Edition #255.1

Shop Project

Revolving Tool Cabinet: Building the Base

John starts his build of the space-saving Revolving Tool Station by breaking down sheet goods and constructing the base cabinet that includes clever shop-made leveling feet.

Furniture Project

Chest On Stand

In a recent season of the Woodsmith Shop, the guys built 3 different storage chests - each of their own design. Phil wanted to up his game, so he decided to build this stand to level-up his craftsman-style chest.

Shop Tip

Mortising Machine Story Stick

Setting up a mortising machine to create mortises can sometimes be tricky. There’s a handful of adjustments that you need to make, and if you have to recreate a setup, it can be difficult getting it back to where it was. My solution is to make a template that acts as a story stick.

Shop Project

Revolving Tool Cabinet: Building the Carousel

John continues his build of the Revolving Tool Station, by using a router trammel to cut out some circles for the tool carousel on top and a lazy susan for storage underneath.

Woodworking Technique

Cutting a Bowl Blank

Logan shows how he cuts a bowl blank from a hackberry log, and then after doing a little experimenting with spalting, he uses it to rough-turn a bowl.

Router Workshop

Mortising Machine Showdown

Chris Fitch has designed a lot of useful shop-built machines over the years, and in this video we take a closer look at two of his mortising machines... the Router Mortising Machine and his most recent creation, the Horizontal Mortising Machine. He compares and contrasts some of the features, and you decide which one comes out on top.

Shop Project

Revolving Tool Cabinet: Building the Drawers

John concludes his build of the Revolving Tool Station by adding some easy-to-build drawers in the top carousel to keep tools and accessories tucked away but close-at-hand.

Designer's Notebook

Sewing Table

The original cabinet that inspired the one you see here came from the Shaker colony that once thrived in Hancock, Massachusetts. This piece of furniture was built for corralling sewing tools and supplies, but it can serve other needs in your modern house as well.

Woodworking Technique

Making a Jam Chuck for the Lathe

There are times when you are turning on a lathe that you need to create your own unique way to hold workpieces. In this video, Logan addresses one solution by creating a jam chuck.

Designer's Notebook

Bathroom Organizer

Project Designer, Dillon Baker, gives us a closer look at his Mobile Bathroom Organizer from a recent issue of Woodsmith Magazine. This little bathroom cart is the perfect solution to any area that needs a little extra storage. The stainless steel accents add a modern twist to the overall design.

Woodworking Technique

Pawn Shop

The last piece (pun intended) of building our chess set is to make the turned game pieces. Here’s a few tips with each piece. The pawns are the trickiest to turn, because of the oblong shape. In this video, Marc takes you step-by-step through the process of creating these unique game pieces.

Designer's Notebook

Chess Set

Pull up a seat, put on your thinking cap, and start the timer. This modern, elegant chess set, designed by Chris Fitch, is the perfect way to hone your mind, and your woodworking skills.

Shop Tip

Easy-Access Strop

I often use hold-downs in my work. However, using a hold down with softer woods can often leave dents in the workpiece. When chopping dovetails, I've found that my leather strop was the perfect cushion to my holdfast. It keeps the workpiece from getting dented, and also keeps the strop close at hand. That way, while I work, I can quickly touch up my chisels while keeping my work protected.

Woodworking Technique

Sharpening A Crooked Knife

It's pretty obvious that a sharp tool works best when carving wood, but what might be less obvious is how to sharpen the curved blades on these crooked knives. Chris Fitch, has a few tips and tricks to sharpen a curved blade in this video.

Designer's Notebook

Crooked Knife

Take a look at Chris Fitch's latest shop-made tools... these crooked knives! Inspired by traditional styles, these unique knives offer a sweet addition to your carving kit.

Shop Project

Shaker Workbench

Part 1: Shaker Workbench: Constructing the Base

Come along on Phil's journey to build a new workbench for his own shop. He's kicking off this adventure by building a sturdy cabinet base.

Designer's Notebook

Youth Armoire

Take a look inside project designer, Dillon Baker's, ageless armoire. This whimsical wardrobe’s youthful vibe is just a front. Underneath the young, perennially optimistic look is a cabinet that mellows with age.

Shop Tip

Mark Your Pads

I kept losing the grit chart that came with my Micro Mesh sanding pads, so instead of relying on the chart to <br />match the color to the grit, I've started to mark the grit with a fine-tipped marker on the edge of the sanding pads. It's an easier way to quickly see what grit the pad is.

Router Workshop

Circle-Cutting Jig

One of the most common things I need when building templates for my projects are circles of various sizes. It may surprise people, but making circles is easily done with the this setup I built for the router table. The jig is made of plywood and sized to fit your particular router table. A piece of aluminum has a series of holes sized to fit a pin. The pin becomes a pivot point for your workpiece. A pair of cleats on the ends of the base keep it from sliding side-to-side.

Shop Project

Shaker Workbench

Part 2: Shaker Workbench: Constructing the Drawer Case

Phil is continuing with his workbench build by adding the drawer case to the cabinet base. This case will house a set of drawers that will keep his tools tucked away and dust-free but organized and close-at-hand.