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It sure is cute – but is it useful? Few tools spark the affection of so many as the Stanley No. 1 size bench plane. Regardless of one’s interest, the small plane has a way of catching everyone’s [...]

Should an anvil be among the first tools to be recommended to new woodworkers? The answer is probably no. But as our shop grows and with the diversification of our work I can wholeheartedly [...]

A nice scraper burnisher can be made quickly for little or no cost. All you need is a cheap wooden file handle (available at hardware stores) and an old drill bit. You simply drill into the [...]

Tool: Leg-Up Shop Now   Manufacturer: Gorilla Gripper MSRP: $54.90 Most of us know all too well the hassles of working with large sheets of plywood. You get home from the lumberyard, drag [...]

Today’s array of bits has nothing on historical practice. In my attempts to recreate period work, I’ve many times come across the need to make holes that no modern tool can practically create. My [...]

Does your Mom love woodworking? Here are some great gift options for her this upcoming Mother’s Day. Milwaukee 4 1/2 Trim Square • $11.47  We loved this square when it came out, and [...]

Moby Dick, the Great White Planer The newspaper advertisement was brief: “PLANER, 24″, $450. Call.” My friend Charles Poth and I had been looking for just such a machine. We found the [...]

One of the most exciting new tools that my students and I got to try and use this year was the 6 Piece Bushcraft Survival Auger Kit with T-Handle and 5 Auger Bits in Tool Roll from WoodOwl. The [...]

Lasers are popping up on all sorts of tools. Are they useful – or just clever marketing? We investigate. Editor’s note: David asked this question way back in 2005, but with tool [...]

Tool: 30oz Dead Blow Hammer Shop Now  Manufacturer: Lixie MSRP:$68 Well-fit joinery (not too loose, not too tight) and well-planned glue-ups rarely need much persuasion – but I am not always [...]

Tool: Small Bench Dog Shop Now  Manufacturer: Big Horn MSRP:$15 (set of 2) Any decent workbench with a face vise will allow you to easily work the ends and edges of stock, but finding an [...]

This respiration-protection attachment lives up to the claim of its name. Tool: Dust-Free Router Hood Shop Now  Manufacturer: Oneida MSRP:$34.95 While I appreciate the versatility and power [...]