This Simple Upgrade Makes Parallel Clamps Way Better

Parallel clamps are one of the most commonly used clamping tools in a woodworking shop. They’re versatile, strong, and ideal for panels, casework, and glue-ups of all sizes. In spite of how much I rely on them, they aren’t perfect.

The Problems

Parallel clamps feature hard plastic faces. While durable, that material creates two common problems that nearly every woodworker has experienced. First, the hard jaws can dent the workpiece when excessive pressure is applied, especially on softer woods or already-machined surfaces. Second, the smooth plastic offers limited grip, which can allow the clamp to shift during glue-up, requiring extra adjustments and attention.

The Solution

To fix both of these problems, we can add a softer, slightly compressible pad to the clamp faces. This reduces the chance of denting and allows the clamp to hold more securely with less force. The added grip also helps prevent pieces from sliding out of alignment as clamping pressure increases.

The material I’m using for this is rubberized cork sold by my buddy Andy at In-Kleind.com.

1. Cut the material to shape. I made a template using this DXF file. You can also purchase a template from us if you like. Both are available in our store!
2. Scrape any glue off the clamp head and give it a light sanding with 120-150 grit paper.
3. Clean the surface using a solvent like denatured alcohol, lacquer thinner or acetone.
4. Apply contact cement (https://amzn.to/4rl6gCq) to both the clamp head and the clamp pad. Allow to dry 15-20 minutes.
5. Carefully press the clamp pad onto the face of the clamp. Keep the clamp under pressure for 24 hrs.

A Time Saver: True Grip Clamp Pads

If you want to save yourself a bunch of time, consider purchasing True Grip Clamp Pads.

In the end, the takeaway is simple. Parallel clamps are already excellent tools, but with a small modification to the jaw surface, they become easier to use, more forgiving, and more effective. If you want to improve your parallel clamps and get better results from the ones already in your shop, this step-by-step approach shows exactly why the upgrade works and how it improves everyday woodworking tasks.

The Wood Whisperer is sponsored by Woodcraft!

Looking for more information on parallel clamps? Check out these videos and articles:

• The Truth About Parallel Clamps and Why They’re Hard to Review
• Harbor Freight Bremen Parallel Clamp Review
• Parallel Clamp Rack

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Small Tweaks, Big Results | Shop Layout

Looking to grab some of that sweet Woodworker Fuel Coffee? Get it while you can! 

As a kid, I loved rearranging my bedroom. It wasn’t about buying new furniture or adding more stuff, it was about seeing how small changes could completely change how the room felt and how I used it. That same instinct has followed me into the shop, especially when it comes to shop layout.

Over the years, I’ve learned that shop efficiency rarely comes from major overhauls. More often, it comes from stepping back and asking one simple question: does this shop layout actually reflect how I work?

The Problem With “Good Enough” Layouts

Most shops evolve organically. You get a new tool, you find a place where it fits, and you move on. Over time, that approach leads to friction you may not even notice anymore, extra steps, awkward material handling, and work that feels harder than it should.

Nothing in my shop was “wrong” on its own. But when I looked at the space as a system instead of a collection of tools, it became clear that the shop layout and overall flow could be better.

Designing Around Workflow, Not Tools

One of the biggest mindset shifts is realizing that tools shouldn’t dictate layout, process should. A good shop layout is built around how material moves, not just where machines happen to fit.

I looked at how material actually travels through my shop, from rough stock to milling, from machining to assembly, and finally to finishing. Once you map that out, inefficiencies become obvious. Machines that made sense individually didn’t always make sense together.

By adjusting locations slightly, not dramatically, I was able to reduce unnecessary walking, improve material flow, and create clearer work zones without gaining a single square foot. These small refinements made the shop layout work with me instead of against me.

Small Changes That Add Up

What surprised me most was how minor the changes were. Moving a tool a few feet. Reorienting another. Clearing visual clutter from high-traffic areas. None of it was flashy, but the cumulative effect was immediate.

The shop feels calmer. Work feels more intentional. I have so much space for activities, and I spend less time navigating the space and more time actually building. That’s the power of a thoughtful shop layout.

Efficiency Is About Thinking, Not Space

A bigger shop doesn’t automatically mean a better shop. What matters is how well your shop layout supports your way of working.

If there’s one takeaway here, it’s this: you don’t need a full rebuild to see meaningful improvement. Thoughtful, incremental changes, guided by workflow, can produce outsized results.

Sometimes the biggest gains come from the smallest moves.

Relevant Links

• Our Shop Project Videos
• Plans for Shop Projects
• Miter Saw Station Course 
• Split-Top Roubo Course
• Roubo Workbench Cabinet Course
• Under Table Saw Cabinet Course

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10 Easy Woodworking Projects (Compilation)

There are tons of fun easy woodworking projects in the Wood Whisperer library that often get buried by the algorithm. So I pulled together 10 great weekend projects from the past to spark some shop inspiration. The voiceover is new, with updates on each project and where they are today.

