Workshop Miscellaneous

Gluing together box joints can test your patience. This support article will provide a few tips to make the job easier.

Here is a fun project that will help you customize your tape measure.

As I get older, the sheet stock that I have to manhandle into and around the shop seems to get heavier and heavier. So rather than continue to rely on brute strength, I built this wheeled helper.

When clamping a workpiece in my workbench vise with bench dogs, I find that the small, metal dogs can leave marks on the edges of the piece that are tough to sand out.

Every shop needs a vise. But if you do not have a workbench on which to mount one or maybe you just want to add an extra vise, here is a simple way to do it.

I made this jig to easily find the center on round stock, such as dowels. It is just a triangular frame with a thin plate attached over one half that is used as a marking guide. To find the centerpoint, you simply butt the round workpiece into the 90 degree corner of the frame and mark a line. Then rotate the stock, and draw a second line. The intersection of the lines is the center of the stock.

By William R. Duffield - You have been given fair warning. Here is the finished saw well almost finished, anyhow. I really need to do something about the black plastic knobs. While they are perfectly functional, they somehow detract from the aesthetics.

Marking gauge is an essential tool for basic carpentry and joinery. Download this plan to make one for your shop.

The problem is holding the chisel at a consistent angle as you sharpen. To do this, I clamp the chisel to a simple sharpening guide.

Organization is the key to making any shop work well, no matter what the size. And if your shop is like most, it could use some additional storage space. (I know mine could.) That is where this shop system comes in. It is obvious there is a lot of storage space packed into this wall system. What is not so apparent is its easy-to-build design. Each unit is assembled from standardized components. And it is made from inexpensive, easy-to-find construction lumber, MDF, and plywood. The cutting diagrams and materials list are available to download in this Online Extra.

Use the free woodworking instructions at the link to build a whole load of fastener bins to get your screws or nails sorted and organized.

Keep your shop-vacuum hoses in check with this hose/cord holder from IDEA SHOP 3.

Australian Woodsmith is a practical magazine for all woodworkers. From Issue 30.

Since my workshop shares space in the garage with cars, my tools need to be mobile. So I made a simple base for each tool.

This handy wooden mallet was made from some left-over scraps of oak that I had salvaged from a pallet.

I use a small portable air compressor in my shop. But despite the name, I find it cumbersome to carry this compressor around where I need it. So instead, I built a small, roll-around cart for the compressor.

Locating the depth of drill bit collars, determining the length of dowels, or accurately setting the cutting depth for tools can be challenging. To make this task easier, I built this set-up gauge.

I always seem to be forgetting where I set my glue bottle down last. So I came up with a quick and inexpensive solution.

This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a flip-top mobile tool base. You will need the SketchUp software to download this drawing and its freely available online. We do not provide support for this software. Not all drawings have the measurements displayed but you can use the measurement tool in SketchUp to easily and accurately determine the dimensions of each lumber part. Most drawings do not have instructions, its assumed you can build it based on the completed drawing provided.

I like to use a sharp marking knife to make crisp, accurate layouts for my projects. But too often I could not find one when I needed it. So out of necessity, I decided to convert one of my over-the-hill hacksaw blades into a handy and inexpensive marking knife.

This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a bow saw. It excels at cutting curves; the blade allows for long strokes that cut much faster and more evenly than a coping saw. You will need the SketchUp software to download this drawing and its freely available online. We do not provide support for this software. Not all drawings have the measurements displayed but you can use the measurement tool in SketchUp to easily and accurately determine the dimensions of each lumber part. Most drawings do not have instructions, its assumed you can build it based on the completed drawing provided.

Build this work stool tote and it will do double duty. Use it as a stool or turn it over and carry tools in it. Here are the free plans.

This is a handy project to build for your workshop or garage sink. This one is made using pallet wood. Here is how to build it.

Here is a handy little tool for marking the center on the edge of a board. It will work on just about any thickness of board.

The knobs are made from hardwood scraps that I cut into round blanks with a wing cutter at the drill press...

This easy-to-build tracing box is a bright idea for your shop drawings.

This tool rest is made up of three parts: a base, a platform that rotates, and another platform that moves in and out. Here is how to build it.

A Miter Saw Cabinet with folding wings. Folds down to 36 inch width. Lots of storage space in front drawers. DXF Format.

Build a portable paint and adhesives cart using the free downloadable woodworking plans at the link. You will be able to wheel it over to your project for finishing.

This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a cart for moving sheet goods and for infeed/outfeed for table saw. You will need the SketchUp software to download this drawing and its freely available online. We do not provide support for this software. Not all drawings have the measurements displayed but you can use the measurement tool in SketchUp to easily and accurately determine the dimensions of each lumber part. Most drawings do not have instructions, its assumed you can build it based on the completed drawing provided.