Workshop Setup & Tool Maintenance

What are the best ways to improve a woodworking shop? In this article and video, we cover five of the best improvements that could make your shop – especially if it’s a small shop - more efficient and a more enjoyable place to spend your time. Whether your workshop is one wall of your garage, a corner of your basement or a backyard shed, we’re hoping you’ll find a tip that sparks an idea you can apply to your shop.
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Have you ever added up how much money you spend on woodworking's most disposable supply?

If your band saw will quickly wiggle any unattended piece of stock off the edge of the table, you're definitely not getting the quality of cut you deserve, and in all likelihood, don't look forward to using your saw all that much.

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.

This woodworking workbench project plan combines some elements of traditional workbenches, typically intended for use with hand tools, with features that better support the work style of most contemporary woodworkers, who work with a combination of hand and portable power tools. This workbench plan features both a front vise and an end vise. Both of these heavy-duty vises have a large clamping capacity and a quick-release feature for rapid adjustments. The End Vise, which is the full width of the bench top, has holes for Bench Dogs and is used in conjunction with a series of dog holes. Bench dogs and other hold-down accessories help clamp parts to the bench surface. This rock solid workbench is assembled with Heavy-Duty Cross Dowels and Bolts.

To keep different grits and types of sandpaper organized in your shop, this simple shelving unit fits perfectly.

Probably the most used tool in your shop is one you might overlook; your pencil.

When evaluating antique furniture, one of the things appraisers search for is the fine lines and marks left behind by marking knives and marking gauges.