I Don't Use a Table Saw for This
I don't own a table saw, so for deep grooves I usually reach for my homemade rip-cut jig on the circular saw. It'll get me to about 65mm, but the deeper I go, the harder it gets to hold precision. This time I wanted something cleaner, so I used the router table instead.
The router leaves rounded inside corners, though. So I rounded the matching edges on the piece it joins to as well. It's not the traditional way to build a castle joint, but it worked — no table saw, no problem. Bend the method a little, and the router's own roundness becomes the solution instead of the obstacle.
Marking Gauge | My Original Design
I've built a few marking gauges by now, and I always land on the same conclusion: a graduated scale is non-negotiable. What's tripped me up is mounting it — press a screw straight into bare wood and it chews up the surface over time, making fine adjustments harder to trust. So this time, the fence clamps a metal ruler directly instead of the wood itself.
That meant cutting the ruler down a little, but it was a cheap one, so I didn't hesitate. My last ruler-gauge had the ruler and locking screw on the side, which made it awkward to build. This time it's a simple top-mounted layout, closer to a standard marking gauge.
The joinery is purely decorative — contrasting timbers, bubinga and oak, plus a rounded top for grip. This base structure is worth stealing; I used a dovetail to join top and bottom, but a groove or a plain butt joint works just as well. What actually matters is the graduated ruler. A few days in, and yeah — genuinely more convenient.
The Perfect Corner Repair
Tool for this one generously provided by @TempleToolCo.
A Dutchman repair does what it sounds like: cut out the damaged section and let a new piece fill the gap. I cut the chipped corner into a clean triangle, shaped an oversized patch, glued it in, then trimmed and planed it flush. Pick a patch with matching grain, and the repair all but disappears.
This is a technique that rewards patience with hand tools. A plane, a chisel, real attention — not fast to build, but the payoff is a finish you can't fake.
When Your Miter Saw Isn't Cutting Square
Normally, squaring a miter saw fence means the same loop: adjust, test cut, check, adjust again. Chasing that last fraction of a degree eats more time than you'd admit to.
I picked this method up on social media, and it just clicked — genuinely clever, and it gets you dialed in with one shot instead of five. I don't remember who originally posted it, so if it rings a bell, let me know. Credit belongs where it's due.
Making a Box with a 90° V-Groove Bit
With a 90° V-groove bit, you can build a simple box using nothing but a router table. Small technique, fun result — mitered corners don't have to be complicated. If you ever need to batch these out, it's about as efficient as it gets.
A Note from Taku
Looking back, not one of these five projects used the "obvious" tool. No table saw for the groove. No factory ruler for the gauge — a cut-down bargain one. No fresh lumber for the repair — a patch instead. No textbook squaring method — a shortcut from a stranger online. No dedicated box jig — one router bit doing double duty.
None of that was a compromise. Working around the "right" tool is where most of the actual thinking happened this week: the castle joint born from a rounded router corner, the gauge that got simpler the second time, the fix that leans on someone else's idea, freely shared. Craft isn't about having the ideal setup. It's about what you're willing to figure out when you don't.
Thanks for following along this week. See you in the shop.
— Taku and Masa
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