Most of these projects have FREE plans or templates and you can access those using the links below. Looking for more easy projects? Check out some of the projects available from our sponsor, Woodcraft.

• Poker Chip Trays

Originally designed by Chris Hoomani, these elegant, stackable poker chip trays combine clean lines with clever construction. Built from thick stock with hidden magnets and carefully sanded chip slots, they’re a great example of how thoughtful details elevate a simple idea.

• In-Drawer Knife Block

A beautiful and functional solution for storing kitchen knives safely inside a drawer. Built from contrasting hardwoods and assembled with sliding dovetail keys, this project balances precision, practicality, and clean design, and it’s still in daily use years later.

• Classic Picture Frame

A timeless frame built with reinforced miters, decorative profiles, and a carefully planned rabbet system for glass, art, and backing. This project walks through techniques that ensure tight joints and professional results on a deceptively simple build.

• Napkin Holder

Made from live edge Birdseye maple, this napkin holder turns an everyday item into a conversation piece. Thoughtful angles, a pivoting lid, and grain continuity give this small project a refined look that still feels playful and personal.

• Grasshopper Pull Toy

A fun wooden toy built from simple shapes, patterns, and dowels, with moving parts that bring it to life. This project is a great introduction to template work and toy making, and it’s one that still holds sentimental value years later.

• $33k Spatula

Short, sweet, and unforgettable. This spatula build became legendary thanks to the story behind it, and after years of steady kitchen use, it’s still going strong. Sometimes the simplest projects are the best projects.

• Headphone Controller Rack

A minimalist wall-mounted rack designed to hold headphones and game controllers without visual clutter. Built with templates and simple joinery, this project became popular enough to turn into a CNC kit, and it’s still hanging in my office today.

• Scrapwood Jewelry Boxes

A fan-favorite project that turns offcuts into elegant keepsake boxes. With careful attention to grain continuity, small joinery, and hardware installation, these boxes prove that scrap wood can produce truly high-end results.

• Salt Cellar

A compact, gift-friendly project that uses clever temporary lamination techniques to shape multiple parts at once. With smooth interior curves and a simple bolt-together assembly, this is one of those Easy Woodworking Projects that people tend to make again and again.

• Pizza Peel

Built from contrasting hardwoods and thinned by hand for easy pizza transfer, this peel has been used for hundreds of pizzas over more than a decade. Functional, durable, and finished with food-safe oil, it’s a shop project that earns its keep.

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Easy Scrap Wood Project: Make a Greeting Card Holder

It’s the perfect time of year for a festive, easy, and gift-worthy build: a wooden greeting card holder. Perhaps the best part of this project is that it’s perfect for consuming shop scraps. All you need are some 8/4 off-cuts that are 22-24″ in length. I created a narrow, snug card slot, but two thin-kerf table-saw cuts could finish the job.

In my case, I cut the two 5 degree angles with a regular blade and then cleared out the material between them using a dado stack. Parallelogram strips of a contrasting species were then cut and glued into the slot. The side of the strips leaves about a 1/32″ gap on either side for our greeting card slots.

I then cut some 10 degree angles on the ends and used my Aeon Mira 9S Laser to add a nice “Seasons Greetings” to the front.

In just a few steps, you can create a stylish greeting card holder that’s perfect for Christmas cards, holiday photos, or year-round display (just flip it around).

Quick, approachable, and visually striking, this project is a great way to use up leftover wood while creating something people will actually love to keep on their countertops during the holidays and beyond.

Looking for more festive holiday projects? Check out this easy to make Holiday Wall Art.

If you’re looking for yet another project that can make use of off-cuts, check out my Scrapwood Jewelry Boxes. 

Relevant Links

• Aeon Mira 9S Laser
• WoodRiver Router Plane
• WoodRiver Smoothing Plane
• WoodRiver Apron Plane
• Titebond III
• Natura OneCoat
• Backside Sandpaper
• Hybrid Woodworking Book

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4 Clever Tools: Flexible Sanders, A Marking Gauge, Roller Guides, & Sander Lights | Tools Unleashed

Welcome to another episode of Tools Unleashed, where we take a first look at interesting and innovative tools you might not have discovered yet. These aren’t deep-dive reviews — just honest first impressions from the shop floor. In this episode, I explore four products that promise to make sanding, marking, guiding, and lighting a little easier.

Dura-Gold Firm & Flex Longboard Sanding Block

Price: $29.99
Where to Purchase:

• Dura-Gold Firm & Flex Longboard
• Dura-Gold Super Flex Longboard
• Dura-Gold Adjustable Radius Flex
• Serious Grit 120 Paper Roll 
• Serious Grit 180 Paper Roll

If you’re tired of making flexible sanding strips in your shop, the Dura-Gold Firm and Flex Longboard Sanding Block might become your new favorite smoothing companion. Made of medium-density polyurethane foam and plastic, this bright yellow block strikes a perfect balance between firm and flexible. It’s ideal for smoothing curves of nearly any radius.

