5 Ways to Make a Mortise
A hole is just a hole, no matter how you dig it. The mortise-and-tenon joint is fundamental in woodworking. Along with the dovetail, this joint has been used for thousands of years. If you judge [...]
Make the Most of Figured Maple
The right orientation adds shimmer and pop to your work. by George R. Walker pages 18-20 The barn loft was hot and dusty – and especially so after digging through piles of [...]
Roy Underhill’s Nail Cabinet
It’s a crate. It’s a cabinet. It’s useful shop furniture. Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. One of the enduring [...]
Essential Table Saw Safety
There’s no need to fear the most versatile machine in the modern shop. There are good reasons that the table saw is at the center of many shops. This machine revolutionized the way we make [...]
Small-shop Efficiencies
Simplification and organization are the keys to success. I’ve worked in a small workshop for many years now. Many, if not most woodworkers, would classify my 7′ x 13′ space more as a [...]
The Downside if Up is Sideways
A nervous woodworker is aghast as his best projects arrive from storage. The message “Up”(with a directional arrow, no less) seems unambiguous. When displayed prominently on all four of what [...]
Use Shrink Wrap as a Clamp for Veneer
While trying to attach a carved 1⁄8“-thick mahogany veneer to the edge of a curved shelf, an idea came to me as a last moment glue-up solution. Initially I thought I could make it easier to [...]
Connecticut Lowboy
While simple to build, the details present a worthy challenge. While teaching a class at the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking, I was asked to sneak down to the Connecticut Historical [...]
Czeck Edge Carbide Birdcage Awl
Tool: Carbide Birdcage Awl Shop Now Manufacturer: Czeck Edge MSRP: $74 The first thing you notice when you grasp a Czeck Edge Hand Tool birdcage awl is how well it fits in the hand. [...]
Perfect Shoulders
An 18th-century chairmaker’s saw makes 21st-century work easier The graveyard of obscure and forgotten tools is large, densely packed and many layers deep. Many of these tools richly deserve [...]
Tool Test: Starborn’s Smart-Bit Depth Setter
Tool: Smart-Bit Depth Setter Manufacturer: Starborn MSRP: $18.99 Starborn Industries has set the benchmark for driving screws. The Smart-Bit Depth Setter allows you to sink screws to a consistent [...]
Acetone in the Woodshop
This solvent’s versatility makes it ideal in many situations If you’ve been shopping at paint stores or in the paint department of home centers for the last decade or so, you may have noticed the [...]