Archives

Can I Sharpen My Router Bit?   Q: I’ve got a carbide router bit that’s caked with pitch and leaves a rough cut. Can I rescue it or should I buy a new one? A: A bit can be brought [...]

9 Ways to Untangle Wires By Brad Holden Electric spaghetti. That’s what most of us have lurking behind our computer desks and entertainment centers. Every time you want to add or take out a [...]

Q & A: Knocking Apart Loose Joints   Q: I tried reversing a clamp to pull out the rungs of an old chair that needed regluing, but I couldn’t get all of the rungs out.What do I do? [...]

Q & A: Sawdust in the Garden?   Q: I spend as much time tending plants in the garden as making sawdust in my shop.Are there any problems with using the sawdust and chips in my [...]

Q & A: Does Polyurethane Glue Fill Gaps? Q: I hate it when I slip up and make a joint that doesn’t fit tight. I heard that polyurethane glue will fill gaps and hold a loose joint [...]

Q & A: Silencing a Squeaky Tablesaw Q: My tablesaw screeches like nails on a chalkboard whenever I adjust the blade.WD-40 made the noise go away for a while, but now it’s back. What do [...]

Q & A: Jointer Quandary Q: I’ve been having trouble getting boards straight their full length on my new jointer. I spent an hour carefully resetting the knives, but that didn’t [...]

Q & A: What Kind of Saw for Dovetails? Q: I’d like to try hand-cutting dovetails for the drawers of a sideboard I’m building.What kind of saw do I need for this job? A: Dovetailing can become [...]

Q & A: Planer or Small Drum Sander? Q: I’d like to try using more rough lumber, but I’m not sure whether to choose a portable planer at around four bills, or a drum belt sander at [...]

Q & A: Anti-Kickback Router Bits Q: I’ve noticed some router bits are available with an “anti-kickback” feature. If this works, this seems like a great thing. Does it? [...]

it’s very useful to have one very precise square in your shop. You can rely on this square for machinery setup, such as setting your jointer fence and your tablesaw blade square to the table.

Q & A: What’s the Deal with Combination Planer/Molders? Q: I’m shopping for a planer, and am also planning to do a bunch of trim work in my house: crown moldings, door casings, [...]