The final step in prepping my workshop for a 10HP three-phase planer is getting a source of three-phase power. But … what is three-phase power, why is it necessary, and why is it a bit more complicated to secure in a home workshop compared to a commercial or industrial environment? Read on to learn more.

A decision to upgrade my planer has forced me to also upgrade my dust collection system. Read more to learn about the custom two-stage dust collection system I built that is cleaner and more efficient, but yet fits in a more compact space, than my original off-the-shelf system … and all the challenges integrating PVC and ductwork!

From organization to vacuum systems, read on for a dozen tips from woodworking experts around the country on what to consider in creating - or updating - your ultimate indoor workshop.

A pandemic-related slowdown in work and far-more-limited social and summer travel plans does not mean wasted time. New shelves in tight spaces; a repaired and improved dust collection system; more convenient electrical switches; and more. I share a few simple workshop improvements I’ve been able to make, that may inspire you to also do some cleanup.

This guide helps make sure you keep your fingers (and yourself) safe when working with large power tools, via tips & guidelines that encourage you to think about the force the tool is applying to the workpiece in relation to your hands and your body, not via a listicle of obvious-and-generic pointers.

The fifth in my series of tool posts, a full shop can still benefit from some small additions and upgrades - this post outlines a number of tools that don’t necessarily allow me to do anything new, but rather, allow me to do things I could already do either more quickly or with greater quality: a track saw, a large angle grinder, a domino cutter, right angle drill, a helical cutter head on my planer.

In installing a ceiling lift for my CNC, I attempted to build an auto-leveler to automatically move the gantry to keep the table balanced. What should have been an interesting but straightforward closed loop feedback system quickly got out of hand, making me one more victim who has learned the KISS principle the hard way.

Though there’s always more tools to get (and more space that’s needed), with the two major additions of a CNC and a compound sliding miter saw (and one minor addition, the miter-fold blade), the Branching Out Wood shop is now fairly well-rounded! Additionally, this post introduces some concepts - and limitations - of a three-axis CNC, and highlights the first project, a Nixie clock, that I’ll be using it on.

In this third installment of my shop tour series, I walk through a few recent additions related to my shop: dovetail jigs, and a set of giant bar clamps. The main focus, however, is veneering - both the edge-banding and vacuum press equipment that allows me to turn a sheet of MDF into a beautifully veneered panel, and the motivation for why and when one might use veneers.

Much of what I sell requires “wall power” both to validate for the customer that it works, and to attract folks to the booth in the first place. Yet selling at booths, on the street or in a festival, I am rarely provided with power, and generators are almost never allowed. This article describes the battery / inverter / solar solution I’ve put together to close this gap.