Video: Frank Klausz Finger Joint How-to
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 It's hard to fathom, but finger joints are a relatively new joinery method for Frank Klausz, because why not just cut dovetails when you need a box? In fact, when we filmed the video below (2014), he'd cut his first finger joints but two weeks before. But that doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's talking about - after all, Frank has been a woodworker for longer than I've been […]The post Video: Frank Klausz Finger Joint How-to appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 31-Mar-2017
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'Houndstooth Dovetails' - by Rob Cosman
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 I recently posted on our Instagram account and Twitter feed the opening image from Rob Cosman's 2006 article Houndstooth Dovetails,” and it proved remarkably popular - so I figured I might as well post the article. And while that “opener” certainly benefited from good lighting, and great camera and a skilled photographer (as you can see below), the image above is from my phone, and taken just a few minutes […]The post 'Houndstooth Dovetails' - by Rob Cosman appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 30-Mar-2017
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A What? A Dovetailed Dustpan?
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 One of the great things about working for editor Megan Fitzpatrick is that she will laugh at your face and then (usually) go along with your crazy ideas. Case in point: the dovetailed dustpan in the June 2017 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. When I submitted my sketches of a shop-made dustpan and asked to write an article, I strongly suspect she thought I was kidding. After all, you can […]The post A What? A Dovetailed Dustpan? appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 30-Mar-2017
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Insomnia - the Greatest Design Drug
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 For the last 20 odd years I have benefited from regular bouts of insomnia. When they happen, I'll wake about 4 a.m., roll over and my head will spin with several conflicting images, usually relating to something on my workbench from the past, present or future. For years I tried to get back to sleep when this happened. When Lucy and I had children who were young, we needed every […]The post Insomnia - the Greatest Design Drug appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 29-Mar-2017
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Welcome, Gentles All
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 Below is an advance of my editor's note from the May/June 2017 issue (which mails to subscribers April 12 and is on newsstands April 25). I want everyone (subscriber or no - but you really should subscribe!) to know that we welcome queries from any and all woodworkers, and that I'd love to see more diversity in our pages. But it's a two-way street. I'm about to break a self-imposed […]The post Welcome, Gentles All appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:03am on 28-Mar-2017
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The Maslow $500 CNC - Beta Testing Begins
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 Several weeks back I reported on the Maslow CNC that costs just $500. Here's Part One and Part Two if you missed it. This is a Kickstarter project, which means that it's a crowd-funded product still in its development phase. Being a backer means you're not so much a buyer as an investor enticed by the opportunity to get in early at a lower price before it's released to the […]The post The Maslow $500 CNC - Beta Testing Begins appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 27-Mar-2017
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Lacquer is Easy to Clean from a Spray Gun
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 Lacquer is such a wonderful and versatile finish. I think every professional I've talked to who has used lacquer and other finishes (with good exhaust, of course) loves lacquer. There are lots of reasons for this, including reduced runs and sags, relative ease of control in differentweather conditions with the solvents available, relative ease of repair, and lacquer's excellent rubbing qualities. But here's a plus you may not have thought […]The post Lacquer is Easy to Clean from a Spray Gun appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 25-Mar-2017
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Book Giveaway: Woodturning Techniques for Furniture & Cabinetmaking
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 One of our newest books comes from Windsor chairexpert Mike Dunbar. The book is a reprint of a classic texton woodturning from a furniture and cabinetmaking perspective. If you'd prefer to make your own furniture components rather than buy mass-produced factory-made parts, then “Woodturning Techniques: Furniture & Cabinetmaking”may be of interest to you. You'll need access to a lathe, of course - but the rewards of learning how to use […]The post Book Giveaway: Woodturning Techniques for Furniture & Cabinetmaking appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 25-Mar-2017
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Video: 'Anne of All Trades'
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 You might know Anne Briggs Bohnett from her website, Anne of All Trades, or perhaps through Instagram, where she's quickly racked up more than 60,000 followers (with a mix of photos featuring woodworking, farming and unbelievably adorable animals), or perhaps you've met her at Woodworking in America or a Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event…or maybe even taken a class from her at the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle. If so, […]The post Video: 'Anne of All Trades' appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 24-Mar-2017
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Don't Fight the Work - Body Mechanics in the Shop
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 In the late '80s and early '90s you could visit a strip club and it wouldn't be sleazy. The reason: Mike Tyson. He would simply walk through opponents with devastating power in the first few rounds. Nobody wanted to order the expensive pay-per-view at home with the odds of it being over in seconds. So the strip clubs could collect a door fee, a two-drink minimum and be done with […]The post Don't Fight the Work - Body Mechanics in the Shop appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 23-Mar-2017
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One-weekend Router Table
