2 Handy Circular Saw Jigs: Cross Cut Jig & Ripping Jig

Read Time: 5 mins

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The circular saw for some workers, like carpenters, is often their most used tools, and they even wear them out, For woodworkers it might also be their most important tool especially if they are new to woodworking and still working on a collection of power tools. For me, it was the second power tool (after my corded drill) that I purchased, and even though I no longer have that circular saw, to this day I still use my circ saw quite often for breaking down sheets of plywood to manageable sizes before running through the table saw, and even for longer boards that just need to be shortened so they are easier to maneuver in my workshop.

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/l0xkvxMUE7M

The first 8 foor ripping jig for the circular saw that I made is probably 20 years old and despite the fact I have gone through 2 circular saws since then, I still use that jig to this day .. that's how handy that jig is for breaking down sheets of plywood ...

5 Measuring Hacks - Woodworking Tips and Tricks

Read Time: 6 mins

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One thing that is constant in woodworking - there is LOTS of measuring and working with numbers and woodworkers have devised many different ways to quickly do things that doesn't involve sitting down with a calculator or trying to work out some complicated math. And first up are tape measures, probably one of the tools we use the most in the workshop, or at least I do. I am always measuring ...

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/TOve6oVPKVw

For years I always heard the refrain ... measure twice, cut once and for some reason that always bothered me and there are many time I measured twice and still cut the wood too short. I hate that!!  Then one day I stumbled upon a tape measure that when I hold it in my left hand (because I always hold the pencil in my right hand) and low and behold, all the numbers were right way up. I didn't have to try and work the numbers from upside down. That was one of the turning points in my woodworking ... 

Wood Finishing and Drying Racks

Read Time: 3 mins

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Finding a way to coat the woodworking projects I make with some sort of finish, then find a place for all of them to dry has been a perennial problem for me .. oh, and did I mention, preferably at least somewhat dust free!! My long time woodworking friend Len, told me about these drying racks he had been using quite some time ago, and for some reason the went out of my brain, then a couple of weeks ago he showed me a sample of what they look like and explained how versatile they were ... I instantly knew I had to make these, I don`t know who invented them by they are a great idea. I made some minor changes to my version, to make them a bit more user friendly, but the basic design remains.

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/qQ6t_ZZJKFA

I thought about how many pieces there are to some of my last projects and decided that 10 or 12 pairs of these should cover most things. As it turned out, I had some used 3/4 inch firm boards that I wasn`t sure what to do with ...

5 Quick Wood Finishing Hacks

Read Time: 7 mins

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There are many, many different options when it comes to putting a final finish on your woodworking project and to make sure that finish goes on the way you want, there are often some tips and tricks that we can learn along the way to help us do a quicker and better job, and when it comes to the topic of "finishing" many woodworkers (myself included) find the finishing process long and tedious, so anything we can do to help it along is a bonus ...

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/zgNpTGiAjvU

Finishing Story or Sample Boards

A fancy name for noting more that selection of finishes on some boards that are all the same species so you can see what they look like and make your determinations from there in terms of color, type of finish and type of surface .. glossy, semi-gloss or matte.