The folks over at Benchcrafted really know how to make tools. Jameel and everyone stand by the products they make so we don't have to worry about whether or not they're going to hold up in our shops. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that they're woodworkers too. They don't just make tools to sell them, they make tools to use them! It's very fair to say most of us associate Benchcrafted with their outstanding bench vise equipment and plans, but they also make a cool little tool that I picked up while attending the St. Charles, IL Woodworking In America Conference...The Skraper. The Skraper is more than a handy little tool for removing hardened glue from tight corners of your projects. I use mine for a number of different tasks, and it has yet to fail me!

The guys over at Bora Clamps recently introduced their latest clamping system, the Bora Wide Track Clamp Edge. A straight edge clamp that works very much like a traditional clamp with the added benefit of having a straight edge body attached to it. The beauty of a straight edge clamp is you can attach it to a surface, such as a workpiece or a tabletop/workbench and run your circular saw, router, jigsaw or most portable tools along the edge. It's a great system for those with limited space or jobsites where you don't have the luxury of large tools with fences and the like. Add to all of this the fact the Bora Wide Track Clamp has an extra wide body that will not flex while using, extra thick soft pads that can easily handle stock up to 1-1/2" thick, have the ability to angle the clamp body 22-1/2 degrees left or right while clamping or the fact that the body has a T-track system built in.

Today's episode is the 5th part of the series on the Child's dresser. We've jumped ahead a little bit as in real time I started to fall behind so I did some assembly work with the camera off. I'm trying to document as much as I can on these projects, but occasionally things kind of fall through the cracks. For the most part, today's episode covers drawer front construction from rough to finish. And glue up of the dresser top.

Today's Try It Tuesday is a look at the Czeck Edge Ruler-Stop currently available at Highland Woodworking. A handy little tool that literally fits in the palm of your hand but still has the ability to do great big things. The Czeck Edge Ruler-Stop works much like a traditional square, but with one big exception...you're not stuck with only using one kind of ruler. The vise like action of the Ruler-Stop opens to a maximum width of 1-1/4" and can accept rulers, shop made story sticks and just about anything that can fit within it's grasp. And because the sides of the body are ground flat and square to the jaws, it can easily be used much like you would a traditional square to layout lines on your projects. There's a lot the Czeck Edge Ruler-Stop can do, but you won't know until you try it out for yourself. Mine sits in my shop apron pocket so I never have to be without it. But check it out for yourself.

Today's episode is the final in the series on the Maple, Child's Dresser build. Unfortunately as will happen on this show, I did have to jump forward in time a little as I started to fall behind my original schedule to have it completed. Up to this point the vast majority of the construction has been documented, and the only thing that was left to complete was the drawers. We can come back on another episode and talk more specifically about the drawer construction, but in this episode I'll touch briefly on what I did in this project to make them. As part of the final wrap up on the build I'll touch on some of the subtle details I used to make the dresser as kid friendly as possible. Hope you've enjoyed it, and if you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me. Coming up for the next build project...the Maple, Child's Bookcase!

There are a lot of workbench accessories on the market, but typically they're either something that needs to be built as part of the workbench top and are nearly permanent components or they're small useful items, but don't have much versatility to them. A newer accessory that hit the market in the past year is the Veritas Surface Vise. It's a great tool that adds a ton of versatility and options to my less than adequate bench. The basic tool right out of the box worked amazing, and because it's removable head is designed to have shop made accessories attached...if necessary...the options for it's use increases dramatically.

We all want to kick the tires before we buy, but when it comes to certain things in life it's not always possible. Thankfully the folks at Lie-Nielsen understand this and travel across the states and into the great white north to give every woodworker an opportunity to man handle their planes, saws, chisels and more. While the events are slightly different from venue to venue, they're a lot of fun to attend!! Thanks to everyone who made it to Jeff Miller's in Chicago for the show. It was great to meet all of you and thanks for saying HI, Aiden couldn't believe people actually knew me LOL!!

There are times when I just want to make something for fun and I don't want to spend a lot of time worrying about all the details to make it right. Of course, I do want to make sure it's something I don't mind my name being associated with too! One type of project that's fun and can make a great gift for a loved one is a custom wooden sign. Whether it's an address plaque so the pizza delivery person knows NOT to miss my door once again or so help me I'll...or a humorous expression for reminding guest they're welcomed to visit but don't plan on staying long. Custom wooden signs are great projects. To make them even better and easier to knock out in your shop, Milescraft created the SignPro Kit. In the box is everything you need to make a wide variety of wooden signs, from horizontal to vertical...letters to numbers...large or small. All you need is some wood and maybe a dictionary so the neighbors don't shake their heads in disbelief, again. For the typical signs I've created with the SignPro, it's taken only minutes to have everything laid out and ready to route. Quick, simple and time well spent in the shop!

It's Safety Week 2010 and it only makes sense for this week's "Try It Tuesday" to be a safety device. A while ago we had a chance to give-away a Micro-Jig GRR-Ripper as part of our monthly schwag drawing. I couldn't just give one away without trying it out for myself, so for total openness...YES I did get one to tryout and talk about on the show. That was several months ago, and in that time I've had a chance to run the GRR-Ripper through it's paces. What are the final results and my thoughts? I LOVE IT! Why do I love it? One very specific reason...I feel safe and in control of my stock while using it. How many times can you say that about a tool that can be the difference between injury and a great day in the shop? To find out more about the GRR-Ripper, visit www.microjig.com. There's quite a few options and accessories for the GRR-Ripper, check them all out for sale at Highland Woodworking.

We're close to wrapping up SAFETY WEEK 2010 and I stumbled across a great article at WOOD Magazine's website. Not one to let a good thing slide by, I asked the folks at WOOD for permission to share it with all of you. Thankfully they said yes! Today's episode is based on the 12 point checklist mentioned in Shop Safety Checklist. It's a great read and something worth checking out to make sure you're working safe too. A huge thanks to WOOD Magazine for permission to share this with all of you!