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I like to use purpleheart pen blanks because they’re less expensive than other exotic hardwoods. Recently, I stumbled on a cool trick. I discovered that I could cause the wood to overheat and [...]

Tool: Nx60 Shop Now  and DX60 Shop Now  Manufacturer: Lee Valley MSRP: $209+ These low-angle block planes from Lee Valley are beautiful marriages of fine art and sound engineering. [...]

After years of use, I could hardly see through my table saw’s guard. While at a car show, I heard that polish for renewing aluminum wheels also worked to clear up old headlight lenses—so I [...]

SUPER GLUED After making a small repair with super glue, I put the tube in my pocket and forgot about it. Later, when I saw the tube’s cap sitting on my workbench, I instinctively reached into my [...]

Tool: Excalibur EX-16 Shop Now  Manufacturer: General International MSRP: $499.99 Cramped for space? If so, this compact scroll saw from General International may be just the [...]

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2008 issue of American Woodworker I share my workshop with about 12,000 others. It’s the military woodshop at Offutt Air Force [...]

When I need to cut a bunch of small, equally sized pieces, I install this simple jig. It holds short pieces securely during and after cutting, so they don’t get caught by the blade and thrown [...]

Tool: Thin Rip Tablesaw Jig Shop Now  Manufacturer: Rockler MSRP: $34.99 This tablesaw jig allows you to rip consistent thin strips safely and accurately. The jig clamps in the [...]

Tool: Laser Drill Press  Buy Now Manufacturer: Delta Delta’s 18″ drill press is specifically designed for woodworking. The difference is in the table: It’s a big improvement [...]

Tool: Glide Miter Saw Buy Now Manufacturer: Bosch MSRP: $649 That’s right—glider, not slider. This innovative miter saw from Bosch has the same huge capacity as a 12″ slider—without [...]

Modern hand planes continue to be popular, and this low-angle block plane excels at trimming tenons, rabbets, and end grain. Tool: Skew Block Plane Buy Now Manufacturer: Veritas MSRP: $229 [...]

While building this little station to organize my cordless-drill paraphernalia, I discovered that bicycle hooks make great drill holders. Mounting the station on the wall saves valuable benchtop [...]