How to Address Woodworking Problems
How to Store Wood and Moulding
When you finish a woodworking project, you may have some extra wood and moulding that you can store for future use. How should you store this wood and moulding to protect it? Should it be stored flat or on end? Should it be on a rack or a flat surface? Is there any prep work that needs to be done when it's time to re-use the stock? Learn how to...
Dealing with Uneven Shrinkage or Swelling of Woods
Every experienced woodworker has experienced issues with uneven shrinking or swelling of wood stock at one time or another. When wood stock dries unevenly, it tends to warp, cup, bow, twist, kink, crook and check. Understanding what may happen to your stock when it swells or shrinks is essential to building a quality woodworking project.
Removing Paint to Uncover Wood's Beauty
Wood refinishing can rejuvenate antiques or older pieces of furniture are well-built, but the workmanship of the piece is disguised beneath a coat of paint. Learn how to uncover furniture's underlying beauty.
Methods for Squaring-up Stock
What is the best method for squaring-up stock? Should you use a jointer or table saw? Maybe both? Learn methods for squaring stock and when to use each method in your woodworking projects.
How to Build Super-Strong Shelves
When building a bookshelf for a lot of books or shelves for heavy electronics, you'll want to build super-strong shelves, much stronger than a single thickness of 3/4-inch plywood or other stock will provide. In this article, find some woodworking ideas for building super-strong shelves to help support a set of encyclopedias, a lot of big books...
Allowing for Expansion & Shrinking
Preparing for expansion and shrinking in woodworking projects will help eliminate problems later. Learn tips for understanding how wood expands and shrinks, and how to plan for it.
Ideas for Removing Odors from Wood
Wood used for woodworking projects can take on certain odors from the environment. On occasion, these odors can become so embedded into the wood that the piece is no longer usable in its current state. Here are some ideas and methods for removing odors from wood.
A Simple Trick to Protect Your Stained Finishes from Glue Run-Out
Glue run-out on stained woodworking projects can really mess with the consistency of the stained finish. Even a small amount of glue seeping out of a joint can clog pores and make a stain look blotchy in those spots. There is a simple trick to prevent glue run-out on mortise and tenon joints from becoming a problem. Learn this simple trick and...
How to Fix a Sticky Drawer
Wooden drawers can sometimes stick with the natural expansion and contraction of the wood based on seasonal moisture content. Learn how to keep your drawers sliding smoothly when expansion or contraction becomes a problem.
Woodworking with Recycled Materials
Woodworking can be a costly hobby with all of the tools, accessories and materials one can use. One of the ways to combat the rising cost of materials is to recycle wood stock. Some of the most beautiful furniture I've ever seen came from antique timbers that were salvaged from an old barn. Learn some ideas for finding and recycling salvage...
Does ACQ Pressure Treating Affect Moisture Readings?
Most wood moisture meters are designed to detect moisture content in wood using electric current, as the level of conductance determines the amount of moisture in the stock. However, when testing ACQ-style pressure treated wood, the level of conductance will be much higher than with untreated stock, because of the amount of copper in the...
Do You have a Disaster Plan for Your Woodworking Shop?
We all have a disaster plan for our home, in the event of a weather-related emergency or other such natural disaster. Have you considered how to prepare your wood shop for such a natural disaster? In this woodworking tip, we discuss a few steps to help protect the tools in your shop from damage in the event of a weather-related emergency or...
Hanging Cabinets with Wedge Brackets
One sturdy method for hanging a cabinet on a wall is to use a wedge bracket. This type of bracket can be easily made using a table saw and a long piece of dimensional lumber. When properly installed, a wedge bracket will support a considerable amount of weight and hold your cabinet tight to the wall. Learn how to build and incorporate a wedge...
Tips for Applying Wood Stain
Applying wood stain over a quality woodworking project should show off the woodworker's skill rather than cover any imperfections, as paint would do. Learn tips for staining your handiwork and how to get the best color and protective finish you can.
Handy Fraction/Decimal/Metric Conversion Chart
In general, woodworkers are not particularly fond of having to calculate math. To make some of the math easier, I've posted a handy fraction to decimal to metric conversion chart. This chart shows common fractional dimensions in 1/64th increments along side the decimal (in inches) and metric (in millimeters) equivalents. Print this handy...
Tips for Dealing With Glue Spots
If you've ever stained a piece and discovered some white or discolored areas near the joints, chances are you have glue spots. Learn how to deal with these annoying discolorations.
How to Replace a Drill Chuck
Power drills and cordless drills use a three-jaw chuck to hold bits. Sometimes this chuck can be damaged and need to be replaced. In most cases, removing the old chuck and replacing with a new keyed or keyless chuck can be completed in a few minutes. Learn how to replace a drill chuck in this woodworking tool maintenance guide.