Archives

Q & A: Matching Old Stains Q: I have to match an old stain. I’ve come pretty close with a new stain I bought at the hardware store, but it’s not good enough. Is there a way I can [...]

Q & A: Setting Jointer Knives Q: How can I set my jointer knives without using a jig? A: A wood block and a pencil will do the job on a jointer with an adjustable outfeed table. If the [...]

  Cutting Gauge Tune-Up Q: I bought a new marking gauge to cut across the grain when I lay out tenon shoulders and dovetails. The problem is, it doesn’t make a clean cut. All I get is a [...]

  Removing Old Glue Q: I’ve got some old furniture that’s been reglued too many times. How do I get the old glue off so I can get back to clean wood? A: If your furniture was [...]

Q & A: Mortising By Machine Q: I’m having trouble with my mortising machine. I cut mortises by slightly overlapping each hole, but I’ve broken a few bits and my chisels have [...]

  Nailer Blowout Q: I am building an entertainment center with a solid-oak face frame, and an MDF-core plywood and oak veneer carcass. When I was nailing the face frame to the carcass, the [...]

Q & A: Rust and Mold on Waterstones Question: My set of Norton waterstones has recently developed two problems. First, a brownish stain appears when I sharpen my chisels and plane irons. [...]

See-Through Router Base See where you're going on a dovetail jig. By Dave Munkittrick   Why are so many router bases solid black? I hate peering through those little holes to align my [...]

The Way Wood Works: Birch This affordable wood is great for both high-end and utilitarian cabinetry. By Tim Johnson Birch is a hot item at the lumberyard these days, and birch veneer is the [...]

The Way Wood Works: Reading Grain Direction By Tom Caspar “Going against the grain” is a familiar phrase. It means doing something the wrong way.When you’re talking about wood, [...]

Bandsaw Tire True-Up Q: How can I fix a bandsaw tire with irregularities that bump the blade? I’m getting a lot of side-to-side movement with the blade. A: Truing the hard rubber tire that [...]

Figured Cherry Spectacular wood and where to get it. By Dave Munkittrick Nature truly is the greatest artist and figured cherry is living proof. If you’ve ever admired the fluid motion of a [...]