Diamond Dresser
To get the best out of a bench grinder, you need to keep the wheels sharp and true. One of the ways to do this is with a diamond dressing tool. This is my take on a single point diamond dresser.
Lathe Banjo
The biggest issue with the Harbor Freight 8x12/14 Lathe, is the low quality of the Banjo & change gears. The design and finish of the factory units leave a lot to be desired. In this project, I design & build a better version.
Bench grinder setup
A bench grinder is an invaluable tool in any shop, metalworking or woodworking. However, even a good grinder needs a couple of upgrades and a little tuning to live up to its full potential.
Carriage stop
A carriage stop is a must have tool for a metal lathe, it allows the operator to accurately turn features at know distances from a reference point.
Midi lathe stand
Midi lathes are excellent tools, but to get the most out of them they need a custom built stand that places the spindle at the right height for the user. The one I build is made from hard maple, and is designed to take up as little space as possible.
A scrap wood table
This is a simple table based on a video that I found on Facebook. It's basically an end-grain cutting board made from randomly sized blocks. It contains a dozen different wood species.
A Simple Side Table
A commission piece, made from ribbon stripe Sapele. It's designed to be budget conscious, but still aesthetically pleasing.
Tablesaw Crosscut Sled
A crosscut sled is an Indispensable tablesaw jig, It allows a woodworker to make exceptionally accurate crosscuts with very little to zero tearout. It can be a daunting project for beginners, but armed with a few tricks, anyone can make an accurate sled.
Branding Iron
When you want to let the world know who made a piece of furniture, the best way of doing it is with a branding iron. Mine is 100% custom, and made from brass, scrap O1 drill rod, & spalted hard maple.
End tables
At some point every woodworker makes a small table, usually shaker inspired. Since I'm not a big fan of the shaker style, I decided to go all out and design a table whit a lot of curves and odd angles.
Wine Rack Commission
This wine rack was based on my personal one. While it only holds 4 bottles, it was substantially easier to make than mine, because of the simplicity of the joinery.
A Small Saw Till
When to get bitten by the hand tool bug, you start acquiring hand saws. Since handsaws can represent a significant investment so you need a till to keep them safe. You also need something that will keep them at arm's reach so you actually use them.
Wine Rack
A counter-top wine rack is an excellent project to hone your skills on. It requires very little stock, so if you make a mistake you don't need to sweat how much money you just tossed in the scrap bin.
Chisel Racks
If you have a bunch of chisels, then you need a chisel rack for two very important reasons. One, It will keep your chisels organized so you can them when you need them. Two, It will keep you hands protected from the razor sharp business end of your chisels.
Lift-top Boxes
Lift top boxes make perfect small projects. They are fast to make and require very little equipment & wood. You can use scrap from a larger project, or a piece of that exotic you've always wanted to buy.
Raised Dog Dishes
Raised dog dishes are good for you dogs health, and believe it or not, they can even be fine furniture. They make perfect mid sized projects to hone your skills, or try a new technique without fear of wasting a lot of time & material.
Router Table Inserts
A lot of router table lifts come with cheap plastic inserts. While they prevent reckless people from destroying a bit and potentially hurting themselves, they are less than ideal when it comes to work surface flatness.
Shoe Racks
If you or someone you know has a lot of shoes, stackable shoe racks make a great gift. An added benefit is that since they are hidden away in a closet, you can use cheaper wood.
Shop Benches
Every shop needs at least one good utility bench. While most of the time they are just a horizontal surface to pile stuff on, they are worth their weight in gold when you need a few square feet of work space to work one something simple.
Router Table
While expensive to buy or make, a quality router table lets you safely & repeatedly perform some very important routing operations. In my opinion a router table is an essential tool for a serious woodworker.