ShopNotes Magazine Issue 147

This issue is a love letter to plywood. It all starts with the three projects on page 26 that Dillon designed. They trace their origins to a set of projects first featured in issue 78. One of the goals of these is to create a range of workshop “furniture” to outfit a work space with storage solutions, benches, stands, and carts. Plywood allows you to cut flat panels quickly. Dillon shared with me how he approached the design process, trying to use the strengths of plywood to their fullest. As you read the article, you’ll see the result of that study time. The projects come together quickly, are built sturdy, and look good as well. Chris grabbed the baton and came up with a shop cart (page 34) inspired by…

When a woodworker hears the word hand plane, the first image that most of us visualize is that of a bench plane. And, I think that’s fair. Most of us were (or will be) introduced to either a bench or block plane as the first real “hand tool” in our shop. However, as a woodworker that tries to blend equal amounts of hand tools and power tools, I think there’s another class of hand planes that most people are aware of, but may not know exactly where they would be used in the shop. I refer to these as joinery planes. When I use the term joinery plane, you would expect that these are planes that cut joinery. And yes, that’s certainly true, but more often than not, I’m actually…

A coat of paint is a great way to add a splash of color to a woodworking project. But don’t fall into the mind-set that you’re limited to the paint that is available at your big box stores. While waterbased latex is great for some things (like sealing the ends of logs), do yourself a favor and break out of that box and take a look at a few traditional types of paint — milk paint and linseed oil paint. MILK PAINT I’m sure that most of us have seen milk paint in one form or another. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the milk paint that is plastered all over craft stores and “upcycled furniture” isn’t representative of traditional milk paint. Traditional milk paint is made with a milk protein called casein.…

A router table has to be one of the most frequently used tools in our shop. From cutting joinery to shaping edges and corners, there are many things that a router table excels at. Unfortunately, one of those things is also making a mess. Router bits kick up a lot of dust and chips, especially if you’re using something like an ogee bit or cutting joinery for a case. As a solution, Chris Fitch and Marc Hopkins (our Creative Director and Shop Manager, respectively) designed this router table fence. Their focus was to create a reliable fence that could be adapted to any router table and dust collection system. As you can see on the next page, it’s a relatively simple design that puts function over form. Hardwood and plywood…

A good pair of sawhorses are like a trusty sidekick in your shop. They’re easily moved so they can be positioned anywhere. They’re sturdy enough to hold a ton of weight, and they can be used all the way from stock prep to final assembly. The sawhorse here is a fairly straightforward design, but it will give you decades of reliable service. We wanted to create something you could build without a fancy shop or high-end tools. Almost all of the joinery can be cut at the table saw or even a miter saw. There are still some thoughtful touches though, like the sacrificial MDF top and handy little shelves. We also show you a potential upgrade option in the form of some felt-topped saddles you can easily take on…

Most every woodworker I know dreams of building beautifully detailed shop furniture. Pieces that show off wood selection and joinery skills. There’s nothing wrong with such dreams — but oftentimes your budget is standing in the way, slowly wagging a finger that says, “No way, not yet.” So here we’re offering an alternative that won’t bruise your wallet too much, and yet provides you with a basic shop that lets you get to work. First, a workstation for daily tasks. Then a cabinet with plenty of storage. Following that up is a workbench that gives you a surface to tackle projects big and small. We did invest in decent hardware — Euro hinges and full-extension drawer slides. Quality hardware is always worth the investment (it can be reused). Let’s start…