American Woodworker
 

Techniques

  • Super-Smooth Poly Finish

    by American Woodworker Editors     Thursday, September 10, 2009
    A Defect-Free, Even Finish with a Brush by Eric Smith Polyurethane is a tough, high-quality finish, ideal for tabletops and other surfaces that take a lot of abuse. But no matter how clean your finishing area or how good your brushing technique, a few...

  • Wedged Mortise & Tenon

    by American Woodworker Editors     Tuesday, September 8, 2009
    The joint will never loosen! by Tom Caspar Tap, tap, tap. The wedges go home, the glue squeezes out and a big smile lights up your face. “This joint isn’t coming apart for a hundred years,” you say. “It’s as solid as a rock...

  • Flattening Wide Boards

    by American Woodworker Editors     Tuesday, September 8, 2009
    You don’t need monster machinery to flatten monster boards. by Dave Munkittrick Big, wide boards make my heart race with anticipation. Panels and tabletops are so pleasing to look at when they’re made from a single board. Absent are jarring...

  • Goof-Proof Crown Molding

    by American Woodworker Editors     Wednesday, August 26, 2009
    By Tom Caspar Cutting perfect miters on crown molding can be a real challenge. Make a mistake and a lot of expensive wood goes to waste. This method, which uses a shop-made miter box, puts the molding in its “natural” position, the way it...

  • 10 Tricks for Tighter Joints

    by American Woodworker Editors     Wednesday, August 26, 2009
    Woodworking is sweet when everything fits right. Here are 10 ways to ensure your mortise-and-tenon, dado, dovetail and edge joints close up tightly. by Luke Hartle Cauls Distribute Pressure It’s not easy to get enough squeeze in the middle of a...

  • 3 Tapered Legs on the Jointer

    by American Woodworker Editors     Tuesday, August 25, 2009
    Advanced jointer techniques yield smooth, consistent tapers. By Seth Keller After I learned to cut tapered legs on the jointer, I never went back to my bandsaw or tablesaw. Legs cut on the jointer take less time and, best of all, require a whole lot less...

  • Outdoor Finishes

    by American Woodworker Editors     Tuesday, August 25, 2009
    Simple to Super Durable by Brad Holden Outdoor finishes have one thing in common; they all require maintenance. Of course, paint is unequaled at protecting the wood from its two biggest enemies: moisture and ultraviolet (UV) light. Moisture causes the...

  • Glass for Woodworking

    by American Woodworker Editors     Tuesday, August 18, 2009
    by Brad Holden Once you delve into the world of glass, you may find there’s no turning back. Glass is a versatile material. When you want to display a cabinet’s contents, a glass door panel lets your favorite china, glassware or collectables...

  • Master Your Mortiser

    by American Woodworker Editors     Wednesday, August 12, 2009
    Shop-tested techniques guarantee great results by George Vondriska The first time I used my benchtop mortiser was almost my last. It was tedious to set up, difficult to operate and my results stunk. But now the mortiser is my first choice whenever I have...

  • Tips for Repairing Finishes

    by American Woodworker Editors     Monday, August 10, 2009
    Rescue battle-scarred finishes with ordinary materials by Bob Flexner Revive A Dull Finish All finishes dull as they age, but you can usually bring back their shine. The easiest way is to apply paste wax. If the dulling has progressed too far, however...

  • Frameless Cabinet Joinery

    by American Woodworker Editors     Wednesday, July 8, 2009
    By Dave Munkittrick I’ve always liked the clean, modern look of cabinets built without face frames. My early attempts involved building plywood boxes first and applying hardwood edging later. But cutting, fitting, gluing and clamping each edging...

  • 11 Tips for Dadoes & Rabbets

    by American Woodworker Editors     Wednesday, July 8, 2009
    Perfect Dadoes Without the Guesswork By George Vondriska Dadoes and rabbets are two of the most widely used joints in cabinetmaking. Cabinets, drawers and jewelry boxes all lend themselves to this simple but strong joinery. I’ve been woodworking...

  • Tablesaw Tips Videos

    by Tim Johnson     Monday, February 23, 2009
    "Just Right" Tablesaw Blade Tightening (1:56) Squaring a Tablesaw Blade (1:35) Dead-on Dado Shimming (2:35) Precise Tablesaw Fence Alignment (1:50) Friction-Free Saw Table (2:25)

  • Mortising on the Drill Press

    by Tom Caspar     Friday, February 20, 2009
    Even though they're sexy, benchtop mortising machines aren't the only power-tool option when it comes to cutting square-shouldered mortises. A drill-press mortising attachment can be just as effective and it costs a lot less: $30 to $80 instead...

  • Super-Tune Your Tools with a Dial Indicator

    by AW-Editor     Monday, September 15, 2008
    Machinists use a simple measuring device called a dial indicator for setting up metalworking equipment. It works great in the woodshop, too, though for woodworking, you don't need a real fancy model. I found a perfectly adequate dial indicator, complete...
 

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