Tricks of the Trade
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VIDEO: How to Cut Half-Lap Joints
Chris Marshall explains the process of creating half-lap joints for frame joinery.
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Making Wood Filler with Coffee Grounds
A cup of coffee in the morning can be a real savior for your day. Throw in a bit of CA glue and it can save your darker woods from cracks and blemishes too.
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Ganging Clamping Cauls on Stands
This reader needed a couple extra hands for putting together his large casework projects, but failing that, he found a couple cauls could do the job.
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VIDEO: How to Refinish a Workbench Top
In this video, Ernie Conover demonstrates how he resurfaced and refinished his 35-year-old workbench.
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Easier Sanding Sleeve Changes
Sanding sleeves tend to stick to the rubber drum after they’ve been used for a while, making the sandpaper harder to remove when needed. This reader has an easy solution.
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Covering Plastic Laminate During Cutting
Plastic sheet laminate’s tendency to curl can make it tricky to cut on the table saw. This reader has a simple trick to keep it flat and make the cut even.
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VIDEO: Making Rip Cuts with a Table Saw
Rob Johnstone and JoJo Liebler explain how to safely use a table saw to make rip cuts.
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Easy Tool Oil Applicator
This reader likes to put a coat of camellia oil or jojoba oil on all of his hand tools, such as planes, saws and chisels, but doesn’t like how the spray bottles distribute the oil. Here’s his solution.
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PVC Corner Cauls
Strap-type web clamps are a handy way to close the four corners of a box during glueups. A caul at each corner can help direct the clamping pressure even better without smearing the glue.
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VIDEO: Using Your Drill Press as a Sanding Machine
We show you a few sanding accessories that you can easily use with your drill press to sand different shapes and surfaces.
