The No. 1 Plane

It sure is cute – but is it useful? Few tools spark the affection of so many as the Stanley No. 1 size bench plane. Regardless of one’s interest, the small plane has a way of catching everyone’s [...]

Cut Flat Dados on a Round Surface

I needed to cut stopped grooves on a round surface – and while I could have cut them on the stock while it was square, then proceed to turn it on the lathe, I didn’t want to worry about catching [...]

Long-reach Golf Ball Clamps

Sometimes you need to clamp parts that are out of reach of the throat depth of standard clamps. Here’s a design for a long-reach clamp that can be made from 2×4 lumber, 3⁄4” plywood or [...]

Quick, Slick Burnisher

A nice scraper burnisher can be made quickly for little or no cost. All you need is a cheap wooden file handle (available at hardware stores) and an old drill bit. You simply drill into the [...]

Safer Ripping of Short Stock

Ripping very narrow stock on the table saw can be a bit dicey because your push stick runs so close to the blade. If you’re not careful to keep it against the rip fence, it can tip into the [...]

Goodbye, Ego! Hello, Humility!

Whenever I admire a fellow woodworker’s finished piece of furniture, I never ask how they did this or that because, quite simply, I am afraid they are going to tell me. Listening to someone [...]

Shop-made Beam Compass

In my work I often need to draw large-radii curves, for which I use this long beam compass. Built from scrap wood and a dowel center, it’s cheap and easy to make in any length. It can be quickly [...]

Drilling for Continuous Hinges

Self-centering drill bits (also called “Vix bits”) are great for quick, accurate drilling of hinge screw holes. Unfortunately, they don’t work very well for many continuous, or “piano,” hinges. [...]

Perfect Bevels with a Jointer Plane

When making French cleats using a handplane, getting a consistent beveled edge can be problematic, particularly as the bevel approaches 45º and the plane gets “tippy.” Also, it’s difficult to get [...]

Use Shrink Wrap as a Clamp for Veneer

While trying to attach a carved 1⁄8“-thick mahogany veneer to the edge of a curved shelf, an idea came to me as a last moment glue-up solution. Initially I thought I could make it easier to [...]

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