Questions tagged [technique]

How to accomplish a task, good and safe ways, and faster simpler ways to do the same thing.

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Flattening a maple woodblock by hand for fine art woodcut printing on a press

I have had considerable problems trying to flatten maple woodblocks by hand for printing on an etching press. I often print with a jig below the block to allow me to register multiple colors -- the ...
Sketcher's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
97 views

Cleaning up bowties

I am new to hand tools and to bowties. After several videos and several attempts, I think I am getting the hang of the inlaying part. The making of the bowties still puzzles me though. Most tutorials ...
stanch's user avatar
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2 answers
85 views

Ways of making grain relief

I want to bring out the grain of a wooden board as a relief with two-tone paint job, in the manner of the test piece below. (I'd roll the top color onto the real piece rather than brush it.) The board ...
ariola's user avatar
  • 125
3 votes
1 answer
71 views

Need help creating serving tray handles

I’m making a serving tray in a woodworking course. I designed it to have a “fence” running along the length of the board and attaching the handles between the two fences. As you can see from the ...
Wouter C's user avatar
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1 answer
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Remove 3/8" of wood to allow for tile and necessary grout?

I am building a wood desk clock using 6/4 walnut and a clock insert. I want to install a 4" X 4" X 1/4" decorative ceramic tile below the clock. I think I would need to remove 3/8" ...
Dennis Carvalho's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
185 views

How to attach legs to a custom torsion box

I am making a table for my dungeons and dragons group. This is the second version of my table, here was my first. https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZzmPA.jpg For my first table I used 3.5" fence post ...
Jeremy Murdock's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
84 views

Not leave scratches in poly to begin with?

I see many, many threads about fixing scratches in poly. And the directions on most finishes is to sand with fine (220) before applying the next coat of finish. How do I not leave scratches with the ...
Tim's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
114 views

How can I protect the part of my piece I don't want painted when painter's tape won't stick?

I'm building a dog house for my backyard and have put a water seal on the floor and porch, since those will be most exposed to the elements. Now I need to paint the walls and went to put painter's ...
Chloe's user avatar
  • 133
2 votes
2 answers
130 views

Fixing a crack in a thin layer of bent wood

I recently bought a wooden lamp which is made from thin bent wood. Unfortunately it arrived with a large crack. Now I wonder what is the best way to fix it so that the crack is not or at least only ...
TheIdealis's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
49 views

Making shaped legs with varying diameters

I'd like to build a table which has these antique-style legs. However I'm still a beginner in woodworking and have no idea how I could create legs like these. Which tools and techniques would allow me ...
Bobface's user avatar
  • 119
3 votes
3 answers
346 views

Cutting curved recess

I am an amateur level woodworker, looking to cut a curved recess into a piece of wood, which I will then be using as a "back" to display a drinks bottle, in a similar style to the picture ...
Graham Thomas's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
258 views

Bookshelf joints

Anyone familiar with this type joint? Looking to build something similar but worried it will be very wobbly. https://areastore.com/en/products/86375-krisel-estante
Pedro's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
77 views

Difference between basic arrangement and methods of dimensional lumber frames

When I'm arranging dimensional lumber in a frame there are three basic arrangements I can make. Is there a standard for using these arrangements? Below is an image of a CAD design of 2x4 dimensional ...
Nathan Goings's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
569 views

Fastening handle to 1/8 inch plywood

My students are making plywood shields / Coat of Arms. I'm hoping to cut costs as much as possible. So my plan is to use strips of fabric or fake leather to make an arm band on the back. My question ...
user480029's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
3k views

Wood grain orientation vs. strength for screws + load

I'm cutting some shelf supports, and am curious which grain direction is optimal for holding a screw + load. (Of course this is negligible in the given context, but I'd like to know for reference) I'm ...
dpren's user avatar
  • 193
2 votes
1 answer
250 views

How to mount angled shelves in a cabinet?

I'm starting to plan a record player & typewriter display unit for my office. I've built some of the other furniture in my office; some bookcases & a wall-mounted desk. I've got a basic set of ...
Sean Hagen's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
135 views

How is this weight rack joined or fastened?

I'm trying to recreate the weight rack shown in this photo and I'm curious how top A-frame like section and the section where the bottom of the 'A' meets the base are joined/fastened.
Elliott Sloan's user avatar
7 votes
6 answers
4k views

How can I trim plywood flush to an edge that is not 90 degrees?

