If there is one power tool that lends itself perfectly to accessories it’s the table saw. Things like push sticks and stop blocks can make using it more efficient and safe. Auxiliary fences for the miter gauge and the rip fence prevent chipout and protect the factory fence from being damaged.

Best of all, each of these accessories can easily be made in the shop. During this week’s Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar, Craig Ruegsegger will focus on seven accessories that he feels are “must-haves.” Plus, time permitting he’ll talk about two accessories (or upgrades) that should be bought: an after-market miter gauge (photo above) and spllitter (see below).

There won’t be any bonus downloads this week. Everything is in the seminar guide.

If I had the time, I’d build every project with hand-cut mortise and tenon or dovetail joinery. But that’s not a very realistic goal, nor is it necessary. There are plenty of joinery methods out there that can be made both quickly and easily.

One of the most “traditional” methods is the lap joint. It’s easy to cut with just one setup on the table saw. And it provides plenty of face grain gluing surface as well as a good amount of mechanical strength.

For a couple of “modern” joinery techniques that are especially quick and easy, you’ll have to purchase specialized machinery to produce them. I’m talking about biscuit joints and pocket hole joinery. Both of these methods get their mechanical strength from distinctive fastener’s — biscuits or pocket screws. But the best part is that each can be setup and cut in seconds.

According to Doug Hicks, the best way to understand the full potential of the router is to attach it to a router table. He’ll spend an hour this Thursday trying to prove his point.

We all know that a router table can make your router more versatile. (A great example was the seminar a few weeks ago showing us how to rout up to 17 fancy moldings with just 3 basic bits.) But Doug wants to take things a step further by looking into some tips for buying or building a router table. He’ll also talk about some safe practices for using one. Finally, he’ll give you some special tricks and techniques to make your work easier and more accurate. Sounds like a lot of great information!

If you glance at the cabinet in the photo above and say to yourself, “…that’s a good-looking project,” it’s because the builder put a great deal of thought into the lumber selection. The straight, even grain of riftsawn and quartersawn lumber allows the finer points of the design to shine through. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the photo below.

In this version, the wild, wavy grain of the flatsawn lumber used to build this project takes away from the clean lines of the design. In this week’s Woodsmith Woodworking seminar, Dennis Perkins will help us learn the basics of hardwood lumber selection.

During the seminar, he’ll talk about how grades affect pricing, how to deal with wood moisture, and try to clear up the mystery surrounding how to figure hardwood thicknesses and board footage. Finally, he’ll focus on choosing the best lumber based on grain direction, type, and the project. Hope to see you there.

The plain truth is, you don’t need a drawer full of expensive bits to rout fancy profiles. In fact, the fifteen different moldings you see in the photo above were done with just three basic bits that most of you already own — a 1/4″ round-over, a 1/2″ round-over, and a 1/4″ core box bit.

In this weeks Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar, Phil Huber will show you how you can use one bit to make several different profiles. To make some of the profiles above, he used different parts of the bit or changed the depth or height of the cut. Of course, to make the more complex profiles, you’ll need to use multiple bits.

And, instead of horsing a lot of material off with one deep cut, Phil suggests you try 2 or 3 light passes — you’ll end up with a much cleaner profile on your moldings. Make sure you attend this weeks seminar at the Woodsmith Store to learn more.

Joel Hess, Associate Editor, Woodsmith and ShopNotes Magazines

Doug Hicks, Executive Editor, Woodsmith, ShopNotes, & Workbench Magazines and Member of the “Woodsmith Shop” TV Show cast, premiering later this winter on Iowa Public Television

Dennis Perkins, Assistant Editor, Woodsmith and ShopNotes Magazines

Phil Huber, Senior Editor, Woodsmith and ShopNotes Magazines and Member of the “Woodsmith Shop” TV Show cast, premiering later this winter on Iowa Public Television