Cutting and Shaping Wood

Planes come in several different sizes and slopes for different work, so some thought needs to go into which one to use in a given situation.

As we pointed out in part one of this overview, getting set up and cutting near-perfect coves can be an easy, frustration-free procedure - especially if you have a reliable cove cutting jig.

Coves are one of the most common decorative shapes in woodworking. You'll find them in various sizes on furniture, picture frames, crown molding and just about anything else made of wood that incorporates decorative shapes.

In choosing the best blade for your table saw, you'll have several important considerations.

Can a chop saw or sliding miter saw cause kickback? Well...in a manner of speaking.

Benchtop table saws offer the function of a full-size table saw in a compact package that is easy to transport and store. This benchtop table saw stand is a great addition to a small shop with an benchtop table saw. It offers a lot of benefits. First, installing an outfeed table (or in this case, outfeed cabinet) behind the saw provides additional support and safety when you’re cutting long workpieces. Second, you gain additional storage for the saw's accessories, jigs and other tools. Third, it brings the saw up to a comfortable (and safer) working height. Finally, the casters make it easy to roll out of the way when you need the floor space in your small shop or garage.

The dimensions of the stand featured in this plan are based on the SawStop 10'' Compact Table Saw (CTS-120A60). You can easily modify the plan to suit any other benchtop table saw.

A taper jig lets you make angled rip cuts on a table saw. It's a fairly simple tool, and easy to use safely once you get the swing of it.

When you set out to cut a miter joint, the key to ending up with a perfect 90 degree joint isn't so much in cutting two precise 45 degree angles. It has more to do with cutting two angles that add up to 90 degrees - precisely.