(Apologies for this clunky main menu. When I started building this site I had no idea of how big it would get (about 900 Mb and climbing). I DID know that I wanted to Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS). SO - you can get to just about everything on this site from here. If you find any dead links, have questions or suggestions or comments e-mail me. If you're a newbie, hopefully you'll leave here thinking - "Hell, if even this guy can do it then I sure as hell can."

BEFORE you start clicking on things, glance through this index first, or at least scroll down to the Projects and Other Stuff near the bottom of the page

Introduction (who is this guy?)
The latest on the current project ( Mentoring Newbie - Floor to Ceiliing Raised Panel Linen Cabinet 9/08) )
The latest mini-project (
The latest Kid Project (Turn-A-Burger )
The New Toy - er - TOOL! (Festool DOMINO - last updaed Mat 18, 2007))

OOPS! ( the latest screw up, its cause and fix - updated 4/18/04)

The Robland X-31 combination machine is The heavy iron in my shop. There's a LOT of info about the X-31 and upgrades and modifications to it scattered around this site. To make it easier to find ll the X-31 stuff I've put together a separate X31 index that'll make it easier to find . click here to get to that index page.

PROJECTS
(So many things to try, so little focus. Here are some of the things I've done with wood. Scroll down to the text to get to ALL the projects I've put here so far.)

In Chronological Order - more or less

Layout / Assembly Bench
Router Cabinet
Right Wall Hanging Tool Cabinet (a Modular Approach)
Left Wall Hanging Tool Cabinet - (added "filling in" 3 / 30 / 02)
Boxes (including one for Steve Knight/Jim Wilson Mortising Chisels Box)
Bow Saw
Bow Saw Box ( added 4 / 5 / 02)
Closed Lock-Mitered Box

How About a Go-Bot Easel?
X-31 Accessories Cart ( tired of lifting the 40 pound mortiser table?) added 8/12/02
Drill Press 7 Drawer Unit (another quick and dirty that got away) added 8/12/02
Air Cleaner/ Down Draft Sanding Table/ Outfeed Table ( added 9/7/02)
Chisel Racks (Corral them so they don't escape!)
Mortising Machine's 4 Drawer Base Unit ( added 12/08/02)
DAS BENCH - Designing & Making a REAL Workbench ( added 1/05/03 updated 6/24/03)
Kid's Projects ( added 8/08/03)
Sharpening Station Cabinet ( added 1/09/04)
A Sealed Lock Miter Joined Box
DIY Loose Tenon Mortising Jig ( 5/14/04)
Wrap Around Grain Jewelry Box (6/10/04)
Father Son Project - Cabinets for LP Albums Collection ( 7/04)
Magic Wands (8/15/04)
Functional Wood Sculpture ( 8/18/04)
A Coopered Door Cabinet ( 10/8/04)
A Quick and Dirty Kiln Table ( 6/30/05)
Turning Gouges and Chisel Case/Stand
Das Lathe Bench ( added 2/26/06)
A G&G Type Sconce (need to finish the pages on this one - someday)
Bonsai Tables ( added 6/30/ 06)
Turned Lidded "Boxes" (with How To instructions 9/16/06)
Adding movement to turned pieces
Chas's Coffee Table
Coopered Entry Hall "Niche"
A "Garbage Surround"? ( 6/11/07)
A Q ;n D "thing" for the WorkSharp "Stuff" (another project that got out of hand - added 5/8.08)
Mentoring A Novice Make A Linen Cabinet (added 9/4/08)
A Violin Maker's Tools and Wood (added 9/9/2011)

Turning & Turnings ( added 4/30/04, last updated 1/2/07)

INSPIRATIONS

Conversations With Wood (added 1/ 28/ 03)

DESIGN ( this one's going to take a while to fill in ) UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Form/Proportions, Function/Ergonomics/ Material Selection, Joinery, Grain, Edge Treatment, Hardware Selection & Finishing

Evolution of a Krenov Inspired Cabinet added March 20, 2002

The Shop

Before & After (and you thought your garage was a mess)

Shop Layout
(One of the things I've noticed about most sites -though you get to see the tools, you seldom have the tool's context in the shop's floor plan. This Shop Layout lets you see most of the tools and equiptment in their context. You can click on either the Left or Right side of the layout image and see more about the two shop areas or you can use the links below to go to a specific page.)

