Videos | Plans | Tools Hey Reader, Sanding is easily the least favorite part of the job for most of us, so it’s tempting to rush through it. But if you move too fast, you end up with those annoying pigtail swirls or blotchy spots once the finish hits the wood. A quick way to get a professional look is the 50% overlap rule. When you’re using a random orbital sander, move it about one inch per second. That feels painfully slow, but it’s what the tool needs to actually do its job. On your next...

Hey Reader, There’s nothing more frustrating than getting to the end of a project, trying to glue up a box or a drawer, and realizing the corners just won't seat right. Usually, we blame our technique or the wood. But sometimes, the tool actually is the problem. Even a brand-new square from the hardware store can be off by a degree or two, and over a long cut, that adds up fast. Here is a 30 second test to check yours: Grab a scrap piece of plywood with a straight factory edge. Draw a line...

Hey Reader, One of the biggest things I hear from people starting out in woodworking is that they just don't have enough time. Between work, family, and everything else, it’s hard to find a solid four or five hour block to really get into a project. I used to fall into that trap too. I’d wait for the "perfect" Saturday morning, and if something came up, the whole project would sit untouched for another month. Lately I’ve been focusing on beating what I call "shop creep" by using the 15 minute...