How to's

There are some jobs that all of us dread because they are just plain difficult. Other jobs require a tool that you haven't invested in yet. Luckily, there are millions of other woodworking professionals and enthusiasts out there finding ways to make projects easier. At Woodshopbits, we love finding these helpful tips and sharing them with you. Today, we found these 17 router tips from American Woodworker.com. If you're like us, at least one of these tricks will have you saying, "ahhh, that's a great idea." Router Tip #1: Don't have a planer or your project uses a wide board...

DIY Router Tables Router tables provide a great way for woodworking enthusiasts to convert a potable router into an invaluable custom woodworking tool. You can do some awesome projects by mounting a portable router to a table and making it a stable and more permanent woodworking tool. Depending on the size of your router and the workspace you have available to you there are several options when choosing a router table. There are portable options as well as floor tables that will provide a more stationary function. Take into consideration type of projects you do and which size table will...

 If you plan on clamping rough wood stock together, you need to  follow a few simple guidelines along with having the right clamps.  With regards to the clamps, don't be fooled by those cheap bar  clamps.  If you apply much torque, the bar will bend and your  clamping job will not produce tight joints.  Purchase heavy duty bar  clamps like the Jorgenson clamps shown in the picture on the left.    You would be hard pressed to apply enough torque to bend the bar    and with the twist clamp handles, it is easier to apply significant torque to produce...

Take a look at this shop-built miter saw table!  Are you looking for a  good durable work surface for your router table or miter saw table.    Try covering it with Formica or a plastic laminate.  This will give you a  surface that will last decades and it is much more durable than  melamine or a simple plywood or MDF surface.  It is very simple to  put Formica on a plywood or MDF.  Simply apply contact cement to  the surface and the Formica, let it sit for 15-20 minutes until it feels dry but tacky.  Carefully, place the Formica on...

Why do most table saws have an extensions on them but you very  seldom see an extension of a router table or shaper cutter? A small  table top on a router table makes it very difficult to manage a larger or  longer workpiece often making it unsafe as well.  Router table tops  need to be large enough to support your work.  This is the same  reason extensions are added to table saws.  If you are building your  own router table, don't settle for the normal sized table.  Add an extension similar to the router table in the picture or design...