I am building a small door. I have a frame that is glued and nailed together that is 1 inch thick shown here: 1/4" birch plywood will be glued to both sides of this. The plan was to glue ...
aquaticapetheory's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
969 views

Resawing boards on the table saw, tips?

Let's say your board is 33mm thick, and you want to have two 15mm boards instead (saw is 3mm thick). A friend told me that I have to use a bandsaw for this task but what if you only have a table saw? ...
Martin Drozdik's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
108 views

What are some good ways to finish smoothing a wood carving after you have the general form roughed out?

I am relatively new to wood carving and don't have anyone to mentor me or to ask advice from. I am making a handle for a machete out of red oak. The bottom of the handle is hooked like a hanger and is ...
Nick Bright's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

When should you use the rip fence instead of the sliding panel on a table saw?

Consider a minimalistic sliding panel saw in the picture. It seems to me that anything you can do with a rip fence you can do better and safer using the sliding panel. Crosscuts: you wouldn't use the ...
Martin Drozdik's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
131 views

What is the best way to cut this oak cladding for the best fitting angles?

Hello all thanks for reading my question. I am a novice(at best) at woodworking and I am currently undertaking the renovation of my stairs. I have successfully cut out the stringers in 6mm MDF oak ...
Nookster's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
424 views

Stanley 78 rebate plane spur goes too deep

I have bought an old Stanley 78 rebate plane and I try to bring it to life. I honed the blade and tried to do a rebate (rabbet) across the grain. Of course that required the spur (nicker?) to be ...
Andrei Rînea's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
399 views

Wood warps after milling

From recent question Will forcing a twisted drawer front flat cause issues? Wood sometimes distorts after we make it final thickness. Can we avoid this?
Volfram K's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
187 views

What learning material will you recommend to a novice hobbyist woodworker?

I've picked up woodworking as a hobby recently and currently my main learning resource is YouTubers. I've spent a couple hundred bucks on a few cheap power tools (jigsaw, circular saw, sander, drills) ...
NirIzr's user avatar
  • 259
-1 votes
1 answer
138 views

How to highlight imprecisions?

Using only hand tools, I made a groove for a wedge and the wedge does not fit tight and perfect. How do I highlight where the exact point is that needs to be reworked? I've seen someone using carbon ...
im7xs's user avatar
  • 7
1 vote
1 answer
156 views

Help me design a support structure

In short...I need to build a exterior wooden support structure that can hold a sand filled box 3'tall x 4' wide x 13" deep...weighing roughly 1400lbs. The support structure needs to be at least 1 ...
Slickgsxr5's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
115 views

What is the purpose of oil in French polishing?

I’m thinking of trying French polishing, but I want to understand the process more before I start. I don’t understand the purpose of applying oil to the pad when French polishing. Some sources say to ...
Ethan Reesor's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
448 views

Building a sideways bookshelf

I am trying to build a sideways bookshelf. The space I have to fit the bookshelf in is: Depth: 13.7 inches Length: 87.5 inches Height: 35.5 inches When I looked online for store-made bookshelves, none ...
Moish's user avatar
  • 109
2 votes
1 answer
283 views

How to cut bevel lengthwise along rafter

I'm planning a garden office where the roof is angled diagonally, so one corner will be lowest, the two adjacent corners will be mid-height, and the final corner will be the tallest. The gradient of ...
David Marchant's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
5k views

How to I stop Ikea SÄLJAN ADILS desk from wobbling?

Hey I've built the ikea desk attached in the video. Basically it's SÄLJAN ADILS which is super affordable and it has 5 legs, 2 to the sides and 1 in the middle. I've made sure it's leveled to the ...
BiscuitEdi's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
953 views

Keep a rectangular frame from racking

I have a rectangular frame that I want to keep from flattening into a parallelogram. The frame is 8' x 4' and the members are 4 7/8" high by 2 5/8" thick. There isn't a particular load that ...
orokusaki's user avatar
  • 123
2 votes
1 answer
668 views

Help a novice with warping pine wood boards

First of all, I am a complete beginner! I've recently bought a couple of wood boards(~50cm×50cm×2cm) to make a board game scenery. It needs to be completely straight so that it can be placed on a ...
FriendlyLagrangian's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
176 views

Joining 3.5' boards to make a 7' beam, or no?

