NOTE: Portions of the information presented here may not apply to you, your tools or your situation. Consider the appropriateness of the information provided before applying it to your woodworking!

Also, see our Video Tutor Series

General Shop Tips

Auto-Centering Scribes
   A nice little home-made tool that works great!

Band Saw Blade Storage
   Simple enough I can do it!

Building Arched Panel Doors
It's not as tough as it looks.

Building a French Cleat
A simple and strong way to hang shop cabinets, and more.

Building Tongue & Groove Doors
Simple and versatile

Build & Use Clamping Cauls
The easy way to flat panel glue ups!

Check & Repair Your Framing Square
How dimples can fix a misalignment

Combination Squares

Corner Block/Brace

Cutting Accurate Bevels & Miters
Tools, Preparation and Technique are Crucial

Do You Use Push Sticks?

Drilling Adjustable Shelf Pin Holes
Simple process - simple tools

Fitting the Ill-Fitting.
   Those little sticky note pads come in handy!

Instruction Manuals
Keep 'em handy for when you forgot what you need to remember!

Making and Using Splines
Grain = Strength

Making a "Flat" on a Dowel
The key is in the holding.

Misaligned Biscuit Joints

Mortise & Tenon Joints Made Easy

Plugging Countersunk Screw Holes

Plugs On Demand

Reading Grain Orientation
Proper feed direction is important

Save Over $500 Per Year!
This time “screwing” up is a good thing

Setting Up a Mortising Machine
It's easy and saves money!

Stop Blocks
Repetitive Accuracy the Easy Way

Squaring Stock
It's all in the sequence

The Lowly Rasp
An old tool that deserves modern respect

Tuning Miter Slots
Tuning out tiny deviations for accuracy and safety

Using A Flush Trim Saw
The right tool & technique make it work (Includes video)

Using Shop Projects for On-The-Job Training
Gain valuable experience when outfitting your shop!

Using Wood Glues
It's a learned skill for most of us

Bandsaw

Bandsaw Circle Cutting Jig
Simple to build, huge capacity!

Coiling a Bandsaw Blade (Video included)
It's easy - once you see it!

Correcting Band Saw Blade Drift
Two wrongs can make a right - or straight

Resawing Basics
A little patience and practice yield great results!

Dados

Auto-Width Dado Jig
Never measure stock width again!

Build and Use a Router Dado Jig

How Do I Cut Dados?
There isn't one answer.

Making Stopped Dados
One cut from perfection

Setting Up & Using Stacked Dado Sets
Common sense and records save time and wood

Standardized Dados
Simple tools, simple procedure, less headaches!

General Shop Jigs

Handle Jig
A simple jig can save lots of frustration, and money.

Jointer

Buy a Jointer or Planer First?
Yes, there is an answer!

Hands Off Jointer Outfeed Tables!
How NOT to adjust yourself out of the ballpark

Jointer Basics
Making the best use of this age-old machine

Jointer Problems, Causes & Fixes
Straightening the frustrations of a "simple" machine!

My Jointer Cuts Tapers!
Of course it does, but it's not busted!

Preparing Wood for the Jointer
An extra cut can make the jointer faster and save wood!

Setting Straight Jointer Knives
We can do better than sticks

Measuring & Layout

Accuracy In Woodworking
"Close enough" isn't close enough anymore

Cut Lines
Little Errors = Big Problems

Make & Use Winding Sticks
A simple, shop-made twist detection tool

Laying Out An Arc
It's easier than you think

Metalworking

Check out our sister site - www.newmetalworker.com!

Planer

Buy a Jointer or Planer First?
Yes, there is an answer!

Controlling Planer Snipe
A little support is all it takes

Waxing Planer Tables
This might be the fix for what you think is feed roller trouble!

Router Tips

Building Arched Panel Doors
It's not as tough as it looks.

Building Raised Panel Doors
It's easier than you think.

Building Tongue & Groove Doors
Simple and versatile

Centering the Guide Collar/Baseplate
Bringing accuracy to your soon to be less frustrating shop

Climb Cutting
How to do what you shouldn't do in the first place.

