Unless the dimensions of your workpiece are absolutely critical, you can often make a problem area completely disappear with a machining step or two.

Who says money doesn't grow on trees? Plant this scrollsawn coin bank in a fertile location and feed its roots often for a bountiful harvest.

Most home woodworking machinery, and a good portion of everything else in your shop, originates in China. So when the Chinese government got serious about enforcing pollution regulations last summer, closing down thousands of factories and requiring others to upgrade equipment, shockwaves rippled through the woodworking-tool business. Blast furnaces went cold, metal-treating shops closed their doors, and many workers found themselves unemployed. 

Every wood species, and even individual workpieces of the same species, can react differently to steam bending. Start with these best practices and then let experience be your guide.

Although you can mount nearly any handheld router upside down in a router table, some are better suited to this line of duty than others. For example, many routers now sport built-in lift mechanisms that you crank to adjust bit heights from above the table, as shown above, without removing the router or reaching below the table. These routers typically require an extra hole in the insert plate to operate the lift mechanism. But beware: With some of these routers you still have to reach below the tabletop to lock the collet, negating half the benefit of a lift. 

It can be tough opening your wallet to pay for an exotic piece of lumber. Veneer gives you that breathtaking look without breaking the bank—and applying it is easier than you might think. 

Imagine a workshop where you can find every tool, jig, and board almost without looking. Whether you’re machining lumber, assembling parts, sanding, or finishing, everything you need is situated within easy reach.

Who owns this awesome shop? You do, if you drop the indecision, bad habits, and sloppy housekeeping that lead to clutter and frustration. We’ll show how to do that and reorganize your shop to focus on woodworking.

This decorative joint is easier to create than you might think.

Covering the top of a table or a set of drawer fronts in veneer can dress up a project, providing an eye-catching focal point. T

Over the course of three moves across the United States, Lynn Eberhardt gathered plenty of experience setting up workshops with limited floor space.