I'm working on a 7' long hanging bench with no support under the middle. I have 9' by ~6" rough sawn 4/4 white oak. My initial design idea involved making a lamination / beam consisting of 3 ...
orokusaki's user avatar
  • 123
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

Unstable wood bench

I made a table and two benches for my daughter but because the benches are so skinny and I made the legs going straight down, it tips over pretty easily.... how can I stabilize this without completely ...
Shela0219's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
846 views

How to maintain a straight cutting angle with a tenon saw?

For my first real woodworking project I'm making a desk for my day work. I've roughly cut - with tenon saw and mitre box - the legs to more than the required length, as it's hard to store 4m lengths ...
Adam J Richardson's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
634 views

Building an airtight sliding door for a wardrobe

I'm building a custom wardrobe which has two elements, each should have a sliding door. The dimensions of each door will be about 1700x800. There will be a wooden frame of 60x60 slats where I'd like ...
tbraun89's user avatar
  • 103
3 votes
2 answers
164 views

What is the name of this way of Joining?

I am working on a piece where it would be really interesting if I could regulate the distance between two pieces (in order to achieve a better securing of the piece). By scouring the internet I found ...
fditz's user avatar
  • 133
0 votes
0 answers
235 views

How to stabilize a bar table with hairpin legs

I'm doing a one-off project for a much-needed small dining space in the holiday home. I have a set of 4 hairpin legs at 106cm each that I want to use for a bar table. I want a nice table top but want ...
Cherry's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
59 views

How to Attach Sides to Rabbit Pen

I am making my daughter's rabbit her own "room". I bought some pressure treated plywood and made a 6' x 6' square and covered it with fake grass. Put a bunch of 2x4s under it, and put 12&...
Dizzy49's user avatar
  • 123
0 votes
2 answers
265 views

Will a 4x4 be suitable?

I am working on a project that has three 2x12’s supporting a load of 12,000 lbs. similar, but not exactly, to how joists support a house. The 2x12’s are supporting about 6,000 lbs. on each end. The ...
John's user avatar
  • 1
0 votes
2 answers
580 views

Any tricks for transferring an angle that needs to be pretty perfect?

I'm trying to make some open shelves on my stairs in place of a wall that was removed. It would sit on the piece of wood that runs along side the stairs, which is around 40 degrees. I wanted to join ...
Ozzy 's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
353 views

table saw cuts rough on left side, clean on right

When cross-cutting softwood 2x4s, I find that the blade always cuts more cleanly on the right hand side of the blade than the left. I am not talking about tear-out here, the cut is rough through the ...
AlanU's user avatar
  • 21
0 votes
1 answer
123 views

How can I create surface defects intentionally?

My master's thesis is based on tactile detection of surface defects in wood surfaces. I am using standardized 20cm disks made from different wood species as samples for my system. The control samples ...
JS Lavertu's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
197 views

Can I glue back a piece of black lacquer finish onto my piano leg?

I have a piano with a black lacquer finish. A piece of the finish has chipped off one of the legs. I have the piece that has been chipped off and can fit it into the damaged part perfectly. Is ...
Christine Federici's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
188 views

How to make a knife edge like symmetric bevel

Sorry if I am not using the right terminology. We are trying to build a piece of TV stand furniture. In our design, we have partitions which we want to cover their face with wood pieces crafted in the ...
kaptan's user avatar
  • 111
0 votes
0 answers
77 views

Flexing in middle of 3/4" walnut table top

I am building a table made out of 3/4" walnut. Right now, I have it on saw horses but will soon be attaching legs via cleats. The problem I am having now is that I'm noticing a bit of flex in the ...
Matt Senko's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
44 views

How can I build a foldable desk within my window frame?

I have a small home and wanted a desk preferably which does not touch down in extended position and can be folded into the window bracket. Below is how my window looks like Assuming the width of ...
Pinser's user avatar
  • 101
1 vote
0 answers
229 views

How to tell the correct fit on a mortise and tenon joint?

When making a mortise and tenon joint, it's important for maximum strength of the joint that the tenon fit inside the mortise properly: neither too tight nor too loose. If the tenon is too tight, ...
rpspringuel's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
4k views

How to make a joint between two pieces of wood look good?

I’m building a counter top and I had to join two pieces of boards with some glue in between. The countertop looks pretty okay, but the joint is very obvious and when I clean it with a bit a water, it ...
CuriousPaul's user avatar

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