Shop Skills

Want to add a compressor to your shop or garage? Learn what the best pipe materials are for a compressed air line— and what not to use.

Check out these great tips from our pro woodworkers for working faster, smarter and more efficiently in your shop.

Make a simple adjustable fence and a right angle drilling jig to make your drill press work quicker and more accurately. Store them nearby so…

This workbench is simple enough and cheap enough that you can make it in a morning, and yet it's big enough for serious woodworking and hobby…

Bench grinder wheels need occasional TLC to do a good job of sharpening. Learn how to "dress" a wheel to keep it clean, which type to use for…

Electrolysis cleans away rust like magic, and you can set up a simple system in your shop with a battery charger and a few household items.

Almost all table saw injuries are avoidable if you use the proper ripping techniques. Learn the safe way to make a variety of rip cuts…

The Editor-in-Chief of The Family Handyman shares tips from the many pros he's worked with and from his own years of woodworking and home…

These tips and techniques for applying oil-based polyurethane produce virtually flawless results. They include using a roller, using wipe-on…

Learn how to get the best cutting results from your hacksaw. Hacksaws are designed to cut in one direction, and reversing the blade will…

An expert tells you how to drill large holes in wood and metal faster and better with carbon steel or bi-metal hole saws. Choose the correct…

Cut perfect circles with a band saw, using a simple jig. You can assemble the jig in about a half hour from ¾-in. plywood.

Modern router bits with carbide cutters and guide bearings make forming wood edges almost foolproof. But there are a few tips and tricks that'll…

Getting a smooth, blemish-free finish with oil-based polyurethane is within your grasp if you follow the steps in this article. Oil-based…

These six expert shop tips simplify and speed up sanding, gluing, cross cutting, drawing and measuring lines, making repetitive cuts and other…

Make perfectly square crosscuts with this simple table saw sled. You can make it in an hour out of shop scrap wood and three pennies.

Sanding wood can get boring, but you can finish this tedious chore in as much as half the time—and with better results—if you know a…

A rethreading kit is an important part of any automotive toolbox. Use it to restore stripped threads on old, rusty nuts and bolts when you…

Tips to use your belt sander more effectively and more safely, as well as how to buy a belt sander and what belts work best. It’s a…

Looking for a satisfying woodworking project? Make this beautiful maple and walnut cutting board/serving tray. Simple enough that you can start…