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
Sanding sucks! But it’s essential for finishing a project that looks and feels great. If you get it wrong, a great piece can look like junk.
There are a lot of options in tools to help get the job done, from hand sanding with a cork block to belt sanders and detail sanders. You also have a lot of paper grits to consider, from 36 grit to well over 4000 (gotta love automotive finish papers!) All these options can get confusing.
When it comes time to find a new piece to make over or materials for making something, there are a lot of places to look besides the high priced stores. Here are some ideas for ways to find cheap furniture and other stuff for your next project.
Continue reading 11 Ways to Find Cheap Furniture & Other Stuff to Paint or Up Cycle
My wife decided that the side chair in our sun room, just didn’t work for her anymore. So… let’s upholster it she says. (We??? I know what that means) Just how hard can upholstering be?
Here is the chair we started with. I didn’t think it was too bad.
Continue reading Upholstering a Chair ain’t so bad – Learn the Basics
Sometimes, when we watch those DIY or woodworking shows, it looks like you need a huge shop and a lot of expensive tools to do anything. Well… it’s not true. I started with a few hand tools in the driveway, and stepped up to a skill saw and a sander, and a small shop, when I got married. With this massive set of tools (ha ha) I built our first dining table (with benches), a bookcase, end tables, an entertainment center and a chair. Now, this wasn’t the most beautiful stuff, it was a knock of of Cargo Furniture’s style (it was supposed to look like it was made from crates). These pieces of furniture lasted my growing family almost 15 years, before we sold them to someone else in need of some solid basic furniture.
Continue reading Getting started with a small shop (or no shop)
