A shop-made jig for cutting tenons. Looks simple to build, and it is. But it’s what it does that’s important. It makes a difficult job easy. Cutting tenons on the ends of long workpieces can be a real hassle, especially if you’re using the table saw to do it.

But this jig solves that problem, making it the best option for cutting tenons safely. Made from Baltic birch plywood, the jig has just three pieces: a fence, two sides, and a stop. Using it is just a matter of clamping it to a workpiece, routing the faces with the grain, and then cleaning up the shoulder while routing across the grain.

Custom built for the job at hand, this jig is simple and efficient. Carol Beronich hosts her first seminar this Thursday, January 31st starting at 6:30pm at the Woodsmith Store in Clive, IA.

Although the Bonus Download article — Heavy-Duty Workbench, shows the tenons on the stretchers and legs being cut with a table saw, this jig would be perfect for cutting the tenons on these long, heavy pieces.

Why are hand planes an important part of a modern woodworking shop? I asked Randy Maxey his opinion after he said he wanted to do this week’s seminar. Here is what he told me:

“Joel, I know a lot of people think I use hand planes just because I’m old-fashioned. The truth is, I love my machines. But if you want to do quality work in your wood shop, you need to learn to use hand planes. I use at least one of the three planes I’m demonstrating this Thursday almost every time I’m in the shop. It has changed the way I do woodworking. I really agree with a line I read once in an old, old issue of Woodsmith magazine. It said, ‘…no machine can come close to the quality of work a hand plane will do.’”

If you’re interested in learning what those three hand planes are, make sure you attend this Thursday at the Woodsmith Store in Clive. Start time is 6:30pm

There are three bonus downloads this week. The first is from ShopNotes Issue No. 88: Dovetailed Shoulder Plane. And the second and third are from Woodsmith Issue No. 23: Bench Planes and Using a Bench Plane.

Note: Randy will also be talking this Thursday about a subject that is close to his heart — his thumb! As you may know, Randy had an accident in his shop earlier this winter. He wanted me to make this poster available for download hoping his unfortunate experience can be helpful to everyone as a “teaching tool:” Ten Best Teaching Tools

There was some confusion last night at the end of the seminar. I didn’t explain the free season ticket promo that we launched yesterday. For the record, the promo is geared toward customers of the Woodsmith Store who don’t typically attend the seminars for whatever reason. So I’ll try to explain it better here. Anyone who spends over $300 between the dates of January 1st and February 15th, 2008 will receive a “Gold” pass good for all sixteen seminars. The pass does not include any $5 Sawbuck coupons.

The confusion though came for those of you who have already bought a Gold season ticket. If you have spent over $300 in the last couple of weeks, and you want a free ticket, there are a two ways to handle it. First, you must return the original ticket and all of the $5 Sawbucks coupons to receive a full refund of $80. Then we’ll issue you a new Gold season pass, less the Sawbucks.

But, if you’ve spent your Sawbucks already, you can still get a refund, but it’s only for the difference between the cost of the season pass and the total amount of the Sawbucks, which is $5.

Clear now? Great!

Phil Huber, a senior editor for ShopNotes and Woodsmith magazines, will detail all the steps necessary for building a sturdy set of drawers on a router table.

First, he’ll demonstrate how to build drawers, using a specialized drawer joint bit, in just two simple steps. Then, for those of us who choose not to buy the special bit, Phil will take us through the steps of building drawers with an ordinary 1/4″-dia. straight bit.

As I mentioned, each of these operations are performed on a router table. Don’t have a router table yet? This week’s Bonus Download is a plan for a “Quick & Easy Router Table.”

Somewhere along the line, I’ve neglected to update you on new podcasts. So I’d like to change all that right now. We’re currently up to Podcast #31.

Dennis Perkins, assistant editor for Woodsmith and ShopNotes, starts the seminar by discussing the differences between “hardwood” lumber and the stuff you’ll find on the racks at the lumber yard. Then he talks about board footage, grades, surfacing, moisture content, and finally, how to choose the best parts from a board for a particular project, all of this during this week’s Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar Podcast: Selecting Lumber for Great-Looking Projects.

Here are links to numbers 26 through 30:

Podcast #30: 3 Basic Moldings/17 Profiles

Podcast #29: Top 5 Shop-Built Router Jigs

Podcast #28: Oils and Varnishes

Podcast #27: 10 Essential Hand Tools for Your Shop

Podcast #26: Turning Pens on the Lathe: From Start to Finish

You can subscribe to the Woodsmith Woodworking Seminar Podcasts using iTunes.

Posted by Joel Hess @ 3:08 pm Comments (0)…

Carol Beronich, Assistant Editor, Woodsmith and ShopNotes Magazines

Carol worked closely with the designers to develop this jig and now you’ll get a chance to see it in use. Instructions for how to build and use the jig will be provided at this seminar.

If you’re interested in seeing a podcast presentation of past Woodsmith Woodworking Seminars, visit WoodworkingONLINE.com.

Randy Maxey, Assistant Editor, Woodsmith and ShopNotes Magazines

During this seminar, Randy will use his many years of experience using hand planes to give us take on the three best hand planes that every shop should have.

If you’re interested in seeing a podcast presentation of past Woodsmith Woodworking Seminars, visit WoodworkingONLINE.com.

Phil Huber, Senior Editor, Woodsmith and ShopNotes Magazines

Phil will demonstrate a couple of different ways to build drawers using a specialized drawer joint bit. Time permitting, he’ll also give us a look at how to build a drawer using just a straight bit.

If you’re interested in seeing a podcast presentation of past Woodsmith Woodworking Seminars, visit WoodworkingONLINE.com.