Hand Tools

How to sharpen an adze

January 19, 2021

Using a bench grinder and a steady hand, Dave Fisher explains how to tune-up an adze–whether its an antique or a new model with sub-par bevels.
The one power tool every hand-tool woodworker needs

January 7, 2021

A 14-in. bandsaw saves you a lot of time and sweat, letting you reserve hand tools for the fun stuff.
Handplaning with precision

December 22, 2020

Bob Van Dyke uses his smoothing plane for more than just smoothing.
An (almost) foolproof method for hand-cut dadoes

December 1, 2020

A straight piece of scrap, a backsaw or handsaw, and you'll be cutting straight dadoes in no time.
We’ve got a plane down!

November 24, 2020

Vic Tesolin weighs in on the never-ending debate about which way is the 'proper' way to put your plane to rest.
Twenty years with a tool chest

November 11, 2020

Chris Schwarz has worked out of his tool chests for decades, and finds them to be the perfect combination of protection, access, and flexibility.
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Shoulder plane setup and use

November 2, 2020

Bob Van Dyke demonstrates how to properly use a shoulder plane: checking for square, honing the blade, inserting and adjusting the blade, and using the plane to adjust tenons, clean up rabbets, and refine moldings, among other tasks.
Video: How to Use a Spoon Mule for Greenwood Carving

October 30, 2020

If you're on the fence about whether you should add a mule to your split-rail shaving horse, watch just how well one works.
Video: Tune your tenons with a rabbet plane

October 29, 2020

While Mike Pekovich prefers a large shoulder plane to tune his joinery, he shows how the process can easily be done with a much more affordable vintage rabbet plane like the Stanley #78.
Hand-tool buyer’s guide

October 28, 2020

From combination squares to handsaws to bench chisels and waterstones, we survey the hand tools that got the best reviews in head-to-head tests over the past 20 years. Use these to compile your tool kit, and you won't go wrong.

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