Tools

Get more from your router and router table with these fantastic accessories. A router may be one of the most versatile tools in the shop. As a hand tool nut, that hurts me a little bit to say, [...]

As I mentioned in the previous post, one of the primary reasons for a missing knob base is a traumatic fall that results in the bending of the knob screw (or threaded rod, depending on the plane) [...]

As a collector and restorer of numerous bench planes, all stemming from the classic Stanley Bailey design, I can confidently say that the two components most prone to breakage or damage over the [...]

Replace your router’s base with one that is oversized and stable. The router can be a great friend in the woodshop, but it’s one of those friends with character traits that aren’t welcome in all [...]

Match the size to the job–that’s the key Hand planes come in a bewildering variety of sizes. Why are there so many? I’ll help explain this mystery by dividing the field into four groups, in order [...]

In my school’s woodworking program, we have a variety of chisels, ranging from wood-handled to plastic-handled. We even have a chisel without a handle, which is a full-tang hybrid between a [...]

Here’s what one pro always keeps in his toolbox. My favorite tools are the ones that I use every day—around the house, in the shop or at a jobsite. They’ve become old friends. They’re not [...]

About 30 years ago, my girlfriend led me to a dark, cluttered basement workshop to meet a sweet, 70-ish gem of a man: her grandfather, Hayes. He was surrounded by a lifetime’s collection of [...]

It can save you lots of money—and grief! Are you a scrounger? Always looking for a deal? Self-reliant? Those words fit a lot of woodworkers, particularly those who search for unusual or [...]

Tools: A Visual Exploration of Implements & Devices in the Workshop If there’s one thing to be said about woodworkers, it’s that we’re old school and prefer to pick up a book (or a magazine). [...]

Building a sash clamp is quite easy. Begin by milling a hardwood bar to the appropriate thickness. The bar’s thickness should allow it to travel smoothly between the sash clamp’s shoulders. Next, [...]

Beyond its prime use as a bar clamp, an inverted T-bar sash clamp can be handy when holding pieces for planing and gouging.  Below is an example of how to use this clamp to tie down a branch and [...]