Author name: Enthusiast

I travel a lot. Between trips to see my family a few hours away or taking a boat out in whichever lake is calling my name, I don’t spend many weekends at home. That’s OK with me, but all of the travel brings inevitable roadside breakdowns. My father did his best – and still does his best – to teach me everything he can to avoid roadside disasters. Mike Russelburg is […]

The post Traveling Disaster Tool Chest appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

A few weeks ago I made a post about the new Maslow CNC. In case you missed it, the two things that make it remarkable are the design (vertical and compact) and the price of just $500. It comes in kit form and its actually costs only $350 if you include some of your own plywood and 2-by material. As a reminder, the Maslow is not meant to be a […]

The post Checking Out the Maslow CNC appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Getting all four feet of a chair or table in the same plane can be a challenge. What makes the task more difficult is that it can be difficult to figure out when you are done with the job of leveling the feet. After all, your shop floor, your workbench or your table saw are unlikely to be truly flat. What do you do? (Besides buying shag carpet for every […]

The post Get Four Feet Flat on the Floor appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

Jim Tolpin just let me know that the Port Townsend School of Woodworking, located at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, Wash., is looking for a new executive director (Tim Lawson, who has held the post for 8 years, is “retiring” to concentrate on making studio furniture.). I’ve never been to Port Townsend, but wow does it look gorgeous, and I’ve listened to Christopher Schwarz rhapsodize time and again […]

The post Exec. Dir. Job at Port Townsend School of Woodworking (Awfully Tempting) appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

We’re always looking for ways to improve the grip of the vises on our workbenches. During the last decade I’ve discussed how to use suede or adhesive-backed cork to improve a vise’s gripping power. Benchcrafted recommends “Crubber” (which I haven’t tried yet) and many woodworkers simply use adhesive-backed sandpaper. Last year, Jennie Alexander sent me a piece of 3M Safety-Walk 370 adhesive-backed tread to try on my vises and handscrews. […]

The post 2 More Ways to Improve your Vise’s Grip appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

There are a few ways to cut a waterfall miter on the table saw. To determine which way suits you best, you first need to determine whether your furniture is built from a slab where both edges are “live” or from a slab that has only one live edge. I have built both types of furniture and know that both design approaches can yield functional and beautiful pieces. A live […]

The post Cutting a Waterfall Miter on the Table Saw: One Live Edge appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.