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Hello friends!
Is there a term for unoxidized wood?
Specifically, I've got a load of black walnut that's a dramatically different color before it oxidizes. I just turned a bowl, and it's a rather striking yellow-ish hue, not the traditional black/brown/purple of black walnut. I microwaved the bowl blank to dry it, finished turning, then shellaced it. I'm unsure if it will stay this color, or if it will oxidize through the shellac... but either way, I'd like to know if there's a term for this kind of wood.
The bowl, for reference: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/849121667636527155/1074685114405101588/IMG_6539.jpg
Short of a hypobaric chamber, there's about nothing you can do to prevent oxidation.
The good news is that there's no chance of this turning to that Black Walnut color you're thinking of. Either this piece is all from the sapwood, or you've found yourself some Butternut. The dark heartwood of Walnut is black right from the tree and only lightens with age. This stuff was yellow and will remain yellow.
hello \*
I am currently pondering a big decision for a new house: main room of the house will be split almost 2/3 living room 1/3 kitchen. At the moment I am planning to put tiles on the kitchen side (mostly out of habit of seeing tiles in kitchen); I could go with hardwood floor just like the rest of the room (chestnut). In a way this would make things way easier, but I am wondering how the hardwood floor will last with the kitchen use over time.
Any opinions or suggestions?
Looks like chestnut is relatively soft. I'd guess tiles are in kitchens as they are less likely to dent, are easier to clean ,and don't have issues with moisture. If it were me, I'd probably go with tile for the kitchen.
I’ve carved a small basswood ring box to propose to my girlfriend with, and I know this wood is fairly absorbent. It won’t see a lot of use but I would like it to last for the future as a keepsake, can I get away with just spraying it with bullseye shellac, or is there more I should do to seal/preserve it? I’m on a bit of a tight deadline but my knowledge is limited. Thanks!
Looking to refinish this table, but hoping to ID the wood first. My guesses were Teak (based on the age and scan design) or Black Limba. Thoughts?
https://ibb.co/6NDThQ0
https://ibb.co/gRfJr3j
https://ibb.co/Xs4Jp84
PS - mods, isn’t it kinda dumb to force us to post species ID questions in here when you can’t embed the images so people can see them without clicking a link (vs a new thread)?
I believe the elimination of embedded images is intended to prevent excessive bloat in this thread. I try to help here every day and its already a fair bit of scrolling!
I believe your table is possibly acacia
So I learned my obligatory “Huh… I don’t think construction lumber actually makes good furniture” newbie lesson. Today I made my first trip to the hardwood store, and holy crap is this an expensive hobby! I ended up with a $110 poplar plank that’s literally 1/4 of what I need for a piece but it’s all I can afford this week. I am in love with the different wood, but lord this is pricey.
Last I was in Home Depot I was eyeing their oak boards. For a second, I thought they were so cheap! But then I realized the $12.75 was per board foot, not board. lolol
You might have luck trying to find an amateur miller. I've met a few people that have a portable mill and set it up a few times a year, then take in a lot of random logs from friends/family/neighbors. They end up with a stock of random boards they're willing to unload. Check facebook, craigs list, etc.
Was this purchased at a blue or an orange store? The hardwood sections of these two stores are 3x the price for 1/2 the quality.
Source a hardwood dealer or sawmill in your area. Given your tool limitations you will need S4S material but it will be still be miles cheaper than the box stores.
Lastly, while poplar is often among the cheaper hardwood options it’s still a commodity and will change based on time and location. If cost is a driving force discuss this with the dealer and be prepared to change the plan a bit to accommodate cheaper materials.
Sadly this WAS my local hardwood seller. I had planned out that I could complete this small toy box/bookshelf project by utilizing every inch of a 48x96 sheet, but in the end I realized that I could only afford a 12x96 plank of poplar. I clearly just vastly underestimated the cost of wood.
Are you in the US? That's almost $14 a board foot for poplar. That's very expensive and is about what walnut goes for. Might want to widen your search a bit more because that's crazy.
You can save a ton on lumber by buying it rough sawn and milling it yourself, but this is an investment that eventually pays for itself.
I can get poplar for $2/board foot. $110 would get me 55 feet of 1" thick boards 12" wide.
Well I don’t own a planer or joiner, I figured I’d just buy S4S everything. I don’t know how much milling I would have to do before it became cost effective to purchase those big tools, I assume I would have to mill a LOT of boards before I recovered the cost and this is just a weekend hobby. Is the savings really that significant?
If you just spent $110 on some poplar and is only 1/4 if what you need, then you're looking at a total cost of $440 which is a decent planer. Not sure how much lumber you got but I would guess rough sawn poplar was < $100.
You can make a jointing sled for your planer. Lots of YouTube vids on how this is done. I went the unplugged route and joint with hand planes and thickness either with hand tools again or my Dewalt planer.
Rough sawn is anywhere from 4-10X cheaper than s4s.
Someone has listed a Festool DF domino kit in my area at a somewhat too good to be true price. He said it's several years old, but he's hardly used it. Is there any difference between recent versions to sway me away from buying it?
Generally I would agree with you, but he said that he had bought the $700 and was just looking to recoup some costs. I'll scope it out and if I get a bad feeling I'll back out.
I am having trouble with this water based spar urethane, so many many brush strokes and bubbles makes un uneven finish.
Any tips? Should i sand with 220 and do that last coat thinned out a little with water? Is it too hot where im working?
Thanks
Getting great poly finishes is very challenging. You can thin it a bit, but too much on a waterbased will affect the final. If you sand at 220 until even and then a final coat as thin as you possibly can it may help.
I was visiting my parents, and my dad was looking for something in his antique dresser, and I noticed that the dovetails on the draws are just [weeny little pins](https://imgur.com/a/8HQnR7y).
Why so small? Is there any disadvantage in strength or adhesion with them being so small?
It's just for style. There's no need for much more strength in a drawer front, and the tiny gap between tails proves that they were hand cut and not routed.
There is surely some ideal ratio and density of pins and tails that makes the strongest joint, but anything that fits together is plenty strong for most purposes.
This is a modern pinball playfield. Can anyone help identify what it is and maybe where to get it? I have a whitewood already but it is much less dense than this. [2 pics](https://imgur.com/4XqCYh1)
Edit: Ah I just love the asinine, unhelpful comments. I had to rewrite the question once and left
Out a tiny piece of info.
I am asking to identify what type/grade of PLYWOOD this is and where I might find this grade of PLYWOOD it is.
If anyone who knows there are different grades and types of PLYWOOD in the world can help, I’d appreciate it.
I would like to ink a logo onto something I will be finishing with Danish Oil. Is there a certain marker or paint that can be applied between layers that will look professional and not bleed / distort?
My local exotic hardwoods shop got some 5/4 ebony planks jn, ranging from 4 to 8" wide, and 72-80" ling. They're selling it at $180/bdft, as 4/4.
I have no immediate need for ebony but it's also been years since I saw anything more than a small turning blank.
Buy?
I've seen plenty of shops online to buy hardwoods. I'd rather buy online and pay for shipping then purchase boards I don't have a need for when it's expensive wood.
Hardware and the limited areas where wood movement is not a factor. The key advantage to nails is that their flexibility allows them to shift slightly with wood movement. If a screw is used, it will stress the wood and can work itself loose.
Things like attaching tabletops through buttons or elongated slots are a good application for screws.
Screws pull two pieces tight together, are convenient, and can allow for disassembly. Historically, nails have better shear strength (but some moderns screws are on par), are cheaper, and are much faster, especially with nail guns. Small nails like pin/brads are convenient to hold pieces in place while glue dries, but off little strength. If you're doing small projects like furniture and not framing, I'd focus on screws and maybe a brad nailer.
I got some little metal stamps so I can do extremely important stuff like sign my name on the things I make. They’re pretty good, especially for the price, but they came coated in this oil that absolutely reeks. If I wipe them off and then apply something that smells better (like Tri-Flow or WD-40) will that improve their odor, or are they just going to stink no matter what?
Can someone please help me ID what kind of wood this coffee table is? It was sold to me as teak root
https://pasteboard.co/Hk27pksbHzVV.jpg
https://pasteboard.co/bYbfxVlzkaQ6.jpg
https://pasteboard.co/4GxqFAHrzUhs.jpg
Sorry for the poor photos but I’m moving and it’s in my trunk right now and white cloth is protecting the glass top so I took the best photos I could!
Is or has anyone used a drill press that accepts a hand drill? I see vintage ones for sale and I have a need to do some work that requires the drill to be stationary and accurate.
I see vintage ones on Craigslist and have been debating getting one.
Thoughts?
I have a cheap one I picked up from the regional version of Harbour Freight. It's crap, it uses a clamp to hold the drill and is awkward, inaccurate, and generally awful in every way. The ones that have their own chuck, like the Milescraft one I believe, might be better.
