American Woodworker
 

Techniques
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  • Tips for Mastering Featherboards

    by AW-Editor     Monday, September 15, 2008
    The featherboard gets its name from the rows of flexible “fingers” that act like a bird's feather and give way in one direction only. They help ensure safety and accuracy, because they keep consistent pressure on stock where it's needed...

  • 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)

  • Tame Your Belt Sander

    by Tom Caspar     Sunday, February 22, 2009
    Does the prospect of using a belt sander make your palms sweat and your hands shake? I feel your pain. Belt sanders have a bad rap as the quickest way to ruin a project. Use them incorrectly and your project starts to look like the rolling hills of Ireland...

  • Cathedral Style Cabinet Doors

    by Tim Johnson     Sunday, February 22, 2009
    Cathedral raised-panel doors are beautiful, but they can be intimidating to make. After many years of teaching students how to make these doors, I've got a trick or two up my sleeve to simplify the process and remove some of the fear factor. Here's...

  • Elegant Table Top Fasteners

    by Tim Johnson     Wednesday, February 25, 2009
    On my best work, I want the bottom of my project to look as good as the top. That's when I make an old-fashioned set of wooden tabletop fasteners, or "buttons," rather than use the modern stamped-steel type. A button allows a solid-wood...

  • 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...

  • Bandsaw Resawing

    by AW-Editor     Thursday, January 29, 2009
    Cut logs onto lumber, make thin boards from thick and cut your own veneer. Perhaps you want to cut 3/4-in.-thick material down to 3/8 in., or make veneer from that one precious figured board. Or maybe you want to get useful lumber from a gorgeous piece...

  • Tips For Building Cabinets With Pocket-Hole Joinery

    by AW-Editor     Thursday, January 29, 2009
    Many production shops use pocket-hole joinery to build cabinets because it's fast, easy and efficient. You don't need an armload of pipe clamps. There are no unsightly face-frame nail holes to fill. And you don't have to wait for glue to dry...

  • World’s Best Routing Guide

    by AW-Editor     Friday, September 19, 2008
    This simple guide guarantees success whenever you need to make a straight routing pass. It's perfect for jointing a long edge or routing dadoes and grooves. You'll get smooth, chatter-free results, thanks to the guide's firm support fence...

  • 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...

  • Perfect Edge Joints

    by Tom Caspar     Sunday, February 22, 2009
    Jointers are simple machines with few moving parts, but the two beds, the fence and the cutterhead all have to be in alignment for a jointer to function properly. Few things are more frustrating or more common than problems with jointers. This is especially...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Bandsawing Inside Curves

    by Tim Johnson     Tuesday, February 24, 2009
    This is a useful trick when bandsawing inside curves. It requires no marking and no special jig. First I cut a shallow slot in a piece of scrap and attach it to the bandsaw fence, as shown. The radius of the cut, “R,” is the same as the distance...

  • How to Hang Inset Doors

    by American Woodworker Editors     Wednesday, October 14, 2009
    Install butt hinges perfectly and establish consistent, slender margins. by Tim Johnson Nothing signals skillful craftsmanship like an inset door with elegant hinges and eye-pleasing margins. This challenging job leaves no room for error: Uneven surfaces...
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