Workshop Miscellaneous

When gluing up a solid-wood panel, the boards always seem to shift up or down slightly. So I used 1 3/4 inches square hardwood, as shown in the drawing.

Here are a couple of quick projects that will help your shop stay a little more organized. Plus, you can make them in about five minutes or so.

A common way to cover the exposed edges of plywood in a woodworking project is with solid-wood edgebanding. The problem with this technique, however, is that it always requires some fussing around. To streamline things a bit, I began to take a different approach when applying edgebanding.

The caul press costs little to build and can easily be stored out of your way when you are not using it.

Trimming wood plugs flush to a surface is a snap with the simple trim saw you see in the photo at this link.

This project is easy enough for almost anyone to tackle with confidence, and will produce a piece of equipment that will keep your workshop running smoothly for years. ...

This simple utility saw really comes in handy when working in tight places. The woodworking plan at this site shows you how to build one.

Without my small collection of extension cords, I think work in the shop would slowly grind to halt. But trying to keep these cords untangled and easily accessible was always a major challenge. The answer to this housekeeping problem was this storage rack.

When it comes to gluing up a project, I can never seem to remember where I left the glue bottle the last time I used it. And once I find the glue bottle, I am forever shaking it and pounding on it as if it were a bottle of ketchup, trying to get the glue to come out. My solution was to make this simple glue bottle tote.

I have eliminated both of these problems (sore hands and heat build up) with a simple scraper holder, shown in the photo.

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.

I use my scroll saw quite a bit, and I go through a lot of blades. So I came up with this convenient way of storing my blades while still keeping them close at hand. Now I do not have to get up every time I need a new blade.

Most shop floors are uneven. So whenever I build a shop-made tool stand, I allow for some handy leg levelers. (They add about 2 inches to the height of the stand.)

Cutting diagram only. This free woodworking plans and woodworking projects page is courtesy of the Workbench Magazine Issue 297.

We all have extension cords laying around that have bad ends on them. This neat extension cord holder makes great use of these old cords. Extension cords, especially long ones, can be a real mess to string out and coil back up. Also plugs on the ends can become damaged by just yanking on the cord to unplug a tool. This is a good project to untangle those cords and fix the old damaged ones.

A miniature bow saw designed to work with a coping saw blade. Two drawings and a text file. DXF format. Plan is featured at CAD Files for Woodworkers. Created by Tom Lewis.

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

Quick to build and makes for a handy helper in the workshop.

The roller stand I have in my shop really comes in handy. It is quick to set up and adjust and provides the extra support I need at the table saw, drill press, etc. But it does have one minor flaw. The folding design of the legs can make it a little unstable. If a workpiece hits the roller wrong, it can fold right up and flop over. But rather than put up with this annoyance, I tried to come up with a good solution.

Folded Saw uses Jig Saw Blade and Pop Rivet with washers.

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.

At the link you can watch the video of how this marking gauge was made.

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

This mobile tool stand would be handy in any workshop. At the link you can download the free plan to build it.

A wooden Mallet, for smacking chisels and the like.

This is a link to a Google 3D SketchUp drawing for a wooden hanger for drying parts after applying a finish. 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.

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.

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.