Archives

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? [...]

Groovy Dowels Have you ever tried gluing a pin made from dowel rod in a blind hole? If so you've probably encountered the nasty air pocket that forms at the bottom of the hole and makes [...]

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 [...]

Large Sheet Crosscutting Crosscutting large sheets of plywood on the tablesaw can be difficult, and I usually end up binding the blade, burning the wood, or worse. To get around this, I clamp a [...]

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 [...]

Bench Helper I use this simple device when planing the edges of long boards. It's especially useful when the board is too springy to be clamped between a bench dog and a tail vise. I hold the [...]

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 [...]

Getting the Point I frequently use awls in my work and like to keep them needle-sharp. This little jig takes only a few minutes to make and guarantees a fine, tapered point. Two magnets keep the [...]

Veneer for Edging Instead of buying veneer or edge-banding material for plywood, make your own from scrap left over from the project. This is not only inexpensive, but the edge banding will match [...]

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 [...]

Clean Bandsaw Tires – This one is from our old Q & A department. Q. My bandsaw tires have a builup of pitch and sawdust that seems to be embedded right into the  rubber. What's [...]

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 [...]