Follow our Facebook page for free woodworking goodness! - Stumpy Nubs Woodworking Journal is a multi-media publication designed for weekend woodworkers of all skill levels. Each issue contains a selection of articles and videos about woodworking techniques (hand and power tools), jigs and shop improvements, unique projects, skill building tutorials, tool reviews and quick tips.
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Andre Roubo was among the oldest of the old-timey woodworkers, and the unique drawings found in his eighteenth century book have inspired woodworkers for over 200 years. Stumpy has designed a version of this bench which is by far the easiest, least expensive version to make. You can build one without difficult joinery, and without compromises in strength and features, all from cheap construction lumber! It's big, beefy and full of all the features a hand tool woodworker, or even a power tool woodworker, would appreciate.
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This little tool rest was one of our first projects, way back in the old Blue Collar Woodworking show days. Since then it has become one of our most popular, with so many requests for plans that we decided to give in and make some! It is fully adjustable and designed to be used with the Veritas grinding jig- (though it can also be used on its own). There's a slot in the top platform that allows you to move the jig side-to-side as you grind, and the whole platform also advances forward and back, a handy feature that no other tool rest I have seen has!
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This is a new take on an old-timey tool that every modern woodworker should have. A bench hook is essential for making crosscuts by hand, and with the addition of shooting board features (both for 90-degree and miters cuts), it becomes an ultra-precise cutting jig for fine tuning project parts to a perfect fit. The Stumpy Nubs version includes features we've never seen before, including multiple fence options, hardwood reinforced tracks, and replaceable vital parts to ensure it will last a lifetime.
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Building box/finger joint jigs has become a bit of a hobby among some woodworkers, like marble machines or complex mouse traps. They are admittedly complicated, but fun to build and really useful tools. I've designed several, but this one is my favorite. It will cut any joint configuration you can imagine, without any complicated setup or attachments to swap around. You don't need a dado set to use it, though using one will speed up the process. It will cut a joint up to 18" wide, and is compatible with any 10-inch table saw.
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This amazingly accurate and versatile router table fence is patterned after the very expensive Incra LS system. It features a set of interlocking teeth creating positive stops every 1/16". You can't miss your mark even by the tiniest fraction of in inch! And when combined with Stumpy's "sliding router table" you can create precise joinery! It also works on any router table and is the most accurate homemade router fence out there.
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Have a lot of shelf pin holes to drill? Want a large, bench top machine that allows you to drill two rows at once, without messing with clamps to keep it in place? This is a jig unlike any other!
The work piece slides inside the jig, rather than clamping the jig onto the work piece. A turn of a crank is all you have to do to secure it in place. The template on top allows you to drill a hole every second in stock of any thickness and up to a foot wide. Jobs like cabinets and small bookcases won't require re-positioning at all, you can do both rows of holes at once. Longer work pieces are easier than ever to do because you don't have to remove the jig to re-position, you simply loosen the crank and slide the board!
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This is a detailed guide for cutting dovetails with a router table. It includes instructions for building the jig and for every aspect of the dovetailing process from layout to the final cuts, even how to fix your mistakes. (The pins are cut at the router table, and the tails are cut with either a band saw or a handheld jig saw.) It's eight pages of photos, drawings and detailed instructions that you can take to the shop with you!
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I designed a dovetail machine that can be made from wood, and has more features than most of the top of the line commercial versions. This machine is designed to be used with your router to make fast, even, beautiful through dovetail joints that look like you made them by hand. It is micro-adjustable so you can set how tight you want the joint to be, and it allows you to easily change the spacing and size of the tails and pins. It will also make sliding dovetail joints and router dadoes!
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This drum sander design is unlike anything you've ever seen before! It is a "dual stage" machine, meaning both the top and the bottom of the sanding drum may be used. This enables you to sand any flat work piece to thickness by feeding it through the machine via a hand-cranked feed belt, OR you can pass your work pieces over the top of the machine for fast sanding of flat surfaces and even edges! There isn't another drum sander with this capability ANYWHERE! It's also designed to use inexpensive, easy to find 6" sanding belts, and rather than peeling off the paper to change grits, you swap out the whole drum via a quick-release system!
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This workstation does it all. It begins with the t-track embedded top (which you can buy or make) that provides endless possibilities for work holding, tool mounting and more. Lift the top and slide it behind the cabinet using the innovative, spring-loaded tracking system and you reveal a downdraft sanding station. When you aren't using the workstation it is designed to serve as a table saw out-feed table. Did I mention the pull-out platform that nearly doubles the work surface, and the ample storage?
