Woodworking Projects

A few simple pointers will help you achieve better results with your cabinet door projects.

Everybody agrees that masterful woodcraft comes at a price, what that price should be is the subject of a lot of debate. Have you ever wondered what to charge for something you made? Virtually every handmade product has a “right price.” Charge more and it won’t sell; charge less and you’re losing money.

A gazebo is a nice finishing touch to any backyard, providing a new vantage point from which to enjoy your gardens and a focal point when looking at your landscaping. Gazebos also provide shade from the sun and shelter from rain, giving you more hours to enjoy the outdoors. The only drawback — especially for gazebos in the classic octagonal style — is that they are complicated to build and expensive to buy.

Woodworkers Journal Senior art director Jeff Jacobson designed the jig that makes this Continuous Grain Taco Holder both safe and easy to rout, and he has been hoping to fit this project into the magazine for at least a year. His wish is now coming true — and for good reason: it’s a quick and fun novelty you can make for those upcoming holiday parties or south-of-the-border meals.

A kitchen island can make a very nice upgrade to your home, adding both utility and value. If you have the room for it, an island like the one I’ve built here can even improve the efficiency of your cooking workflow, not to mention adding a cozy place for two people to sit and enjoy a meal.

Rarely do creatures speak to us of freedom and frailty as do birds. They brave bitter winter storms, exhausting annual migrations, natural predators and a host of other dangers throughout the year. Yet their enviable gifts of flight and beautiful appearance give us a lift whenever we see them. And while birds of a feather do flock together, most still prefer privacy while raising a family.

This picture frame uses a plywood base with decorative hardwood tiling, and it makes a nice home woodworking plan. Professionally made picture frames come in two types: the chintzy-looking cheap ones, or the really great-looking expensive ones. I decided that I would like to build my own and come up with a really great looking frame that was inexpensive but definitely not cheap!

To save a bit of money and get more use out of his workbench, the author constructed his own quick and easy router table. A router table doesn’t have to cost a fortune or weigh a ton to deliver professional results. My version’s 1" thick top doesn’t even require a cabinet base or legset. It simply clamps to my workbench. The project features an adjustable split fence with dust collection, plus a router lift made from ordinary home-center hardware. By removing three pairs of carriage bolts and wingnuts, I can remove the lift, router and fence easily for convenient storage.