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Mortise Centering Jig With this jig I can rout mortises exactly centered on the workpiece— no measurement or layout necessary. First I drilled and tapped two holes in my router base plate [...]

Q & A: Best Grinder for Woodworking Q: I’d like to buy a grinder that will handle a variety of maintenance projects and also be good for sharpening my woodworking tools.What should I [...]

Q & A: Clean Bandsaw Tires   Q: My bandsaw tires have a buildup of pitch and sawdust that seems to be embedded right into the rubber. What’s the best way to clean my tires? A: An [...]

Q & A: One Step at a Time Q: ARGH! I cut all the parts according to the cutting list and my face-frame came up short! I worked out the math and the cutting list was correct. What went [...]

Triangle Sandpaper Triangular hook-and-loop sandpaper for detail sanders first loses it’s bite at the end because that part does most of the work. By cutting a used piece, as shown, and [...]

Breaking Rules Don’t throw away that broken, wooden rule. Strip the hardware from a 6-in. section. Then cut a slot for it in the front edge of your workbench with a router. Place the zero mark [...]

Portable Shaving Horse Bring your shop to the woods. In the modern workshop, the tablesaw is the central tool. A few centuries ago, for coopers (barrel makers), bodgers (chairmakers), and [...]

Q & A: A Brush for Tight Spots   Q: I built a little TV stand for our living room that included a 4-in. space for the DVD player. It seemed like a great idea until I went to varnish …

Q & A: Lock Miter Joint Q:   How do you set up a lock miter bit?     A:   There are two critical adjustments (Fig. A). First, you set the bit’s height; second, you [...]

Laser Cutting Guide I use a laser pen to improve accuracy when making miter cuts on a compound miter saw. It’s especially helpful when cutting ornate or rabbeted moldings. First I mark the edge [...]

Router Scarfing Jig Boatbuilders often need to join boards end to end to make longer planks. Instead of a butt joint they make a long taper on each board and overlap the ends. This is called a [...]

Taping Diagonals Measuring diagonals with a tape was a pain for me because the hook would always fall off the corner before I could get a reading. Finally I adapted a tape by riveting a small, [...]