Adding A Mobile Base to Big Tools
Few of us ever admit to having “enough” tools and machinery, but sooner or later, we realize that it’s possible to own one too many. Finding parking spots for those most-needed machines, benches, stands, and materials in a crowded garage or basement...Adding A Pre-Separator To Your Dust Collection System
Adding a pre-separator to your single-stage dust collector will save you time and money. It’ll save you time because it’s a lot easier to empty one of these than the lower, or “chip,” bag of a bag-over- bag collector. It’ll save you money...Belt-driven tools: Performance Upgrade
Swap your old school V Drive belt for a Link v-belt for instant benefits One of the easiest upgrades you can perform on a belt-driven shop tool (table saw, drill press, etc.) is the removal of the OEM style V drive belt(s), and replace it with a correctly sized...Build a Knock Down Workbench
Here is a workbench that is quick and easy to construct, professional looking and absolutely rigid. Designing the Workbench The workbench mainly consists of four legs and four stretchers held together with eight identical joints. The joints are easy to cut yet...Building a Birdhouse
Spring brings means yard work but one of the most popular small projects this time of year involves birds – either feeding or housing. Building a birdhouse can be a fun project for the entire family – the tools required are minimal and you can let your...Building a Table Saw Panel Cutting Sled
We recently moved our shop to a smaller location and had to get rid of several tools. One of the first casualties was a gargantuan sliding crosscut table attached to our table saw. Though it’s a useful accessory, it has some serious drawbacks: It takes up more...Building an Auxiliary Band Saw Table
The cure for the incredible shrinking work surface isn’t a new band saw. There I was, perfectly content with my minuscule 14″-square band saw table, not even aware that there was something far, far better. Then I took a job teaching wood craftsmanship at...Choosing the Right Wood Lathe
Woodturning is an art of the highest order dating back to 6th century B.C. You become a sort of creator, turning a dull chunk of wood into a magnificent masterpiece, which is why choosing the right wood lathe is of the utmost importance. Inspired by the intriguing...Introduction to Clamps and Clamping
CLAMP · Pronunciation: \’klamp\ 1: a device designed to bind or constrict or to press two or more parts together so as to hold them firmly. Any of various instruments or appliances having parts brought together for holding or compressing something. ...Outdoor Woodworking: A springtime ritual
Random Orbital Sander vs Sheet Sander
Random Orbital Sander No matter what the advertising says, hand sanding has not been eliminated and when working with shapes and contours it [hand sanding] is really the only way to get the job done. But there are times when the job is big or the amount of material to...Rescue Project: A Face-lift for Old Oak Doors
For nearly 100 years the thick oak pocket doors separated living and dining space in a charming craftsman style home. But the years and several different owners’ taste in interior finishes had not been kind to these once proud examples of turn-of-the-century...Scroll Saw: Set-up & Use
Similar to the portable sabre saw or jig saw, a scroll saw uses an up-and-down reciprocating action. With its thin blades and ability to cut in fine detail it is really really a motorized coping saw. Scroll saws very in quality, features and price but they all have...Shop Project: Adding A Router Extension To Your Table Saw
Adding a router-table extension to your contractor-style table saw is fairly easy to accomplish – simply remove the metal extension that’s there now, and then build and bolt this one into place. Important note: This table was built for a specific 10″...
Precision Crosscut Sled
Accurate and chip-free crosscuts plus a versatile fence make this a must-have for your table saw. The lightweight sled design makes cutting large workpieces on the table saw a snap. The rock-solid fence ensures square cuts every time — with easy-to-adjust controls to make setup quick and simple.