Why You Should NEVER Use 2x4s for Furniture Woodworking!
- Read Time: 9 mins
- Hits: 7519
Easily the most emails I receive from people who are having problems with their wood and or their wood projects are issues that come from using wet wood. That is ... wood that has a moisture content above the recommended 9% that is often used as the guideline for making quality furniture. Most who I talk to don't even know what the moisture content of their wood is and very, very few own moisture meters.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/tNHcNjTrTf0
Moisture content is almost never talked about but it is THE most important issue when you are buying wood because almost everything that falls out of your builds that becomes problematic is a result of the high moisture contained in your wood.
Workshop Tips and Tricks #34
- Read Time: 8 mins
- Hits: 2666
I often wonder how many other people spend the same amount of time that I do in making "things" in my workshop work better. I see SO MANY things that could have been easily made better or more convenient at the factory where they were made, or at the very least, made less frustrating to use ...
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/JMflVygqYbQ
but now I am tasked with making those alterations and adjustments myself. And in some rare cases, other manufacturers that make the SAME tool of the appliance, see the same things and remake the new tools better ... I love that !!
Wretched Workbench Wheels Replaced
- Read Time: 5 mins
- Hits: 2134
It's not until I get around to actually fixing a problem that I realize just how long I have been putting up with the issue in the first place. Case in point, replacing the wheels on my workbench !! But I do have an excuse, I wondered for a long time what would be the best alternative for the replacement.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/nzAT2PfZAMI
As it turns out, pretty much anything would be better than what I was putting up with ...
Custom 1-2-3 Blocks for Woodwork Measuring
- Read Time: 3 mins
- Hits: 2708
I learned the hard way many, many years ago just how important accurate measurement is, and by that I don't just mean measuring the length of something but also ensuring things are "square" that need to be, and "flat" that need to be. And all this boils down to is a good measurement.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/qcsHsPXZ1B0
For years I have resisted the temptation to purchase 1-2-3 blocks, even though I know how accurate and useful they are, but I know by now, in my own woodworking, the only measurement I would be using in one of these blocks would be the 2-inch side, which is why I have shied away from them.
A Day @ the Park ... contributed article
- Read Time: 2 mins
- Hits: 1270
I was contacted by an organization that works with kids who I had donated wooden toys for distribution at Christmas in 2017, 2019 and 2021. They asked if our Guild could do an event for them. I have learned to ask appropriate questions before making a commitment.
When – 4 days hence
Age of the children – 5 to 10
How many – 6 to 24
Length of time – 30 minutes
With these answers my initial response was 'no' ...
Bad Ideas In the Workshop Episode 7 / Workshop Fails
- Read Time: 6 mins
- Hits: 2880
Bad ideas in the workshop are not just about things that don't work ... or things that are a waste of time, they also include things that are potentially dangerous or can cause injury, and often, it can be a combination of bad things.
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/ISolCmjHSSAk
I'm going to start off with something that I have rarely seen, but it does seem to happen with a few new woodworkers ...
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