Woodworking & Workshop

Woodworking, welding, weekend builds and the shop you do them in.

The BRO Gear GuideBuy once, fix it, pass it down: a cost-per-use calculator, a warranty decoder and a repairability checklist.Judge it before you buy

← Newer articlesPage 2 of 166

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Your first bowl on a lathe and what goes wrong

Pick the right chunk of wood, mount it so it stays put, and cut in the one direction that doesn't tear the grain.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Pocket screws, mortise and tenon, dovetails, in that order

Three joints cover nearly everything you'll build. Pick the wrong one and the table racks by Thanksgiving.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Build a real workbench from two sheets of plywood

A 67-inch bench with a shelf, a clamping overhang and no wobble, cut from two 4x8 sheets in a single Saturday.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

PartnerGermProof.com

6 min read

Start with a cutting board, not a bookshelf

Hard maple, six strips, one bottle of Titebond III, and the mistake that doesn't show up until you oil it.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Bringing a rusty Stanley No. 4 back to work

A car boot plane, a sheet of 80 grit and an evening at the bench will out-cut most of what's sold new in the shops.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The mower that won't start, and the order to check it

Nine times in ten it's the fuel, not the engine. A working order for diagnosis, and the point where you stop and buy a new machine.

Ivermectin.com — Tracked USPS delivery, no clinic visit

PartnerIvermectin.com

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Turning a storage garage into a working shop

Light, power, wall space and one bench you can always get to. The order you do it in decides whether anything ever gets finished.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Build the workbench first, and buy only four tools

Skip the floating shelves. Your first project should be a flat surface at the right height, and it takes four tools to build it.

GuideWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Measure and Mark So the Cut Is Right the First Time

Most bad cuts aren't saw problems. They're marking problems, and every one of them is fixable in about ten seconds.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

Ask it

GuideWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Build a sawbench first, then build everything else on it

Two boards, a box of screws, and four tools you'll keep for thirty years. The best first project isn't a birdhouse — it's the thing you'll work on.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Everything I Do Differently After the Shop Hurt Me

Nobody gets hurt on the hard job. You get hurt on the easy cut, at the end of the day, on the tool you've used ten thousand times.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Most bad finishes are actually sanding problems

A great finish is about ninety percent preparation and ten percent what's in the can. Do the first part properly and the rest is easy.

GuideWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Raise a burr, and the rest of sharpening follows

One skill, one piece of feedback, and about fifteen minutes to learn it. After that your chisels, kitchen knives and axe all get easier.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

PartnerCoconut.com

GuideWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Build a garage workshop you'll use on a Tuesday night

Most home shops fail for one reason: starting takes too long. Fix that first, and the tools take care of themselves.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next fortnight.

GuideWes Dunbar22 Sept 20266 min

Build a tool tote first, and buy these five tools

One board, one afternoon, no table saw. The project that teaches you square cuts, glue-ups and finish — and gets used for the next twenty years.

Detroit's best idea was a big engine in a cheap car

The muscle car began as a loophole, a price tag and a few engineers who knew exactly who was buying. That's still the formula worth chasing.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

GuideTools & OrganizingDean Shaw3 Oct 20267 min

The Ten Minutes Before You Start a Chainsaw After a Storm

Chaps, chain tension, a clean air filter and fresh fuel. The checks that keep a cleanup Saturday from ending in the emergency room.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

Gear6 min read

The carbon paddle won't fix your third shot

Fiberglass, raw carbon, 13mm or 16mm. What each one really does on the court, and why the cheap paddle is the right call for longer than you'd think.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

Older articles

Older Woodworking stories