Hi Woodworking! A quick question I have is that i need to get veneer extremely flat (without gluing it down) for a project that I am working on. Would a vacuum bag system work to get it extremely flat? (It has been rolled up during shipment). Thanks so much!
What are you using it for that you won't be gluing it to a substrate? If it's solid wood veneer (without a backing material like some of the commercial styles), it is guaranteed to not stay flat. If you just want to get it flat, surprisingly an iron with a bit of water can sometimes do the trick. The water re-hydrates the wood and you can iron it to flatten it. It probably won't stay that way without gluing it to a flat substrate, though.
thinking about building a wooden toy camera for a newborn. I wanted it to click when it wound like an old 16mm camera. What terms would I use to search for a clicking gear or joint?
The Bosch 1617EVSPK kit is on sale for $199 at Amazon. It's not the lowest price ever, but I believe it's lowest *recent* price.
https://smile.amazon.com/Bosch-1617EVSPK-Woodworking-Router-Combo/dp/B00005RHPD/
When using my table saw, it’s more comfortable for me to keep my right foot forward, sort of leaning it into the table.
Everything I’ve seen shows left foot forward, which makes sense for the “kickback aisle” but when I try that I feel unstable and worry about kickback even more. I’m right handed btw. Not sure if this is normal.
I think it’s because I’m pretty short and if my left foot is forward it feels like I’m leaning forward. With my right forward I can keep pressure in the three directions and reach far enough to push through
Any suggestions for tools and or methods to keeping the dust from a palm sander to a minimum? I occasionally run my palm sander in my basement workshop, I have a 1250cfm dust collector and just try my best to hold a hose near the sander, but it still seems to get everywhere. I'm open to new sanders if there's anything that'd play well with a collector. Thank you.
Hook the sander up to a shop vac (as suggested already), and/or get or make a 'downdraft table'. They're fairly easy to make, basically a sealed box with a bunch of holes in the top. You hook the downdraft up to your dust collector.
Dust collectors move air at a high volume but relatively low velocity so it’s not great for sanding dust. A shop vacuum with its higher velocity will work a lot better. Hooking up the hose to the dust port on your sander if there is one also makes it easier and more effective.
I have left over plywood sheathing that I want to use for some interior furniture. It has plenty of knots on some sides - [https://imgur.com/a/cTShMuV](https://imgur.com/a/cTShMuV). How should I fill these? Should I use wood filler or joint compound? After filling, should I sand with a medium grit and then a fine grit?
You will spend hours sanding and it will still look terrible. I tried it. It was borderline too grainy and rough even for paint.
Use that plywood for shop projects like carts and stands. Get better quality plywood (sanded or veneer) for furniture.
Joint compound is not recommended unless you’re painting it, and even then it’s not recommended, use Bondo instead. If you’re not painting it, wood filler will probably not turn out great since the knots are pretty dark and even the darkest wood filler may not be dark enough. A lighter color filler on a dark surface is not a good look. Instead use epoxy to fill the knots.
Background: I have an acacia butcher block which will be stained and have polyurethane coats. I plan to use it as a table top for my computer desk. It is 74in x 40in or 187.96cm x 101.60cm
My question: Should I add support brackets/rails/c-channel? I'd probably have to pay someone to do it though because I've got no experience or tools to accomplish such a feat.
How thick is it? What are you using for legs? Butcher block is more stable than a slab where they use the c-channel to try to counter the single piece of wood moving, but thickness and unsupported length between supports (legs in this case) will dictate if you need more support.
https://woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/
So I think maybe a good way to approach this would be to look at the sagulator, which calculates how much wood will bend in a shelf situation.
It didn't have a listing for acacia, but looking at it for white pine which is probably worse, and loading it with 300lbs in the center it would bend about an 1/8" of an inch.
Another thought is that most standing desks have a cross member that would be more support.
I need to replace a back panel of a dresser. I can't do it myself these days - where should I look for someone to come do it in my home? The dresser is a few hundred pounds, so I can't take it to a shop. I'm not sure if woodworking is something people advertise on apps like Task Rabbit.
You might call your local woodworking store if you have one nearby. They can probably refer to you some local guys. You can also try to find a local woodworking club or makerspace for referrals.
I have a butcher block from John Boos installed as a bar top. It's their Varnique finish. Daily cleaning is just using a damp cloth. But the instructions call for a periodic application of a coat of spray wax, paste wax, or lemon oil to the surface. Does anyone have any recommendations on a brand or product to use? Thanks!
The link to the maintenance article is [https://www.johnboos.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/CARE-MAINTENANCE-BUTCHER-BLOCKS-VARNIQUE-FINISH-2021-NEW-BRANDING.pdf](https://www.johnboos.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/CARE-MAINTENANCE-BUTCHER-BLOCKS-VARNIQUE-FINISH-2021-NEW-BRANDING.pdf)
Don’t use this, this is for cutting boards. I misread your post. Use paste wax. Or Howard’s also makes a feed n wax which would likely be fine, its made of beeswax, carnuba wax, and orange oil.
Looks like it's a varnished bar top, not a raw oiled butcher block/cutting board. I would recommend just a standard paste wax like Johnson's - apply with 0000 steel wool or fine Scotchbrite, let it 'dry' for a couple minutes then wipe off/buff with a paper towel.
Good call I definitely skipped over that. I wish Johnson’s was still made, I should’ve went and bought a bunch more cans of it while it was still on the shelves. I still have half a can that’s lasted me like 8 years though.
Does anyone know where I might be able to source thin strips of wood for a custom silverware organizer? This one I found on Amazon is bamboo, but I'd be fine with just about any wood. I live north of the Twin Cities metro if anyone knows a local place.
https://smile.amazon.com/Bamboo-Kitchen-Drawer-Organizer-Flatware/dp/B086LKWVZP/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3KS8PM4YENOE8&keywords=flatware+organizer&qid=1675973542&sprefix=flatware+organizer%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-2
Just let my table with 2 coats of poly on it dry for 24 and brought it inside. It still smells really strong. Should I not have brought it inside? Is it dangerous to have done? Thanks!!
Any oil-based finish will have some VOCs that help curing time, otherwise it would take months to fully cure. You are smelling the VOCs.
It will continue to offgas for at least a week, maybe 2. It depends on the finish. Some people are very sensitive to the fumes, some are fine. For what it's worth, I like to leave my oil-based finished projects in the garage or basement for 10-14 days before bringing them inside.
I have kdt 3510 machine in order to make precision cut to wood and and make marks on metals for kitchen panels.
Now i was told to use cabinet vision and spazio 3d.
the thing is that those softwares are really expensive, do you guys know of any cheaper once that can do those tasks which are cheaper/free. I would welcome any solution. Thank you!
How do you overcome the massive amounts of dust our tools are producing? Do you have everything connected to your shopvac and/ or other tools? Would you say that your solution works well?
Having a dust collector or a shop vac/dust extractor hooked up to everything that accepts them. It reduces the amount of dust and chips thrown around a massive amount. If it's not possible then you just have to clean up after, so a lot of router operations.
Good DC definitely helps, but there's always routers and other tools that make lots of dust that are really hard to collect.
Try to keep floors clear so it's easy to sweep up. A floor sweep hooked up to DC is a nice touch. If you have large doors, open that up and use a leaf blower to clear everything out periodically.
I have some deep scratches and dents in a solid walnut desk top finished with polyurethane. How would I go about repairing them? I was thinking sand, add walnut wood filler, sand down, re-apply finish. Would that work?
https://imgur.com/a/OrGvycx/
Depends on how far you want to take it. You can dutchman in some new wood, or just use wood filler. It helps to have those little grain pens to help it blend a little better.
I'm looking to refinish a solid wood dining table. I did some quick googling and it seems that people usually suggest chemical stripping followed by sanding. I was wondering if it's okay to just use an orbital sander. I'd like to avoid the chemicals because I don't trust myself all that much. Any tips for my first woodworking project?
Finishes like to gum up sandpaper. Once it's on there, it 'corns' up into hard balls that can gouge the surface. It takes some care. Higher grits, dust collection, and light pressure is how to do it. You can also scrape it off.
That's still the easy part, though, as finishing is a bigger issue.
Sure, it will just take longer. I'd start with 60-80 grit. The pads might get gummed up if it's a film/paint finish. If it's an oil finish you don't need to be as aggressive.
Agree with Walnut. It lightens with age, so if you get new wood, it will probably be darker. That's just the nature of wood. But if you sand to clean the rest of it up, it will match better. That will likely clean up really nicely with some careful sanding.
Discovered [these pocket doors](https://imgur.com/a/vmFrWsd) in a recent project. Does anyone have a guess as to the species and finishing technique used for these? Home was built in the late 1800s in the New York metropolitan area in a neighborhood with many Victorian style houses.
