Woodshop Projects

Build a Bow Sander

May 4, 2017 By David Radtke & filed under Plans and Projects, Woodshop Projects.

Oftentimes, you need a special blend of hand/eye coordination to get those fine details just right, and typical sanding methods don’t always provide it. A bow sander is great for sanding irregular shapes or cleaning up radius corners. This cool tool is made from a lamination of five 1/8” strips of white oak and features…

Dovetail Drawer Assembly Clamping Blocks

March 10, 2016 By Bruce Kieffer & filed under Gluing and Clamping, Plans and Projects, Skill Building, Woodshop Projects.

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…

Make a Bottle Opener that Pops

December 2, 2014 By Paul Mayer & filed under Last Minute Woodworking Gifts, Plans and Projects, Woodshop Projects.

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.

Easy Shop-Made Knobs

October 9, 2014 By Seth Keller & filed under Jigs and Fixtures, Plans and Projects, Woodshop Projects.

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…

Build a Better Joiner’s Mallet: Domed Head Provides Forgiving Strike Surface

August 14, 2014 By Paul Mayer & filed under Plans and Projects, Woodshop Projects, Woodworking Projects.

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…

DIY Woodworking: Shop-Made Drill Press Table Plans

March 24, 2014 By David Radtke & filed under Plans and Projects, Woodshop Projects, Woodworking Projects.

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…

Magnetic Clamp Pads: “Magna Pads”

July 10, 2013 By Bruce Kieffer & filed under Cabinet Making, Woodshop Projects, Woodworking Plans, Woodworking Q & A.

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…

Clamp Rack and Outfeed Support in One

June 21, 2011 By George Vondriska & filed under Plans and Projects, Woodshop Projects, Woodworking Projects.

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…

Shop-Built Dust Port

March 7, 2011 By Reader Submitted & filed under Blog, Member Tips, Plans and Projects, Woodshop Projects, Woodworking Projects.

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…

Swinging Portable Tool Storage

March 23, 2010 By AJ Moses & filed under Plans and Projects, Woodshop Projects, Woodworking Projects.

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…