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A good-looking as this shop-made torpedo level is, it should be accurate as well. Taking care during the construction process should get you close (or close enough). However, part of this project's magic is its adjustment mechanism. The process is straightforward. Before getting started on the level, you need a …
Dowel Pegboard Hook. Ralph Visco of Lima, OH found that the shape of a many pegboard hooks get in the way and can make it awkward to get a tool off its holder. Instead, he discovered that the 1⁄4" dowels that come in small packages make perfect tool holders. The …
Shop Must-Have: Chop Sticks? A couple of years back, my wife and I hosted a holiday party. The catered Chinese food left me with great leftovers and hundreds of sets of chopsticks. I shoved them into my shop drawer, thinking I would come up with a use for them, and …
It's the Phil and Logan show on this week's episode of the ShopNotes Podcast. We're talking about fixing up old tools, working in the shop in the winter, and exploring our glue comfort zone. This podcast is brought to you by the woodworkers who create ShopNotes magazine. ShopNotes is the …
Today we're talking table saw sleds. It's inspired by a question from a reader/listener/viewer: Why does every sled design I have ever come across have a bridge at the front of the sled? I can see the need if the sled runs in just 1 track, but most designs use …
A recent video tip from Woodsmith showed a shop-made roller that attached to a workbench. I thought it was a great idea, so I built the roller but with an adjustable base, like you see here. Telescoping Base. The modification I made turns the PVC roller into a traditional roller …
After discussing Logan's ongoing fascination with handsaws and lathes, the team discusses how workbenches actually get used based on their own work and the working patterns of Marc, Steve, and Dillon in the shop at Woodsmith. Steve Johnson's workbench Steve uses a one workbench as a workcounter, keeping tools, plans, …
The crew looks into the depths of the mailbag. Logan gives an update on his shop and the epoxy floor he put in (with the help of John and Phil, BTW) Last week, Logan was working on a Popular Woodworking article with his idol, David Marks. There are also several …
I designed my workbench to be the appropriate height to act as an outfeed support for my table saw. But, when I replaced my old table saw, the bench was suddenly too short to serve that purpose. Instead of building a new bench, or trying to raise it, I built …
Axis Limits Shane Burk of Lubbock, TX installs a pencil into the chuck on his CNC head. This way, he can draw axis limits on his CNC bed and pre-draw part locations on his worksurface. By pre-drawing, Shane can maximize his material and make sure his parts fit before he …
My favorite tools for measuring and laying out parts is a set of three steel rules. I use them all the time at my workbench. However, I have a tendency to leave them lying all over the shop, so I built this simple rule holder to keep track of them. …
Glueup Mat Hermie Tolerba of Sugarland, TX, discovered that inexpensive plastic drawer liners from discount stores make perfect gluing mats. The slick surface doesn’t allow glue to stick to it, and they can be rolled up for storage anywhere in the shop. Push Stick Scabbard Lou LaFrate of Vail, AZ, …
Breaking down sheet goods is something that I see a lot of tips on. I used to cut sheet goods on a piece of foam insulation. And it worked well. However, I was tired of having to store the large sheet of foam. That’s when I decided to find my …
Sanding Strips Henry Wittmer of Runnels, IA, likes to cut strips of sandpaper for sanding turned workpieces and curves. To help strengthen the sandpaper and keep it from breaking or ripping, he backs the sandpaper with heavy-duty tape before cutting it into strips. Standard to Metric Tom Moss of Bradenton, …
On this episode of the ShopNotes Podcast, John and Phil talk about the science behind woodshop worksurface usage and discuss what woodworking, Christmas gifts we have on our list. John talked about the Router Cabinet he desinged for Woodsmith. And Phil's favorite bonus is this set of stacking sawhorses. Are …