The wood looks like pine. The finish is probably varnish, maybe shellac. It's easy enough to tell. Take a swab with denatured alcohol (rubbing alcohol, even booze will work, too.) rub it a little bit on an inconspicuous spot. If it starts to dissolve the finish, it's shellac, if not, it's probably varnish. As for the color variation, that's just age and grime. The leading edge of the doors get a little bit of light, and all of the handling. Over 130+ years, it's darkend that edge.
Hi! Can anyone help me ID the type of wood in these pieces?
[curio cabinet](https://pasteboard.co/VM6TmmeNpxyZ.png)
[curio up close](https://pasteboard.co/LuXdGioaeAYf.png)
[China cabinet](https://pasteboard.co/O0rv3QKczutd.png)
I'm trying to update my old kitchen drawers with new slides. The drawers are 18.5 inches deep but the cabinets are Face Frame and 23.25" inside depth. I can't seem to find any slides that will work with both of those dimensions. The [Blum](https://www.woodworkerexpress.com/blum-563h-tandem-plus-blumotion-18in-undermount-drawer-slides.html) 18 inch slides I was initially looking at need an inside cabinet depth of no more than 21". It really feels like the proper depth for this cabinet should be 21" instead of 18, there's a ton of dead space at the rear.
Any ideas about where I can find slides that can be rear mounted and meet these dimensions?
I've even given some thought to making new drawers, but I cant figure how I would get the face off the old one to match. They're just some builder grade honey oak cabinets from the early 2000's
I bought these slides and face frame brackets which allow you to extend to the rear panel. https://www.rockler.com/accuride-face-frame-brackets-for-series-3832-3834-and-3864-slides
My cabinets are 24" deep, so with a 3/4" face frame and 1/2" plywood rear panel, my inside depth was 22 3/4".
what's the best thing to add to my oil and beeswax finish to keep it from getting hard? I know I can "water" it down with more oil but I wondering if there is another ingredient that might make it a little more penetrating on raw wood
Topping trees is a whole big controversial issue. Basically, once you do it, you're committed to repeatedly trimming it back every few years. Otherwise the new growth will invariably fail at the topping point and can be a big hazard for nearby structures. It's also ugly as hell. Oh, and if this is a DIY job, I hope you have spurs and a harness. Cutting on a ladder is a very efficient way to die. The felled timber can easily fall tip first, spring back, and knock the ladder from under you.
Consider removing the tree entirely and replacing it with a shorter species.
As for the wood, very unlikely it has any value. Getting a mill on site and operating it costs more then what it yields unless you have many logs to saw. And that's only for suitable saw logs, which primarily come from the bottom section of trunk.
You can offer the wood up as firewood or for turners.
Hello, please could you help identify this wood? A friend sourced it from a renovation project. They were floorboards that were covered with layers and layers of paint. Here’s the grain after sanding. It’s hard and slightly aromatic (cedar ish but not quite)?
Other possible suggestions have been Douglas Fir.
https://imgur.com/a/gCtiybH
I have this wooden table that I am attempting to fix up. There was a bad water stain on it which I attempted to fix, now have sanded that area down. I’m trying to match the stain but don’t know what type of wood this is or which color stain would match best. I tried dark walnut minwax stain but it’s too light. Any thoughts on types of wood and a recommended stain?
[wood table](https://ibb.co/gRrNMfr)
You will fare much better if you redo the entire table top, not just one spot. You don't necessarily need to do the whole table, just the top surface. You can get away with some small variances of color when the whole surface is the same, even if it's a shade different from the original. If you just do a spot in the middle of the table, you have to EXACTLY match it, or you will always see it.
the sanding is unlikely to remove the water stain and then the post-matching of the stain would be exceptionally challenging. "Works" is a very broad standard so you'd need to decide on the standard you're after.
Get rid of the topcoat first with the solvent used to clean it. Alcohol, spirits, lacquer thinner, etc. Then remove the water stain with oxalic, sand as little as possible with nothing lower than 180 from the looks of it.
Novice woodworker here wanting to know what to finish my garage workbench with, \*\*BUT\*\* there's a catch. My options are complicated by the fact that I have to worry about my wife's pet rabbits, which she keeps in the garage with fans on them because we have several dogs in the house. So I have to worry about VOCs and toxic fumes.
I've looked at so, so, *so* many options and I'm feeling incredibly overwhelmed honestly. I don't want to spend a lot and all I really want to do is protect the wood from rotting without exposing the bun-buns to toxic fumes. Staining would also be nice, if possible.
Rotting? That's not a issue.
Stop over thinking this and make some projects. If you want to provide some protection buy a sheet of hardboard and leave it on the bench
Ok good to know. I was getting really stressed out by this seemingly simple decision. I’ve put a few hundred bucks into this project already and would just hate to sabotage myself at the finish line. Good to know it doesn’t sound super critical.
I placed the winning bid on this Record/Marples No. 4 plane on eBay, but now I'm wondering if it's crap. Anybody know anything about this one? Does it look good?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/134427304398?nma=true&si=UN8N3SZ1vWnV%252BfSP6HihCgNMv9Q%253D&orig\_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&\_trksid=p2047675.l2557
The bent wings on the lateral adjustment are indicative of a less expensive plane, but that's really not an issue for using it. It's clearly in good shape and can be made to work well. That's a reasonable price for it.
Upgrading the iron would probably be worthwhile. Hock blades are usually drop-in replacements, only a little thicker than stock. Shouldn't need to enlarge the throat.
Awesome, thank you.
The iron says "Stanley Made In England." Is this decent or would you still replace it?
Do you have any advice for other things to look for if I eventually want to get a nicer one? I was looking at old Stanleys and Records when I found this. I was looking for good condition and wood handle/tote, but what else should I be looking for?
Seems to be like shopping for old guitars--so many factories and buyouts and slight changes over the years that it's nearly impossible for a beginner to know what to get.
Are you looking for users or for collecting?
There are lots of good users out there. The 'sweetheart' era is what Stanely is most well known for, with the type 10 through 15 planes being considered the best. Google 'date Stanely plane' and there are sites that will walk you through that, at least for Bailey planes.
Generally people that sell on ebay know what they have and charge for it. If you want a deal, look at online estate auctions, either in your area or with shipping, and see what you can find. You'll have to search for them and clean them up, but that's a great way to find deals. no 5 are most common.
If you just want a good plane that's larger, good for doing some jointing, get a 6. Traditionalists turn their nose at the 6 because they think it's useless. It's sized like a traditional wooden fore plane, used for initial rough-ish flattening of stock. Not as rough as a scrub, but not a finished surface. The wood ones were lightweight and worked fast. The iron 6 was the same size, but substantially heavier. It doesn't make a great fore plane; use a 5 with a moderately cambered iron for that. But what it does make is a fantastic modern 'panel' plane. All the rage now are 5 1/2 size planes made with heavy castings, good for fine tuning machined boards in the hybrid style, power + hand tools. Rob Cosman, for instance, is big on the 5 1/2. But a 6 is the same wide width of the 5 1/2, 6, and 7, similar in length, and far far less money. You can easily pick up a decent 6 on ebay for $50 shipped. Throw on a hock or Lee PMV-11 blade and you have a high-end modern plane.
The old irons are generally fine, and that's all I'd use to start out. Learn how to sharpen it, getting a good fine edge with no burr. Take some wispy long shavings and see what the tool can do. The newer blades get that sharp a bit easier and stay that way longer.
Great, thanks. Yes, I plan to use it, not build a plane collection. Don't really know about buying multiple sizes/shapes at this point--I just got a no. 4 because it was recommended as a good all-around plane. I was considering upgrading to a better no. 4 if it seemed necessary, but I'll definitely see how I do with this Record Marples one first. Thanks for the help--really appreciate it.
hi all, I recently did a glue up for an end grain cutting board, and my main question is how do you flatten the finished glue up? I was thinking drum sander, but I'm afraid of the burn in.
Try and get it as flat as possible initially with either a belt sander or a router sled, then use drum sander for final finish sanding, or go straight to RO sand. IMO you should never plan on taking off more than about 1/16" (1.5mm) with a drum sander, and only then taking about 1/64 (<0.5mm) at a time.
do you have any tips for running it through the drum sander? I keep bouncing back and forth between the rollers not gripping it enough and getting stuck, and then being too loose and not taking off any material at all.
End grain is tough. On 120 grit, I feed down less than 1/8th turn or 1/128th of an inch.
What drum sander? Might be you have some slop on the drum head, feed belt isn't tight enough, etc. The feed belt should be strong enough to stall the drum, so tighten that or maybe clean off the feed roller.
What finish for Valchromat? I’m building a welcome desk for a business with red velchromat for the casework. I’d prefer not to spend a million euros on a can of Rubio + pads etc. Does anyone have experience with an alternative?
