Outfeed support and a separate outfeed table solve the same basic problem: they keep long boards from tipping as they leave a table saw, planer, router table, or other tool. The cheaper solution is often the right one, but it…
Tool storage works best when it follows the way you use the shop. A tape measure needed for nearly every project should take seconds to reach; a specialty cutter used twice a year can live higher up or farther away.…
Measuring tools need more care than a box of screws. A steel rule can disappear under a caliper, a micrometer can get knocked against a socket, and a tape measure’s hook can snag on loose dividers. The right drawer setup…
Plan the wall around the work A useful tool wall puts the tools you reach for most often close to the bench, visible at a glance and easy to return one-handed. Start by listing the jobs you do regularly and…
Choosing between a workbench end vise and a front vise is mainly a question of how you hold work, not which vise is “better.” For most small shops, a front vise is the better first purchase. It handles face-jointing, sawing,…
How to Build a Mobile Assembly Table with Locking Casters A mobile assembly table is useful when your shop has to serve several purposes. Roll it into the center for glue-ups, move it against a wall for tool storage, or…
A modular workbench system earns its floor space when your workshop has to do more than one job. The same bench may support cabinet assembly on Monday, metalwork on Wednesday, and a vehicle repair project on Saturday. A fixed, heavy…
A workbench should fit the machines you use most, not the other way around. A bench built around a benchtop planer has different height, clearance, dust collection, and storage needs than one intended for hand tools and a compact table…
An assembly bench earns its space by doing three jobs well: holding work flat, keeping parts and clamps within reach, and resisting movement when you apply pressure. The most useful version is not necessarily the largest bench. A 60-by-30-inch top…
A workbench does not need to sit on a perfectly flat floor, but it does need a stable, repeatable base. A bench that rocks can make hand-planing frustrating, throw off assembly work, and become dangerous when a benchtop tool starts…