WOOD Magazine

Over the last eight years I have made all of your construction equipment series models for Christmas and birthday gifts for my grandsons. I have enjoyed working with your plans. I have just started your train series with the locomotive and coal car and I am looking forward to future train plans. Carl Newcombe Strasburg, Virginia I made the engine, tender, and track patterns featured in WOOD® magazine. I designed and added a log carrier, a box car, a tanker, and a caboose, and added length to the track. Great project—a keepsake for our great-grandson. Perry Tornquist New Braunfels, Texas Tap here to build these toys and many more with our great selection of plans. I wanted to let you know that my grandson and I are enjoying building the Timber Line Express train pieces. I hope…

SEND US A PHOTO OF YOUR WORK Want to see your work showcased in WOOD® magazine? Send a high-resolution digital photo of your completed project to woodmail@woodmagazine.com. www.lignomat.com…

Woodworking for most of his life, Ken Chancellor spent 35 years as a career and technical educator for architectural computer-aided design (CAD), building trades, and woodworking. With all that experience and knowledge, he went all-in to design, build, and outfit his new shop. Ken says, “My old shop was half the size of this one, with little or no room to work, making it difficult to store and finish cabinets once built.” The 40×60' wood-frame construction features walls and ceilings with R19 and R30 insulation. Ken’s shop sits at 7,000' above sea level, so air conditioning is not necessary. The windows and large door allow for plenty of airflow. In the winter, a wood-burning stove easily keeps the temperature cozy, even at temperatures below zero. For interior finishes, Ken installed sheet rock…

Q: I read your article in Issue 297 (September 2024) about tuning up a bandsaw for resawing. I’ve been thinking of replacing the rubber tires on my saw with a set of urethane tires. Do you think this upgrade is worth the cost and effort? Robert Alford Albuquerque, New Mexico A: If your current rubber tires are in good condition, Robert, you’re unlikely to notice much difference in performance by switching to urethane tires. Manufacturers have traditionally relied on rubber tires to cushion the blade from the wheel. When urethane tires came out several years ago, they were accompanied by a lot of hype over how much of an improvement they were over rubber tires. But there are pros and cons to each type and you’ll find woodworkers in both camps. The primary advantage…

Infeed and outfeed tables make my tablesaw easier to use, but they take up a lot of space. So I designed this collapsible support system with legs that clamp to the front or rear fence rail on my saw. The clamping assemblies start with hardwood blocks. To the tops of these I glued support blocks to sit on the saw rail. These are thicknessed to be nearly flush with the saw’s table—1/16" higher for the infeed supports and 1/16" lower for the outfeed supports. A toggle clamp on the underside secures the assembly to the fence rail. I made the horizontal rails and legs from 1×3s. A strip of plastic laminate on the top edge of the rails helps sheet goods slide more easily. Cleats on the inside of each rail support…

Serving a meal usually requires digging plates out of a crowded cabinet. This two-tone plate rack with its oak dividers and painted cabinet looks great as it proudly displays your most-used place settings for handy access anytime. It’s a quick build with long-lasting, practical benefits for your kitchen. CREATE A HOUSE DIVIDED Start by building the pair of dividers that support the plates and keep them separated. You’ll build the cabinet to fit around the assembled racks. 1 Cut the divider rails (A) to size [Materials List, Drawing 1]. Gang the rails together face-to-face with the ends flush and mark the hole locations for the ⅜" dowels. Drill the holes in all four rails [Photo A]. 2 Plane or rout a ⅛" chamfer on the inside drilled edge of each rail. Finish-sand the rails…