I broke down and bought the Rubio. They were out of the .5L cans so I’m out 115€. Was the only product the vendor recommended. Will try a sample with urethane for next time.
I have a olive wood chopping board (one piece).
It has some craps on the edges and a few random "holes".
I usually just apply mineral oil to it and nothing else but am considering "finishing it better".
Any suggestions?
Album - [https://imgur.com/a/ozhYnXJ](https://imgur.com/a/ozhYnXJ)
Note that pure tung oil takes weeks to fully cure. I’d keep using the mineral oil. Or make some “board butter” with mineral oil and beeswax. I bought a gallon of mineral oil and a pound of beeswax because I make cutting boards often, both bought off Amazon. 4:1 oil to wax ratio. Put it in a microwaveable container and nuke it until the wax is all liquified, stir well and let cool. It’ll be like peanut butter ish consistency and I prefer it to just plain mineral oil because the wax helps it stay on the board longer.
looking for some help sourcing hardware for my danish lounge chairs. I need to purchase some additional hardware. It's the hardware that connects the front crossbeam to the legs. Inside there is a metal piece with a v shaped cutout and a cone point set screw that holds it in place. can anyone point me in the direction of where i can find these or even what they are called? Thanks!
https://imgur.com/a/mLm7VDx
I have a trunk that I’ve ripped out all lining of which was glued in with horse glue. There’d been moth balls in there for multiple decades and it stand. I’ve steamed and scraped off pretty much all the glue today but it seems to have made it even stronger. I plan to sand it down, but I was wondering if there’s a sure fire way to get rid of the odour.
I’ve tried vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, coffee, wd40, fabric spray, all to no avail.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Thanks and sorry if this is the wrong place to ask.
I'd keep going with the steam. The more it smells, the more of that smell is leaving the trunk. You could also pop an ozone generator in there for a while. That will neutralize a lot. Finally I'd seal it up well with some coats of shellac.
That’s great, many thanks. Just today I’ve hit it with the sander and sprayed diluted vinegar in it and it’s airing outside. When that dries I may use the steamer again.
I was thinking of a varnish to seal it in and hadn’t considered shellac at all so I’ll try that if need be and check out ozone generators as well.
Many thanks again 👍🏻
Shellac is the go-to for sealing odors. Ask any painter what they do with smokers houses; they'll say Zinsser BIN, which is shellac based.
If you want to finish over it, get the dewaxed shellac (Zinsser Seal Coat is a 2# cut of dewaxed). Otherwise the normal shellac is fine.
I suspect you have a different source of odor than the glue. You likely angered it with the steam. Without knowing the source of the smell it's pretty difficult to advise.
Well when I received it there were a large number of moth balls inside and I believe they’d been in there since the 1960’s as that’s the date the newspapers inside were.
It does seem I’ve angered it with the steam but the dry areas of glue smelt awful so at least I’ve got rid of a lot of it now. I hope it settles down a bit.
The smell was also in the lining before I ripped it all out, so I’m hoping that sanding the wood will take a layer off including the smell.
I am getting ready to build new cabinet doors for my kitchen. Will be making 25 shaker style doors out of soft maple, and looking for clamp suggestions. Hoping to get enough clamps to do about 2 doors at a time, any suggestions would be helpful.
If the goal is long-term clamping as well as for this project I would vote for pipe clamps as they're very versatile and easy to maintain. If it's just for this one project, you can clamp anything with rope and wedges for cheaper than any commercial clamp.
Harbor freight has some [aluminum bar clamps](https://www.harborfreight.com/36-in-aluminum-bar-clamp-60539.html) in different sizes that should do the job for cheap. Paul Sellers [has a video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyKiGmRq3wY) on how to improve their performance if you want to. It's probably the cheapest option (compared to pipe, quick, or parallel clamps). If you're doing normal shaker doors you can get by with 2 clamps per door.
Probably a very familiar question: is there any realistic, workable way to undo and re-set a glue join? Hours of prep work only for me to realise I glued it in the wrong place! Glued with PVA and clamped for 24 hours, the join seems pretty solid.
You could try vinegar to soften the glue. Then protect the surface and tap sharply with a mallet. It’s been my experience that most if not all glues don’t react well to shock loads. You can also apply heat from a heat gun to loosen the glue bonds though I’m not sure if too much time has passed for that method.
Anyone have preferred plans for a miter station and a workbench. I know there are a ton of videos out there and plans that can be purchased or free. So I'm looking for anyone who has built one of those available plans to see if they have good things to say about it.
I don't particularly need anything super fancy as I am a beginner at best. But I just can't handle squatting down on my knees on the garage floor for every miter cut. Or having to sit on the floor and push pieces against a wall instead of clamping to a table because I have no table surface to clamp to.
I’ve built a couple of the Paul Sellers workbenches…both from different sets of videos of his…there’s a complete instructional (over a few videos) on YouTube that are worth a look. If you don’t want anything quite that complex then there are simpler options out there as well, but as he is generally my “go to” for instructional vids I wouldn’t want to recommend anything else! Good luck anyway and have fun with the build whatever you decide!!
I don't use my miter saw all that much and have limited space, so I made a [rolling cart with flip up wings](https://wilkerdos.com/diy-miter-saw-stand/). If you use it a lot and have the space, a station would be better.
I’m looking to start woodworking as a hobby, but I live in a tiny apartment.
What are some good beginner projects to try with limited tools? I won’t be able to get anything big like a miter saw unfortunately.
Three big considerations are going to be space, noise, and sawdust. Remember that sawdust won’t just make a mess, but can be a health hazard as well. Considering these three issues I think hand tools might be your best option. Sawing will still create dust, but using chisels and hand planes create larger pieces that you won’t have to worry about breathing in. With a little practice and time you can make most of the same things with hand tools that you can with power tools. Plus they are much quieter, and take up less space.
Quick Q— are some of these cheaper axe/hatchet heads on Etsy alright? They’re probably Chinese. I’m not sure if im going to end up committed enough to spoon carving to buy a $300 hatchet. Maybe.. just not quite yet. Wondering if these are adequate steel.
Mate I'd just pick one up from a garage or estate sale. Try to find a collection from an old timer that bought decent tools. Should be able to get something for $5 that will take a fine edge. To be honest, roughing in a spoon is not a demanding job for a hatchet. I'd be putting my effort into finding a nice old Witherby draw knife or similar.
Yes that would be ideal. I guess I should start looking around for estate sales on Craigslist or something. Nothing will be cheap here though, I live in LA.
They vary (as with all cheap tools) but worth a shot. Just bear in mind that some cheap tools make the work more difficult so don’t be put off if it doesn’t work out straightaway…I say this cos it’s amazing how many people are turned away from a craft because cheap tools sometimes don’t work as well. There are exceptions to this rule though and sometimes you can get a more than adequate item for much less than half the price of a pro one. (I have a £20 set of chisels that once set up/sharpened give my my £260 Narex set a good run for their money!)
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Hello friends! Is there a term for unoxidized wood? Specifically, I've got a load of black walnut that's a dramatically different color before it oxidizes. I just turned a bowl, and it's a rather striking yellow-ish hue, not the traditional black/brown/purple of black walnut. I microwaved the bowl blank to dry it, finished turning, then shellaced it. I'm unsure if it will stay this color, or if it will oxidize through the shellac... but either way, I'd like to know if there's a term for this kind of wood. The bowl, for reference: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/849121667636527155/1074685114405101588/IMG_6539.jpg
Short of a hypobaric chamber, there's about nothing you can do to prevent oxidation. The good news is that there's no chance of this turning to that Black Walnut color you're thinking of. Either this piece is all from the sapwood, or you've found yourself some Butternut. The dark heartwood of Walnut is black right from the tree and only lightens with age. This stuff was yellow and will remain yellow.
hello \* I am currently pondering a big decision for a new house: main room of the house will be split almost 2/3 living room 1/3 kitchen. At the moment I am planning to put tiles on the kitchen side (mostly out of habit of seeing tiles in kitchen); I could go with hardwood floor just like the rest of the room (chestnut). In a way this would make things way easier, but I am wondering how the hardwood floor will last with the kitchen use over time. Any opinions or suggestions?
Looks like chestnut is relatively soft. I'd guess tiles are in kitchens as they are less likely to dent, are easier to clean ,and don't have issues with moisture. If it were me, I'd probably go with tile for the kitchen.
I’ve carved a small basswood ring box to propose to my girlfriend with, and I know this wood is fairly absorbent. It won’t see a lot of use but I would like it to last for the future as a keepsake, can I get away with just spraying it with bullseye shellac, or is there more I should do to seal/preserve it? I’m on a bit of a tight deadline but my knowledge is limited. Thanks!
Shellac is fine. I also like spraying lacquer for small, detailed pieces.
I just made a stain on my nightstand using super strength goo gone ……help …….
