Rex Krueger
Published 22 Nov 2023You can do real woodworking even if you’re short on time. Here are some ideas.
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November 23, 2023
Quick Skills for Busy Woodworkers: Elevate Your Craft in 10 Minutes
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October 30, 2023
The funny side of reviewing woodworking tools
Christopher Schwarz used to be the editor of one of the big US woodworking magazines and part of the job included being inundated with free tools from manufacturers eager to get a review in an upcoming issue of the magazine. Some — and not just the marginal producers — had the misfortune of shipping tools that failed to work properly (or at all) when tested:
“Woodworking Tools on the wooden table” by wuestenigel is licensed under CC BY 2.0 
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… it should come as no surprise that toolmakers also make mistakes. Most readers probably think that the tools that came into our shop had been carefully tested and tuned by the manufacturers to make sure they were perfect. Based on how many goofed-up tools I saw, I doubt that’s the case.
And in fact, I took it as a mark of the toolmakers’ honesty when they sent us one right off the warehouse floor.
Here’s a small sample of some of the stuff I’ve seen:
DeWalt: The company makes good tools, but we had a jigsaw come into the shop where the blade clamping mechanism failed. It went click, click, then the blade dropped out like a rotten tooth. When DeWalt introduced its first hybrid table saw, the first rip fence we got was twisted. So was the second. The third replacement was fine.
Delta: When Delta introduced its C-arm drum sander, we were all excited in the shop. We set it up, plugged it in and cranked the puppy up. It spun up and then spun down forever. The motor burned out after three seconds.
Harbor Freight: It might sound too easy to pick on this discount seller. But they sell tools and people buy them. So here goes: When we tested the company’s plunge router, the collet failed. The bit slipped out and flew out. That was one of the days that I wished we had some Depends in the first-aid kit.
Black & Decker: Here’s every tool marketer’s worst nightmare. Black & Decker sent us its new cordless tape measure. Now let’s ignore for a moment the possibility that you do not need an electric tape measure. So Senior Editor David Thiel took it out of the box in front of the entire staff and demonstrated how it works. The tape extended about a foot and then died forever.
Metabo: Cordless drills aren’t supposed to shoot flames out the back are they?
Lobo: When we tested its edge sander the sheet metal base flexed like tin foil. You would turn the machine on, and the thing would do the twist like Chubby Checker.
Powermatic: Yes, even Powermatic. An early version of its benchtop mortiser had a flaw in the piece of metal that joined the motor to the arm mechanism. The gears on the interior stripped out. So when you pulled the arm, the motor never moved.
Tools for Working Wood: The Ray Iles mortising chisels are great, but one of my students at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking snapped the tip off one when working in poplar. I heard it from across the room. It turned out that a few of the tools had been made from A2 instead of D2. It did make for an amusing day as everyone crowded around the chisel like the victim of a car accident.
Lie-Nielsen Toolworks: I had a narrow iron shoulder plane that was an early production run. The bronze grip wouldn’t stay in place when you retracted the iron. When I turned the screw, the plane disassembled itself in my hands.
Veritas: An early version of the Veritas cabinet scraper (an adaptation of the No. 80) would clog after a few passes like Crystal Gayle’s shower’s drain. The company has since fixed that problem and the tool works great.
Stanley Tools: During a test of jack planes, we had a tool that simply would not function. It was like it was haunted. If you snugged up the frog screw to where you thought it should be, you couldn’t adjust the iron. If you loosened the frog screw so you could adjust the iron, the thing would chatter and shake like a Vega going 56 mph. We never figured that one out.
Wenzloff & Sons: While teaching a sawing class at Kelly Mehler’s School of Woodworking, one student’s carcase saw was misbehaving. It was tearing out the shoulders of his tenons something fierce. At first I thought it was user error. Turns out the saw was filed for rip when it was supposed to be crosscut.
Let me conclude by saying that mistakes slip out the door for every toolmaker (and magazine editor and book publisher). We’ve never heard of any toolmaker with zero returns. The real test of a toolmaker (and editor) is how you deal with the mistakes when they occur.