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 Router table cabinets can be a waste of space. This compact, vise-mounted unit stores easily and is just the right size. by David Thiel April 2005 Popular Woodworking Magazine I think it might have been seeing a $1,000 router table setup at a recent woodworking show (it's very cool, but $1,000?). Or maybe it was realizing that our shop's router table's cabinet mostly takes up space and fills with dust. […]The post One-weekend Router Table appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 23-Mar-2017
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Elia Bizzarri: Multi-talented Woodworker
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 It won't come as much of a surprise that woodworkers are frequently good at more than one thing. Sometimes it's necessary, other times it's just for fun. I was in Hillsborough, N.C., last week working with Elia Bizzarri on two new videos and we started talking about what music to use. He asked if we'd like him and a few of his friends to play something. “Yes!” was the easy […]The post Elia Bizzarri: Multi-talented Woodworker appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 22-Mar-2017
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Dutch Boxwood Bead Boxes
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 On my first visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York I saw, among the monumental and famous pieces, a small item that captured my eye. It was so impressive that I even decided to buy a postcard with a picture of it. This was a spherical shaped miniature wooden box that, once opened, displayed an intricate biblical scene that shocked me with its complexity and level […]The post Dutch Boxwood Bead Boxes appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 21-Mar-2017
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Call it Done (For Now)
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 After the worst Thursday on record, I awoke the next morning and resolved to sort out this stool. I needed more maple, so I headed to Frank Paxton Hardwoods and found the perfect board waiting for me. Straight. Clear. Flat. Reasonably priced. So I assumed I'd get into a car accident on the way home. (No collisions.) I milled the new seat, assuming it would be case hardened and twist […]The post Call it Done (For Now) appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 20-Mar-2017
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Rubbing Out a Finish: The Plastic Spreader Trick
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 Rubbing out a finish to achieve a perfectly flat surface on porous woods such as mahogany and walnut is a lot of work, so it's usually reserved for tabletops. Using a film-building finish (not oil), the first step is to sand the finish back, or level it, to leave the pores filled in. You usually have to do this even if you have used a pore filler because there's always […]The post Rubbing Out a Finish: The Plastic Spreader Trick appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 19-Mar-2017
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Video: Make a Panel-cutting Sled for Your Table Saw
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 In this video excerpt from “Table Saw Jigs & Fixtures,” Matthew Teague tells you why you might want this jig for your table saw, how to make it, and how to safely use it. Get instruction from Matthew on making 10 more essential table saw jigs on the video download - or better yet, get 24/7 access to all our videos (more than 400 of them on things woodworking!) on […]The post Video: Make a Panel-cutting Sled for Your Table Saw appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 18-Mar-2017
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A Couple of Celtic-influenced Projects
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 I don't always post holiday-themed projects, but hey - with my heritage, I can't pass up the opportunity to share some Celtic knotwork in celebration the Emerald isle. So here are a couple woodworking articles from our archives that feature Celtic carving (though the “Peasant Chair” has a distinctly Moravian flavor to all but the carved back). Both the “Celtic Love Spoon” and the “Peasant Chair” predate our digital files, […]The post A Couple of Celtic-influenced Projects appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 18-Mar-2017
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Quick, Dirty & Effective Trammel Points
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 When starting in woodworking I couldn't afford a good set of trammel points. I had my grandfather's set, but it didn't lock down well. Then one day woodworker Troy Sexton showed me how he drew large arcs and I realized that I already owned an effective trammel. Troy uses a yardstick (or meter stick if you are metric). Then he bores holes at all the locations where he wants to […]The post Quick, Dirty & Effective Trammel Points appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 17-Mar-2017
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Surviving U.S.-made Woodworking Clamps & Clamp Care
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 Responding to my post last week on the demise of woodworking clamps made in the U.S., a few readers pointed out that the well has not completely dried out. Yes, we have probably lost the big names in casting, forging and milling of clamps, but a few smaller manufacturers have survived, in addition to new makers who have released some interesting stuff in the last few years. Milwaukee Tool and […]The post Surviving U.S.-made Woodworking Clamps & Clamp Care appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 17-Mar-2017
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Book Giveaway: Simple & Stylish Woodworking
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 It's always fun to see the new books arrive. Popular Woodworking Books' latest release “Simple & Stylish Woodworking: 20 Projects for Your Home” officially releases in mid-April. It's a compilationof small projects that make great home accents. Selected from the archives of Popular Woodworking, these projects allow you to learn new skills and get in some practice on smaller scale builds before committing to a larger piece of furniture. The […]The post Book Giveaway: Simple & Stylish Woodworking appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 17-Mar-2017
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Failing Daily Since 1993
