> Getting Started

Safety Rules Every Woodworker Should Know
There are a few simple safety rules that every woodworker should always follow. Make safety a habit, and you'll be much less likely to encounter a problem when woodworking.

Woodworking Machines
Woodworking machines are precise power tools that are typically far too large and heavy to be portable, which means that they're rarely found on a job site. Instead, these woodworking machines are confined to the wood shop. Fortunately, they're so useful that you'll be quite willing to build your fine woodworking projects in your wood shop and carry the projects to your final destination.

Top 7 Power Tools Every Woodworker Should Have
When getting started as a woodworker, many believe they need to buy a shop full of woodworking tools. However, with just seven power tools, a woodworker can go a long way. Learn which seven woodworking tools are the most useful for any beginning woodworker.

Top 10 Hand Tools Every Woodworker Needs
What are the essential hand tools every woodworker needs? We list the Top 10 woodworking tools you'll need for nearly every project.

Selecting Lumber for Your Woodworking Projects
When you visit your local lumber yard or home center to pick up the lumber for your next woodworking project, do you know how to find the pieces of stock that will be best for your project? Learn how to spot warp, cups, bows, twists, crooks, checks, splits and more.

Shop Accessories Every Woodworker Should Have
While every shop should have an assortment of woodworking tools, there are a number of shop accessories that are just as useful. Some of these accessories are tools that aren't necessarily "woodworking tools" but a few of the rest are items that can be built in the shop. Here is our Top 10 list of Wood Shop Accessories.

How Far Apart Should Biscuits Be Spaced?
Biscuit joinery entails positioning biscuits in slots cut into the edges of two adjoining pieces of stock. A common question is, "How far apart should the biscuits be spaced?" Learn what size biscuits you should use, and how far apart these biscuits should be placed in any woodworking project.

How to Use a Featherboard
Featherboards of all shapes and sizes can be used to help hold stock against a fence when ripping or routing the board. While some featherboards are homemade, they are used just like commercial featherboards. Learn how to use a featherboard to help you safely cut your boards on your table saw, radial-arm saw or router table.

The Easy Way to Check for Square
One of the oldest tricks in the woodworking book is how to determine whether an assembly or an item is square. While this woodworking tip seems basic and logical, it is actually based on Pythagorean's Theorem, but it works each and every time. Learn this simple but very effective woodworking truth, and put it to use on your woodworking projects.

Finding Square Using the 3-4-5 Rule
A long-held and very simple method for determining square is to use the 3-4-5 rule. This rule uses the Pythagorean Theorem (don't worry, you won't have to do any complicated math) to create a square corner. The principle is simple and very easy to implement, whether you're dealing with a very small project or building a house. Learn to use the 3-4-5 rule to square up your woodworking projects.

Tips for Proper Workshop Lighting
When designing the layout of your woodworking shop, pay special attention to lighting. A well-lit shop should have consistent illumination on all work surfaces so you can use your woodworking tools from any angle without casting shadows.