Allan from Chatham, Ontario sent me that red object in the photos above. We all have that box of various screws and fasteners and if you are like me and Allan, we usually dump it out on the table or into a pizza pie pan to be able to sort through it to find the screw we want.Allan pours them int...
Sandpaper is expensive and there is a lot of it to choose from, so you want to get the paper that will do whatever sanding job you want to do most efficiently. Whether you are working by hand or with some kind of a power tool, the right sandpaper is more important than the tool itself.Look o...
True wood veneer consists of very thin sheets of real wood shaved off of logs. It can look like the grain of plywood if it is peeled off of a rolling log, or look like furniture lumber if it is sliced flat like boards right across the log. It was developed as a way to use sturdy but inexpen...
The first step in sharpening any hand saw is to sandwich it into a vise or between two pieces of wood that can keep the metal from vibrating, and driving you crazy, while sharpening. This is not just for comfort. If the blade vibrates too much, the file cannot dig into the metal.Next you ne...
The right bit for the right hole can make all the difference in getting the job done well.The first photo shows a power auger. You can't see in the photo but this particular drill is 18 inches long. The key to it working well is that screw head that actually pulls it into the wood for you. D...
There are no hard and fixed rules, although there are some generally accepted standards. Actually, a lot depends on how tall you are and what kind of work you are doing.
If you are doing small detailed work you may want a "counter" at about 40 inches off the floor.
A standard woodworking workbe...
As wood dries out, it tends to twist and turn in all kinds of directions.
Generally furniture grade lumber arrives in a shop with a bit of a bow along its length, a bit of a cup across its width and maybe a twist to boot. How do you get this rough cut twisted lumber into perfectly straight and f...
Woodworking requires glue and a good glue joint is one that has just the right quantity of glue spread evenly over the entire surface being glued. When you run the glue bottle down the edge of a board and simply push up another board, the glue tends to spread out as in the first photo, where I am...
Miter Saw stands are generally categorized into 4 types of support systems for miter saws:
1) Rail systems that look much like saw horses;
2) fixed or portable tables with the saw bolted into place;
3) hybrids of rails and tables and finally
4) part kits that assemble around a large 2x wood c...
One of our viewers is looking to redo all the trim in his house so he is wondering which mitre saw he should buy.
The variety is very confusing but there are two basic types:
Fixed mitre boxes that go up and down. They will cut mitres, angles to the right or the left and most of them will cut...
