Woodworking

If you look at old pictures of woodworkers on job sites, you'll likely find that they carried their tools in a wooden toolbox with a long dowel handle along the top. This toolbox design was used not only by woodworkers, but plumbers, blacksmiths and many other trades that required a durable toolbox with easy access to their tools.

Even though few of today's craftsmen would use such a toolbox on a daily basis, there's something to be said for the vintage look of seeing some classic tools in such an elegant carrying case. If you like the look and want to build one for your tools, check out this set of free woodworking plans for our version of a classic woodworking toolbox. The joints are all glued with no screws or nails, which only adds to the mystique of this timeless classic design.

(c) 2012 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Ipe is a variety of hardwood that typically comes from Brazil. This species is often used for outdoor projects because of its ability to be resistant to water.

Learn how to work with this exotic hardwood, one that requires some specific handling steps to work with safely in How to Work with Ipe. Once you understand the proper precautions when using this hardwood, you should end up with some pretty amazing results.

(c) 2012 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Mortise and tenon joints are commonly used in fine furniture building to attach two boards at right-angles to one another. Traditionally, this work was done with a backsaw and a chisel, but in modern woodworking shops, a hollow-chisel mortiser can cut mortises precisely and extremely quickly.

On the hierarchy of power tools for most woodworkers, a dedicated mortiser would rank pretty low on the totem pole of required tools. Fortunately, there may be a less-expensive option. If you have a floor-standing drill press, you may be able to purchase a mortiser attachment that will fit on your drill press so you can use the same hollow-chisel mortiser bits that as mortiser. Check out this article on a Mortiser Attachment for Your Drill Press to learn more.

Photo Courtesy of Delta Machinery

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Just like a light switch in your house, with regular use the on/off switch on a power tool can eventually wear out and need to be replaced. For instance, on a plunge or stationary router, most of the time, a rocker switch is used to turn the unit on or off. The process of changing the rocker switch is typically quick and easy.

In this woodworking tool tip, learn How to Replace a Router Power Switch. While the steps outlined are specifically suited to a router, one could easily adapt the steps for nearly any other power tool's switch.

(c) 2012 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Polyurethane is one of the most common modern topcoats, applied over stains and other finishes to protect the color and finish. Polyurethanes are available with water-based and oil-based formulas, each with their own techniques for application.

How can you know if polyurethane is the best choice for protecting your woodworking project's finish? How should you apply the polyurethane? How many coats should you apply?

Learn all about this topcoat in Perfecting a Polyurethane Topcoat. After reading all about polyurethane, you'll see just how versatile this topcoat can be.

(c) 2012 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Through Dovetail joints are commonly used for basic drawer construction and in building cases such as a cedar chest. This joint is sturdy and has a classic look. However, dovetails aren't the easiest of joints to make consistently unless you have a lot of experience building them by hand, or unless you use a specially-designed dovetail jig and a router.

There likely will be times, though, that a dovetail joint may not be the best option. For those times, a similar, but not quite as attractive (or strong) of a joint, called a box joint may be a better choice.

Box joints are easy to make on your table saw with a stacked dado blade and a Box Joint Jig. This jig is simple to build, and even easier to use, and it produces perfect box joints every time.

(c)2012 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Over the past number of years, Hitachi has established themselves as a manufacturer of quality cordless drills. With their latest offering, the DS18DBL, Hitachi has upheld this fine tradition. This 1/2-inch drill driver is a tool that professionals will be proud to use.

What makes this unit special? Read all about the features and specs, as well as the advantages (and a list of things that may need improvement) in this About Woodworking Hitachi DS18DBL Cordless Driver Drill Review.

(c) 2012 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Walk through any fine quality furniture showroom, and you'll find plenty of pieces made with varieties of oak. This hardwood is quite popular for making furniture because when used properly, oak furniture has a look that can't be matched by other hardwoods.

Woodworking with oak, should you choose to build your own pieces from this hardwood, can be somewhat frustrating. In Woodworking With Oak, learn some tips for using this popular hardwood on your woodworking projects.

(c) 2012 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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One of the most important steps in the finishing of any woodworking project is the surface preparation, and likely the most important factor in surface prep is sanding the project properly. Sanding will not only smooth out the surface and eliminate any rough edges, but it will set up the surface to receive a beautiful finish.

In this collection of articles entitled, All About Sanding, read tips for sanding with power sanders, hand sanding, removal of sawdust and much more. A great resource for learning the finer points of sanding your woodworking projects.

(c) 2012 Chris Baylor licensed to About.com, Inc.

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The 2012 International Woodworking Fair is fast approaching. In what may be the largest fair devoted to woodworking, IWF is held every two years at the Georgia World Congress Center. This year's fair will be held August 22-25, 2012, and will include four days of education events, opportunities to check out new products from major woodworking manufacturers, woodworking skill displays and more.

August will be here before you know it. If you are a dedicated woodworker, this is the one event that you don't want to miss. Visit the International Woodworking Fair 2012 to learn more.

Photo Courtesy of IWFAtlanta.com

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