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Ever consider making a bed? This heirloom-quality bedstead is built to last for generations! It features a slab-style headboard which appears to have cracked down the middle and been rejoined with dovetail-shaped ties. The bed as designed is queen size, but may easily be modified to make it smaller or larger. It is a platform style which incorporates a flexible system of slats to support the mattress and add extra comfort without a box spring. And it features knock-down joinery that makes it easy to disassemble and move. The frame also features dovetailed corners- but don't worry, there is a very simple way to cut this beautiful joinery! In fact, these plans will walk you through everything step-by-step, including showing you how to fix any mistakes and build new skills!
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This project is specifically designed to help new woodworkers improve their skills. It's engineered around common board widths found in home centers so it may be built without a table saw to rip boards to width. Every cut can be made with a handheld circular saw and a router. But no matter your skill level, you'll appreciate this sturdy, fully featured storage unit with compartments for all your gear, including a pair of drawers beneath the seat.
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This lift features an improved tracking mechanism, adjustments are made from above the table using a 1 1/8" socket or wrench, it attaches to a homemade router plate, and will go into almost any router table that has a removable plate. Or you can use it by itself as a stand-alone mini router table! The plans are designed for a standard 3 1/2 - 3 3/4" round, removable router motor.
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This horizontal router has a few unique twists that make all the difference, like a tilting table, a micro adjustable router lift, a sliding table and much more. The machine is great for making raised panel doors, cutting miters and bevels, making splined miter joints for boxes, locking miter joints, half lap joints, rabbets, tenons... the list goes on and on. Plus it has excellent dust collection, and the tilting table makes it possible to cut unique, one of a kind profiles with ordinary router bits!
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It's true- you can NEVER have enough clamps. But it's also a little known fact- you can never have a big enough clamp rack! The problem is, a lot of small shops don't have the wall space for a large selection of clamps. So Stumpy set out to make a compact solution that would hold a lot of clamps in a little space.
This clamp rack has three layers which open like cabinet doors. It will hold 48 clamps, enough for even the biggest glue-ups! But the best part is that those clamps can now be stored in just a 3X2' space on your shop wall! It will fit regular twist bar clamps as well as the one handed ratcheting bar clamps. The same principal can also be adapted to hold pipe clamps.
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These ten picture frames (inspired by an old magazine) have been modified so you can make them with common router bits, using standard 3/4" thick stock. Add some contrasting wood or a little color, and you will be amazed what you can do with a few bits! Take the skills you learn from these frames (and the video below) and make your own designs, as well!
A fair amount of work went into modifying, digitally modeling and diagramming these profiles, so I am charging a few dollars for that effort. I also recommend you watch the free videos below for additional tips.
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Router planes are amazing tools, but they are also largely misunderstood. And that's a shame, because they are extremely useful in both a hand-tool and a power-tool workshop. Rather than cutting profiles, as a modern router does, a router plane is for cutting to depth with precise accuracy. They can be used to make the bottom of a table saw dado perfectly flat. They can fine tune a rabbet or a tenon. They are the perfect companion to many power tools with nearly unlimited uses.
My version of the router plane is easy to make from a scrap of wood and some easy to find hardware. And unlike other homemade versions, this has a micro-adjuster to set the depth and shaving thickness.
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What started out as a way to safely hold small parts while working at the router table, became a multi-functional sled that will accomplish several tasks safely and accurately. It's a small parts holder: it's a coping sled for routing on the ends of narrow work pieces (rail and stile construction, tenons, half laps, etc.); and it's a circle cutting jig capable of diameters up to 10-inches.
This sled is surprisingly easy to build, and the plans give you all the information you need, including step-by-step instructions complete with photos. Enjoy!
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Every workshop should have at least one saw bench. Not only is this an indispensable tool for sawing, it’s also a comfortable and portable workspace for chopping, boring and all sorts of other tasks. This version of the classic saw bench includes some extra features. For one thing, there’s a split that runs down the center to support both sides of the board while you rip down its length. There are holes for holdfasts to secure your work while you drill or chop sitting down. And it’s large enough to use as a step stool or an extra seat while shooting the breeze. But the best part is it can be built with some old construction lumber!
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A mini cyclone designed to keep your filter clean and your vacuum working hard! There are commercial versions on the market, but ours is easy and inexpensive to make, and will mount directly on your vacuum so you don't have to pull a separate bucket around. Vacuum surgery is optional, and we walk you through the whole thing! This project was featured on episodes 51 & 52 of "The Stumpy Nubs Workshop".
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This jig is simple and inexpensive to make, but well thought out to provide a surprising level of functionality. It may be used with a plunge router and an edge guide to create accurate, repeatable mortises. You can cut tricky ones too, such as double mortises, parallel mortises and even mortises in round stock.
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Stop sawdust boogers forever! This downdraft table is an all in one solution for a small shop with a big 20" X 30" work surface complete with an embedded t-track holding system. Not only will it tame the sawdust, it has countless other uses for securing your workpieces with clamps, stops, risers and hold downs for sanding, cutting, routing carving... the list goes on and on!
