Shop Notes & Rambles
The Rambles are the stories lived and learned over decades — the moments, the lessons, and the shop life that shaped the craft. They accumulate here, sorted by publish date. If you want the curated version, explore the Workshop Library.
Track Saws: The Small‑Shop Tool That Replaces a Panel Saw
A track saw is the small‑shop solution to cutting big panels square. On an MFT bench, the rail locks into dead‑square geometry, giving you CNC‑level accuracy without CNC space. Solid elm, sheet goods, angles — the system handles all of it cleanly and repeatably. In tight shops, accuracy is billable, and this tool delivers it every time.
The Belt Sander Mistake Every Woodworker Makes
A belt sander is the shop’s fastest problem‑solver — and its fastest trouble‑maker. It can scribe a crooked wall, level a lipped MDF edge, or rough up melamine in seconds. But one wrong move and it digs, tilts, gouges, or destroys the surface before you even know what happened. By the end of this story, you’ll understand the single mistake that turns a belt sander from a shaping tool into a project‑killer — and how to avoid it every time.