Everyone can use some creative storage solutions in their shop, which is why we dug through the American Woodworker archives for some classic storage tips. Portable Hose Reel Instead of mounting my compressor’s hose reel to the wall, I mounted it to a board. This way I can take the reel wherever I’m working and…

Can Lithium-ion batteries really catch fire? A friend of mine proved it beyond a doubt. I’ve never liked the idea of knock-off, counterfeit or no-name tool batteries. Inexpensive, but underpowered and just not as efficient as originals, knock-off batteries can be downright dangerous according to the Power Tool Institute. Literally bursting into flames or even exploding…

Trimming small parts on a table saw using a miter gauge can be a little nerve wracking. In order to trim small parts safely, I mounted a handscrew to a piece of plywood. First I trimmed the plywood on the table saw so that the two long edges were exactly parallel. Then I gripped a…

This hand surgeon likes meeting fellow woodworkers – but not at work. I long ago lost track of how many people, upon learning of my interest in woodworking, have puzzled aloud over my table saw. They follow up with, “Do you know how important your hands are?” or, “Do you know how dangerous that thing…

Any push stick adds a measure of safety, but I prefer using one that straddles the saw’s fence. It lifts right off when I’m done. A saddle-style push stick has two clear advantages. First, there’s no chance of tipping it into the saw blade. Second, it keeps your fingers far, far away from the blade….

Practical solutions for a cleaner shop Vacuum-Assisted Bench I got tired of hooking my bench tools to my shop vac. Now I simply plug their dust collection hoses into the bench. I drilled and routed a hole in the bench to house the 2- 1/2-in. PVC pipe and hexagonal 2-1/2-in.-to-1- 1/4in. reducer that I bought…

Bye-Bye Birds-Eye An Army buddy from northern Michigan stopped when he came upon a truck that had overturned and scattered its load of lumber. The trucker, who was unhurt, told my friend to take all the boards he wanted, because the load would be considered a total loss. While loading his pickup, my friend realized…

Breezy Bandsawing Reasoning that I’d only be cutting small stuff in my basement shop, I parked my bandsaw diagonally in a corner. Then I decided to make one of those arched-top garden arbors. My old jig saw had burned out, so I took the two 5’ long cross beams down to the bandsaw. Everyone knows…

Super Sander After years of hard use, my tablesaw’s 120-volt motor finally expired. Eureka! This was the perfect opportunity to acquire a more powerful machine. I purchased a new 240-volt saw and proceeded to rewire the junction box that supplied power to the outlet, which was mounted on a cord that dropped down from the…

Wedged Woodworker Winter comes early here in Oregon, a fact I’d forgotten as I carried a custom kitchen cabinet to my truck. This cabinet was long and slender, to go above an extra-wide range. As I stepped out the shop door, my foot skidded on an icy patch, and I went down in a heap. One…

Scientific Name: foundus paletus Other Common Names: Sloof lirpa, common crate. Growing Regions: Worldwide, particularly industrial areas. Characteristics of Tree: A barkless, leafless, short scrub tree of varying height, but routinely small trunk diameter. Characteristics of Wood: Wood varies from a bleached white to a dark and knurled appearance with a wide range of grain…

Flaming Scroll Saw When I work in my garage shop, I keep the garage door open to let the sunlight stream in. After working for several hours one fine afternoon, I smelled something burning—that acrid “electrical” smell. None of my tools were running or even plugged in, so I checked outside. Nothing. But as I…