Around the Woodshop Archives

BAILEY LINE LIFE EP. 7: Making Wooden Wedges, Manual Skills Decline & Great Old Tools

In this week’s episode, watch . . . a simple and effective way to make your own construction wedges; a rant about the sorry state of manual common sense in the world; a tour of some old tools and a century-old metal name stamp

STRIPPING WIRE: Simple Tools That Make the Job Easy

Success in the workshop comes down to a bunch of skills – many of them small – that let you make good things happen. In today’s video I show the different options for stripping wire. This video is part of […]

BAILEY LINE LIFE EP. 4: Power Hacksaw, Chopsaw Station, Tapping Threads in Steel & More

29Dec2018: Watch this week’s episode#4 of Bailey Line Life and see: a power hacksaw in action a clever leather work project drilling and tapping a hole in steel the easy way propane torch and wintertime shot put action Click below […]

GAP-FREE WOODWORKING JOINTS: Simple Trick Makes It Easy

Sometimes a little woodworking trick can deliver a lot of value. That’s the case with an operation called “kerfing”. Click below to watch how I use kerfing to tighten up a visible joint that’s got more of a gap than […]

SHOP-CUT VENEER: How & Why I Like This Woodworking Technique

Sometimes the stability and strength of hardwood veneered sheet goods is perfect for a particular project, but they don’t make veneered plywood in the species you need. Or maybe you’re leery about using ready-made veneered ply where the veneer is […]

EDGE-GLUING SOLID WOOD: Three steps for success in the home workshop

Gluing boards edge-to-edge to make wider pieces is an essential woodworking skill. Learn these three tips for getting this job done right.

RAISED PANELS, HAND-PLANED: Make Solid Wood Panels Without a Router

Woodworking machines are great, but there’s more of a place for hand tools than many people think. Click below to watch how I refine the bevel on the edge of raised door panels using a sharp hand plane. The results […]

DETAIL SANDERS: Tips for Using This Key Tool for Outdoor Wood Refinishing

Summer is the season you’re most likely to refinish outdoor trim, door frames, window sashes and finickity woodwork of all kinds, and detail sanders are tools I’ve come to rely on for this kind of work. Also called multitools these days because they can also cut and grind, detail sanders are not for stripping back large expanses of bare wood.

Q&A: How Can I Dispose of Shavings From My Planer?

Q: I recently bought a benchtop wood planer and have been happily generating bags and bags of sawdust in my workshop. Trouble is, I just found out that my municipality doesn’t accept sawdust as garbage. How can I dispose of […]

CLASSIC KITCHEN CABINETS: Learn How To Build Your Own

If you’re interested in saving tons of money building great kitchen cabinets, built-ins or a bathroom vanity, all while working in your garage or basement, then I’ve got some specific things to show you. In fact, I’ve already started showing people how to build cabinets like the ones you see here.