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1500 questions
13
votes
3 answers
Which first gouges to get for a beginning turner
My father no longer uses his shop (for the most part) and the tools are going to me.
Over time and disuse some of his turning tools have disappeared or fallen into disrepair. I would like to start learning to turn, but I will need some new gouges.…
Daniel B.
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13
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5 answers
Considerations for using smaller diameter blades on table saw?
I need a 1/16" kerf for a project. All the 10" blades I can find that thin are into hundreds of dollars.
Meanwhile, I see thin-kerf 7.25" Freud Diablo blades selling for under $15. These say they're rated for 10,000 rpm. (My saw says no-load…
feetwet
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13
votes
5 answers
How do I properly dispose of a solvent like mineral turpentine?
I have been using some mineral turpentine to clean paintbrushes and it's gotten quite dirty (it also got all gel-like, I think there was something else in the container it reacted with). Since these solvents are pretty toxic, how do I dispose of it…
user2251
13
votes
10 answers
Making biscuits cuts by hand
A good answer from my question on joinery talked about using a biscuit joiner. While this is a great idea a biscuit joiner is not in my top 5 of tools to acquire. I do have a variety of, recently inherited, hand tools that may do the job.
The…
Matt
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13
votes
1 answer
What are the different grain directions, and how do they affect joint strength?
What are the differences between edge grain, face grain, and long grain (and why not throw end grain in there while we're at it)?
And which of these grain directions results in the strongest glue joints?
Doresoom
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13
votes
2 answers
How do I properly care for my paintbrushes?
I have been diligently cleaning my paintbrushes after use by rinsing them in the recommended solvent (in this case mineral turpentine). Nonetheless, this last time my paintbrush hardened into a solid block of bristles, which caused me to question my…
user2251
13
votes
2 answers
Why does my workpiece become rough again after applying polyurethane varnish when it wasn't before?
I am in the process of applying polyurethane varnish to a finished workpiece and have been sanding between coats as advised by the manufacturer instructions.
I initially wondered why this was necessary until, after applying the first coat, I noticed…
user2251
13
votes
3 answers
Mortise and tenon joint proportions for 3 wooden beams corner
I'm designing a cabinet with drawers and I would like to use 60mm (roughly 2 and 3/8") wide beams for the frame. The frame with one side panel visible looks like that:
I would like to use mortise and tenon joints as they seem like a simplest…
Piotr Sarnacki
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13
votes
2 answers
Should I finish before, during, or after assembly?
I'm building some pretty basic bookshelves. I intend to assemble them with glue. I also intend to sand them, apply stain, shellac, and polyurethane.
Should I: Dry fit, glue, sand, finish? Or dry fit, sand, stain, glue, shellac, polyurethane? Or some…
Jason C
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13
votes
4 answers
What is a good way to prevent jointed tabletops from bowing when tightening fasteners or the glue sets?
I recently made a tabletop for a rolling tool cart using 2x4's jointed and pocket-screwed. When I set the table upon the cart I noticed a very serious bow, almost like I was starting to make a barrel!
What methods are there to prevent this from…
Peter Grace
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13
votes
5 answers
Is a plunge router suitable for router table work?
I mounted my plunge router to a new router table this weekend. I discovered very quickly that it is difficult to adjust the router bit height, as the springs (the very heavy springs!) end up fighting my efforts. Yes, I can use the micro-adjustment…
Bill Nace
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13
votes
1 answer
What are the jointer-specific steps for removing warp in lumber?
The typical method for removing warp in wood is to joint one face and one edge, followed by planing the other face and using a tablesaw for the final edge. The planer and tablesaw are fairly easy, but using a jointer to get the first edge and face…
Daniel B.
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13
votes
2 answers
Tips for recognizing aged pressure treated wood
New lumber that is pressure treated will have tags that identify the chemical used. More noticeably is the green or brown colors from the treating process. So newer wood is easier to identify as treated. As the treated wood ages it can turn a grey…
Matt
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13
votes
10 answers
Dealing with knots "bleeding" through paint
I'm sure that people have seen this where you would be painting something white or lightish colour only to have the resin from the knots bleed through paint sometime later. Similar to what you see in the following picture.
For my latest project I…
Matt
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13
votes
5 answers
110 vs 220 table saws and jointers
Both my table saw and my jointer have the option to be run as either 110, or 220. I am wondering (assuming I have my choice of plugin's in a shop) is one better than the other. I've heard that 220 will actually use less energy and be easier on the…
bowlturner
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