Woodworking

This is a detailed comparison of rasps and files. Learn how to understand the tooth differences between these two shaping tools.

This is a detailed look at four-in-hand rasps. Discover what these multi-surface tools are and why modern versions differ so drastically from originals.

This is a close look at the Shinto saw rasp design. Discover what makes this Japanese tool mechanically different from traditional rasps.

Here's what's available in marking gauges to help you find the right tool for precise layout work in wood.

Here's what marking gauges, marking knives, and pencils each do differently in woodworking, and when each tool makes sense.

Here's what pins and wheels each do differently in marking gauges, and how those differences affect the lines you're actually making.

Here's what causes marking gauge lines to wander, tear, or disappear, and what's actually happening when your layout marks go wrong.

This is a reference guide to blade measurements and tooth patterns. Discover what TPI numbers mean, how blade width affects cutting radius, and why gauge systems exist with this breakdown.

This is a deep dive into three curve-cutting saws. Learn what blade tension, frame depth, and manual versus motorized power actually mean when you're cutting intricate patterns with this examination of fret saws, coping saws, and scroll saws.

This is a breakdown of two saws that look identical but serve different purposes. Discover what frame size, blade gauge, and intended materials reveal about fret saws and jeweler's saws.

This is a look at blade width, tooth count, and frame geometry. Discover why fret saws became the standard tool for clearing waste between dovetail pins and tails.

Handheld jigs rely on your steady pressure while clamped jigs lock in place. Here's what that difference means for hole alignment and joint accuracy.

Dowel diameter affects glue surface area and mechanical resistance. Here's what happens when you scale up or down from standard sizes.

Dowel joints fail at predictable points: glue lines, misaligned holes, or the wood surrounding the dowel. Here's what actually breaks.

Those hairline cracks in plywood dowel joints? It's the alternating grain layers separating at their glue lines.

An examination of how door manufacturing evolved from solid wood construction through hollow core designs to modern engineered materials, and how these changes affect trimming and fitting.

An examination of wood behavior under plane blades, exploring how cellular structure and grain patterns create dramatically different planing results across species.

What's really hiding inside reclaimed lumber. The embedded metals and contamination patterns found in salvaged wood.