Rex Krueger

All the Plans in One Place

Friends: 

In the last year, plans have grown to be a big part of my business and a resource for woodworkers. I'm happy to give plans to my Patrons as a reward for their invaluable support, but Patreon has no good way or archiving the old plans so that new supporters can have easy access. We've been working on this problem for a while and we finally have a good solution. 

Earlier in the week, Nate created an archive of every plan over on the Discourse page. We've got a se...

Sneak Peak: The $10 Saw Vise

Friends: 

I just finished a saw vise you can make out of scrap wood and a common toggle-clamp. There's one picture here, but in a transparent ploy you get more people trying Discourse, I've got more pictures and details up there. 

Here's the link:  https://rexkrueger.discourse.group/t/make-a-saw-vise-for-10/688 

You can sign in in seconds and be using y...

Repost: The Great Plane Bundle

Friends: 

In my last video, I mentioned my Specialty Plane Bundle, which includes the rabbet and router planes I'm using for that cabinet. My Patrons got all those plans as I released them, but our little community has grown a lot since then. Many of you probably weren't here, but I bet you'd still enjoy some free plans, so I'm reposting that bundle here. 

Now, what I really need to do is make an archive of ALL the plans and post it over on the Discourse page. Hopefully,...

Early Access Video: The No-Clamp Cabinet

Friends: 

The slow and over-burdened internet cannot keep this channel down!  I bought a portable hard-drive and Nate and I just traded it back and forth. It may be a low-tech solution, but it worked and this video is ready to go!

I've often struggled with cabinetry: the need for precision, the nerve-wracking glue-up, it's all too much. But in any craft, you have to go head-long into the skills you lack. We need a cupboard in my house, so I built one. Along the way, I fo...

Sneak Peek: The No-Clamp cabinet

Friends: 

My family needs a little cupboard for the extra food we've been buying. So, I've cooked up an inexpensive Woodwork for Humans project. We're going to do the whole thing from big-box pine and thin plywood and I'm going to glue it up with NO CLAMPS. 

I've put a few more pictures up on the Discourse page:  https://rexkrueger.discourse.group/t/sneak-pea...

Early Access Video: Saw Restoration for Beginners

Friends: 

My apologies for the late post. This video was done on time, but the internet is clogged with traffic and running like molasses. It took Nate almost 6 hours to send the video to me and I had to leave it upload over night. It took some absurd amount of time to post to YouTube. 

I'm probably going to upgrade my internet service, but DropBox is not cutting it for this work. If anyone has any suggestions for an FTP that does big files quickly, I'm listening. <...

SO MANY Free Plans

Friends: 

The long story of the Joiner's Bench is finally at an end. I've had so much fun researching, designing, re-designing, building and testing this bench. I think it might be the biggest contribution I've ever made to the woodworking community. 

To top it all off, my Patrons are getting every page of plans I've ever drawn for this bench. You already saw the free plans, but even those have been re-drawn from the ground up for this edition. I'm also including the vis...

(Repost) Testing the English Joiner's Bench

Friends: 

Some of you pointed out that the first version of this video was only showing in 480p. My editor Nate is working remotely until all this craziness dies down and there was a problem with his rendering setup. We sorted it out, but I had to delete the old video to upload the corrected one. 

So, same video, just sharper. Thanks for the heads-up!

I'll have the plans posted tomorrow or Wednesday. 

--Rex

Free Plans: Wood Toys for the Kids

Friends: 

Because of the Corona crisis, everyone gets free plans this week, but you get them first. 

Hope you enjoy these plans and you can make them for (or even with) the little ones in your life. Stella and I had a great time. She turned 7 on Sunday!

Stay safe!

--Rex

Early Access Video: Wood Toys to Make with Your Kids

Friends: 

I know that many of us are stuck at home and many of us have little kids that suddenly need a LOT to keep them occupied. So, lets get into the shop WITH the kids and make some fun toys. 

I've got 2 great projects in this video and tips on how to involve your kids in the process. You can get in some shop time, entertain the little ones, and teach them something all at once. 

The plans will be free to everyone, but as usual, I haven't drawn them yet. T...

Welcome to the NEW Patron Community!

Friends: 

This has been coming for a while. 

Patreon might be a great crowd-finding site, but it's lousy for community. The Community tab has terrible functionality; it's hard to use and it doesn't make a space for good discussion. I've always been frustrated with it. 

Recently, I've seen more and more Patrons struggling to share their projects and ask questions on the Community tab and I've been looking hard for a solution. I've looked at all the integrations...

Free Plans: The 2x4 Stool

Friends: 

It's another day at home while we're all social distancing. Might as well head down to the shop and do some woodwork! Even if you don't have a lot of wood, you can knock this thing out with a single 2x4. I don't know about you, but a lot of my neighbors are cleaning out their houses and there's some nice 2x4 stock just waiting for the trash man. 

Go get it and let's get something productive done!

Best wished and good health to you and yours. 

-...

Early Access Video: The 2x4 Stool

Friends: 

It's been in the works for a few weeks, but the 2x4 stool is here!  You can build this project for next to nothing and it opens up a HUGE world of chair-making. There are so many new ideas and techniques in this build and the investment is so small. Grab a hunk of framing lumber and let's get going!

Just like usual, the plans will be posted for Patrons on Wednesday morning. Right now, I'm still drawing them. 

Happy Saturday!