Right Shop - The Equiptment Area
(Right Shop Floor Plan wih clickable tools show you more about each tool. Go here if you like to poke around & explore OR use one of the links below to go directly to a specific page)
Left Wall Hanging Tool Cabinet - (added "filling in" 3 / 30 / 02)
Sand Paper/Cordless Drills Shelves
Right Wall Hanging Tool Cabinet - (100+ tools in a 28Hx32Wx10D space)
....Evolution of the "plan" for the wall hanging tool cabinet
....Stock Preparation
...Tool Racks
Sliding Compound Miter Saw with B's Miter Table (Makita LS1212)
Laguna Tools LT16SEC Bandsaw
....Sawing up pieces of The Sentinel Tree
....Make your own veneer (the joy of resawing
...JoinTech Cabinet Maker System Cabinet
The TORMEK Sharpening System
JET 17 Drill Press
Wood Storage
The Green Shelves ( small power tools storage )
THE ROBLAND X-31 - 3 motors, 5 functions, 1100 pound combination machine
....The 3 HP 10" Saw and Sliding Table
.........Installing X31 Group Developed Blade Height Adjuster
....The 3HP Shaper and the 3 HP 12" Jointer
....The 12" Planer & Mortiser with XYZ. Table
...*Ray's Slick Mortising Table Jig (great jig to significantly enhance/improve the mortising table!)
....Shop Made Zero Clearance Insert
....A Trip to the Robland Factory in Belgium
....Talk about customer service!
....The Robland Crew sets up six X31s
....*THE RAIL SETTING JIG*
... The Modified Rail Setting Jigs (with instructions)
....Draft Instructions for Setting up the X31
... '98-'99 X31 Power Box
Disk Sander and Oscillating Spindle Sander
Delta 18-36 Drum Sander(added 10-18/02)
General International 75-075 M1 Mortiser with XY Table & Tilting Head (added 10/18/02)
... General International 75-075 M1 and PowerMatic 719A side by side comparison
Trend Mortise & Tenon Jig (addedd 11/12/04)
The Jool Tool Sharpening System - Big sharpening capabilities in a small package (added mid 2006)
JET Midi Lathe
AKEDA DC-16 Dovetail Jig (added 1/13/07)
Festool's DOMINO Loose Tenon "device" (added 4/18/07)
WorkSharp WS3000 - a sharpening "system" (added 11/07)
MiniMonster Captured Hollowing System (added 6/08)

Left Shop - The Layout / Assembly / Finishing Area
(added 10/18/02)
(the left side of the four car garage is for layout, assembly and finishing so there's not a lot of tools. Go here to poke around and explore or click on one of the links below to go directly to a specific page)

The Dry Supplies Cabinet
The Work/Assembly Bench
....Bench Diagrams
C&H 30 Gallon Compressor
Delta Dust Collector with Cyclone Lid & Grabage Can Separator
Small Parts Storage

Jeweler's Bench (added 10/18/02)
Electric Kiln(added 10/18/02)
Plywood Storage (added 10/18/02)
Finishing Storage (non-flammable stuff)

"HOW TO" & OTHER STUFF

A Simple DIY Jig for Loose Tenon Mortising (HUH?)
Doo Hicky for Dewalt 621 Plunge Router
Stock Prep - You Can't Make Rectangles Out Of Trapezoids
HOW TO MAKE A HAND CUT THROUGH DOVETAILED DRAWER (added 3 / 16 / 02)
DIY Dovetail Marking Gauge #1 (a little piece of plastic, a piece of scrap harwood ...)
DIY Dovetail Marking Gauge #2(some 1/8th inch polycarb, two small brads & some glue) )
Bandsawing Pins - Shim It Trick
KICKBACK! What is it? What can cause it? What you can do to minimize it happening (added 8/15/02 )
The Joy of Resawing -make a new table and fence and start slicing nice and thin! (added 9/10/02)
How To Do Line Inlaying - including how to plane thin stock and fine tune it to final thickness (added 9/24/02)
Mortise & Tenon Primer -seems simple enough - but isn't ( added 12/08/02 )
Graduated Drawers - a spreadsheet to make it easier (added 2/27/03 - Download and open in Excel)
Accident Survey Site (if you're gonna play with sharp tools, tailed or not, go through this site!)
The Pointy Stick Compendium Project (a work in progress - added 3/7/05)
Slick Dovetail Layout Calculator & Pattern Creater
Eliminate "Between Things" Measuring Errors - Slip Sticks! (2/27/06)
Leg Levelers That You Can Adjust from Above (perfect for a workbench)
Interesting Joinery (added 4/30/06, last update 6/22/07)
One Way to Turn a "Lidded Box" (6 pages of illustrated instructions added 9/15/06)
Layout Method for a Turned 3 Sided "Box" using the Cindy Drozda Method (added 11/02/07)
Rail & Stile Raised Panel Door Router Bit Set - How To Use (added 8/28/08)
Router Table Jigs for Safer Vertical & Horizontal Router Table Routing (added 12/4/09)
"Popping The Grain" (how and why)

LINKS

TOOLS LIST

e-mail me

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