Shop Improvements

See into the shops of some of the world's finest woodworkers... then add features from their workstations in your own shop. Professional advice and extraordinary exploded illustrations, complete with measurements, make for easy setup of jigs, sleds, and tables in your space.

For more than 30 years, woodworkers have turned to Fine Woodworking for its unparalleled expertise. In this collection you'll find 60 outstanding shop accessory and jig articles from the cream of the crop, and the inspiration to bring the ideas home.

Make your shop your pride and joy!

• Part of the Great Designs from Fine Woodworking series
• 60 of Fine Woodworking's most acclaimed workshop articles covering...
  • Workbenches
  • Router Jigs and Fences
  • Tablesaw Extension Tables
  • Sawhorses and Support Stands
  • Clamp and Lumber Racks
  • Dovetailing Jigs
  • Router Tables
  • Tapering Jigs
  • Toolboxes, Racks, and Cabinets
  • Router Tenoning Jigs
  • Horizontal Mortising Tables
  • Planer Jigs o Assembly Benches
  • Drill Press Jigs
  • Tablesaw Crosscut Sleds
  • Bandsaw Jigs
  • Ingenious storage solutions
• 125 drawings, including exploded illustrations with measurements
• Professional advice that's easy to use and adapt
• Let's talk shop...here's a great value and wonderful gift for woodworkers of every skill level!

"I'm convinced that most woodworkers stick with the craft because of what happens in the workshop - not what comes out of it. Whether an elaborate workbench for cutting dovetails or a simple jig to cut tapered legs, woodworkers have come up with smart, efficient aids for storing, surfacing and shaping wood. The smartest ones I've seen are all here." - Editor Matthew Teague

Introduction 3

WORKSTATIONS AND SHOP AIDS
Tilt-Top Shop Cart Handles Plywood 4
Fred Sotcher

Rolling Compound-Miter Saw Stand Saves Space 6
Charles Jacoby

Sawhorses for the Shop 8
Christian Becksvoort

Low Assembly Bench Puts Work at the Right Height 14
Bill Nyberg

Dovetailer's Bench and Carcase Press 16
Charles Durham Jr.

Assembly Cart Raises Work 19
Jerry H. Lyons

Shop Drafting Table Folds Away 20
Dwyane Intveld

Vacuum Hold-Down Table 24
Mike M. McCallum

A Downdraft Sanding Table 26
Peter Brown

Fold-Down Sanding Table Collects Dust 28
David DiRanna

Shooting Board 30
Ed Speas

Rolling Tool Cabinets Save Space 31
Bill Endress

Vertical Press Simplifies Glue-Ups 34
Jim Tolpin

Convertible Clamping Station 36
Dick McDonough

A Bench Built to Last 40
Mike Dunbar

Rock-Solid Plywood Bench 44
Cecil Braeden

Multipurpose Support Stand 47
John White

Hefty Workbench with all the Frills 48
Jon Leppo

Mobile Table Serves Many Needs 53
Jerry H. Lyons

Power-Tool Workbench 54
Lars Mikkelsen

The Essential Workbench 56
Lon Schleining

Heavy-Duty Bench with a Knockdown Base 58
Mike Dunbar

A Benchtop Bench 62
Jeff Miller

Clamping Table 65
Jerry H. Lyons

Versatile and Affordable Workbench 66
John White

DRILLING JIGS AND FIXTURES
Sliding Drill Press Table for Mortising 69
Gary Rogowski

Auxiliary Drill Press Table 70
Roland Johnson

Adjustable End-Boring Jig for the Drill Press 72
Jeff Greef

Vertical Boring Jigfor the Drill Press 74
Gary Rogowski

TABLESAW JIGS AND FIXTURES
Folding Extension Tables Save Space 75
Dwayne J. Intveld

