Vintage Drawer Bench

Built by Whitney from Shanty2Chic Isn't it just darling?  It would be cute on the end of a bed too! Here's from Whitney: I loved making this cute little bench!  The drawers are perfect storage, and it's also a great project if you are new to making drawers and attaching drawer slides.  I gave some more tips on how I attach my drawer slides in my post... Really they are much easier than they look!  The whole thing cost me around $125 to build, which is much better than the $600 Pottery Barn

Our Favorite Things

A random thought came to mind recently, as sometimes happens when I’m at a corporate meeting or during a Sunday sermon. This one was, how many woodworking projects have I built in my life? As I dove into this rabbit hole, I quickly decided it was impossible to determine. (Did the sword and shield I built as a kid qualify as one project…or two?) Then I asked myself what woodworking project has brought me the fondest memories? What has been my favorite project? This turned out to be nearly as dif

Rustic Modern Farmhouse Dresser Console

Rustic modern meets farmhouse in this gorgeous dresser featuring four drawers.  This dresser is table height, so works well as a console or with a tv - use it in entryways, living rooms and more.   Matching Bedroom Suite Plans In the bedroom, pair this dresser with our Rustic Modern Farmhouse Bed and Rustic Modern Farmhouse Nightstands, all plans are free. Related Build Video This build is very similar to the nightstands build.  Please take a moment to watch the nightstand build video here to

Tips for Teaching Woodworking

Last week, Rob asked for your advice about teaching woodworking to children. Many of you have extensive thoughts on the subject! – Editor “I think the best way to pass it on is to encourage the youngsters to watch Papa Rob working in the shop and occasionally invite them to do something they can safely execute while you supervise. And maybe take them to the occasional Saturday kids event at Home Depot. I’m risking treading across the TL/DR barrier here. Do I recall that you’re a guitarist? Fun s

You Were Paying Attention

I can easily say that in the history of this woodworking newsletter, there are few questions I have asked that have engendered a response as big and with emails as detailed as my “So how should I go about teaching my grandkids to do woodworking?” question last week. If you click on the Feedback section of the Weekly (one of the most popular departments in our newsletter), you will get an idea of what I am talking about. Chris Marshall, our senior editor, said it took him over three hours to get

French Cleat Modular Closet System

French Cleat Modular Closet Build Video Modular Closet Components By using different organizers, you can create the closet of your dreams!  Here are the standard modular closet components. All of the components are constructed with the same steps, the only difference is the length of the sides and the number of shelves.  Follow the construction steps below, but use the diagrams to come up with your cut list. Recommended Materials for Modular Closet Carcasses You can use a variety of di

Passing on the Craft

This week, I have been thinking a lot about passing on the craft of woodworking to the next generation. For me specifically, I am considering my grandkids. Two of them have asked if they can build something with Papa Rob, and their cousins will likely want to get into the act if they see the others involved. But I’m wondering how to go about this. Do I pre-make parts and have them assemble and finish them? Do I get them cutting out parts with hand saws? Do we just glue, stack and nail some stuf

January/February 2023 What’s in Store Roundup

Rockler Glue Bottle Dock Milwaukee M12 FUEL Orbital Detail Sander Bench Dog 12 oz. Brass Mallet with Sapele Handle Rockler Rock-Steady Knock-Down Table Saw Outfeed Kit The post January/February 2023 What’s in Store Roundup appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

PROJECT: Touchless Turned Lamp

This article, “Touchless Turned Lamp,” is from the pages of American Woodturner and is brought to you by the America Association of Woodturners (AAW) in partnership with Woodworker’s Journal. Here is a functional project with a simple but elegant design. This decorative accent lamp can be operated with just the wave of a hand, thanks to a touchless sensor protruding through a hole in its base. All wood parts can be turned from readily available 1″- (25mm-) thick stock. The design possibilities f

Score First to Stop Dovetail Blowout

Dovetail routing jigs are notorious for blowing out the corner of the tail board at the end of the cut  when routing half-blind dovetails, because that corner is not backed up by the pin board. Here’s my simple solution: Use your band saw to make a scoring cut before you rout the dovetails. Set its fence so the length of the scoring cut is slightly less than the length of the dovetails being routed, and set the stop so the width of the scoring cut is slightly less than the width of the dovetail