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 After the 2015 election, I did what every sane American did: I eliminated the annoying people from my social media feeds on both the left and the right who had become singularly obsessed with politics. And then I took another healthy step: I eliminated feeds from the fake perfectionists. Who are the fake perfectionists? You probably know them. They are the people who post beautiful photos of their work on […]The post Failing Daily Since 1993 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 17-Mar-2017
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Quick, Dirty & Effective Trammel Points
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When starting in woodworking I couldn't afford a good set of trammel points. I had my grandfather's set, but it didn't lock down well. Then one day woodworker Troy Sexton showed me how he drew large arcs and I realized that I already owned an effective trammel. Troy uses a yardstick (or meter stick if you are metric). Then he bores holes at all the locations where he wants to […]The post Quick, Dirty & Effective Trammel Points appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 16-Mar-2017
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'Popular Workbench Magazine'
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 “Popular Workbenches” is often suggested as a title revision for the magazine, given the number of workbench plans we've offered over the years. And it's true that we have published a generous number of them - but every one is different! And given that a worksurface of some kind is integral to any workshop, well, it's a perennially important topic. So in this post, just for fun (and to procrastinate […]The post 'Popular Workbench Magazine' appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 16-Mar-2017
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Creating in CAD: Variations on a Theme
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 Digital woodworking comes with a lot of moving parts: new hardware; new software; new methods and skills. But it's the machinery itself that gets most of the attention. CNCs, Laser Cutters and 3D printers are all impressive machines. Watching them work, and the resulting precision, is the main focus of this new way of woodworking. With all that amazing machinery magically moving around, it's easy to miss the most important […]The post Creating in CAD: Variations on a Theme appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:59pm on 14-Mar-2017
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Oil & Varnish: A Refresher
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 If you go back to the early issues of U.S. woodworking magazines in the 1970s and '80s and read about oil finishes, you'll come away confused. The more you read the more confused you'll become. I know this because I was there. The claims and explanations were all over the map. More often than not they were contradicting each other. The problem of course began with the manufacturers and their […]The post Oil & Varnish: A Refresher appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 12-Mar-2017
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Cheap & Easy Steam Box Setup
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 In the recent Don Weber “Build a Welsh Stick Chair class/video shoot, Don brought some pre-bent arms for us to use, simply to make things move along more quickly (filming a woodworking video is sometimes like filming a cooking show - some parts are prepped ahead of time). But he did bend a couple on camera, using a simple and inexpensive steam box setup, made with items you can easily […]The post Cheap & Easy Steam Box Setup appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 11-Mar-2017
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Laguna IQ CNC Review: Part Two
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 In Part One, I introduced the Laguna IQ 24″ x 36″ CNC. Below is Part Two of the video review. Conclusions I've had a Laguna IQ in the shop for a few weeks and put it to use on a variety of projects from part cutting to 3D carving. Like all the machines in this the class, I expected that the design, choice of components and solid construction would give […]The post Laguna IQ CNC Review: Part Two appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 10-Mar-2017
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Demise of U.S. Clamp Makers & A Defense of Hardware Hoarding
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 The topics of United States clamp manufacturing and hardware hoarding might seem unrelated, and many of you will certainly think that they deserve two separate entries. In this story, however, I will try to show you how they can be clamped together quite successfully. Recently I decided we needed to add a few more clamps to the woodworking program at school. I wish we could have bought some domestically made […]The post Demise of U.S. Clamp Makers & A Defense of Hardware Hoarding appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 09-Mar-2017
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Great Resource For Fasteners in the Greater Fall River, MA Area
For anyone who lives in the Providence, RI area, or more precisely, the greater Fall River, MA area, who is averse to ordering fasteners online, and having to wait, and pay those darn shipping charges, I have a recommendation for you... make your way over to Aquidneck Fasteners.
I can't say enough about them. They have fasteners of pretty much any size, shape, or specification, their counter staff is very knowledgeable, and their prices are great to boot.
Bottom line... you can't go wrong... you'll get what you're looking for... and you'll get it right away.
posted at: 11:07am on 08-Mar-2017
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Source For Lexan and Acrylic Glue (a.k.a. Solvent)
I wanted to incorporate bit guards and blade guards into the various jigs and fences I've been building lately, so I went to the orange big box DIY store the other day, and looked over their inventory of acrylic sheets and poly-carbonate sheets (sold as brand name Lexan.)
Just to clarify, acrylic is okay to use, and it's usually widely available in 1/4" thickness, but it's not shatter proof, so if you can get your hands on some 1/4" Lexan, you're MUCH better off. Lexan is a far superior guard material, because it is virtually shatter-proof, but it can be difficult to find in the 1/4" thickness.
There were plenty of smaller 2' x 4' acrylic pieces available, but the only Lexan they had was similar sized 1/8" pieces that seemed a bit too floppy.
And I cannot stress this enough, THEY DID NOT STOCK THE GLUE/SOLVENT MOST RECOMMENDED FOR CONNECTING TOGETHER PIECES OF ACRYLIC OR LEXAN (neither did the blue big box DIY store, by the way.)
So I picked up the acrylic (and no glue), but was determined to find a better source for both.
