#216–Tools & Shops 2011

Articles

• 
  Tool Test: Step Up to a Serious Bandsaw

  A powerful, solid saw with big cutting capacity is more affordable than ever
• 
  The North Bennet Street Toolbox Project Plan

  Learn what the students learn as you build a handsome home for your hand-tool collection.
• 
  Space-Saving Router Table

  It’s the old tablesaw extension trick, but done right this time
• 
  Cutting-Edge First Aid

  ER doctor: Throw away your old kit and forget what you’ve been told
• 
  How Many Routers Does Your Shop Need?

  For most people, the answer is three
• 
  How to Rebuild a Used Stanley Plane

  How to transform a bargain-basement handplane into a top performer.
• 
  Treat Your Feet

  Anti-fatigue mats are an affordable cure for concrete floors
• 
  A Drill Press Will Make You a Better Woodworker

  A handheld drill can’t match its power and accuracy.
• 
  Think Your Shop is Small? Think again

  Space comes at a premium on the island of Cyprus, where woodworker Stelios Stavrinides lives. So he designed a movable shop that fits in a 5-ft. by 5-ft. storage room…
• 
  Use a Bottom-Bearing Bit for Template Routing

  Q: I use a top-bearing, flush-trimming bit for template routing, but it keeps digging into the workpiece. What can I do to prevent this? Ron Edwards, Santa Monica, CA A:…
• 
  Smoothing Plane is First Choice for Gnarly Grain

  Q: I have some figured hardwood that I’m having trouble planing with my No. 4 smoother. Would I be better off using a scraper plane? Allen Winston, Kennewick, WA A:…
• 
  Moisture Meter Tells When Lumber Can Be Used

  Q: How do I know if the kiln-dried lumber I order from out of state needs to acclimate to my shop before use? Joseph Zeh, Worthington, MA A: First, you…
• 
  Flatten an Oilstone to Clean It

  Q: My oilstones no longer sharpen as effectively as they once did, and seem to be clogged. How can I rejuvenate them? Bill Plantz, Westlake, OH A: Eventually, all oilstones…
• 
  For Veneering, MDF is Better Than Plywood

  Q: Following Thomas Schrunk’s advice on shopmade veneers (Q&A: When is Veneer Too Thick?, FWW #210), I am making a table with a veneer top. What’s the best material for…
• 
  The Woodwright's Favorite Tools

  Roy Underhill chooses his favorites from his big, quirky collection of hand tools.
• 
  An A+ tool chest

  Trevor Hadden’s apprenticeship with Michael Cullen not only yielded the woodworking knowledge and skills Hadden needed to go it on his own, but it also culminated in the Arts and…

Online Extras

• 
  Build a Shaker Lap Desk - Part I

  In this three-part series, learn how to build a beautiful Shaker lap desk tailor-made for today's laptop computers.
• 
  Build a Shaker Lap Desk - Part II

  Learn how to construct a delicate inkwell drawer in part II of the modern Shaker Lap Desk.
• 
  Build a Shaker Lap Desk - Part III

  In the final installment of the Shaker Lap Desk series, learn how to build delicate breadboard ends.