Projects

Someone asked me at a craft fair what kind of woodworker I was. I stumbled through an answer about furniture and cabinets, but the question...

My first real workshop was a disaster. Crammed every tool I owned into a one-car garage, couldn’t move without bumping into something, and spent more...

The workshop you’re imagining probably needs more space than you think. That two-car garage conversion that seems generous on paper starts feeling cramped the moment...

Tool maintenance has gotten pushed to the back burner in most shops — there’s always a project that feels more urgent than cleaning blades and...

Shop maintenance has gotten deferred on every bench I’ve ever worked at — including my own. There’s always a project that feels more important than...

Compressed air systems have gotten installed as afterthoughts in most home shops — whatever compressor fit the corner, whatever hose reached the work area. As...

Shop electrical has gotten treated as an afterthought by most hobbyists — a few outlets tapped off the house circuits, maybe an extension cord or...

Harbor Freight belt sanders have gotten mixed reviews from people who either expect too much or judge them too harshly for what they cost. I...

Quick tip that saved me an hour of sanding yesterday – blue painter’s tape on plywood before crosscuts. Run tape along your cut line on...

Just finished testing polyurethane dry times across different conditions. Here’s what I found in my unheated garage during winter. At 45°F, Minwax Fast-Drying Poly took...