Editorial Policy

How I test plans

A plan gets reviewed only after it has been built in my shop, from the purchased file as-written. I work through the steps the plan actually provides, not a build-along video or someone else's adaptation. While I build, I track three things: the time the plan estimated versus the time the build actually took; the accuracy of the materials list (short by a board foot, wrong cut dimensions, missing hardware specifications); and the gap between the skill level stated on the cover and what the build actually required. Those three measures show up in every plan review.

My shop is an unheated half-garage in Brooklyn Park: concrete-block walls, a space heater, and a north wall that stays below 40°F from November through March. Plans that assume stable temperature for glue-ups or finish coats get tested against that condition. If a plan works fine in a climate-controlled shop but causes problems in a cold one, that goes into the review. I note which retailer I sourced materials from (Rockler, Home Depot, Menards, local lumber yards) because availability varies by region and affects whether a plan's materials list is realistic for a weekend hobbyist.

How I test tools

Tools get used for at least thirty days across multiple project types before I write about them. A bit that performs well on pine but blows out on oak is not a good bit. A clamp that holds fine on the first project and strips its thread by the third is not worth its price. I test at the skill level a weekend hobbyist actually operates at, not the intermediate or advanced level a product page may quietly assume.

I buy the tools I review. If a retailer runs a class or demo event where a tool is demonstrated, I note that as a demonstration and don't publish a full thirty-day review on that basis alone.

Where I draw the line

Most reviews here are indoor furniture and workshop builds, with the occasional simple backyard project when it fits a weekend and a hobbyist's toolkit. What I steer clear of is anything involving permits, footings, or structural loads: a bookshelf that racks is an annoyance, but a structure that has to stay standing through a Minnesota winter is a liability, and that category deserves reviewers with actual construction credentials. When a plan I'm testing crosses into that territory, I say so and keep my judgments to the parts a weekend hobbyist can safely evaluate.

Affiliate relationships

Some links on this site are affiliate links. When you click one and buy the product, I receive a small commission from the retailer. That commission comes out of the retailer's margin, not your purchase price. Affiliate status doesn't change what I write. Plans and tools that wasted my time are documented as ones that wasted my time. No sponsored posts, no paid placements, no content written to guidelines I didn't set.

Corrections

I make mistakes. If you spot a factual error (wrong measurement, misidentified wood species, a finish product that has been discontinued or renamed), the contact page is the right place to flag it. I update reviews when I'm wrong and add a note that the post was updated.