Its hand plane-style design (complete with tote and knob) feels natural in the hand, and it uses hook-and-loop sandpaper, meaning you can swap grits in seconds without messy adhesive. For anyone who’s ever fought with spray glue and worn-out sanding strips, this is a serious upgrade.

And if you want to make your own flexible sanding strip instead, here’s a video for you.

Marc’s take: “I’ll never mess around with homemade flexible sanding strips again — longboards are where it’s at.”

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JessEm Wood Saber Marking Gauge

Price: $122.99
Where to Purchase: JessEm Tools

As a self-proclaimed marking gauge collector, I was immediately intrigued by the Wood Saber Marking Gauge, a stainless steel and aluminum beauty that weighs just over a pound. It’s built like a tank but feels incredibly comfortable in the hand, especially for those of us with larger hands.

Inside, a spring-loaded ball bearing allows half-inch increments, while the spindle provides micro-adjustments at 1/256th-inch per line. It’s overkill — but in the best possible way. The micro-adjustable precision means you can set an exact measurements with confidence.

Marc says, “This level of precision might be unnecessary for most hand tool users, but it’s just so fun to use. If you’re in the ‘take my money’ crowd, you already know this one’s for you.”

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Sponsor Break: Woodcraft’s All-in-One Sharpening System

• Wood River Honing Guide
• Wood River 3 Pc Diamond Stone Set

Keeping your tools sharp is as important as buying them, and Woodcraft makes that easy with their All-in-One Sharpening Solution. The set includes three diamond stones that can be used wet or dry, and each stone is removable for versatility.

Paired with the WoodRiver honing guide, it delivers smooth, controlled bevels in no time. Marc demonstrates the setup on a plane iron, achieving an impressively clean cut in walnut even after just 1,000 grit.

You can find this sharpening kit and plenty more tools to keep your edges crisp at your local Woodcraft store or online at woodcraft.com.

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VAD Concepts Roller Guide

Price: $75 (single), $170 (dual set with spacer)
Where to Purchase: VAD Concepts

Designed and made by Matthew Valentine of Michigan, the VAD Concepts Roller Guide is a precision 3D-printed accessory that fits any standard miter slot. It works much like a featherboard, applying spring-loaded pressure to keep your workpiece snug against the fence.

Each roller has about 3/8″ of travel, allowing it to accommodate slightly uneven stock. The tool’s modular design means you can stack rollers for taller workpieces, and they’re even available in a range of colors.

Marc notes the similarity to the Harvey Compass RG-2, a previously reviewed tool, but applauds the VAD version for supporting small independent makers. It’s a versatile, clever solution for safer, smoother cuts.

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Dutton Tools Sander Light

Price: $49
Where to Purchase: Dutton Tools

The Sander Light from Dutton Tools, crafted by Josh Hayes in Florida, brings a simple but brilliant idea to life: LED lighting for your sander. Designed for popular sander models, it snaps on easily and projects bright, even light directly on your work surface.

By casting shadows across the grain, it exposes missed sanding marks and surface flaws — especially useful before finishing. Marc found it most effective in dim lighting, mimicking the “raking light” technique used to reveal imperfections.

It comes with a 16-foot power cable (which can be zip-tied alongside your sander cord or hose) and can be detached when not in use. Dutton also makes light kits for the Festool Domino and Lamello, helping improve visibility on precision joinery tools as well.

Marc’s verdict: “If your eyesight isn’t what it used to be, or you just want perfect surface prep, this is a fantastic upgrade.”

The post 4 Clever Tools: Flexible Sanders, A Marking Gauge, Roller Guides, & Sander Lights | Tools Unleashed appeared first on The Wood Whisperer.

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Receptacle Picks, Wiring Tips and Much More | Ask TWW

Looking to grab that Bent Lamination course with Philip Morley? Sign Up Today! 

Should I hear wood touching the back of my table saw blade?

Anwer: Ideally, no. In a perfect setup the front of the blade does the cutting and the work exits cleanly past the rear teeth. If you hear scraping or see burning, check for blade flatness, runout, or fence parallelism.

Quick tune up,
1, Align the fence parallel to the blade using a dial indicator or a scrap dowel against the same tooth at the front and back.
2, Make a test cut and listen, look for burning, and feel for contact.
3, If needed, add a tiny amount of toe-out by setting the fence one to three thousandths wider at the back, which will reduce contact with the rear teeth.
4, Avoid the calibration rabbit hole, test cuts tell the truth.

What is a simple way to plan my shop layout?

