When it comes to some tools… the majority of us have just one.  One table saw. One thickness planer.

And, then there are routers.

There are lots of reasons why woodworkers like to own them in multiples. You can get multiple setups for different operations. You can mount one in a table and use the other hand held. Different sizes to tackle different tasks.

Today, let us know how many routers you have in your collection. Count ’em all… small trim routers, big table mounted beasts… the works.

It’s OK, you are among friends… and you don’t have to give your name.  So we can’t rat you out.

So, I meant to get into the shop to put stuff away today.  Really.

But, I’m packing up to go to the Governor’s Hurricane Conference.  And, I had to make a big pot of marinara sauce for a party I went to tonight. And… well… I had a few excuses.

It’s a shame, because my shop could use a very good cleaning.

This got me to wondering… take a moment before you answer this poll.  Pop your head into your shop.  Give it a good once over.  And, let us know, just what is the state of cleanliness in your shop right now?

Sorry about being late with this today, folks. Had a big shin dig at the house last night.  It started with the Kentucky Derby and ran until the wee hours…

Anyhoo. Sometimes, when you are using power tools in the shop, you simply need to cut a board in half. Setting the height for your table saw blade is a piece of cake – just set it higher than the board’s thickness, and you are off to the races.

But, there are also times when the height of the blade or a router bit is critical.  You simply have to hit a measurement to make the joinery come out right.  When you need to do this, what tool do you use to set the bit or blade height correctly?

Welcome to Woodworkers Safety Week 2011!  As in previous years, we’re taking the time to think a little bit about safety in the workshop.  Be sure to look for articles from many woodworking blogs about different aspects of this very important topic.

I thought that I’d start with a quick poll this Sunday… When it comes to safety, Norm Abram has told us hundreds of times that the most important safety equipment is safety glasses.

But, sometimes when we are in the shop, it’s a little inconvenient to remember to throw on those ever important safety glasses.  And, sometimes they fog up and become difficult to work with.

This week, tell us how frequently you wear your safety glasses. Do you do it every time in the shop, or are they totally unnecessary?

Picnic tables. Arbors. Flower boxes. Play sets. That relaxing Adirondack chair.

If you haven’t realized it by now, there’s a great big world of woodworking projects you can tackle for use in the great outdoors.

And, if you have built for the outdoors, you will no doubt know of the challenges that face you. The beating sun. Rain and other precipitation. Fasteners rusting and glues failing. Building something to stand the test of time is a far more daunting task when the piece isn’t protected from the elements.

This week, let us know if you have ever built an outdoor project, and be sure to tell us about the experience!

Power sanding. Hand sanding. Planing. If you want a board to be  ultra smooth and begging to be touched, you have to prepare it properly before the finish. While these three options give very good results on many boards, for very trick pieces with swirling, interlocking or other wacky grain, sometimes the tool you need is exceptionally simple.

A card scraper is such a deceptively simple tool – a piece of spring steel with a burr turned on the edges.  While it’s simple, the work it does smoothing difficult to control woods leaves many woodworkers speechless.

This week – do you use card scrapers on your woodworking projects? Every time or just occasionally?

They are extremely useful tools. Typically, they are the first power tool a homeowner will buy.

Power drills can drill holes from huge to small, cut plugs, use hole saws, drive screws…  They are multi taskers.

This week, let us know what the primary drill is in your shop.  For me, I do have a hammer drill and a corded drill, but my 18 volt cordless gets the lion’s share of the work, so, I’d vote for my cordless.