Cutting and Shaping Wood

Scrapers come in a variety of forms and have a variety of uses. Part of the author's collection is shown here: it includes, from left to right, a scraper for scraping interiors of hollow forms through a small opening; a large dome scraper; a straight or "boat-tailed" scraper; a diamond or "V" scraper; a form scraper for the interior of boxes; and one of a set of form scrapers for making captive rings.

This week we're taking an up close look at the new Rockler Portable Drill Guide and Self-Centering Vise. Take one plunge with our Portable Drill Guide and you'll instantly feel the qualities that set it apart from the rest. Smooth, precise and free of play, it gives you the accuracy and control of a drill press with the portability of a hand drill.

If you own a router table, you already know how much it can enhance your joint-making, template-routing and edge-forming tasks. I don’t have to convince you of that! But almost ANY router table can be improved with the right accessories so that it’s safer, more accurate or just plain more enjoyable to use! In this video, I’d like to suggest five accessories worth adding to your router table.

In this Rockler Woodworking and Hardware demonstration, Chris shows you the features that make the new Rockler Precision Miter Gauge and Miter Gauge Fence stand out from other woodworking miter gauges and fences. Rockler's Precision Miter Gauge features accurately machined positive stops at the most commonly used locations, plus a miter bar with adjustable nylon set screws so it fits your slot to a T, while retaining silky smooth sliding. You'll enjoy all the essential features of a good solid miter gauge—accuracy, solidity and ease-of-use—in an affordable package. The Rockler Miter Gauge Fence extends up to 24'' long to give you plenty of reference surface for perfect miters and 90° cuts. A sacrificial fence face is included to give you zero-clearance backup support for cutting dados and other joinery cuts. For perfect repeatability, a flip-down stop is also provided. Precision extruded aluminum is used for the body of the fence, ensuring accuracy without unnecessary weight.

There are a few things to keep in mind if you are just starting out with letter carving.

If you can learn the tendency of how certain grain patterns react to being cut, you can avoid tearout. Looking for those predictable patterns is called "reading the grain."

You probably rely heavily on your table saw for accurate cuts, every time you use it. Here are some easy checks you can do on your saw to make sure it's cutting perfectly.

A properly tuned band saw and the right resawing technique can reveal the inner beauty of a piece of wood.