Tools & Reviews

Buying guides, setup and maintenance for hand and power tools.

Tools & Reviews Intermediate

The humble circular saw can cut cabinet-quality edges — if you pick the right saw, the right blade and a straightedge.

4 min readOct 17, 2026

Tools & Reviews Advanced

Rust looks fatal but usually isn’t. With the right method for each tool, decades-old steel cleans up ready for another…

4 min readOct 17, 2026

Tools & Reviews Intermediate

A plane that chatters or tears out is almost always a tuning problem, not a bad tool. Here’s how to sharpen and set it…

3 min readOct 17, 2026

Tools & Reviews Advanced

A router table turns a handheld router into a small shaper. Set it up right and it becomes the most versatile machine…

4 min readOct 17, 2026

Tools & Reviews Advanced

Every great piece of furniture starts with stock that is flat, straight, square and the same thickness. Here’s how to…

4 min readOct 17, 2026

Tools & Reviews Beginner

Every project starts with a hole and ends with a screw. Here’s how to pick the drill you’ll use on all of them.

4 min readOct 17, 2026

Tools & Reviews Beginner

One brings the saw to the wood, the other brings the wood to the saw. Here’s how to decide which suits your space and…

4 min readOct 17, 2026

Tools & Reviews Beginner

One is a fastener system, the other is an alignment system. Know the difference and the right first purchase becomes…

4 min readOct 17, 2026

Tools & Reviews Beginner

The router is the most versatile power tool you’ll own — once you know which base, which size and which three bits to…

4 min readOct 17, 2026

Tools & Reviews Beginner

A table saw is only as safe and accurate as the jigs around it. These five are cheap to build and make every cut better.

4 min readOct 17, 2026

Tools & Reviews Beginner

A sharp chisel slices end grain with hand pressure. A dull one bruises it. Here’s how to choose chisels and keep them…

4 min readOct 17, 2026