Later, I started Googling. What I found in almost every forum thread on the subject of plastic sheets and the glue to use with them, was that a person in the market for that stuff, should just Google "plastics retailers" or "plastics distributors", followed by "in the XXXX area", where "XXX" was the area where you live.
I gave it a try, and lo and behold, a ton of listings came up. I started calling them from nearest to furthest, and on about my fourth try (the first three didn't sell retail), I found what I would consider THE PERFECT SUPPLIER.
Their name is Laird Plastics. They have locations all over, and most of them have nice little retail shops right in the office end of their building. They not only had poly-carbonate sheets of pretty much any thickness, but the pleasant counter guy was happy to look out in the warehouse for a smaller cut-off at a discount, AND STOCKED NEATLY ON A SHELF, they had the Weldon #4 acrylic solvent that's most recommended (I bought the 4.5 ounce canister, but there were pints there too), along with the applicator bottle, and even different sizes of special purpose drill bits specifically for drilling plastic.
So if you're in the Providence, RI area, like me, they're located at 380 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, RI.
Maybe I'm too easily excited about this sort of thing, but I'm THRILLED to have a plastics supplier so close. Hope you'll be too.
posted at: 1:03am on 08-Mar-2017
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Laguna Tools IQ CNC Review: Part One
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 In Part One and Part Two of this series on small shop CNCs, I introduced machines in this group that are designed to perform well in home and small professional shops. What they have in common is the size range and their engineering, design, components, specifications and build. Now, it's time for a closer look at one of the machines and a review of the Laguna IQ. There's a lot […]The post Laguna Tools IQ CNC Review: Part One appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 08-Mar-2017
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Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event March 10-11, Greater Cincinnati
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 The Popular Woodworking team is looking forward to the end of this week - instead of reporting to the office for work on Friday morning, we'll be meeting bright and early at Braxton Brewing Co. to set up for the 2017 Greater Cincinnati Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event. I'll be there Saturday as well…but perhaps not bright nor early - but by 10 a.m. for sure! (That's when the doors open […]The post Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event March 10-11, Greater Cincinnati appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 07-Mar-2017
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Drill Bits for Chairs & Staked Furniture
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 Making large-diameter mortises for chairs or staked tables requires big drill bits and a way to drive them. Usually a drill press won't work because the workpiece is too large and the angles are too odd. So here are some bits that work - and some to avoid. To drive big bits (1-1/4 and bigger), you probably need a corded drill. I've tried using a brace, but that's a tall […]The post Drill Bits for Chairs & Staked Furniture appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:01am on 07-Mar-2017
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Brands of Dye Stain Differ
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 For my column in the current issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, April, 2017 (#231), I wrote about how brands of water-soluble dye stains sold to the woodworking community differ. One of the differences is the degree to which they can be redissolved and lightened by wiping over with a wet cloth. My point was that you can choose for the characteristics you want, and I included a picture that was […]The post Brands of Dye Stain Differ appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 04-Mar-2017
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Small Shop CNCs: Machines That Fit, Part 2
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 In Part One, I introduced a class of machines in this group of CNCs that fit and perform well in home and small professional shops. What they have in common is the 2' x 3' to 4' size range, engineering, design, specifications and build quality. Let's have a look at that list again. Axiom Precision Pro Series AR6 Pro 24 x 36 & AR8 Pro 24 x 48 Laguna Tools […]The post Small Shop CNCs: Machines That Fit, Part 2 appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:00am on 04-Mar-2017
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The One-stop Place for Saw Maintenance
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 When I was learning to sharpen and set saws in the 1990s, I was desperate for information. All I had was one modern book, a somewhat helpful video and the attempts I had made on my bargain basement saws. It was a slog. While today there is a lot more information available on saws and saw sharpening, much of it is conflicting and more complex than necessary. Sharpening a saw […]The post The One-stop Place for Saw Maintenance appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 03-Mar-2017
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Table Saw Blades that Make the Cut
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 In the video excerpt below, Doug Dale, instructor at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking, explains the three basic table saw blades - rip cut, crosscut and combination - and show you how each one makes the cut. And, he tells you the one he thinks should be in every shop. For more from Doug on proper and safe use of this machine, check out his “Power Tool Essentials: The […]The post Table Saw Blades that Make the Cut appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:02am on 03-Mar-2017
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'Water-white' - What That Means in Finishing
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 You may have come across the term water-white for describing finishes. It's a little confusing. It means a finish that is totally devoid of amber coloring in liquid form. The finish looks like water in the can. It doesn't look white. In practice, the term is used to describe a type of lacquer, and sometimes a catalyzed (conversion) varnish. But you should be aware that water-white doesn't necessarily mean non-yellowing. […]The post 'Water-white' - What That Means in Finishing appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.
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posted at: 12:04am on 01-Mar-2017
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