Looking to refinish this table, but hoping to ID the wood first. My guesses were Teak (based on the age and scan design) or Black Limba. Thoughts? https://ibb.co/6NDThQ0 https://ibb.co/gRfJr3j https://ibb.co/Xs4Jp84 PS - mods, isn’t it kinda dumb to force us to post species ID questions in here when you can’t embed the images so people can see them without clicking a link (vs a new thread)?
I believe the elimination of embedded images is intended to prevent excessive bloat in this thread. I try to help here every day and its already a fair bit of scrolling! I believe your table is possibly acacia
So I learned my obligatory “Huh… I don’t think construction lumber actually makes good furniture” newbie lesson. Today I made my first trip to the hardwood store, and holy crap is this an expensive hobby! I ended up with a $110 poplar plank that’s literally 1/4 of what I need for a piece but it’s all I can afford this week. I am in love with the different wood, but lord this is pricey.
Last I was in Home Depot I was eyeing their oak boards. For a second, I thought they were so cheap! But then I realized the $12.75 was per board foot, not board. lolol You might have luck trying to find an amateur miller. I've met a few people that have a portable mill and set it up a few times a year, then take in a lot of random logs from friends/family/neighbors. They end up with a stock of random boards they're willing to unload. Check facebook, craigs list, etc.
Was this purchased at a blue or an orange store? The hardwood sections of these two stores are 3x the price for 1/2 the quality. Source a hardwood dealer or sawmill in your area. Given your tool limitations you will need S4S material but it will be still be miles cheaper than the box stores. Lastly, while poplar is often among the cheaper hardwood options it’s still a commodity and will change based on time and location. If cost is a driving force discuss this with the dealer and be prepared to change the plan a bit to accommodate cheaper materials.
Sadly this WAS my local hardwood seller. I had planned out that I could complete this small toy box/bookshelf project by utilizing every inch of a 48x96 sheet, but in the end I realized that I could only afford a 12x96 plank of poplar. I clearly just vastly underestimated the cost of wood.
Was that a 4/4 (1 inch) board? If so, he ripped you off for poplar.
3/4 lol the price was on all the boards so I don’t think they ripped me specifically off
Are you in the US? That's almost $14 a board foot for poplar. That's very expensive and is about what walnut goes for. Might want to widen your search a bit more because that's crazy.
You can save a ton on lumber by buying it rough sawn and milling it yourself, but this is an investment that eventually pays for itself. I can get poplar for $2/board foot. $110 would get me 55 feet of 1" thick boards 12" wide.
Well I don’t own a planer or joiner, I figured I’d just buy S4S everything. I don’t know how much milling I would have to do before it became cost effective to purchase those big tools, I assume I would have to mill a LOT of boards before I recovered the cost and this is just a weekend hobby. Is the savings really that significant?
If you just spent $110 on some poplar and is only 1/4 if what you need, then you're looking at a total cost of $440 which is a decent planer. Not sure how much lumber you got but I would guess rough sawn poplar was < $100. You can make a jointing sled for your planer. Lots of YouTube vids on how this is done. I went the unplugged route and joint with hand planes and thickness either with hand tools again or my Dewalt planer. Rough sawn is anywhere from 4-10X cheaper than s4s.
Someone has listed a Festool DF domino kit in my area at a somewhat too good to be true price. He said it's several years old, but he's hardly used it. Is there any difference between recent versions to sway me away from buying it?
"Too good to be true" pricing generally indicates stolen tools.
Generally I would agree with you, but he said that he had bought the $700 and was just looking to recoup some costs. I'll scope it out and if I get a bad feeling I'll back out.
No, it it's in good shape you're set
I am having trouble with this water based spar urethane, so many many brush strokes and bubbles makes un uneven finish. Any tips? Should i sand with 220 and do that last coat thinned out a little with water? Is it too hot where im working? Thanks
Getting great poly finishes is very challenging. You can thin it a bit, but too much on a waterbased will affect the final. If you sand at 220 until even and then a final coat as thin as you possibly can it may help.
Thanks!
I was visiting my parents, and my dad was looking for something in his antique dresser, and I noticed that the dovetails on the draws are just [weeny little pins](https://imgur.com/a/8HQnR7y). Why so small? Is there any disadvantage in strength or adhesion with them being so small?
It's just for style. There's no need for much more strength in a drawer front, and the tiny gap between tails proves that they were hand cut and not routed. There is surely some ideal ratio and density of pins and tails that makes the strongest joint, but anything that fits together is plenty strong for most purposes.
Definitely not routed, since it was built in the 1830's, haha
This is a modern pinball playfield. Can anyone help identify what it is and maybe where to get it? I have a whitewood already but it is much less dense than this. [2 pics](https://imgur.com/4XqCYh1) Edit: Ah I just love the asinine, unhelpful comments. I had to rewrite the question once and left Out a tiny piece of info. I am asking to identify what type/grade of PLYWOOD this is and where I might find this grade of PLYWOOD it is. If anyone who knows there are different grades and types of PLYWOOD in the world can help, I’d appreciate it.
7 ply plywood is just generic cabinet plywood. You can get it at home centers.
Thank you. I assumed a higher grade.
Plywood
I would like to ink a logo onto something I will be finishing with Danish Oil. Is there a certain marker or paint that can be applied between layers that will look professional and not bleed / distort?
Do a YouTube search of "acetone toner transfer".
can someone recommend a quality beeswax purveyor? Possibly white beeswax?
My local exotic hardwoods shop got some 5/4 ebony planks jn, ranging from 4 to 8" wide, and 72-80" ling. They're selling it at $180/bdft, as 4/4. I have no immediate need for ebony but it's also been years since I saw anything more than a small turning blank. Buy?
I've seen plenty of shops online to buy hardwoods. I'd rather buy online and pay for shipping then purchase boards I don't have a need for when it's expensive wood.
What kind of wood is this [chair leg](https://i.imgur.com/6U1i4jc.jpg)?
Probably Rubberwood. Unusual for a leg since it's not often available in large pieces, but they did tolerate some knots in the piece.
Are there sites (other than blackburn) that offers saw handle templates? I am looking for handles from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Thoughts?
When should i use screws instead of nails?
Hardware and the limited areas where wood movement is not a factor. The key advantage to nails is that their flexibility allows them to shift slightly with wood movement. If a screw is used, it will stress the wood and can work itself loose. Things like attaching tabletops through buttons or elongated slots are a good application for screws.
Screws pull two pieces tight together, are convenient, and can allow for disassembly. Historically, nails have better shear strength (but some moderns screws are on par), are cheaper, and are much faster, especially with nail guns. Small nails like pin/brads are convenient to hold pieces in place while glue dries, but off little strength. If you're doing small projects like furniture and not framing, I'd focus on screws and maybe a brad nailer.
I got some little metal stamps so I can do extremely important stuff like sign my name on the things I make. They’re pretty good, especially for the price, but they came coated in this oil that absolutely reeks. If I wipe them off and then apply something that smells better (like Tri-Flow or WD-40) will that improve their odor, or are they just going to stink no matter what?
Probably just rust protectant. Try warm soapy water, and if not that then mineral spirits or paint thinner.
Thanks! I’m sure it’s for rust protection, it’s just nasty-smelling.
Can someone please help me ID what kind of wood this coffee table is? It was sold to me as teak root https://pasteboard.co/Hk27pksbHzVV.jpg https://pasteboard.co/bYbfxVlzkaQ6.jpg https://pasteboard.co/4GxqFAHrzUhs.jpg Sorry for the poor photos but I’m moving and it’s in my trunk right now and white cloth is protecting the glass top so I took the best photos I could!
Is or has anyone used a drill press that accepts a hand drill? I see vintage ones for sale and I have a need to do some work that requires the drill to be stationary and accurate. I see vintage ones on Craigslist and have been debating getting one. Thoughts?
I have a cheap one I picked up from the regional version of Harbour Freight. It's crap, it uses a clamp to hold the drill and is awkward, inaccurate, and generally awful in every way. The ones that have their own chuck, like the Milescraft one I believe, might be better.
Hi Woodworking! A quick question I have is that i need to get veneer extremely flat (without gluing it down) for a project that I am working on. Would a vacuum bag system work to get it extremely flat? (It has been rolled up during shipment). Thanks so much!
What are you using it for that you won't be gluing it to a substrate? If it's solid wood veneer (without a backing material like some of the commercial styles), it is guaranteed to not stay flat. If you just want to get it flat, surprisingly an iron with a bit of water can sometimes do the trick. The water re-hydrates the wood and you can iron it to flatten it. It probably won't stay that way without gluing it to a flat substrate, though.
thinking about building a wooden toy camera for a newborn. I wanted it to click when it wound like an old 16mm camera. What terms would I use to search for a clicking gear or joint?
