Shop Projects

The workbench is the most-used tool in a woodworker's shop.It's where you cut and refine joinery with hand and power tools, shape and smooth parts by hand, and it often is the spot where you assemble and finish projects. To make all of those jobs go smoothly, however, a workbench needs some help to hold parts steady and safely. In this chapter you'll discover the smartest jigs and fixtures from the Fine Woodworking archives, from shooting boards to work-holding jigs and more, all designed to make time at your workbench more efficient and successful.

Woodworkers tend to collect a lot of tools, which means you need a place to store them all. There are lots of different approaches to tool storage, from custom fitted cabinets to simple tool chests, and from portable to permanent. Smart storage not only makes your woodworking time more efficient, keeping them close at hand, but it also helps preserve your valuable investment. In this chapter you'll find lots of ideas and inspiration for storage options that you can customize to fit your own collection.

Aside from your tools, there's a bunch of other materials that you'll need to store and organize in your shop. Of these, lumber is likely to take up the most space, so it's important that it be both stored efficiently and readily accessible. But don't overlook the smaller shop supplies you need to find a home for, from fasteners and hardware to sandpaper and rolls of tape. And as all woodworkers know, you can never have too many clamps—but how best to store them to keep clutter at bay? Don't worry, in this chapter we'll show you how.

A good, sturdy workbench is at the heart of any shop, but how do you know which bench is right for you? This chapter gives you all the advice you need, whether you're considering a starter model, a small bench, or a full-scale behemoth. Two in-depth video series walk you through the process of building a workbench, one a basic bench with built-in storage and the other the ultimate Shaker workbench. Now all you have to do is choose.

Workbenches and storage cabinets are one thing, but no workshop is complete without an army of shop helpers. In this final chapter of the guide, we'll show you how to build router tables and outfeed tables and explore the wide world of work supports and other shop helpers. You'll find everything from sawhorses and work stands to rolling assembly platforms and smart carts. Pick one or more projects, and your shop is sure to run more smoothly.