It doesn’t matter if you are new to woodworking or have been at it for decades, choosing the right woodworking finishes for your projects can be complicated.
What should I use as a finish?
Should I brush it, wipe it or spray it? Continue reading Woodworking Finishes – How to Choose And Use Them
Sooner, or later, as serious woodworkers, we need to know how clean saw blades.
Beginners often buy cheaper blades and run the heck out of them. Then they throw them away because they are dull.
In fact, they were probably dirty. Over time, pitch, sap, resin and “stuff” sticks to saw blades, router bits and drill bits, especially with pine and other soft woods. As it builds up, it starts to drag, and burn, baking the residue.
Keeping your tools clean will extend their life, and improve the quality of the cuts. Which leads to the question, how do I clean my saw blades, quickly, and safely?
A Router is a great addition to any woodworking shop. They allow you to create wood joints, shape edges, make duplicates with patterns and make cut outs, among other things. You can use them alone, with guides and patterns, or in a router table.
We are going to review the various sizes and types of routers, some options to select from and recommended uses.
When working in the shop, its important to try and work smarter, not harder, as the saying goes. A combination drill and impact driver set is a great way to get there. One of my favorites is the Makita CT200W 18-Volt Drill Combo Kit. It combines speed, power and torque in a single compact kit. Continue reading Makita CT200W Drill Combo – A Great Kit For Getting Things Done
For a lot of people, knowing how to use a tape measure correctly seems like a no brainer, until you want to get an accurate measurement. Then you have a lot of questions that need answered, like: What are all the little marks for? Why is the hook loose? How accurate can it really even be? Continue reading How To Use A Tape Measure
Handmade Baby Toys, or the Elephant in the Baby’s Room. Two of my daughters recently gave me grandsons (a month apart). I had to stop and really think about what I could make for these guys. I am nervous about anything they can put in their mouths, that might come apart, so I made some baby toys that are going to be more decorative, at least until they get a little older. Continue reading Elephant in the Baby’s Room – Making Baby Toys
The China Hutch Experiment is our latest project in distressed furniture. We found it on Craigslist for $20. It needed a few minor repairs, but everything was there, no broken glass and no missing parts! (This is no antique, it is a cheap Chinese knock off, so we’re not “ruining” anything) After cleaning, and sanding it, I sprayed it with a couple of coats of light blue paint. Continue reading Distressed Furniture: The China Hutch Experiment
So, I decided it was time for a new desk. I spent a lot of time on the internet and Pinterest looking for ideas. I thought about an industrial design, or up-cycling found objects. I decided that I wanted to build a vintage desk, styled from this one that can be seen on “brown dress with white dots”.
Sometimes you have a great piece of wood that has a natural edge, a bit of crook, or you want to put a taper on a board. There are a
couple of ways to get a clean, straight edge on a board. The quickest is, of course, on a jointer. You can also use a router table. But you can also do it with a hand router and a straight edge guide, just like cutting with a circular saw. In fact there are times when the combination of circular saw and router is the quickest and most flexible solution. So, here it is, how to joint a board with a router. Continue reading Joint This! How to Joint a Board With a Router
When it comes time to set you router bit to a specific height, how do you do it? Tape measure? Carpenters square? Eyeball it?
There are several gauges and fixtures that you can buy, or make. I am going to review the small, but effective “Router Depth Gauge.” from Rockler. There are similar products from other vendors Continue reading Router Depth Gauge
