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Edition #245.1

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Edition #245.1

Designer's Notebook

Bookstand

Following after the Arts & Crafts movement, the Art Nouveau style added curves and details that give it a unique look. Creative director Chris Fitch designed this bookstand to introduce the style. You can see the family resemblance. The stand is also a great storage and display piece for special books or can even work as a stand-up desk.

Shop Tip

Scraper Sharpening

Card scraper work like magic to smooth hard to tame surfaces. The secret is a sharp, square edge. This simple guide eases the process and gets you back to sharp in no time.

Edition #245.2

Designer's Notebook

All-In-One Workstation

Designer John Doyle wanted to create a small shop workhorse. The result is a rolling, self-contained workshop. It has space for a compact table saw, a router table, and a thickness planer. When you consider the outfeed surface, and all the storage inside, this cart is a rolling workshop.

Shop Tip

Shop-Made Toggle Clamp

Toggle clamps come in handy for securing a workpiece to a jig, sled, or tool table (like a drill press). They can be expensive. So one reader decided to make one for himself from wood. The result is a fun exercise in precision woodworking and a practical addition to the shop.

Edition #245.3

Designer's Notebook

Steam Locomotive

Creative director Chris Fitch has a thing for trains — especially vintage steam locomotives. So for his latest project, he took inspiration from New York Central's famed 20th Century Limited. Find out how he created a model and creating details that don't bog you down.

Working With Tools

Lumber Scale

Buying boards for your project requires you to calculate the board feet — the volume of the lumber. Sure you can do that with a calculator or even your phone. Before smartphones and handheld calculators, folk used lumber scales. Phil Huber shows how to use one.

Shop Tip

Shop-Made Panel Clamp

Gluing up small panels requires a handful of clamps. If your other clamps are tied up — or you run short, consider making your own. These are inspired by the clamps used for making guitars and other string instruments.

Edition #245.4

Designer's Notebook

Shaker Boxes

Designer Dillon Baker admired the simplicity and function of oval Shaker boxes. So he took the basic design and added his own touch. Learn what it takes and what you need to know to make a set yourself.

Shop Tip

Table Saw Blade Storage Cabinet

Blades, push sticks, insert plates, ... a table saw requires a lot of gear to make it work its best. This compact wall rack holds a lot, yet doesn't take up much space. Now you can keep your gear within easy reach.

Edition #245.5

Designer's Notebook

Pharmacy Cabinet

Metal and glass cabinets served a practical and stylish need in medical offices in the first half of the 20th century. They're just as handy in homes and apartments today. Designer Dillon Baker took inspiration from those cabinets and applied it to one you can build with simple techniques and low-cost materials.

Woodworking Technique

Making Curved Legs

Creating flared legs seems like a high bar to cross because finding thick stock can be difficult, not to mention expensive considering most of the material ends up getting cut away. Here's a solution for creating two styles of leg that won't break the bank and offer a creative solution for any shop.

Shop Tip

Clamping Platform

Even on small projects, getting clamps set just right can feel like a juggling act. Here's a solution that reduces the stress of glueups.

Edition #245.6

Woodworking Technique

Recess in Bookstand Drawer

A Woodsmith bookstand was built in the Art Nouveau style. One of the details is a recessed detail formed on the drawer front. Shop Craftsman Marc Hopkins demonstrates how to create this look with a handheld router. You're sure to find other uses for this technique.

Shop Tip

Dado Jig Label

Shop-built guides offer accuracy and versatility at a price that's hard to beat. The thing is some jigs and guides are custom-fitted to specific setups. Here's one way to makes sure you avoid mixups.

Edition #245.7

Working With Tools

Setup Blocks

While most of us keep a ruler handy for measuring and tool setups, there are other options to choose from. Setup blocks can provide a solid reference point for fences, bits, and stops. A physical registration point eliminates the "eyeballing" necessary with some measuring tasks.

Router Workshop

Using Straightedge Guides

Self-clamping straightedges offer a low-profile way to guide a variety of power tools. Where they really shine is guiding a handheld router for accurate cuts. Learn a few ways to make your work with this accessory faster and more accurate.

Shop Tip

Rotating Table Latch

A lazy Susan bearing can come in handy for organizing supplies in cabinets. But it can also help you save space on your benchtop. Using a fun shop-made latch, this tool organizer allows you to use two benchtop tools with ease.

Edition #245.8

Great Gear

Lumber Bucket Supplies

There's more to buying wood for your next project than jumping in the car and heading to the lumberyard. You need to plan ahead for getting those boards and plywood sheets safely back to your shop. Logan and Phil reveal the tools and equipment they keep on hand.

Shop Tip

Sticky Screws

Installing hardware in a deep recess usually means dropping a screw or two and having to fish it out. Take a look at these two solutions to prevent that from happening in the first place.