Techniques

Three ways to achieve different types of textures with your CNC router. CNC Routers open up lots of new ways to create textures in wood. Here are my three favorite ways of creating textures using [...]

How to make strong mortise and tenon joints with a plunge router and a tablesaw. Imagine turning the clock back 500 years and visiting a fellow woodworker in any large European town. You could [...]

Learn traditional methods with a veneer hammer and hot hide glue. Veneering has been practiced for thousands of years. It’s a way to take some of the world’s most spectacular but unstable woods, [...]

Now that we’ve uncovered the reasons behind plain-sawn boards’ tendency to cup and explored methods to rectify their misalignment, let’s delve into addressing cupping in [...]

An easy way to fix cupped boards. After our discussion last week on why plain-sawn lumber tends to cup as it dries, I’m eager to share a solution for reforming cupped boards, like the old [...]

Machine joints that look hand-made. Imagine cutting through dovetails with pins and sockets spaced any way you like—as if they were cut by hand. Now imagine cutting them without using a dovetail [...]

Getting to know the what and why of cupping lumber. In our 1960s house, many of the old-fashioned closet shelves were crafted from solid carpentry-grade softwood. It appears that the lumber for [...]

A hassle-free fast track to frameless cabinets. I’ve always liked the clean, modern look of cabinets built without face frames. My early attempts involved building plywood boxes first and [...]

Demystify cutting tenons on curved parts using these simple steps and jigs. Ever wonder how furniture builders cut joinery on curved parts? A common place to see this is on chair backrests, [...]

After completing the reconstruction of the main broken molding piece, I glued the molding back onto its panel and began restoring the adjacent corner that was also damaged and required repair. [...]

After completing step (F), I used a gouge to hollow out the cove portion of the molding. I selected a gouge with a sweep that matched the cove radius and carefully shaved the wood in the [...]

Upgrade your shop lighting to help you see what you are working on and to make your shop more inviting. Did you know that at age 60, you need approximately 3x the amount of light to see as you [...]