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Doug Hicks is a power tool guy. His table saw is right in the middle of his shop where he can get at it easily. He uses it to make quick rip cuts, for rough cutting a board to length, and to cut accurate joinery for a project.

One of the reason’s his table saw is so versatile though is because of all the simple “shop-built” jigs and accessories that he’s accumulated over the years. These accessories allow him to do more with the table saw and do it faster, better, safer, and with a lot less effort.

You’ll learn all about 10 of his “Favorite Shop-Built Table Saw Jigs” when you download and watch this week’s Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar podcast. He’ll even show you how to build a few of them. If you want to know how to build all of them, make sure to visit PlansNow and order a copy of the seminar guide for download. It costs only $5.95 and includes an outline of the seminar (you can follow along as you watch the podcasts!) and detailed plans for his ten favorite table saw jigs and accessories.

 

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Well, I finally got a solid weekend to “piddle” in the shop. It felt good after several weeks away.

Restore an Old Grinder. The first thing I did was restore a hand-cranked grinder similar to this one pictured here. It was made in the early 1900′s by Luther Grinder Manufacturing Company out of Milwaukee. It’s a “Best Maide No. 1551″ with a “Dimo-Grit” wheel. (You can view a 1920 catalog here.) I had to disassemble everything, clean off the rust and old paint, repaint each part, reassemble, and add oil to the “crankcase.” I’m not sure if I’ll actually use it to sharpen anything, but it looks great and works like a charm! I was actually quite surprised at how well it worked. Read the rest of this article »

Chris Snider bought his first home in the spring of 2006 after living for several years in an apartment. Chris writes a blog for first-time homeowners on the Des Moines Register’s Juice website. Juice is a supplement of the daily newspaper geared toward singles in Des Moines.

He attended a woodworking seminar recently at the Woodsmith Store and liked what he saw. Now, he’s

become a fan of Workbench magazine. Read the rest of this article »

Bringing home and setting up a new tool, especially one that gets used as often as the table saw, provides the average woodworker with several opportunities to CYOM.

Don’t know what CYOM means? Well, let’s just say that we’ve all done it at one time or another. Since few stationary power tools are shipped completely set up and ready to use right out of the crate, the first thing you’re likely to do is CYOM — “Consult Your Owner’s Manual.”

The owner’s manual will help you with several things, like removing backlash from the raising and tilt mechanisms and adjusting the trunnion. But there are lots of tune up tips that are left to the imagination (or aren’t required until after you’ve used the saw for several weeks). That’s where Craig Ruegsegger can help. Read the rest of this article »

 

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Whether or not we’re willing to admit it, I’d bet that most of us have had the experience of setting a belt sander down on the bench with the belt still moving. Or worse yet, plugging it in when the switch was locked in the ON position. Hopefully, in either case, it’s run out of cord and unplugged itself before any damage was done. (Yep.  Did that once…or twice.)

Read the rest of this article »

Chris Vesper of Australia threw down the challenge. What do you think?
World’s Smallest Dovetails?

Forget the best deals from the past! I want to know what you’ve got for me now?
Got Gloat? Best Power Tool Deals Ever

This looks to be a great deal… Can you say “Snipe?”
400 Bf Spalted Maple Starts @ $0.25 per Board Foot

I do not normally think of most woodworkers as artists. Then I see work like this…
Cocobola HF

Have a good weekend!

Whether you’re setting up shop for the first time or looking for more space in an existing shop, you’ll get some valuable tips from this seminar. Jim Downing doesn’t just show you how to arrange your tools. That’s going to be different for every person and every space. He also explains the strategies for getting the most efficient use of whatever space you have. Learn about things like maintaining zones for handling materials, leaving room for assembly work and how to double up equipment to save space.

Toward the end of the seminar, Jim uses some resources on the Workbench magazine web site, including an interactive shop planner. Using this, you can set up a space the same size as your shop, then move tools around to customize your shop’s layout. You can also watch a video of Workbench’s space-saving shop and download the accompanying article.

The guide for this seminar is now available for download. It’s a 10-page pdf and the cost to you is $2.95. You can download it by clicking here.

 

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I received an email this morning asking a very basic, open-ended question: “What is the best adhesive to bond hardboard to plywood?” My quick answer was to use a yellow woodworkers glue. I also mentioned polyurethane glue as a good option for bonding just about anything. Read the rest of this article »