is for occasional use. However, frequently
Get our best tips and techniques delivered to your inbox every week.
Don't miss out on special offers from us and our trusted partners.