Finish Carpentry

These compact tools are handy for small routing tasks, but most have room for improvement by John White

Whether the door is new or old, Tucker Windover's technique produces a perfectly aligned door that closes properly and stays closed when you want it to by Tucker Windover

A pitch-block jig and a deadman stand are two keys in transforming a jumble of parts into a continuous handrail

A shop-built jig creates a combination butt-miter joint that looks good year round by Scott McBride

Making square cuts on wide stock is quick, safe and easy with this simple jig that you can build in a day by Rex Alexander

A hollow post made of mitered panels is easily detailed with stock moldings by Lon Schleining

You can't cope polyurethane molding, but a template, a simple jig and a little bit of luck make it possible to preassemble perfect miter joints by David Mills

A full-scale drawing and some shop-built jigs can ease the assembly of expensive stair parts by Lon Schleining

With a housed stringer on one side and an open, mitered stringer on the other, these stairs look harder to build than they are by Andy Engel

Preassembling the jambs and the casings makes for a faster, more accurate job by Jim Britton

Modified tools and custom jigs expedite staircase assembly by Michael von Deckbar-Frabbiele

Biscuit joinery and a simple jig solve a perplexing trim problem by Eric Blomberg

A carpenter uses router templates, laminations and fiberglass packing tape to trim a staircase by Jeffrey Janssen

Hand-planed hardwoods and high-grade plywood coupled with dowels and dovetails by Rex Alexander