Weekly Update

Small Fixes, Better Results — This Week in the Shop, September 6
This week, six projects worth sharing — proof that a small adjustment can solve a surprisingly big problem. The Perfect Joint? My first attempt used a nail to transfer the joint's position, but it came out slightly off. For the second try, I cut away the misaligned piece and used it as the guide instead — this time the joint fit perfectly. ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗ Can This Idea Cut Straight Grooves? I wanted to see if a jig could let me start a straight groove from anywhere along... Read more...
A Joint for Every Occasion — This Week in the Shop, August 30
A Joint for Every Occasion — This Week in the Shop, August 30
This week I've got four projects to share — same core ideas, but a few small tweaks that completely change the result. Simplifying Alignment on Box Joints I've shown this... Read more...
Making the Most of What Was Already on Hand — This Week in the Shop, August 22
This week, five projects worth sharing — making the most of what was already on hand. Allen Key: An Unexpected Use Allen keys come with so much flat-pack furniture that you end up with a drawer full of spares. This time I put one to use as another marking gauge. Allen keys are hard steel, so the tip holds its edge well — a great material for this kind of tool. Since the key poked out the back when stored, I added a dowel for it to sit flush in.... Read more...
Six Ways to Solve Everyday Shop Problems, Smarter — This Week in the Shop, August 16
This week, six projects worth sharing — proof that the simplest fix is usually the one hiding in plain sight. How to Join Round Rods Accurately At first, I tried using masking tape to transfer the hole position, but it wasn't quite accurate enough for round rods and caused a slight misalignment. So this time, I used a cut piece of PVC pipe as a guide to align the holes more accurately. Another useful feature is that the PVC can flex slightly, allowing it to grip round rods even when... Read more...
Seven Ways to Use What's Already in Your Shop — This Week in the Shop, August 8
This week, seven projects worth sharing — proof that the best fix is often already sitting on the bench. A Unique Way to Shape Wood with a Jigsaw Blade This simple jig combines a jigsaw blade with a drill press to shape square stock into round dowels of different thicknesses. The best part is that you can freely adjust the finished diameter just by changing the blade's position. It's not a conventional method, but it's a simple and interesting way to explore what a drill press can do. Without a... Read more...
Five Projects, One Lesson: Work With What You've Got — This Week in the Shop, August 1
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... Read more...
Someone I Want You All to Meet
Someone I Want You All to Meet
  I want to share something a little different today. Starting with this post, someone who's been quietly supporting the shop side of things will now be joining me in... Read more...
From an Oval-Cutting Jig to a PVC Ring Hinge — This Week in the Shop, July 25
Oval-Cutting Mechanism A while back, I cut a round offcut from a hole saw in half and accidentally ended up with a strangely shaped dish. I'd been wanting to try that on purpose ever since. This time I used the router table. I cut a cross-shaped slot and guided a base plate along it as I moved it — and just like that, you get a clean oval. Change the distance between the two pivot holes and you can adjust the ratio of the oval however you like. It's surprisingly... Read more...
Happy Accidents, Clever Fixes, and a Few Cheap Wins — This Week in the Shop, July 18
Tin Can + Wood = ?▶ Watch on YouTube ↗I took a thin dollar-store can and wrapped it in thin wood strips, then added evenly spaced legs to turn it into a four-legged planter cover. It's a simple build, which made it a nice one to start with this week.It Was Supposed to Be an Oval▶ Watch on YouTube ↗Using a slide miter saw, I tried a cutting motion that was supposed to trace an oval. I figured I'd end up with an oval bowl-shaped hollow. Instead, moving the blade... Read more...
This Week in the Shop – July 11
Here are four projects I wanted to share from this week's videos.A Tiny Project That Sells▶ Watch on YouTube ↗I started the week with a walnut and ebony charging stand for my Apple Watch. The two pieces come together with a Japanese half-lap joint (aigaki) that lets the whole thing stand on its own. One small detail I paid attention to was cable routing, the cord runs underneath the joint, so the whole thing stays clean-looking. That joint also comes apart by hand, which makes this a nice stand to... Read more...