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October 19, 2023
Build a saw-bench: transform your woodwork
Rex Krueger
Published 18 Oct 2023Building TWO traditional sawbenches. Construction lumber. Simple build.
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October 18, 2023
Sharpening a Chisel in under a Minute | Paul Sellers
Paul Sellers
Published 15 Jun 2023I see more and more options for sharpening a chisel and yet, with no mechanical means at all, I go from a chisel I have dulled to surgically sharp in about a minute or less.
The fact is I never need to use a grinding wheel, and I was taught to sharpen by the masters of sharpening in my apprenticeship days 58 years ago which I have never strayed from because I found every other option too slow and, dare I say it, DULL and time consuming no matter which method or which machine!
Watch the video and see what you feel.
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September 23, 2023
Sash Clamp Extension | Paul Sellers
Paul Sellers
Published 19 May 2023We all need longer clamps from time to time, especially when it comes to long tables, beds, and the like. I love my lightweight aluminium clamps and they lend themselves to a simple option for creating longer clamps from shorter ones.
This video will take out the mystery and deliver a totally practical option for you at almost zero cost. Keeping life simple is always difficult but this option is doable in a matter of minutes.
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September 14, 2023
I Built a FOOT POWERED Lathe (Most requested video)
Rex Krueger
Published 13 Sep 2023How to make a hand tool spring pole lathe. Almost.
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Chip Carving with a Gouge | Paul Sellers
Paul Sellers
Published 5 May 2023Starting carving usually begins with a simple project, and this flower will get you started. Once you have done this, you can create a wide range of other decorative carvings and add them to your woodworking projects, pieces like box lids and picture frames. Enjoy!
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September 10, 2023
How to Make a Poor Man’s Toothing Plane | Paul Sellers
Paul Sellers
Published 23 May 2014In this video Paul Sellers shows you a cheap alternative to buying a toothing plane, using very common and readily available materials.
To find out more about Paul Sellers and the projects he is involved with visit http://paulsellers.com
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September 5, 2023
August 30, 2023
Making A Quick Rebate | Paul Sellers
Paul Sellers
Published 21 Apr 2023Life can be simple with a few hand skills and a handful of very ordinary woodworking hand tools. Watch me and see if you couldn’t do this yourself. We try to make everything as simple as we can, and I don’t think this could be simpler.
Enjoy, and start making for a better life!
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August 4, 2023
What Does A Smoothing Plane Do? | Paul Sellers
Paul Sellers
Published 7 Apr 2023We live in an age when fewer and fewer people will ever use a hand plane and may never even see one in use. This super-short video shows how and why we woodworkers still use and rely on hand planes today. They are fast and effective and they reduce the need for sandpaper too because the wood comes out super-smooth and level.
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July 27, 2023
“Harvesting” Green Wood from the Side of the Road
Rex Krueger
Published 26 Jul 2023It’s just cutting up wood. Right?
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July 13, 2023
This “simple” bench made me humble when I tried to build it
Rex Krueger
Published 12 Jul 2023It’s just nails and pine, but this piece was full of tricks.
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Praise for the #151 Flat-Bottomed Spokeshave | Paul Sellers
Paul Sellers
Published 10 Feb 2023It’s easy to underestimate the value of the #151 spokeshave, no matter the maker. But these simple tools work amazingly for a wide range of woodworking tasks, and you only need the flat-bottomed version as it will work equally well for both convex and concave surfaces.
With this video, see just how versatile the flat-bottomed spokeshave is and why you should own one for your woodworking tasks that need shaping.
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June 22, 2023
How & When to Hammer Tap a Plane | Paul Sellers
Paul Sellers
Published 10 Mar 2023We tend to think that modern makers of metal and wooden planes have given us planes that are better adjusted with fine adjusters and therefore dismiss hammer-tapping for setting the plane.
In reality, hammer tapping is non-detrimental and, at the same time, simplifies the setting on many planes.
I use this even on planes that have adjusters. Just because hammer tapping is so effective and immediate. Watch me and you will see what I mean.
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