Hand Plane Setup: Blade and Fence Basics

video thumbnail for 'Wooden Hand Plane Setup Made Easy | Blade & Fence Adjustments Explained'

Norman Pirollo from WoodSkills shared the woodworking tip featured in this video. Norman demonstrates straightforward techniques to set the blade and fence on wooden hand planes so they cut smoothly, track predictably, and produce clean rabbets and grooves. Watch the …

Read more

Sash Fillister vs Plow Plane Explained

video thumbnail for 'Sash Fillister vs Plow Plane | Understanding This Specialized Hand Plane'

Norman Pirollo from WoodSkills shared the woodworking tip featured in this video. Norman demonstrates the sash fillister, a specialized hand plane historically used to cut rabbets and profiles for sash windows, and contrasts it with the more common plow plane. …

Read more

Make Knives Scary Sharp

video thumbnail for 'How To Make Your Knife Scary Sharp'

Izzy Swan shared the woodworking tip featured in this video. Izzy demonstrates a simple, effective sharpening method built around a pair of cardboard wheels—one loaded with diamond grit for shaping and one dressed with a white polishing compound for a …

Read more

Restoring a Stanley Jack Plane

video thumbnail for 'How to Restore a Stanley Jack Plane | Complete Hand Plane Restoration'

Norman Pirollo from WoodSkills shared the woodworking tip featured in this video. The piece documents a full restoration of a rare Stanley No. 5 1/2 jack plane, tracing the work from assessment through final tuning while keeping as much original …

Read more

Reviving Antique Woodworking Tools

video thumbnail for 'Restoring Antique Woodworking Tools | Learn the Skills of Early Craftsmen'

Norman Pirollo from WoodSkills shared the woodworking tip featured in this video. The presentation explains why rescuing vintage planes, levels, and gauges matters and outlines practical steps to bring them back to reliable use. Watch the full video and subscribe …

Read more

Traditional Tools, Seriously Upgraded

video thumbnail for 'Traditional Tools Seriously Upgraded!'

Izzy Swan demonstrated the test featured in this video. Izzy introduces nine purpose-built measuring and vacuum tools from a new company that rethinks common shop frustrations and combines multiple functions into single, smarter tools. Watch the full video and subscribe …

Read more

Card Scrapers: Useless—Until You Know How

video thumbnail for 'Card Scrapers Are Useless… Until You Know This // MIMS #9'

Rob from Make Things shared the woodworking tip featured in this video. Rob breaks down why new card scrapers arrive inert, what the burr actually is, how to form one with basic tools, and when scraping outperforms sanding for a …

Read more

Sharpen Chisels Incredibly Sharp for $25

Jodee from Inspire Woodcraft demonstrated the test featured in this video. The video walks through a low-cost scary sharp sharpening kit built on adhesive lapping film applied to a single sheet of glass and shows how to take chisels to …

Read more

Avoid This Common Beginner Mistake with Hand Planes

This tip was developed by Jodee from Inspire Woodcraft. It addresses one of the most frequent mistakes new woodworkers make when using a hand plane: adjusting the lateral (skew) lever mid-job. While that small lever feels like an easy fix …

Read more

THIS is Why You DON’T USE a Marking Gauge!

This tip video was created by Jodee from Inspire Woodcraft. It focuses on a common frustration among woodworkers—owning a marking gauge but rarely using it because it doesn’t perform well out of the box. The core issue, Jodee explains, isn’t …

Read more

Top 4 Woodworking Jigs for Hand Tool Woodworking

This guide was created by Norman Pirollo, a furniture designer and woodworking educator from WoodSkills. It features four essential jigs that make hand tool woodworking more accurate, efficient, and enjoyable. Each jig highlighted here is built for a specific purpose …

Read more

The Bench Hook (Why You Need One)

This tip was shared by Norman Pirollo from WoodSkills. It covers the design, function, and value of a bench hook—an often overlooked but powerful tool for precision hand-cut joinery. Whether you’re just starting with hand tools or looking to improve …

Read more

How to Cut a Dovetail Joint by Hand using Dovetail Jig

This project was built and demonstrated by Norman Pirollo from WoodSkills. It’s a detailed look at how to cut half-blind dovetail joints using a custom jig and hand tools—perfect for anyone refining their joinery skills. Dovetails are one of the …

Read more

Best Hand Planes for Starting Hand Tool Woodworking

This guide was created by Norman Pirollo from WoodSkills. It highlights the essential hand planes every beginner should consider when starting out with hand tool woodworking and furniture making. Understanding which planes to use—and why—can dramatically improve your results at …

Read more

The No-Nonsense Way to Sharpen a Card Scraper

This instructional video was created by Jodee from Inspire Woodcraft. He shares a simple and effective way to sharpen a card scraper without needing expensive sharpening systems or specialty equipment. Card scrapers are often overlooked in woodworking, but with a …

Read more

The Simple Hack That’s Saving My Thumbs!

This tip was shared by Jodee from Inspire Woodcraft. It’s a clever and easy solution for anyone who regularly uses card scrapers and struggles with heat buildup during use. Friction from scraping wood can make the scraper’s surface uncomfortably hot, …

Read more