Picture Framer's Miter Jig 78
Robert Hamon

Sliding Miter Gauge Fence Lends Accuracy 80
Tim Hanson

One-Stop Cutting Station 82
Ken Picou

Tablesaw Sled for Precision Crosscutting 84
Lon Schleining

Tablesaw Sled Cuts Box Joints 86
Lon Schleining

Tenoning Jig for the Tablesaw 89
Brad Schilling

Angled Tenons on the Tablesaw 92
William Krase

Dovetailing Sled for the Tablesaw 94
Jeff Miller

Tablesaw Jig Cuts Slip Joints 98
Frank Klausz

Shop-Built Roller Extension Table 100
Bob Gabor

Tablesaw Dovetial Jig 102
Mark Duginske

Shopmade Outfeed Table 106
Frank A. Vucolo

A Better Tapering Jig 108
Richard W. Beebe II

BANDSAW JIGS AND FIXTURES
Five Essential Bandsaw Jigs 112
Michael Fortune

Bandsaw Base Designed for Resawing 118
John White

PLANER JIGS AND FIXTURES
Shopmade Planer Table 122
Andy Beasley

Infeed/Outfeed Table for a Portable Planer 124
Greg Colegrove

Adjustable Planer Sled Surfaces Warped Stock 127
Keith Rust

ROUTER JIGS AND FIXTURES
Versatile Mortising Jig 130
Jeff Miller

Two Jigs for Routing Columns 132
Bill Ewing

Bench-Mounted Router Table Stores Easily 134
Paul Manning

Stow-Away Router Table 136
Jim Wright

Adjustable Router Jig Cuts Arches 138
Bill Ewing

A Jig for Cutting Curved and Tapered Reeds 140
John Van Buren

Micro-Adjustable Jig Speeds Tenoning 142
Patrick Warner

Router Fixture Takes on Angled Tenons 145
Edward Koizumi

End-Work Router Fixture for Tenons and More 148
Patrick Warner

Shop-built Horizontal Mortiser 150
John F. Matousek

Shopmade Slot Mortiser 152
Gregory Paolini

The Ultimate Router Table 154
John White

Shopmade Trimmer for Flush Cuts 159
Jim Siulinski

Horizontal Router Table 162
Ernie Conover

Five Smart Router Jigs 164
Yeung Chan

Compact Tool Makes Dadoes a Snap 167
Skip Lauderbaugh

Custom-Built Dovetail Jig 170
William H. Page

A Versatile Router Table 172
Kevin McLaughlin

Router Table Accessories 176
Patrick Warner

SMART STORAGE SOLUTIONS
Versatile Shop Storage Solutions 179
Joseph Beals

Wall Panels Organize Hand Tools 183
Jerry H. Lyons

Heirloom Tool Chest 184
Chris Gochnour

Tool Cabinet for a Workbench 188
Lon Schleining

An Inspired Tool Chest 190
Bill Crozier

Mobile Clamp Cart 194
David DiRanna

Stack and Store Lumber on the Same Rack 196
Chris Gochnour

A Machinist-Style Tool Chest 198
Ronald Young

Clamp Racks for Ceilings and Walls 200
Brook Duerr

A Clever Tool Case 202
Yeung Chan

Wall Rack for Clamps 204
John West

Fine Furniture For Tools 205
Steven Thomas Bunn

Lumber-Storage Solutions 208
Andy Beasley

A Dovetailed Tool Cabinet 212
Carl Dorsch

Index 214
Credits 217

The end product-furniture-is what draws most people to woodworking. You see a cabinet you'd like to replicate, or a table you wish were a foot narrower, or you are simply out of shelves and set out to build a bookcase. But I'm convinced that most woodworkers stick with the craft because of what happens in the workshop-not what comes out of it.

This book-compiled from years' worth of articles from Fine Woodworking magazine-offers a peek inside the shops of some of the world's finest craftsmen. Whether it's an elaborate workbench designed for cutting dovetails or a simple jig used to cut tapered legs, woodworkers have come up with smart, efficient aids for storing, surfacing and shaping wood. And the smartest ones I've seen are all featured here.

The workstations, jigs, fixtures, and storage units in this book are presented with detailed exploded drawings-all the information woodworkers need to build their own. But the ingenious creations here also serve as a launching point for designing jigs, fixtures and shop improvements for your own workshop. This book is a celebration of what goes on behind the scenes in the woodshop-studied closely, it's as mesmerizing as the furniture that leaves the shop.

-Matthew Teague