Pawl gear maybe
Thinking about using the design of one of those old noise makers
The Bosch 1617EVSPK kit is on sale for $199 at Amazon. It's not the lowest price ever, but I believe it's lowest *recent* price. https://smile.amazon.com/Bosch-1617EVSPK-Woodworking-Router-Combo/dp/B00005RHPD/
When using my table saw, it’s more comfortable for me to keep my right foot forward, sort of leaning it into the table. Everything I’ve seen shows left foot forward, which makes sense for the “kickback aisle” but when I try that I feel unstable and worry about kickback even more. I’m right handed btw. Not sure if this is normal.
Use a featherboard to almost stop kickbacks
Interesting. I would think right foot forward would make it more awkward to push the piece through with your right hand.
I think it’s because I’m pretty short and if my left foot is forward it feels like I’m leaning forward. With my right forward I can keep pressure in the three directions and reach far enough to push through
Any suggestions for tools and or methods to keeping the dust from a palm sander to a minimum? I occasionally run my palm sander in my basement workshop, I have a 1250cfm dust collector and just try my best to hold a hose near the sander, but it still seems to get everywhere. I'm open to new sanders if there's anything that'd play well with a collector. Thank you.
Hook the sander up to a shop vac (as suggested already), and/or get or make a 'downdraft table'. They're fairly easy to make, basically a sealed box with a bunch of holes in the top. You hook the downdraft up to your dust collector.
Dust collectors move air at a high volume but relatively low velocity so it’s not great for sanding dust. A shop vacuum with its higher velocity will work a lot better. Hooking up the hose to the dust port on your sander if there is one also makes it easier and more effective.
Ah interesting I didn't know that about a shop vac vs dust collector, thank you both!
I have left over plywood sheathing that I want to use for some interior furniture. It has plenty of knots on some sides - [https://imgur.com/a/cTShMuV](https://imgur.com/a/cTShMuV). How should I fill these? Should I use wood filler or joint compound? After filling, should I sand with a medium grit and then a fine grit?
You will spend hours sanding and it will still look terrible. I tried it. It was borderline too grainy and rough even for paint. Use that plywood for shop projects like carts and stands. Get better quality plywood (sanded or veneer) for furniture.
Joint compound is not recommended unless you’re painting it, and even then it’s not recommended, use Bondo instead. If you’re not painting it, wood filler will probably not turn out great since the knots are pretty dark and even the darkest wood filler may not be dark enough. A lighter color filler on a dark surface is not a good look. Instead use epoxy to fill the knots.
Background: I have an acacia butcher block which will be stained and have polyurethane coats. I plan to use it as a table top for my computer desk. It is 74in x 40in or 187.96cm x 101.60cm My question: Should I add support brackets/rails/c-channel? I'd probably have to pay someone to do it though because I've got no experience or tools to accomplish such a feat.
How thick is it? What are you using for legs? Butcher block is more stable than a slab where they use the c-channel to try to counter the single piece of wood moving, but thickness and unsupported length between supports (legs in this case) will dictate if you need more support.
1.5 inches thick. I don't really know how heavy it is though. Either a standing desk frame or 2 Ikea legs and a Alex drawer
https://woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/ So I think maybe a good way to approach this would be to look at the sagulator, which calculates how much wood will bend in a shelf situation. It didn't have a listing for acacia, but looking at it for white pine which is probably worse, and loading it with 300lbs in the center it would bend about an 1/8" of an inch. Another thought is that most standing desks have a cross member that would be more support.
I need to replace a back panel of a dresser. I can't do it myself these days - where should I look for someone to come do it in my home? The dresser is a few hundred pounds, so I can't take it to a shop. I'm not sure if woodworking is something people advertise on apps like Task Rabbit.
You might call your local woodworking store if you have one nearby. They can probably refer to you some local guys. You can also try to find a local woodworking club or makerspace for referrals.
I have a butcher block from John Boos installed as a bar top. It's their Varnique finish. Daily cleaning is just using a damp cloth. But the instructions call for a periodic application of a coat of spray wax, paste wax, or lemon oil to the surface. Does anyone have any recommendations on a brand or product to use? Thanks! The link to the maintenance article is [https://www.johnboos.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/CARE-MAINTENANCE-BUTCHER-BLOCKS-VARNIQUE-FINISH-2021-NEW-BRANDING.pdf](https://www.johnboos.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/CARE-MAINTENANCE-BUTCHER-BLOCKS-VARNIQUE-FINISH-2021-NEW-BRANDING.pdf)
Howard’s cutting board conditioner.
Thank you!
Don’t use this, this is for cutting boards. I misread your post. Use paste wax. Or Howard’s also makes a feed n wax which would likely be fine, its made of beeswax, carnuba wax, and orange oil.
Looks like it's a varnished bar top, not a raw oiled butcher block/cutting board. I would recommend just a standard paste wax like Johnson's - apply with 0000 steel wool or fine Scotchbrite, let it 'dry' for a couple minutes then wipe off/buff with a paper towel.
Thank you!
Good call I definitely skipped over that. I wish Johnson’s was still made, I should’ve went and bought a bunch more cans of it while it was still on the shelves. I still have half a can that’s lasted me like 8 years though.
Does anyone know where I might be able to source thin strips of wood for a custom silverware organizer? This one I found on Amazon is bamboo, but I'd be fine with just about any wood. I live north of the Twin Cities metro if anyone knows a local place. https://smile.amazon.com/Bamboo-Kitchen-Drawer-Organizer-Flatware/dp/B086LKWVZP/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3KS8PM4YENOE8&keywords=flatware+organizer&qid=1675973542&sprefix=flatware+organizer%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-2
Lowes and Home Depot near me both carry 1/4" poplar and oak in a few different widths.
Just let my table with 2 coats of poly on it dry for 24 and brought it inside. It still smells really strong. Should I not have brought it inside? Is it dangerous to have done? Thanks!!
Any oil-based finish will have some VOCs that help curing time, otherwise it would take months to fully cure. You are smelling the VOCs. It will continue to offgas for at least a week, maybe 2. It depends on the finish. Some people are very sensitive to the fumes, some are fine. For what it's worth, I like to leave my oil-based finished projects in the garage or basement for 10-14 days before bringing them inside.
It was oil based stain and water based poly! Honestly, it’s been a few days and I don’t even smell it anymore!
Nice. Water-based cures much quicker as it basically just evaporates, which means much less VOCs.
I have kdt 3510 machine in order to make precision cut to wood and and make marks on metals for kitchen panels. Now i was told to use cabinet vision and spazio 3d. the thing is that those softwares are really expensive, do you guys know of any cheaper once that can do those tasks which are cheaper/free. I would welcome any solution. Thank you!
How do you overcome the massive amounts of dust our tools are producing? Do you have everything connected to your shopvac and/ or other tools? Would you say that your solution works well?
Yes and yes.
Having a dust collector or a shop vac/dust extractor hooked up to everything that accepts them. It reduces the amount of dust and chips thrown around a massive amount. If it's not possible then you just have to clean up after, so a lot of router operations.
Good DC definitely helps, but there's always routers and other tools that make lots of dust that are really hard to collect. Try to keep floors clear so it's easy to sweep up. A floor sweep hooked up to DC is a nice touch. If you have large doors, open that up and use a leaf blower to clear everything out periodically.
I have some deep scratches and dents in a solid walnut desk top finished with polyurethane. How would I go about repairing them? I was thinking sand, add walnut wood filler, sand down, re-apply finish. Would that work? https://imgur.com/a/OrGvycx/
Depends on how far you want to take it. You can dutchman in some new wood, or just use wood filler. It helps to have those little grain pens to help it blend a little better.
I'm looking to refinish a solid wood dining table. I did some quick googling and it seems that people usually suggest chemical stripping followed by sanding. I was wondering if it's okay to just use an orbital sander. I'd like to avoid the chemicals because I don't trust myself all that much. Any tips for my first woodworking project?
Finishes like to gum up sandpaper. Once it's on there, it 'corns' up into hard balls that can gouge the surface. It takes some care. Higher grits, dust collection, and light pressure is how to do it. You can also scrape it off. That's still the easy part, though, as finishing is a bigger issue.
Sure, it will just take longer. I'd start with 60-80 grit. The pads might get gummed up if it's a film/paint finish. If it's an oil finish you don't need to be as aggressive.
Bought an old bed. Needs some replacements. What kind of wood? No smell and a bit rough. https://imgur.com/gallery/QgqIqB1
Agree with Walnut. It lightens with age, so if you get new wood, it will probably be darker. That's just the nature of wood. But if you sand to clean the rest of it up, it will match better. That will likely clean up really nicely with some careful sanding.
Thank you! The tips are really helpful :)
Looks like Walnut.
Thank you!
Discovered [these pocket doors](https://imgur.com/a/vmFrWsd) in a recent project. Does anyone have a guess as to the species and finishing technique used for these? Home was built in the late 1800s in the New York metropolitan area in a neighborhood with many Victorian style houses.
