Jigs
Making a wooden object often goes easier with the aid of a jig to simplify or even make possible some process. It might be needed due to limitations in the wood strength, maybe optimization based on grain direction or just power tool limitations. For example, a review of the last ten things I've made came up with the use of 21 jigs - ranging from simple cut-out wooden shapes to better hold an object through to multi-piece general-purpose jigs.
The 2x4-with-a-semicircular-cutout type of jig tends not to be too interesting and those often get tossed after the project is done. But I'll sometimes end up with a more generally useful or durable jig that then can be used for future projects. The text links above lead to pages with details on some of the more interesting ones.
