Woodsmith Shop

When crosscutting on the table saw, sometimes you have to break the rules. Find out why sometimes it pays to measure once and cut twice! Also learn how to make an auxiliary fence and a sled and adjust your saw for clean, square cuts.

There's a certain satisfaction in taking your lumber from a rough state to a completed project. In this episode you'll learn about buying lumber, how to square it up, and glue it into panels.

If you know how to tune it up and use it, the band saw is one of the most versatile and creative machines you can have in a woodshop. Follow along as you'll find the logical steps in tuning up and using a band saw for techniques such as cutting curves and circles, as well as resawing.

Whether it's for a picture frame or a furniture project, a basic miter can be one of the trickiest joints to make accurately. In this episode, you'll learn a step-by-step approach to setting up the table saw for cutting perfect miter joints as well as some special store-bought and shop-built accessories for mitering.

Once you have a table saw in your shop, adding accessories will make your work more accurate — and safer. Eavesdrop in as four of the Woodsmith magazine editors get together around the bench to pick (and demonstrate!) their top five (plus a few more) table saw accessories.

Woodworkers love to check out the drawers in a piece of furniture — how they're made, how they're mounted, and if they fit accurately in the openings. Learn the correct joints to use when designing and building drawers and some shop tips for working with drawer guides, slides, and hardware.

For some woodworking tasks, hand tools are better than machine tools. In this episode you'll meet a remarkable craftsman who uses nothing but hand tools and then learn some tips and techniques from the Woodsmith magazine editors on sharpening and using hand planes, scrapers, and chisels.

One of the classic woodworking joints is the mortise and tenon. It's a joint that's very strong, but usually hidden inside the wood. Learn how to cut a mortise and tenon with a drill press and a table saw, what to look for in buying a mortiser, and how to fix a joint that's too loose.

Discover what the Woodsmith magazine editors think is important to consider when buying or building a router table. Then pick up some tips for using a router table safely, building some accessories for a router table, and making your own moldings.

Whether you have a big space or just a corner of the basement or garage, setting up a woodworking shop can be a rewarding experience. Listen in as the Woodsmith magazine editors pick their favorite stationary power tools for a shop. Then learn about an interactive program that will help you lay out the tools in your shop. There will also be a discussion of mobile bases and dust collection strategies.

Choosing the correct joint to strengthen a project is usually critical. But it doesn't have to be difficult. In this episode, you'll learn about three quick and easy joints and the advantages of each.