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Making Shop Tools and Accessories

Aside from jigs and fixtures, most tools are purchased commercially, not made from scratch in the shop. But making your tools is an option that shouldn't be ruled out.The Basics: • Handmade hand tools: Mainly for the fun of it. • Making power tools:
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  • How to Make a MalletHow to Make a Mallet

    by Michael Cullen

    Make a stout woodworking mallet with an oversize head. You'll use it for any number of tasks, from cleaning out a mortise or chopping dovetails to delicate detail ...

  • Foolproof Crosscut SledsEditors PickFoolproof Crosscut Sleds

    by Alan Turner

    The secret to precise, repeatable crosscuts on the tablesaw, the crosscut sled has always been a bit tricky to make. For starters, you need the runners to fit the ...

  • Soup Up Your Crosscut SledSoup Up Your Crosscut Sled

    by Steve Latta

    Crosscutting furniture parts to length seems like an easy job, but small inaccuracies can lead to complications like openings that aren’t square or joints that ...

  • Make Your Own HardwareMake Your Own Hardware

    by Bob Sanderson

    The perfect brass hardware for your handmade cabinet may not come from a hardware supplier. You can learn to make your own brass pulls, and you don't need expensive ...

  • Setting the Blade in a Wood PlaneVideo: Setting the Blade in a Wood Plane

    with David Finck

    A few light, well-placed taps with a hammer guarantee that a handmade plane will perform like a thoroughbred

  • Reseating a Socket Chisel HandleQ & A: Reseating a Socket Chisel Handle

    by Bob Smalser

  • Replacing Gouge HandlesQ & A: Replacing Gouge Handles

    by Frederick C. Wilbur

  • Antique Tools are Modern MadeVideo: Antique Tools are Modern Made

    with George D. Wilson

    Tool makers reproduce 18th century handsaws, plans, and marking tools for the historic trade shops at Colonial Williamsburg

  • A Shopmade Slicing GaugeQ & A: A Shopmade Slicing Gauge

    by Steve Latta

  • Get a Handle on Your ChiselsGet a Handle on Your Chisels

    by Bob Smalser

    There are premium chisels out there at flea markets, estate sales, and auctions--provided you know how to make your own handles. Bob Smalser demonstrates how to ...

  • Make a Chisel HandleMake a Chisel Handle

    by Bob Smalser

    Create a custom handle for your socket chisel in ten steps and practice basic hand tool use along the way

  • Build a Simple Crosscut Sled for the TablesawBuild a Simple Crosscut Sled for the Tablesaw

    by Gary Rogowski

    Woodworking goes better when angles are precise, true, and consistent. Gary Rogowski's tablesaw crosscut sled can help ensure this result. He uses the jig to produce ...

  • Woodworker's Guide to SteelWoodworker's Guide to Steel

    by George Walker

    The strength of steel and its ability to retain a sharp edge are largely dependent on its microstructure. Woodworking cutting tools present a special challenge, ...

  • Metalworking Skills Make You a Better WoodworkerMetalworking Skills Make You a Better Woodworker

    by Lon Schleining

    A good woodworker is often something of a metalworker, too. Lon Schleining shows how to use, adapt, modify or make tools so you’re less dependent on what’s available ...

  • Chisel Handles to OrderChisel Handles to Order

    by Mario Rodriguez

    Mario Rodriguez has an enormous variety of chisels -- all with matching handles. He makes his own handles from cutoff pieces from his scrap bin. That way, he can ...

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