Videos | Plans | Tools Mission Accomplished: $7,000 for the Purple Heart Project! I am absolutely blown away! When I started this 30-day mission, I knew this community was special, but you all truly exceeded every expectation I had! Over the last month, we had 491 orders for the Cedar Planter Box plans. This generated $4,419 raised for the veterans and Purple Heart Project! As promised, I am contributing my personal pledge of $2,500, and I’ve decided to round the final total up for a grand...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Videos | Plans | Tools Hey Reader, I think we all get a little bit of "analysis paralysis" when we’re about to cut into a nice piece of walnut or cherry. You’ve spent the money on good quality lumber, and you don't want to blow it on a simple mistake. The best way I’ve found to get past that is to test your setup on some scrap pine or plywood first. Once you’ve cut that joint or shaped that curve on a piece of scrap wood, you can be more confident everything will go right with the more...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Videos | Plans | Tools Hey Reader, Accuracy in the shop usually comes down to the smallest details. A standard carpenter’s pencil is great for framing a house, but for furniture or shop jigs, that thick lead isn't ideal. A dull pencil line can be 1/32 of an inch wide. If you’re off by a "pencil width" on both sides of a board, your piece is suddenly a 1/16th off. Do that a few times, and nothing fits. Try switching to a 0.5mm mechanical pencil or even a marking knife. When your line is...
3 months ago • 1 min read
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...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Videos | Plans | Tools Hey Reader, We’ve all been there. You start spreading glue, the clock starts ticking, and suddenly you realize a tenon is too long or you forgot to sand an inside corner. Now you’re rushing to fix it before the glue sets and the stress levels are through the roof! My #1 rule to avoid that is to always, and I mean ALWAYS, do a dry fit first! I never put glue on a joint until the entire project is assembled with clamps just as it will be when I do apply the glue. It lets...
4 months ago • 1 min read
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...
4 months ago • 1 min read
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...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I used to think plywood was plywood. Grab whatever's cheapest at the store, make some quick cuts with my cheap saw and dull blade, and get building. Then I'm dumbfounded as to why my project looks like it's about to fall apart! That thinking cost me hundreds of dollars and ruined more projects than I care to admit. Turns out, there are 5 specific mistakes that make plywood projects look homemade by an amauture instead of handcrafted by a professional woodworker. And once you know...
10 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, Ever feel like woodworking would be easier if you just had the right tools—but you don't want to spend a fortune to fill your shop with new equipment? I've got good news: You can build your own simple jigs that make woodworking faster, easier, and cheaper. I've put together a special bundle of 9 beginner-friendly jig plans that: Save You Time: Speed up your workflow and reduce frustration Save You Money: Replace expensive tools and equipment with simple DIY solutions Save You...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read