Shop Blog

If you can build it yourself, why would you want to buy it? I’ve always gotten “in a mood” whenever my wife would buy something online – whether wooden, or not – that I could have built cheaper, [...]

The key to good rip cuts is a good rip fence. The Biesemeyer table saw fence is so much a part of the modern shop that the name is almost an adjective: Even if your saw’s fence is designed by …

I’ve been getting into laser engraving and cutting in a big (and small) way. I continue to be impressed by what today’s laser engravers/cutters can do. Chief among them is the huge range of [...]

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, it’s John, Logan, and Phil discussing bandsaw options, surprising tools that make you a better woodworker, and checking in on listener comments [...]

As everyone knows, nails are made of metal… except when they aren’t. I enjoy learning about new woodworking technologies, especially when they change my conception of something really basic. For [...]

On this episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, Logan, Phil, and John talk about design details, an update to the jointer saga, and current projects in the magazine. Find all of the ShopNotes podcast [...]

As subscribers to our magazine, you see a part of what we do every day—you’re holding it in your hands. What you don’t see is all of the behind-the-scenes stuff. We operate in two month cycles; [...]

Which is more mythical – a unicorn or a DeWalt band saw? I’ve been asked over the years why some tool manufacturers don’t make certain tools. Mostly, tool companies restrict their offerings to [...]

Christmas is behind us, and the year is nearly over. Let’s look back at our top 10 most popular articles of the past year, that you guys kept going back to time and time again. 10. You Own [...]

On this week’s episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John, Phil, and Logan are discussing toolbox lessons, going over some listener and viewer comments, and checking in on some end of the year [...]

Work clothes for men are easy to find. For women? Not so much. Heavy-duty work clothes for men have been around for probably the last century. You can wear any heavy clothing while working, of [...]

It’s the ShopNotes Podcast, everybody! Phil, Logan, and John have a post-Thanksgiving update along with a discussion on strategies for picking up a project where you left off. Find all of [...]