Edition #248.1

Designer's Notebook

Miter Saw Station

A couple of sheets of plywood, a day or two in the shop, and a little bit of hardware are all that's needed to build this miter saw station. Its folding wings add support for long workpieces, and the storage under the saw is the perfect spot to add a shop vacuum for dust collection.

Woodworking Technique

Drill Press Sharpener

Your drill press might not be the first thing you think of when you want to sharpen your chisels or hand plane irons. With this jig, however, sharpening just got a whole lot easier. Use the power of your drill press and this shop-made sharpening station to get a razor-sharp edge every time.

Shop Tip

Small Parts Ripping Sled

Table saw sleds are great for cross-cutting. With this quick and easy add-on, the same sled you use to cross-cut can be used to easily rip small, thin pieces to width. All you need to do is add a couple of T-tracks to your sled to attach it to, and you're off to the races.

Designer's Notebook

Carving Board

A cutting board seems to be one of those woodworking milestones. Heck, there are groups that only build cutting boards. This cutting board is a little bit different, however. It features a stepped juice groove that directs juices away from the food, and the design looks great as it does it.

Shop Tip

Outfeed Support

Working with long lumber can be a headache. But, a couple of roller stands make this task a whole lot easier. Sure, you could go buy a couple from the store. But what can beat the sense of accomplishment building your own? This design uses a little bit of plywood and some PVC to create fully adjustable roller support.

Woodworking Technique

Woodsmith Scraper Sharpening

A card scraper is the perfect tool to tackle nasty grain. Plus, the whispy shavings it produces allow you to start sanding a fine grit. When the scraper is dull, however, it will create dust and not perform very well. Never fear - getting a razor edge on your card scraper is simple when you use a card scraper sharpening jig.

Woodworking Technique

Mortises with a Horizontal Router

Routing mortises is something we do a lot in our shop. But, balancing a router on the edge of a rail or stile, for example, can be hard. But, what if you hold your router horizontal? Then making the mortises becomes easy. This jig allows you to turn your router into a slot-mortising machine and knock out mortises with ease.

Shop Tip

Flattening a Stool

One of the final steps in building a stool or a chair is to level the legs. This allows the chair to sit level on the floor and not rock when you set down. Chris shows a simple tip to get perfectly level chair legs. It doesn't take much - just your workbench and a little bit of sandpaper.

Designer's Notebook

Farmhouse Table

This farmhouse table is saturated with history. The design takes inspiration from traditional timber-framing and it gives the table a beautiful presence. That's not to mention the material. Would you believe that this stock is reclaimed from a corn crib that was over 100 years old? We've kept some of the weathered surfaces for some old-world charm.

Shop Tip

Micro Adjust Router Fence

My favorite router table fence is one that clamps on to the router tabletop. To micro adjust it, I use my persuader (also known as a dead-blow mallet). However, it always seems that I go one tap too far when trying to dial in an adjustment. This reader tip shows an easy way to add some precision adjustments to your router table fence.

Designer's Notebook

Turntable Console

In recent years, vinyl records have made a comeback. And let's be honest. There's something about the sound that's hard to replicate. So, Dillon Baker designed this console to hold your vinyl record player, a set of speakers, along with some storage for your favorite vinyl.

Shop Project

Woodworking Drill Press Table

Part 1: Drill Press Table - Overview

The cast-iron surface of most drill presses is great for metalworking. Not so great for woodworking, however. I've found that you'll generally want a little bit better surface to work on. Plus, some handy features, such as a fence and storage are always welcome. This drill press table packs all of these into one good-looking package. Step-by-step plans for this Woodworking Drill Press Table are available at WoodsmithPlans.com.

Shop Tip

Dust-Free Bins

Plastic hardware bins are a mainstay of almost every shop. They're cheap and just plain convenient. The problem in my shop is that they often get filled with dust (especially if they sit near the router table). Here, Logan shares a simple tip to separate the dust from the hardware inside the bins.

Shop Project

Woodworking Drill Press Table

Part 2: Drill Press Table - Making The Surface

John starts building the drill press table featured in last week's Video Edition. The construction starts by building the worksurface. It features slots for clamps, t-track for accessories, and a replaceable insert. The best feature might be the black laminate that will keep the table looking great for years.

Shop Tip

Marking Clamps

Have you ever reached for a clamp (usually in the middle of a glue-up) only to find that the clamp just isn't large enough? Logan shares a great reader's tip that will ensure that you're never stuck in that situation again. It takes just a couple of minutes and a black permanent marker!

Shop Project

Woodworking Drill Press Table

Part 3: Drill Press Table - Making The Fence

A quality fence is a cornerstone of a good drill press table. And, after building our table in last weeks video, John is ready to start on the fence for this table. It's designed to ride in the T-track in the table surface, and has its own T-track for different accessories.

Shop Project

Turning a Tool Handle

Vintage chisels often have some of the best steel. The handles can use a little help most of the time, however. Phil has a set of chisels that his wife got him as a wedding present, and they're ready for a facelift! Phil tries his hand at turning a new set of handles.

Shop Tip

Brush Saver

When applying finish to a project, you're often applying multiple coats. And it seems like a waste to throw out a brush after just one use when you're only going to use another one in a couple of hours. Phil shares this easy tip on how to keep your brushes from drying out before the next time you need it.

Shop Project

Woodworking Drill Press Table

Part 4: Drill Press Table - Making The Storage Drawer

John wraps up the drill press table by adding a little storage! The drawer located under the table is the perfect spot to keep all your most-used accessories. Ours is loaded with drill bits, inserts, and a chuck key!

Shop Tip

Bit of Sanding

Getting the perfect radius sanding block always seems to be a struggle. But, by wrapping a drill bit with a piece of sandpaper, you can often find the perfect size for the job. The best part of all? Your current drill bit collection will probably cover all the sizes that you need, and they are already in your shop!