--Rex 2020-03-14 11:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post

Sneak Peak: The 2x4 Stool

Friends: 

The video will be up on Saturday, but I just can't wait to show off my modern stool made entirely from ONE 2x4. The wood cost me $4. Throw in a little glue and finish and you can make the whole thing for about $5. 

The best part: this isn't just a stunt from the World's Cheapest Woodworker; it's a real piece of furniture. This thing is sturdy and comfortable and light as a feather. It would be at home in your shop or your kitchen. 

You'll get all the...

Early Access Video: Building Furniture with Softwood

Friends: 

If you read my article on building with common construction woods, you know that I'm thinking about the cheapest ways that we can build real, durable furniture. 

This week, I'm doing a deep dive into the properties and uses of some common softwoods like Douglas Fir and Southern Yellow pine. Turns out, many of us are mistaken about the real strengths hidden in these humble boards. 

If we pick our wood carefully and think about our materials, we can ma...

REPOST: Get Sharp with Sandpaper

Friends: 

The original version of this video had about 20 seconds missing from the end. I needed to delete the old video to upload the fixed copy, so here's the fixed version. There's nothing new to see; I just wanted the video to be up. The old post is about to be deleted. 

Sorry to clog up your email!

--Rex

Early Access: Hand Tool Book Review Podcast

Friends: 

I recently appeared on the Hand Tool Book Review Podcast to discuss Aldren Watson's magnificent Country Furniture. I had a delightful discussion with Ray, the host, and he graciously offered both episodes early for my Patrons. We cover a lot of ground in this show and Ray himself is very knowledgeable and articulate. I highly recommend his podcast. 

You all get to hear these episodes well before his audience does. Big thanks to Ray for a great talk! 2020-03-03 12:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post

Building Furniture with Softwoods?

I hear from woodworkers all the time. They tell me they’ve got their space, built their bench, and sharpened their tools…but they don’t have wood. 

It’s a common problem, and the Internet isn’t making it any better. Once you’ve seen 100 Instagram dovetails cut from walnut and rock maple, you might just throw in the towel. How are you supposed to achieve this joinery perfection if you can’t even source the damn wood?

Well, what wood did you build that bench out o...

The View from 100,000

Everyone who works hard on their Youtube channel wants 100,000 subscribers. Don’t let anyone lie to you; we all want to cross that line.

Does 100,000 mean more money? Does it unlocks special features? Nope. In practical terms, it means nothing. Youtube will send you a fake silver plaque, but so what. You don’t get anything of substance for hitting 100k.

B...

Early Access Video: Old Pocket Knives for Hand-tool Woodwork

Friends: 

I recently had the chance to revisit the classic folding knives of my youth and I discovered that they're FANTASTIC bench tools for woodwork. One good knife can have 3 useful tools for trimming, carving, and marking. Best of all, these knives are small and can be bought for peanuts. They're truly the forgotten multi-tool. 

Let's expand our horizons by looking back at the tools our grandfathers carried!

Happy Saturday!

--Rex

Free Plans: The Big Leg Vise

Friends: 

The leg vise is done and man, does it grip!  This is one of the strongest vises I've ever used and that's all the more impressive because I made it from pine!  You can make this vise, too. The total cost is about $70, or maybe less depending on how your source your wood. And of course, the plans are free as a perk of being a Patron. 

Hope you enjoy them!

Also, the Leg Vise video is currently set to premiere mode, which means it is not watchable ...

A Quick Note on Channel Memberships

Friends: 

You might have noticed that I recently rolled out Channel Memberships on YouTube. This feature allows people to support the channel directly on YouTube. 

You might be wondering how this will effect Patreon or if the rewards will be better for Channel Members. 

Don't worry; nothing will change here. I have some custom emojis and membership badges for Channel Members but Patreon is going to stay my focus. You all have made this channel possible and I'm...

Early Access Video: A Leg Vise for the Joiner's Bench

Friends: 

The Joiner's Bench is complete!

I just finished adding a MASSIVE leg vise made from nothing but a cheap vise-screw and a few pine stair-treads from Lowes. This vise has solid hold, grabs almost any stock and needs no parallel guide. In fact, you don't ever need to bend down to use it. 

How did I manage all this? It's all in the video. 

Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

--Rex

Free Plans: Go Viseless on the Joiner's Bench

You know what? In the rush to get my vise build finished and filmed, I almost forgot that you all need your free plans from Saturday's video. Sorry about that. 

Fun fact: at 15 pages, this is longest set of plans I've ever done. 

Hope everyone is having a good week!

--Rex

Sneak-Peek: The Joiner's Leg Vise

Friends: 

The early part of the week is always a flurry of shooting, editing, and scripting, but I found a second to snap a quick pic of the leg vise that's going to cap off our Joiner's Bench. 

This thing might cost you as little as $43 to build and it's solid as a rock. Best of all, there's no lower-guide and NO PIN to adjust. I really can't imagine a better vise for the money. 

But as always, I'll let you be the judge. I count on my Patrons to give it to me...

Early Access Video: Viseless Workholding on the Joiner's Bench

Friends: 

The Joiner's Bench leaps forward with cheap workholding options! 

You might not be able to put a vise on this bench right away. No problem!  You can do everything, and I mean everything, with no vise. 

In this week's video, I introduce the mighty holdfast, an ancient technology that most woodworkers absolutely need in their shop. 

Next, I'll show you how to build a cheap version of a traditional toothed planing stop. Then we'll explor...