Harbor Freight 2 HP Dust Collector Modification

Nine years. That's how much time has passed since I purchased the dust collector from Harbor Freight. I started woodworking just a few months before and quickly realized I needed some way to control the dust my table saw was creating. After a few weeks of watching Marc Spagnuolo's and other YouTube Maker videos I … Continue reading Harbor Freight 2 HP Dust Collector Modification

Stubby Driver Shoot Out

On occasion I need to install hardware in tight spots such as drawer pulls or hinges in narrow cabinets. Full size drivers, of the cordless or manual variety, can be too long to driver a screw properly so that's when I turn to the stubby screwdriver. But which is my go-to tool? I do prefer … Continue reading Stubby Driver Shoot Out

Table Saw Outrigger

I face a problem each time I have to make a final crosscut on a long board, typical of a bed rail being over 80" long. I don't feel it is accurate enough (nor safe) to focus pressure downward as I push the material through the blade with a miter gauge. There is still a … Continue reading Table Saw Outrigger

Shop AC Installation, Part 3: The Mini Split

With the garage door insulated I noticed a decent temperature reduction and stabilization throughout the day. Typically, the shop would reach 101-103 degrees at 4pm when the sun was in full force. With the door insulated the shop was now about 10-12 degrees cooler at that same time of day. Still hot inside but 92 … Continue reading Shop AC Installation, Part 3: The Mini Split

Shop AC Installation, Part 2: The Insulation Installation

In part 1 of this series, I outlined what weather stripping product I used to seal my garage door. Now it is time to insulate the oven, I mean, garage door for less than $150. The afternoon sun beats down on the door as it faces west. The heat that radiates from the inside of … Continue reading Shop AC Installation, Part 2: The Insulation Installation

Shop AC Installation, Part 1

My shop conditions are great 2 months out of the year. That is early spring (April) and late fall (October). All the other months the heat is miserable or the cold is not glue or finish friendly. I have tried to combat the heat (108+ degrees inside in the summer) by running fans as the … Continue reading Shop AC Installation, Part 1

Bandsaw Blade Upgrade

Up until several weeks ago I had been using a Wood Slicer resaw blade on my 14" bandsaw. after making a rookie mistake while cutting a turning blank and bending that blade I decided it was time to up my resaw game. Enter a carbide tipped bandsaw blade. Which one would I choose? What was … Continue reading Bandsaw Blade Upgrade

Shop Made Router Table

About this time last year I was in the middle of building a new router table. The router table I was using up to that point was less than accurate for anything other than profiling edges. The insert plate opening was too sloppy for any accurate mortise or groove routing operations so a new table … Continue reading Shop Made Router Table

Chisel Rack with Drawers Part 2

I made all the sides, fronts, backs, and bottoms from poplar. The fronts were joined by half blind dovetails and then I glued a book matched pair (side to side) of spalted fiddleback maple to the fronts since I had limited amounts and thicknesses. I started by resawing some poplar and cleaning it up with … Continue reading Chisel Rack with Drawers Part 2