Roubo’s Press Vise
This centuries-old device is effective in use and simple to make. In my early years as a woodworker I was prejudiced against veneer – but experience has mellowed my opinion; I’ve realized [...]
Danish Modern
Enthusiasm and people skills are the keys to Ejler Hjorth-Westh’s success. On California’s Mendocino coast, you really never know who you are talking to by looking. Institutional “costume” [...]
SuperMax 19-38 Drum Sander
Tool: 19-38 Drum Sander Manufacturer: SuperMax Tools MSRP: $1499 The first thing that comes to mind upon seeing the SuperMax 19-38 drum sander is the company’s focus on quality. It’s evident in [...]
Arbortech TurboPlane & Mini-Turbo
Tool: TurboPlane and Mini-Turbo Manufacturer: ArborTech Tools MSRP: $119+ If you are into sculpting wood or forming sculpted furniture parts, the Arbortech TurboPlane and Mini-Turbo are two tools [...]
An Easy Way to Draw Any Ellipse
On my most recent project I needed an elliptical arc. Although my arc conforms to the Golden Ratio (1:1.62), the method I use works for an ellipse of any proportion. Determine the overall size of [...]
Mid-century Coffee Table
Top this sleek design with patterned veneer – it’s much easier than it looks. All over the country, mid-century designs, with their sleek surfaces and clean lines, are turning up in high-style [...]
Matching The Color Of A Finish
One of the most challenging tasks in wood finishing is matching the color of an existing object, color swatch or photo in a magazine. Most people try to accomplish this with just a stain, but it [...]
Diablo General Purpose & Crosscut Finish Blades
Tool: D1040X and D1090X Manufacturer: Diablo In recent years, Freud’s Diablo brand has become synonymous with high quality, high tech, reasonably priced circular saw blades; these new blades [...]
Painted Bucket Bench
Faux graining is the art of illusion. Use this technique, and your choices aren’t constrained by what woods are available or what’s shown in the veneering catalogs (or your bank account); you are [...]
Improve a Coping Saw
When I was a kid, the first saw I bought was a Craftsman coping saw with a chrome frame and red-stained handle. For years I did everything with that saw – crosscuts, rips, curves and even joints. [...]