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There are lots of ways to cut miters, but most involve setting the angle of a guide or jig. If you set it imprecisely, you'll have problems. Why not have a sled dedicated to the most common miter angle you use, 45-degrees?
This precise miter sled excels at cutting the parts for frames and boxes. The dual fences are reliably fixed at 45-degrees and they extend for long workpieces. There is a system of stops to make repeated cuts accurately, and a micro-adjuster to fine tune your project parts. It's the best miter sled out there, in my opinion! NOTE- You may also purchase this as part of our three-sled set at discounted rate in the "table saw jigs" catagory of our project plans store.
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This fence is truly unique with an innovative locking system that self squares to the blade, a micro adjuster for fine tuning your cuts, and an anti-kick-back European style with detachable extensions. Even the rails are made from wood! It's designed to fit any saw from small, bench top units to large cabinet saws, with or without side tables. There's even a built in pencil & accessory holder! (This project can be used on its own, but it is also designed to fit our deluxe table saw workstation)
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This set includes ALL THREE of our deluxe table saw sled plans, including the large "Mega Sled," the more compact "Mini Sled," and the deluxe "Miter Sled", plus all the joinery jig attachments including a finger joint jig, a pair of dovetail jigs, a tenon-cutting jig, a jig for cutting spline slots to reinforce frames and boxes, and spring activated micro-adjusters to fine tune your cuts. It is by far the most capable table saw sled system around!
NOTE: The three sleds may also be purchased separately in the "table saw jigs" catagory of our project plans store.
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This is the larger of three table homemade saw sleds I use in my shop. I call it the "Mega Sled" because it will do it all including crosscutting large panels and cutting various types of joinery. It includes plans for a clever system of joinery jig attachments including a finger joint jig, a pair of dovetail jigs, a tenon-cutting jig, a jig for cutting spline slots to reinforce frames and boxes, and spring activated micro-adjusters to fine tune your cuts. It is by far the most capable table say sled system around!
This large sled will work on any contractor's table saw or cabinet saw. It will also work on many portable jobsite saws. It may be too large for some small benchtop saws. We offer a smaller version of this sled, complete with all the same attachments in our web store. You may also purchase this sled, our smaller version (for day-to-day work) and our special miter sled (for 45-degree frames and boxes) as a 3-plan set at a discounted rate in the "table saw jigs" catagory of our project plans store.
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This is the every-day user out of of three homemade table saw sleds I have in my shop. I call it the "Mini Sled" because it it is a smaller, easier to pull out and stow away version of the big "Mega Sled" - but it is almost as capable. It includes plans for a clever system of joinery jig attachments including a finger joint jig, a pair of dovetail jigs, a tenon-cutting jig, a jig for cutting spline slots to reinforce frames and boxes, and spring activated micro-adjusters to fine tune your cuts. It is by far the most capable table say sled system around!
Note- the dovetail jig attachments are a little large for this sled. They will work, but they will hang off the edge. They work best on the larger version of this sled, which is available in our web store. You may also purchase this sled, our larger version (for larger work) and our special miter sled (for 45-degree frames and boxes) as a set at a discounted rate in the "table saw jigs" catagory of our project plans store.
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The Europeans have had a secret for years- their saws have sliding tops for easy and accurate crosscuts! We can buy attachments for our saws in the US, but they are EXPENSIVE. So why not make your own? This one mounts to the side of your contractor or cabinet saw (for smaller saws, use with the TS Workstation) and includes an adjustable miter fence, even a storage drawer. Great for working with plywood panels!
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This is the ultimate table saw improvement! Not only does it add a giant work area to your bench top or contractor style saw, it can be combined with some of our other homemade tools to create an entire workshop in a 4X8 foot area! There are also sixteen drawers, several storage shelves, and room for various other small machines. Add a bench top drill press and a mini lathe, you name it! (There's even a built in lumber rack, for goodness sake!)
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This idea came from a trip to a home center to buy one of those pedestal drawer units that go beneath front-loading washers and dryers. They cost about $250+ for each machine, and they're little more than poorly designed junk! I knew I could do better! This one is designed for both machines. It has a lot more drawer space than the commercial versions, it's on wheels so it can be moved, and it was carefully engineered to support the tremendous weight on top for years and years to come. Best of all, it'll cost you just a fraction of price of the store bought units! This is a great project for a beginner because it requires only a circular saw and utilizes materials you can buy in a home center.
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Turn your Worksharp sharpening system into a super-sharpener for all of your woodworking needs. These modifications include replacing the glass discs with inexpensive alternatives, using buffing compounds instead of the pricey sandpaper, and a stand that not only includes storage for all of your discs and accessories, but includes a large platform to make it possible to sharpen wide plane and chisel blades with a simple honing jig! These changes are easy to do and will make your Worksharp do a lot more, plus save you a bundle!
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