Work Your Plan

When I begin a woodworking project, I think through the joinery and how I am going to execute those tasks. Something that has become clear to me of late is that a major factor in deciding how I am going to build something has to do with the tools that I own. Sometimes my personal preference comes to the fore. For example, I prefer to plow dadoes and grooves with a table saw and a dado stack. I have several routers and router tables, but the table saw is my preference. (To stop a firestorm of comments … I don’t claim it is better, it’s just my preference.)

But other times it is simply the availability of one machine over another that drives my work flow. I used to make fairly traditional mortise-and-tenon joints most of the time, machining the pieces with a mortising machine and tenoning jig on my table saw. I sold my mortising machine, so now primarily I use Domino joints instead.

I bring this up to ask a question: If you had the opportunity to get one more machine to improve your joinery options, what would it be?

Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal

Color Matching by Glazing

Rob Johnstone explores the process of glazing, a way to even out the coloring on stained pieces. This technique is especially great to cover up the color differences in sapwood. The end result? A more evenly matched stain finish on every piece of your project.

A Different Take on Bottle Stoppers

Bottle stoppers are fun and handy. Pete Blair of the American Association of Woodturners shows you how to make your own.

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