Buzz Saw, The Rockler Woodworking and Hardware Blog

Shop-Made Router Table: Part II - Adding a Fence

Fri, 25 May 2012 18:22:00 -0500

Once you have acquired your router table top either by building your own or buying one ready-made, (See Part 1 of this series) You should now concentrate on your fence. It is critical that your fence is flat across the face and square to t...

A Shop-Made Router Table: Part I

Tue, 08 May 2012 19:02:00 -0500

Not very long ago a woodworker really only had two choices when acquiring a router table. They could buy a small shaper (motor permanently mounted) or build one from scratch. In fact, the first “router table” review I was able ...

Shop Mobility Part III - Heavy Lifting

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:35:00 -0500

In the previous “Shop Mobility” blog posts we examined ways to add mobility to your floor model tools, and how to make shop built tool cabinet movable. This time we will look at heavier lift capabilities. Tools such as cabinet...

Shop Mobility Part II - Mobilizing Shop Built Tools

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:06:00 -0500

In the previous Shop Mobility blog post, we discussed adding casters to your existing tool stands. Now let’s look at adding wheels to the shop carts, tools and cabinets you build in house. In my shop I have an older drill press that...

Woodshop Mobility Part I - Getting Your Tools Rolling

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:27:00 -0500

Maybe you need to store your tools away when not working, or maybe being able to shift things around to suit the project at hand would be helpful. Whatever the reason, shop mobility is an option that most of us have given some thought. Whether yo...

Bending Wood Part III - Steam Bending

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:51:00 -0500

So far in this series we have looked at simple wood bending in thin stock or with kerf cuts, and forming bent wood parts through laminating thin strips together on a form. In this final installment, we will discuss steam bending wood. St...

Bending Wood Part II - Bent Lamination

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:09:00 -0500

We started this wood bending series exploring simple and kerf bending. In this edition, we look at forming wood parts using thin laminates. As we all know, the thinner the part, the easier it will conform to a curve. Lamination is the pro...

Bending Wood - Part I

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:59:00 -0500

Nature hates straight lines, and as woodworkers we spend a huge amount of time and effort in making things straight. But curves can and should be a large part of your woodworking. There are several methods for forming wood into curves, and the ne...

Dust Collection Series: Putting It All Together

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:56:00 -0500

This dust collection blog series from Rockler started with ideas for hooking up your shop vacuum to your portable power tools and has worked up to connecting multi-horsepower collection to your stationary tools. I hope you have found it useful. For t...

Dust Collection Series: Moving DC From Tool to Tool

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:56:00 -0500

We have been discussing dust collection for the last few posts, concentrating on shop vacuums as the collector. While these can be highly effective for hand held tools and even many stationary power tools, many home shops have dedicated dust ...

Sawdust and Lobsters: Woodworking Summer in Maine

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:03:00 -0500

What's the best way to improve your woodworking skills? Practice, of course! But if you're ready to make a quantum leap, there's no better way than taking a class at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. It's not only one of the nation's ...

Shop Vacuum Dust Collection: Getting Connected

Tue, 17 May 2011 18:14:00 -0500

Most of us have a wet/dry vacuum cleaner in the shop, and they typically have a 2-1/2" diameter hose. So why is it that manufacturers virtually NEVER make a simple way to connect their tools to the hose of our vacuums? It seems that every brand ha...

Woodshop Safety Lesson 1: Clean Up the Dust!

Wed, 04 May 2011 16:50:00 -0500

This is Woodworking Safety Week, and while we here at the Buzzsaw Blog are all about using push sticks, safety glasses and hearing protection, we want you to think outside the box a bit when it comes to being safe when in your shop. As woo...

Hand Saw Series - The Gent's Saw

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:34:00 -0500

We hope you have enjoyed this series on hand saws in your shop. I decided to end the series with the traditional Gent’s Saw. The “Gentleman’s Saw” is a western type back saw. It was generally of a smaller size ...

Hand Saw Series - The Bench Hook

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 16:47:00 -0500

A bench hook is one of the simplest of tools, but you’ll come to wonder how you did without it. It is made up of a few small scraps and allows you to cut with precision just about anywhere. It consists of nothing more than a few...