Toy Train – Made from old pallet wood

Lock Down Project #6 Toy Train We were recently blessed with another grandchild, this time it was a grandson. As we have just completed a doll cradle for our granddaughter, it was now the grandson’s turn. There are many wood toys that could be made, however as we are still on lock down, I had to make use of what I have available. A toy train made from old pallet wood was thought to be the best option. I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home during this time and have much work

10 Best Wood Toy Plan Websites

Making wood toys is rewarding for the maker and for the child. Wood toy making has been around forever and is a skill that many have. Fortunately, the skills are being passed on and there are a number of free and paid websites. These are 10 best wood toy plan websites found easily on the internet. Whether you are just starting off and looking for a simple toy to make or are looking for something challenging. Amongst these 10 you will find both. Book – Wood Tools My latest book, Wooden T

8 Great Woodworking Websites and Blogs to Follow

There are many woodworking websites on the internet and with a few clicks you can unearth many interesting and useful tips. After searching for woodwork websites for a few days some of them seem to be more popular than others and some give more information than others. After a bit of research I have narrowed down the top eight websites that I have found useful. Now if you take into account that not all websites are created equal, some definitely stand out from the crowd. The website o

COLLAPSIBLE CELL PHONE STAND

In these current times online meetings are becoming the new normal. Using your cell phone or tablet for meetings is great, however it takes one of your hands to hold either one. Enter the collapsible cell phone stand. These great easy to make cell phone stands give you back the use of both hands. If the time online is using up your battery it is fine as you can charge your device while using it. The stand is also great for watching videos, movies or chatting with friends. Due to the fact

Teepee Beds

These Teepee beds are great for kids, the addition of the guard on the side of the bed helps the kids to not roll off the bed accidentally. I have just completed making two Teepee beds for a client. There are many designs out there for these type of beds and each has its own unique style that may or may not suit your requirements. I researched available designs and using something from each one made these bespoke beds. Here are some links to sites that already have designs for the beds

Big Fun in Big T

Last Saturday, I spent the day at the grand opening of Rockler’s new store in San Antonio, Texas. Spending time with woodworkers talking about woodworking is always a good day for me. Talking about a shared interest and looking at all the different ways that people come to the craft of woodworking is fascinating. And to see those folks at a brand-new store filled with woodworking supplies and gizmos of every description…well, “kids in a candy store” is an apt description. There were two major t

Rustic Modern Farmhouse Bed (All Mattress Sizes)

Rustic wood paired with a modern form updates the farmhouse bed into a beautiful and functional focal point to your bedroom. This plan covers all mattress sizes, the bed I built for reference is a standard king. Thoughtful Design Features You might not know it, but we are thinking of you when we design plans - here's a few details that you'll love: Headboard sized so you won't need a ton of decorative pillows, no expensive euro pillows needed! Headboard sized for artwork above Headboard panel i

Rustic Modern Farmhouse Nightstand

Why You'll Love It All wood design, accepts paint or stain beautifully Roomy drawer, makes lower storage more accessible Open shelf provides quick storage options Large top surface About $80 to build (compared with $500+ each retail) Matches our beautiful rustic modern farmhouse bed

Best Intentions for 2023?

While Rob is off bird hunting in Texas this week, let me be the first to wish you all a happy 2023 from Woodworker’s Journal! May it bring you many rewarding hours in the shop to come. I’m also going to ask the first probing question of the new year, and hopefully it will give you some pause. So here goes… What’s one way you are hoping to expand your woodworking skills this year? Or, if you don’t have that as a goal, what’s one significant project you hope to build (or finally finish!) in 2023?

Combination Mortiser Hold-down and Vacuum Fence

As my mortiser bits dull, they’re more prone to sticking in the mortise and harder to withdraw. There’s also the constant problem of shavings accumulating around the bit, obscuring the view. To remedy both issues, I made a two-layer custom fence from scrap. The rear layer is screwed to the mortiser’s cast-iron fence. The front 1/4″-thick layer attaches to the rear layer with a pair of carriage bolts and nuts that fit in slots in the rear layer. That way, the front fence facing can move up and d