Woodworking Power Tool Tips

Contrary to what some people may believe, wood is not a static, perfect building material. While some species are more stable than others, every type of wood has characteristics that can cause woodworking problems if the woodworker doesn't prepare for them. There are literally countless numbers of woodworking tips and tricks that could be...

Splintering is one of the most frustrating problems that can occur from routing specific hardwoods such as oak. Instead of cutting cleanly, the bit might tend to grab and tear, which doesn't leave behind the desired router bit profile. Fortunately, you can follow some tips to help reduce the splinters that can occur when you use your router on...

Many woodworkers live in climates with high humidity, and cast-iron table saws don't mix well with humidity. In these locales, the saw's table will rust easily. How should one go about removing the rust and then preventing its return? Learn some steps to removing the rust and keeping your table saw rust-free.

The table saw is, without a doubt, the workhorse of the wood shop. However, a table saw occasionally needs to be tuned-up in order to keep it working in optimum condition. Learn how to determine whether your table saw needs to be aligned, what adjustments to make and how to make them. Once your saw is tuned, you'll see better results on your...

The cast iron table tops found on many quality table saws and band saws are highly prone to rusting. A coating of rust can be transferred to the wood being cut, and can diminish the effectiveness of the saw. In this woodworking tip, learn how to protect your saw's table from rust.

Saw blade burns can be an unsightly problem on a freshly-cut piece of wood. Is there an easy way to get rid of saw blade burns? Learn some thoughts for reducing or cleaning up the effect of saw blade burns in this woodworking tip.

Wood tear-out is one of the common problems when using a router bit. While it's nearly impossible to completely eliminate the possibility of a tear-out when cutting with a router bit, by understanding why a router bit can tear the wood, you can take steps to help reduce the problem. Here are some ideas.

One of the most frustrating experiences when dealing with wood furniture is when a screw hole becomes stripped out and will no longer hold the fixture or accessory it was designed to hold. In this woodworking article, learn how to fix a stripped screw hole using a few different simple methods for tackling this aggravating woodworking problem.

When two mitered corners don't match evenly, how should you close the open mitered corner properly? Mitered corners can be caused by a number of issues, and if the corners don't match precisely, the joint will stand out like a sore thumb. In this woodworking tip, learn some ideas on how to close an open mitered corner when the joint doesn't...

When drilling with a large hole saw or spade bit, the back side of the stock tends to blow out when completing the hole. Learn two simple ways to solve this common problem, so you can avoid tear out in the large-diameter holes in your woodworking projects.

When they need to make curved cuts in thick pieces of stock, most woodworkers head for their band saw. However, what should you do when a band saw isn't available, like when you're on a construction site? Learn which woodworking tools are the best choices (after the band saw) for making the curved cuts necessary to complete these woodworking...

When working with recycled wood stock, you'll often find a number of nails and other fasteners left behind in the stock that must be removed. In this quick woodworking tip, learn a simple and easy way to remove a number of nails that are protruding from the wood before you begin using it in your woodworking project.

Woodworking power tools are designed to be quite durable, to handle the workload of a modern woodshop. However, one of the most common problems that can occur with a router is if the on/off switch wears out and needs to be replaced. Fortunately, it's a simple task to complete. Learn how to change a router's on/off switch in this woodworking tip.

When your radial-arm saw's table becomes too worse for wear, what type of material should you use to replace the table? Is plywood the best choice? How about aligned pieces of dimensional lumber? Perhaps OSB or MDF? In this woodworking tip, learn what materials work best for replacing a radial-arm saw table.

For a chisel, plane or gouge to cut correctly, the tool must be properly sharpened. A dull tool doesn't cut, but instead tears at the wood. This means that you must put more effort into getting the tool through the wood, which makes the task more dangerous. Learn the three steps to sharp woodworking tools, and how to keep your tools sharp longer.

A zero clearance insert for your table saw is easy to make with a band saw. These plates are necessary when using a stacked dado blade to prevent the stock being cut from dropping down into the throat opening of the table saw. While you can purchase zero clearance inserts for your saw, they're inexpensive and easy to make. Learn how to make a...