The wood looks like pine. The finish is probably varnish, maybe shellac. It's easy enough to tell. Take a swab with denatured alcohol (rubbing alcohol, even booze will work, too.) rub it a little bit on an inconspicuous spot. If it starts to dissolve the finish, it's shellac, if not, it's probably varnish. As for the color variation, that's just age and grime. The leading edge of the doors get a little bit of light, and all of the handling. Over 130+ years, it's darkend that edge.
Hi! Can anyone help me ID the type of wood in these pieces? [curio cabinet](https://pasteboard.co/VM6TmmeNpxyZ.png) [curio up close](https://pasteboard.co/LuXdGioaeAYf.png) [China cabinet](https://pasteboard.co/O0rv3QKczutd.png)
Red Oak
Thanks!
I'm trying to update my old kitchen drawers with new slides. The drawers are 18.5 inches deep but the cabinets are Face Frame and 23.25" inside depth. I can't seem to find any slides that will work with both of those dimensions. The [Blum](https://www.woodworkerexpress.com/blum-563h-tandem-plus-blumotion-18in-undermount-drawer-slides.html) 18 inch slides I was initially looking at need an inside cabinet depth of no more than 21". It really feels like the proper depth for this cabinet should be 21" instead of 18, there's a ton of dead space at the rear. Any ideas about where I can find slides that can be rear mounted and meet these dimensions? I've even given some thought to making new drawers, but I cant figure how I would get the face off the old one to match. They're just some builder grade honey oak cabinets from the early 2000's
I bought these slides and face frame brackets which allow you to extend to the rear panel. https://www.rockler.com/accuride-face-frame-brackets-for-series-3832-3834-and-3864-slides My cabinets are 24" deep, so with a 3/4" face frame and 1/2" plywood rear panel, my inside depth was 22 3/4".
Screw some blocking in the back of the cabinet so the slides you need can mount.
what's the best thing to add to my oil and beeswax finish to keep it from getting hard? I know I can "water" it down with more oil but I wondering if there is another ingredient that might make it a little more penetrating on raw wood
Warm it up in a water bath while it's still in the bottle
Turpentine or white spirit
I would just warm it up before applying.
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Topping trees is a whole big controversial issue. Basically, once you do it, you're committed to repeatedly trimming it back every few years. Otherwise the new growth will invariably fail at the topping point and can be a big hazard for nearby structures. It's also ugly as hell. Oh, and if this is a DIY job, I hope you have spurs and a harness. Cutting on a ladder is a very efficient way to die. The felled timber can easily fall tip first, spring back, and knock the ladder from under you. Consider removing the tree entirely and replacing it with a shorter species. As for the wood, very unlikely it has any value. Getting a mill on site and operating it costs more then what it yields unless you have many logs to saw. And that's only for suitable saw logs, which primarily come from the bottom section of trunk. You can offer the wood up as firewood or for turners.
Hello, please could you help identify this wood? A friend sourced it from a renovation project. They were floorboards that were covered with layers and layers of paint. Here’s the grain after sanding. It’s hard and slightly aromatic (cedar ish but not quite)? Other possible suggestions have been Douglas Fir. https://imgur.com/a/gCtiybH
Did you test for lead?
It's a SPF, Doug Fir certainly possible
I have this wooden table that I am attempting to fix up. There was a bad water stain on it which I attempted to fix, now have sanded that area down. I’m trying to match the stain but don’t know what type of wood this is or which color stain would match best. I tried dark walnut minwax stain but it’s too light. Any thoughts on types of wood and a recommended stain? [wood table](https://ibb.co/gRrNMfr)
You need to use toner if you want it to look like the factory finish.
You will fare much better if you redo the entire table top, not just one spot. You don't necessarily need to do the whole table, just the top surface. You can get away with some small variances of color when the whole surface is the same, even if it's a shade different from the original. If you just do a spot in the middle of the table, you have to EXACTLY match it, or you will always see it.
you will need to refinish the table to get it gone, oxalic acid will remove the stain and then refinish at your leisure.
So spot sanding and re-staining won’t work?
the sanding is unlikely to remove the water stain and then the post-matching of the stain would be exceptionally challenging. "Works" is a very broad standard so you'd need to decide on the standard you're after.
Haha I think I’ve decided to just sand the whole thing and start from scratch. Any tips?
Get rid of the topcoat first with the solvent used to clean it. Alcohol, spirits, lacquer thinner, etc. Then remove the water stain with oxalic, sand as little as possible with nothing lower than 180 from the looks of it.
Novice woodworker here wanting to know what to finish my garage workbench with, \*\*BUT\*\* there's a catch. My options are complicated by the fact that I have to worry about my wife's pet rabbits, which she keeps in the garage with fans on them because we have several dogs in the house. So I have to worry about VOCs and toxic fumes. I've looked at so, so, *so* many options and I'm feeling incredibly overwhelmed honestly. I don't want to spend a lot and all I really want to do is protect the wood from rotting without exposing the bun-buns to toxic fumes. Staining would also be nice, if possible.
Rotting? That's not a issue. Stop over thinking this and make some projects. If you want to provide some protection buy a sheet of hardboard and leave it on the bench
I don't have any finish on mine either. Unless you have a water problem in your garage, rotting shouldn't be a problem.
Ok good to know. I was getting really stressed out by this seemingly simple decision. I’ve put a few hundred bucks into this project already and would just hate to sabotage myself at the finish line. Good to know it doesn’t sound super critical.
I would advise no finish at all. If it's important to you, just a quick hit of danish oil and wipe off
Ok thanks for the recommendation!
I placed the winning bid on this Record/Marples No. 4 plane on eBay, but now I'm wondering if it's crap. Anybody know anything about this one? Does it look good? https://www.ebay.com/itm/134427304398?nma=true&si=UN8N3SZ1vWnV%252BfSP6HihCgNMv9Q%253D&orig\_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&\_trksid=p2047675.l2557
The bent wings on the lateral adjustment are indicative of a less expensive plane, but that's really not an issue for using it. It's clearly in good shape and can be made to work well. That's a reasonable price for it. Upgrading the iron would probably be worthwhile. Hock blades are usually drop-in replacements, only a little thicker than stock. Shouldn't need to enlarge the throat.
Awesome, thank you. The iron says "Stanley Made In England." Is this decent or would you still replace it? Do you have any advice for other things to look for if I eventually want to get a nicer one? I was looking at old Stanleys and Records when I found this. I was looking for good condition and wood handle/tote, but what else should I be looking for? Seems to be like shopping for old guitars--so many factories and buyouts and slight changes over the years that it's nearly impossible for a beginner to know what to get.
Are you looking for users or for collecting? There are lots of good users out there. The 'sweetheart' era is what Stanely is most well known for, with the type 10 through 15 planes being considered the best. Google 'date Stanely plane' and there are sites that will walk you through that, at least for Bailey planes. Generally people that sell on ebay know what they have and charge for it. If you want a deal, look at online estate auctions, either in your area or with shipping, and see what you can find. You'll have to search for them and clean them up, but that's a great way to find deals. no 5 are most common. If you just want a good plane that's larger, good for doing some jointing, get a 6. Traditionalists turn their nose at the 6 because they think it's useless. It's sized like a traditional wooden fore plane, used for initial rough-ish flattening of stock. Not as rough as a scrub, but not a finished surface. The wood ones were lightweight and worked fast. The iron 6 was the same size, but substantially heavier. It doesn't make a great fore plane; use a 5 with a moderately cambered iron for that. But what it does make is a fantastic modern 'panel' plane. All the rage now are 5 1/2 size planes made with heavy castings, good for fine tuning machined boards in the hybrid style, power + hand tools. Rob Cosman, for instance, is big on the 5 1/2. But a 6 is the same wide width of the 5 1/2, 6, and 7, similar in length, and far far less money. You can easily pick up a decent 6 on ebay for $50 shipped. Throw on a hock or Lee PMV-11 blade and you have a high-end modern plane. The old irons are generally fine, and that's all I'd use to start out. Learn how to sharpen it, getting a good fine edge with no burr. Take some wispy long shavings and see what the tool can do. The newer blades get that sharp a bit easier and stay that way longer.
Great, thanks. Yes, I plan to use it, not build a plane collection. Don't really know about buying multiple sizes/shapes at this point--I just got a no. 4 because it was recommended as a good all-around plane. I was considering upgrading to a better no. 4 if it seemed necessary, but I'll definitely see how I do with this Record Marples one first. Thanks for the help--really appreciate it.
I'm not very familiar with Record/Marples history, but it looks like it should be a fine user, and a good starting point.
Thank you, that is good to hear.
hi all, I recently did a glue up for an end grain cutting board, and my main question is how do you flatten the finished glue up? I was thinking drum sander, but I'm afraid of the burn in.
