Dovetail Markers

These simple shop-made helpers will make marking less of a chore. Marking out dovetails for hand cutting goes much easier with these helpers. Held in place while hooked over the end of a board, [...]

Vise in a Vise

I don’t use my machinist’s vise often enough to dedicate any of my limited bench space to it. Instead, I keep it tucked under a nearby cabinet for occasional use. I bolted the vise to a board [...]

Whittling Basics, Part 3

Parting and Pulling Techniques Part 1: Introduction • Part 2: Push and Peel Knife Maneuvers • Part 4: Rounding the Tree • Part 5: Sculpting the Branches • Part 6: Attach to The Base Continuing [...]

Whittling Basics, Part 2

Mastering the Push and Peel Knife Maneuvers Part 1: Introduction • Part 3: Parting and Pulling Techniques • Part 4: Rounding the Tree • Part 5: Sculpting the Branches • Part 6: Attach to The Base [...]

Chipbreaker: Theory & Use

Most bench planes come equipped to eliminate tear-out. Handplanes are great tools for creating a smooth, finish-ready surface on a board without the dust and noise from a sander. If the board is [...]

Low-tech, Low-cost Leg Vise

My tight finances forced me to devise an alternative to an expensive bench vise. This simple leg vise – cobbled together from a board, a 3⁄4“-diameter pipe clamp, and a short length of [...]

21 Drum Sander Tips

Maximize your drum sander’s potential. 1. Skip the Scrape Eliminate laborious hand scraping of dried glue: contrary to popular belief, you can take glue-ups directly to your drum sander. [...]

Whittling Basics, Part 1

An Introduction to Whittling Part 2: Push and Peel Knife Maneuvers • Part 3: Parting and Pulling Techniques • Part 4: Rounding the Tree • Part 5: Sculpting the Branches • Part 6: Attach to The [...]

Period Sharpening

An experiment uncovers cutting edges of the past. “How did they sharpen their tools back then?” I’ve asked this question myself and I have been asked the question, and I’ve never felt comfortable [...]

Magnetic Stop-block for the Table Saw

When crosscutting a series of short pieces from a longer board using the table saw’s miter gauge, it’s dangerous to use the rip fence as a stop. The freed pieces can get jammed between the blade [...]

Cheap Blade Protectors

Here’s a dirt cheap way to store your saw blades and keep their carbide teeth from knocking into each other. Slip the blades onto a 3/8″ dia. landscape nail, using plastic coffee-can lids [...]

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