By Bob Van Dyke #237–Tools & Shops 2014 Issue

Bob Van Dyke’s simple L-fence simplifies the cutting of rabbets, tenons, patterns, and much more. Learn how to make a versatile tablesaw L-Fence, here.

Wooden hand screws are versatile, but they can be confounding to use. We'll help you eliminate frustration and show you a few tricks to get the most from these clamps.

The trick is to always hold the top handle in your left hand and the bottom handle in your right hand. When you tighten the clamp, you only spin the handle in your right hand, which is much easier to control than spinning both handles. Plus, if you hold the clamp like this on a consistent basis, you build muscle memory and soon you won’t even have to think about which direction to turn the clamp to get it to tighten or loosen. I struggled with these clamps for years until I realized that I wasn’t holding the clamp consistently, so I never knew which direction would tighten or loosen the clamp.

In issue #285, Clark Kellogg assembles the sides of his hexagon boxes with some innovative clamps from an unlikely source: a bike shop.

Mike Pekovich makes blue tape an integral part of his dovetailing technique.
Outside of sawing technique, most dovetailing issues can be traced back to a bad transfer from the tail board to the pin board. In this video, after having already sawed the tail board, Mike demonstrates the blue-tape technique, which makes transferring as simple as can be.

Medium-size storage for bits and bobs

I made my red boxes out of wood and kicked them up a notch by making them in three different sizes, 6 in., 12 in, and 18 in. wide.

By Asa Christiana #226–May/June 2012 Issue

• ceramic alumina wheels
• diamond dresser

Further, I often mix up a heavier “cut” and then dilute some of it into lighter mixes for certain coats. That raises a second question: How much denatured alcohol must I add to turn a heavy cut into a lighter one?

I came up with these simple tables as a quick guide. Copy them and hang them in the shop. Then all you need is a scale to weigh your supplies.

Build a Crosscut Sled

In this short video, learn how supercharge your tablesaw with a rip fence that performs a wide variety of tasks more easily and safely than your standard fence.

Learn How to Build Your Own Supercharged Rip Fence
Learn how to build this auxiliary rip fence system—from start to finish. You can find complete assembly instructions in Fine Woodworking #231.

Canned shellac is convenient, but if you want more control over your finish you’ll need to mix your own. In this video, executive art director Mike Pekovich shows you how easy it is to make a batch of shellac from flakes.

• Make a heavy cut (top flakes off with alcohol) and then dilute as needed

• Finish with steel wool #0000 and paste wax

https://www.finewoodworking.com/issue/2016/07/septemberoctober-2016-issue-no-256