Router & Power Tool Guides

Router Safety Rules Beginners Must Know: 7 Non-Negotiable Rules Before First Cut I’ll never forget the smell of burning wood mixed with the sharp scent of my own fear. It was my third router project—a simple picture frame for my wife’s birthday gift. I was so focused on getting the perfect profile that I completely […]

Router Safety Mastery: 7 Non-Negotiable Rules Every Beginner Must Know I’ll never forget the sound it made. That sickening thwack as my router bit caught the edge of a small workpiece and launched it across my shop like a wooden missile. It shattered against my tool cabinet, sending splinters everywhere. I was lucky—just a few

Master Router Bit Speeds: The Complete RPM Guide Every Woodworker Needs I still cringe when I think about my first serious router purchase. I was so excited to start making those beautiful decorative edges I’d seen in magazines. I set the speed to “max,” clamped down a piece of cherry, and fired it up. Smoke.

Router Setup for Beginners: The 15-Minute System That Prevents Burning I’ll never forget the smell. Not sawdust. Not fresh-cut pine. Burning. I was routing an edge on a cherry shelf. Thought I was doing everything right. But halfway through, smoke started rising. The bit screamed. The wood turned black. I ruined a $40 piece of

Router Bits for Beginners: The Only 5 Bits You Actually Need to Get Started (2025 Guide) You know that feeling? You walk into the store — or click open that Amazon page — and you’re staring at a 50-piece router bit set. Chrome-plated. Fancy case. “Professional Grade.” Only $89.99. And you think: “Well… I might

Three years into my woodworking journey, I built what I thought was going to be my masterpiece—a beautiful cherry bookshelf for my wife’s office. The boards were smooth, the finish was perfect, and I felt like I’d finally “made it” as a woodworker. But here’s the thing about wood joinery for beginners that nobody tells

You know that sinking feeling when you’re halfway through cutting what should be a perfect circle, and you realize it’s more egg-shaped than round? Or when you’re trying to cut a straight dado by hand, and despite your best efforts with a straightedge, it looks like you guided the router with your eyes closed? I’ve

Router table setup for beginners doesn’t have to be intimidating. At HMZ Woodz, we’ve helped countless woodworkers master router table setup for beginners and transform their dusty routers into precision cutting machines. The key to successful router table setup for beginners is understanding that proper preparation makes all the difference between frustrating failures and clean,