Fine Woodworking Magazine Tools & Shops 2026

Online extras Visit finewoodworking.com/320 VIDEO Evolution of a tool chest Mike Pekovich gives a tour of his traveling tool chest, which has some smart modifications that make it easier to transport. VIDEO Tough grain? Try a bevel-up plane Bob Van Dyke tackles woods prone to tearout using a low-angle jack plane with a 45° microbevel. VIDEO Align the spine Mark Harrell demystifies the technique behind re-tensioning a handsaw. VIDEO Bright ideas Mike Pekovich improves his shop lighting by switching from fluorescents to LEDs. VIDEO Fresh fence Ben Strano shows off SawStop’s T-Glide Advance Fence with its smart new features. Additional perks of Unlimited FREE PLANS As a member, you can search our entire digital plan library to find just the project you’re looking for. ONLINE ARCHIVES Get on-demand access to…

Alan McIvor (Shop Design) spent his career in the forest industry, first as a design engineer in a paper mill and then as a paper-machine consultant, and he has always enjoyed developing ways to make machines work more efficiently. For many years he owned some basic woodworking tools, but it was coming across one of Fine Woodworking’s Tools & Shops issues that inspired him to set up his own shop. Upon retirement he converted his one-car garage to a workshop and has been busy ever since building furniture for family and friends. Andrew Finnigan (“Upgrade Any Lathe”) is a studio furniture maker in New York’s Hudson Valley with a background and specialty in wood turning. In 2015, after years of working under and subcontracting for local woodworkers, artists, and makers, he…

Setting up for better work A big challenge in woodworking is that there are so many critical aspects to consider before we can actually get to work. Our annual Tools & Shops issue offers an opportunity to take a step back from building things and look at the state of our tools and the places we call our shops. From there we can chart a course toward doing better work and finding more enjoyment in the time we spend in those shops. While most of us would like to have a bigger space to work in, our ability to adapt the space we have can make a bigger impact on our enjoyment and productivity than increasing the square footage. On pp. 32–37, Alan McIvor shares his ingenious strategies for getting…

Sliding brackets create front vise with unlimited width These simple workbench brackets secure boards that are too wide or too long for my front vise to handle. The brackets wrap around the front edge of any workbench and hold F-style track clamps. The clamps I use are made by Micro-Jig, and they fit into dovetail-shaped slots. The top plate of each bracket is held in place with a benchdog. A dovetail slot in the front face holds the base of the F-clamp. The bottom plate is just a short stub that wraps around the lower edge of the benchtop. The brackets can be slid anywhere along the front edge of the bench—for example, to hold boards on edge or to hold a wide board end-grain-up for dovetailing. —SRIKANTH PATANKAR, Westfield,…

ACCESSORIES Adjustable fence from SawStop YEARS AGO, I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE UNIFENCE on my old Delta Unisaw. Sadly, the Unifence stayed with the saw when I sold it. I’ve missed having the Unifence with its sliding aluminum face that can be positioned in various ways for different functions. My favorite configuration for this type of fence involves sliding its face toward the rear of the saw and using it as a stop for crosscutting. In many parts of the world, fences with this functionality are mandatory. So I was understandably excited when SawStop announced its T-Glide Advance Rip Fence. Installing it on the SawStop PCS in Fine Woodworking’s shop was a breeze. The new fence dropped right onto the stock fence rails, and it only…

Go Hands-Free, Stay Hands-On The world’s first handheld CNC router now has a hands-free mode. Like autopilot for Shaper Origin, simply clip Origin into BenchPilot to turn it into a hands-free milling machine, capable of vertical or horizontal cutting. Let BenchPilot drive Origin so you can focus on other tasks at hand. Then simply unclip Origin to take it where you need it and cut at virtually any scale. There’s no computer programming required and no complicated software to learn. Startech CN K SCM introduces the Startech CN K, a new 3-axis machining center designed for artisans, schools, and prototyping departments. It’s the only machine in its class with a protective enclosure featuring internal lighting and dust extraction—ensuring operator safety and a cleaner working environment. Knew Concepts Marquetry Saw Knew…