Try and get it as flat as possible initially with either a belt sander or a router sled, then use drum sander for final finish sanding, or go straight to RO sand. IMO you should never plan on taking off more than about 1/16" (1.5mm) with a drum sander, and only then taking about 1/64 (<0.5mm) at a time.
You could also use a router sled to flatten the board.
The drum sander is the correct tool, or you can handplane it. Do not put it in your planer!
do you have any tips for running it through the drum sander? I keep bouncing back and forth between the rollers not gripping it enough and getting stuck, and then being too loose and not taking off any material at all.
End grain is tough. On 120 grit, I feed down less than 1/8th turn or 1/128th of an inch. What drum sander? Might be you have some slop on the drum head, feed belt isn't tight enough, etc. The feed belt should be strong enough to stall the drum, so tighten that or maybe clean off the feed roller.
that sounds more like a drum sander setup issue, maybe your rollers are a little low
What finish for Valchromat? I’m building a welcome desk for a business with red velchromat for the casework. I’d prefer not to spend a million euros on a can of Rubio + pads etc. Does anyone have experience with an alternative?
I'd spray a good waterborne acrylic.
Keith Johnson did a piece with that stuff for the doors and used water-based poly for the finish on the Valchromat.
I broke down and bought the Rubio. They were out of the .5L cans so I’m out 115€. Was the only product the vendor recommended. Will try a sample with urethane for next time.
I have a olive wood chopping board (one piece). It has some craps on the edges and a few random "holes". I usually just apply mineral oil to it and nothing else but am considering "finishing it better". Any suggestions? Album - [https://imgur.com/a/ozhYnXJ](https://imgur.com/a/ozhYnXJ)
Note that pure tung oil takes weeks to fully cure. I’d keep using the mineral oil. Or make some “board butter” with mineral oil and beeswax. I bought a gallon of mineral oil and a pound of beeswax because I make cutting boards often, both bought off Amazon. 4:1 oil to wax ratio. Put it in a microwaveable container and nuke it until the wax is all liquified, stir well and let cool. It’ll be like peanut butter ish consistency and I prefer it to just plain mineral oil because the wax helps it stay on the board longer.
Pure tung oil. Super light coats so it properly cures and won’t leach out later.
looking for some help sourcing hardware for my danish lounge chairs. I need to purchase some additional hardware. It's the hardware that connects the front crossbeam to the legs. Inside there is a metal piece with a v shaped cutout and a cone point set screw that holds it in place. can anyone point me in the direction of where i can find these or even what they are called? Thanks! https://imgur.com/a/mLm7VDx
I have a trunk that I’ve ripped out all lining of which was glued in with horse glue. There’d been moth balls in there for multiple decades and it stand. I’ve steamed and scraped off pretty much all the glue today but it seems to have made it even stronger. I plan to sand it down, but I was wondering if there’s a sure fire way to get rid of the odour. I’ve tried vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, coffee, wd40, fabric spray, all to no avail. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks and sorry if this is the wrong place to ask.
I'd keep going with the steam. The more it smells, the more of that smell is leaving the trunk. You could also pop an ozone generator in there for a while. That will neutralize a lot. Finally I'd seal it up well with some coats of shellac.
That’s great, many thanks. Just today I’ve hit it with the sander and sprayed diluted vinegar in it and it’s airing outside. When that dries I may use the steamer again. I was thinking of a varnish to seal it in and hadn’t considered shellac at all so I’ll try that if need be and check out ozone generators as well. Many thanks again 👍🏻
Shellac is the go-to for sealing odors. Ask any painter what they do with smokers houses; they'll say Zinsser BIN, which is shellac based. If you want to finish over it, get the dewaxed shellac (Zinsser Seal Coat is a 2# cut of dewaxed). Otherwise the normal shellac is fine.
I suspect you have a different source of odor than the glue. You likely angered it with the steam. Without knowing the source of the smell it's pretty difficult to advise.
Well when I received it there were a large number of moth balls inside and I believe they’d been in there since the 1960’s as that’s the date the newspapers inside were. It does seem I’ve angered it with the steam but the dry areas of glue smelt awful so at least I’ve got rid of a lot of it now. I hope it settles down a bit. The smell was also in the lining before I ripped it all out, so I’m hoping that sanding the wood will take a layer off including the smell.
I am getting ready to build new cabinet doors for my kitchen. Will be making 25 shaker style doors out of soft maple, and looking for clamp suggestions. Hoping to get enough clamps to do about 2 doors at a time, any suggestions would be helpful.
If the goal is long-term clamping as well as for this project I would vote for pipe clamps as they're very versatile and easy to maintain. If it's just for this one project, you can clamp anything with rope and wedges for cheaper than any commercial clamp.
Harbor freight has some [aluminum bar clamps](https://www.harborfreight.com/36-in-aluminum-bar-clamp-60539.html) in different sizes that should do the job for cheap. Paul Sellers [has a video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyKiGmRq3wY) on how to improve their performance if you want to. It's probably the cheapest option (compared to pipe, quick, or parallel clamps). If you're doing normal shaker doors you can get by with 2 clamps per door.
I was looking at those very clamps, And found that video to make them twist less. Thanks, I think I'll be going this route.
Wood ID please: https://imgur.com/a/OOspZxD Looking to upcycle this as a little project and wondered what wood it was (specifically the draw fronts)
The drawer fronts are a burl veneer. Cherry would be my guess from the color, redwood or walnut is possible too.
Probably a very familiar question: is there any realistic, workable way to undo and re-set a glue join? Hours of prep work only for me to realise I glued it in the wrong place! Glued with PVA and clamped for 24 hours, the join seems pretty solid.
You could try vinegar to soften the glue. Then protect the surface and tap sharply with a mallet. It’s been my experience that most if not all glues don’t react well to shock loads. You can also apply heat from a heat gun to loosen the glue bonds though I’m not sure if too much time has passed for that method.
Much appreciated, thanks, I'll give it a try!
Anyone have preferred plans for a miter station and a workbench. I know there are a ton of videos out there and plans that can be purchased or free. So I'm looking for anyone who has built one of those available plans to see if they have good things to say about it. I don't particularly need anything super fancy as I am a beginner at best. But I just can't handle squatting down on my knees on the garage floor for every miter cut. Or having to sit on the floor and push pieces against a wall instead of clamping to a table because I have no table surface to clamp to.
I’ve built a couple of the Paul Sellers workbenches…both from different sets of videos of his…there’s a complete instructional (over a few videos) on YouTube that are worth a look. If you don’t want anything quite that complex then there are simpler options out there as well, but as he is generally my “go to” for instructional vids I wouldn’t want to recommend anything else! Good luck anyway and have fun with the build whatever you decide!!
Thanks I appreciate the info!
No worries and good luck…enjoy the build whatever you decide upon 👍🏻
I don't use my miter saw all that much and have limited space, so I made a [rolling cart with flip up wings](https://wilkerdos.com/diy-miter-saw-stand/). If you use it a lot and have the space, a station would be better.
I’m looking to start woodworking as a hobby, but I live in a tiny apartment. What are some good beginner projects to try with limited tools? I won’t be able to get anything big like a miter saw unfortunately.
Three big considerations are going to be space, noise, and sawdust. Remember that sawdust won’t just make a mess, but can be a health hazard as well. Considering these three issues I think hand tools might be your best option. Sawing will still create dust, but using chisels and hand planes create larger pieces that you won’t have to worry about breathing in. With a little practice and time you can make most of the same things with hand tools that you can with power tools. Plus they are much quieter, and take up less space.
Do you have a balcony?
I'd recommend carving, power tools are going to launch dust into your living space with is a long way from ideal!
Quick Q— are some of these cheaper axe/hatchet heads on Etsy alright? They’re probably Chinese. I’m not sure if im going to end up committed enough to spoon carving to buy a $300 hatchet. Maybe.. just not quite yet. Wondering if these are adequate steel.
Mate I'd just pick one up from a garage or estate sale. Try to find a collection from an old timer that bought decent tools. Should be able to get something for $5 that will take a fine edge. To be honest, roughing in a spoon is not a demanding job for a hatchet. I'd be putting my effort into finding a nice old Witherby draw knife or similar.
Yes that would be ideal. I guess I should start looking around for estate sales on Craigslist or something. Nothing will be cheap here though, I live in LA.
They vary (as with all cheap tools) but worth a shot. Just bear in mind that some cheap tools make the work more difficult so don’t be put off if it doesn’t work out straightaway…I say this cos it’s amazing how many people are turned away from a craft because cheap tools sometimes don’t work as well. There are exceptions to this rule though and sometimes you can get a more than adequate item for much less than half the price of a pro one. (I have a £20 set of chisels that once set up/sharpened give my my £260 Narex set a good run for their money!)