Controlling Plunge Router Depth
Setting by example (with video)

The Depth of Dovetails
Getting proper fitting dovetails frustrating you? This might help.

Easy Hinge Mortising
A simple-to-make template assures perfect mortises

Feed Direction
A VERY easy-to-make mistake that can hurt you.

Installing a Router Lift or Plate
Accuracy is easier than you thought!

Jointing With A Router
A workable compromise

Making Inlays with a Router
They look tough, but are easier than you might think!

Perimeter Routing
Eye-pleasing decorations on the router table

Rabbeting and "Adjustable" Bits
A simple joint you will use forever

Router Bit Speeds
Maximum is not always optimum!

Routing Feet on Box Projects
Sitting flat when the surface isn't

Routing On the Edge
A very simple jig makes a very hard task very easy!

Setting Up Rail and Stile Router Bits
Finally, the mystery is broken! (For me anyway)

Setting Up Tongue & Groove Bits
Adjustability makes it easy & precise

Stuck Router Bits
Often, they are not stuck at all!

Tips - Porter Cable 693PK Router Set
Help with sticking bits and router motor in the plunge base.

Tips for Using the Leigh D4 Dovetail Jig
There aren't many, but they may be helpful!

Up Cut vs. Down Cut Spiral Bits
Choosing the right one

Using a Router Plate Starting Pin
Simple but effective safety device - includes video

Using Glue Line Bits
The REAL center is the key!

Using Router Guide Bushings
Simple devices that extend the routers capabilities.

Router Jigs

Auto-Width Dado Jig
Never measure stock width again!

Build and Use a Router Dado Jig
It's simple, and very effective!

Easy Hinge Mortising
A simple-to-make template assures perfect mortises

Table Saw Tips

Blade Height & Kickback
Cranking it up isn't the answer!

Build a Dial Indicator Jig
Low-buck way to precision

Build a Sacrificial Fence

Caring for Your Cast Iron Table

Cleaning Saw Blades
Save money and extend the life of your blades.

Contractor Saw Blade Alignment

Contractor's Table Saw Dust Collection
A big improvement for about $20.

Cutting Centered Grooves on the Table Saw
Its fast, accurate and safe

Cutting Opposing Tapers
Better than "almost" right!

Installing a Zero Clearance Insert
Do it right for safety and performance!

Making Table Saw Trivets

One Cut Miter Gauge Test
A fast way to check it for square

Powermatic PM2000 Belt Slippage
A simple fix for a stubborn bit of Internet hysteria

Stabilize Your Rip Fence

Squaring Your Radial Arm Saw Table

Squaring Your Miter Gauge Correctly
A very simple, very accurate way to get square cuts.

Table Saw Alignment
Use our shop-built dial indicator jig to check your saw!

Table Saw Basics - Part 1 Setup & Alignment
Preparing your saw correctly makes it safer and more efficient

Tuning Miter Slots
Tuning out tiny deviations for accuracy and safety

Using the Box Joint Jig
It's simple! I can do it.

Use a Combination Square to Set Blade Height
It's fast, easy and accurate!

Using Gauge Blocks
Simple, but safe!

Using a Taper Jig
A simple jig that produces great results

Using a Table Saw Jointing Jig

Zero Clearance Inserts & Factory Splitters
Yes, they can live together!

Table Saw Jigs

Build a Clamp-Free Gauge Block
NewWoodworker.com Custom Plan Set available

Build a Dial Indicator Jig
Keeping your table saw aligned is very important!

Build a Taper Jig
NewWoodworker.com Custom Plan Set available

Box Joint Jig
Ancient, Effective and Simple

Panel Raising Jig
Use this simple jig to raise panels on the table saw.

Rolling Shop Cabinet/Table Saw Extension
One cabinet - two purposes

Table Saw Miter Gauge Repeating Jig
Repeatable accuracy on your table saw

Table Saw Miter Sled
Accuracy made easy

Table Saw Cross Cutting Sled
A safe alternative

Table Saw Jointing Jig
You can have straight edges, too!