Woodworking tools and resources. Open source always.
Guides
Joinery, materials, and technique — articles to go with the calculators.
Sheet Goods & Saws
Picking the right material, the right saw, and breaking a full sheet down safely and accurately — start to finish.
Plywood, MDF, chipboard, and OSB compared honestly — strength, workability, moisture resistance, and which one actually fits your project.
How a track saw and table saw actually differ, honest tradeoffs on both, and how to decide which one — or whether you need both.
The real causes of table saw kickback, the safety habits that prevent it, and the mistakes worth knowing before you ever turn the saw on.
How to break a full sheet down into accurate parts on a table saw — guillotine cuts, kerf, grain direction, and a repeatable cutting order.
Two reliable ways to turn a full sheet into accurate parts without a table saw: circular saw and straightedge, or a track saw — and how they differ.
Joinery & Lumber Basics
Understanding lumber measurement and the joints that hold a project together.
Board feet explained plainly — what they measure, how hardwood is actually sold and graded, and how much to order for a project.
The common assumption is that dovetails are stronger than box joints. Actual strength testing tells a more interesting story.
What dovetail ratios actually mean, how to set the angle without a special marker, and how to lay out tails and pins so the joint looks right.
How to size finger joints so they come out symmetrical, how the indexing jig actually works, and how to dial in a fit that's snug but not fighting you.
How butt and mitre joints differ in strength and appearance, how to cut each accurately, and the reinforcement options that make both far stronger.