Why buy tools online when you can make them? At ToolCrib.com of course we have thousands of great reasons, including free shipping on orders over $100 ;) So why are we directing you to all of these incredible free tool plans when we make our money selling tools? Well, I’m hoping you get started on the lathe plans, decide it’s too much hassle and come back to buy a wood lathe from us :D
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The only thing that I’ve ever heard ALL woodworkers agree on in a forum is that you can never have enough clamps. So if you’re done checking out our DIY Clamp Alternatives, and you don’t need a bar clamp I guess you have no recourse save to build your own :)
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So your portable belt sander just isn’t, er, “sanding it” for you anymore. Even with your portable belt sander jig that basically turns it into a benchtop sander. Also, you enjoy woodworking projects that don’t involve making something to justify your time in the shop. In that case, this is JUST THE PLAN COLLECTION FOR YOU! Building your own belt sander will give you far more satisfaction than buying one, and if your free time is worth nickels to you then it could save money too ;)
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You’ve read our buyer’s guide to 14″ band saws and you’re stoked about our 22 band saw jigs. The only problem is you’re hooked on making your life needlessly complicated, aka, you thoroughly enjoy building your own tools!! Well, it’s time to rejoice. Here are 9 free plans for building your own band saw.
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Though there is some debate on the strength of the dovetail joint… as well as whether or not they’re worth the effort in commercial cabinetry, there’s NO debate on whether or not they look great :) And if you’d like to try your hand at them using your table saw then this is the resource collection for you :)
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Routing without a lift is a hassle. You’ll find yourself using that router more if you have a lift! …and you’ll find that you have a lift at a great price if you build one yourself ;) We searched up and down the halls of the internet to bring you this collection of 8 free router lift plans!
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If a drill press is all you got, it can get some of your routing jobs done! Back in the heady shop days of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s drill presses around the country proudly routed and shaped happily… with the help of these amazing plans :)
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We’ve got router jig plans; we’ve got router table plans. I can’t believe we’ve gone this long without some router fence plans for you! How have you managed without us ;)
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The drill press may seem like a boring tool… (badump tchhh) With the right jigs and modifications (such as bike hubs, salvaged cordless drill parts etc) you can turn your drill press into a light – VERY LIGHT – lathe!
Lathe at your own risk though – I’ve read you can really mess up your bearings since the drill press isn’t designed for lateral pressure!
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So… I hope you didn’t start one of the workbench plans from last week, because I’ve got a BOATLOAD of new workbench plans for you :)
Thanks to the Google Book Project’s tireless scanning efforts, I assembled a list of workbench plans from days gone by. Many are from the “Popular” brand (Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, etc), but I did find several GEMS from American Woodworker. One of the neatest is a work bench from a magazine from 1882… Be sure to check out the section below with Camouflaged workbench plans – there was a trend in the 60s and again in the 80s for workbenches that blend in with living room furniture.
So I’m not sure what’s more awesome – all these plans, or some of the incredible pictures from yesteryear ;) Also – a word of warning – all the links go to full scans of the magazines. I got sucked into more than one of them, enjoying woodworking ads from the 50’s :) ENJOY!
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