Answer: Use SketchUp’s free web version. Draw the room footprint, then pull in tool models from 3D Warehouse. If a tool is not available, make a box with the correct footprint and height. Turn tools into components so you can slide them around and try different layouts. Keeping a human scale figure in the model helps you visualize clearances and workflow.

Router table recommendations for a serious upgrade?

Answer: Top tier tables from the usual suspects are all quite good, pick by features that matter to you. Look closely at dust collection, micro-adjustment options, fence design, and total footprint. I have used several premium setups. Micro-adjust is great, but watch for fences that get bulky or mechanisms that limit full depth travel. I am currently moving back to a refined JessEm table to test their latest height wheel, dust box, micro-adjust, and a 3 1/4 HP motor.

Best way to make thin strips around one sixteenth of an inch?

Answer: Use the table saw with a stop, not a planer. Most planers will not go that thin safely, even with a sled. On the saw, set a stop block on the far side of the blade to the exact thickness you want, reference the workpiece to the stop, then move the fence as needed for each cut. You will need to reset between cuts, so expect minor variation, but surfaces will come off the saw cleaner and the process is safer for thin stock. The stop I used in the video is the Magswitch Universal Featherboard Pro.

Bonus Content

• Planing Thin Strips Safely
• Cutting Thin Strips at the Table Saw

How do you choose plugs and receptacles for a wood shop?

Answer: Keep things consistent and think in circuits, not individual tools. I focus on the receptacle standard first, then make sure plugs match. If the prong configuration is the same, the tool will work in that receptacle.

120 volt circuits

• I use NEMA 5-20R receptacles. Any 120 volt tool with a 15 amp or 20 amp plug will fit.

• If your shop has 15 amp circuits, use NEMA 5-15R.

• Do not cut a 20 amp plug and replace it with a 15 amp plug, that is unsafe and will trip breakers or worse.

Wiring for 120 volt

• High draw tools belong on 20 amp circuits, 12 gauge wire, and 20 amp breakers.

• My shop uses 12 gauge across all 120 volt lines with no 15 amp circuits.

240 volt circuits

• NEMA 6-20R for 20 amp tools. If a tool ships without a plug, I install an industrial 6-20, durable and easy to wire.

• NEMA L6-30R for 30 amp ceiling drops, the twist-lock keeps the connection secure overhead.

General Safety Rule: match the whole chain!
Plug, receptacle, wire gauge, and breaker must all be rated for the same amperage. A tool that peaks at 16 amps should be on a 20 amp plug and receptacle, 12 gauge wire, and a 20 amp breaker. Any weak link invites heat and fire risk.

Friendly disclaimer, I am not an electrician. Follow local code and consult a licensed pro when in doubt.

What glue roller do you use?

Answer: Search for a brayer. I use a standard 4-inch brayer with a soft rubber roller and a 4-inch pop-in brayer whose roller removes for easy cleaning. The pop-in loosens a bit with age but mine is about fifteen years old and still works fine. Use them with any glue, just clean them promptly.

Thanks for watching!

If you want to submit questions for a future Ask TWW, join our YouTube Members area or support us on Patreon. I also post short behind-the-scenes clips in a series called Grain of Truth, quick tips, small victories, and a little bit of shop philosophy. Your support means a lot. See you next time.

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How 15 Students Helped Me Build a Better Barstool

Want to learn how to make one of these yourself? Check out our bar stool woodworking course! 

Every woodworking project has a story, and this one begins with a bar stool designed for our own kitchen remodel. What started as a personal build soon turned into something much bigger — a design refined through teaching 16 students and building 21 stools in our Firehouse shop.

As we worked through the project together, the design evolved. Small adjustments, like reinforcing the seat joint with two Dominoes instead of one, made the stool safer, stronger, and easier for students to build. These refinements turned the project into a perfect teaching opportunity and laid the foundation for our bar stool woodworking course.

Now, you can follow along with the complete build from start to finish in our professionally filmed online class. The bar stool woodworking course includes detailed video lessons, downloadable plans, and step-by-step guidance so you can build a beautiful, durable stool for your own home. Whether you’re a hobbyist looking to refine your joinery skills or a seasoned woodworker searching for a rewarding project, this course gives you everything you need to succeed.

Join the course today and build your own bar stool with confidence.

Stuff Used in the Video

• Grab a copy of my book, Hybrid Woodworking!
• Get your very own Oreo Plushie! 
• Festool Domino
• 1/8″ Roundover Bit
• Whiteside Ultimate Flush Trim Bit – UDC9112 
• Dowel Jig – I use the JessEm
• Upholstery Stapler
• Double-Sided Tape
• Thin Pry Bar
• Titebond Liquid Hide Glue
• Toggle Clamps
• Preppin Weapon Sanding Block
• Backside Sandpaper
• Purchase templates here
• Polypropylene Webbing

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