Questions tagged [wood]
Specifically for questions about wood, the "raw" material itself (not to be used for questions about processing wood).
320
questions
3
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2answers
110 views
Is unfinished pine colour loss due to steaming permanent?
I have an unfinished pine bed frame, which is very susceptible to dents and marks. I recently steamed a minor toenail dent out of one of horizontal panels. I did this by dipping a microfibre cloth in ...
0
votes
1answer
56 views
Create places of closure for a necklace
I need to safely make places of closure for this necklace.
The necklace has one place of closure at the neck and another one in the middle of the necklace, bottom (needs 3 places of closure).
The ...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
Preparing a futon for outside use
We have a futon which we would like to use outside as summer seating(It will move outside permanently). I believe the wood is either rubber wood or some sort of pine. How should I go about preparing ...
1
vote
1answer
83 views
Most ethical red-colored wood to purchase?
Red-colored woods such as padauk, bloodwood, etc.
I want a red-colored wood for a future project, but I do not want to contribute to unsustainable deforestation or exploitation of the local community.
...
0
votes
2answers
140 views
Natural pine wood bed has strong chemical odor, why is this and how to stop it?
I threw out my old bed since it was falling apart and this is when it all went downhill. First I got a new bed (upholstered, unfisnished MDF board) that had such a strong odor, it invaded all the ...
0
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1answer
97 views
Smoothing an uneven piece of wood
What are the best ways to smooth out shallow cuts in a piece of wood that is "mostly flat" but definitely a little warped, and has no requirement to be made flat?
This came from trees a ...
3
votes
2answers
93 views
making or buying a wooden tap?
I've purchased a second hand die from ebay but it's missing the tap portion:
What is the best/recommended way to make or purchase a matching tap for this?
7
votes
1answer
122 views
Why do 2 screws on wooden fence cladding not cause wood movement problems?
Wooden fence cladding is common here, they're the fences between neighbors that use horizontal wooden cladding attached to a fence post.
Douglas fir is a popular choice, which can expand a lot during ...
1
vote
1answer
78 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
62 views
Does wood truly not have any movement to speak of longitudinally?
I'm curious about this mainly because i saw it being mentioned on woodworking.SE's posts, and some other sites.
Essentially, I always thought that wood could have "wood" movement, especially ...
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0answers
60 views
Building a rectangular pyramid
I have made a set of Yahtzee™ dice from a 4x4 post. We have been using a bucket as the 'shaker cup'. I would like to construct a wooden 'cup'.
My concept is two use two identical rectangular pyramids, ...
2
votes
1answer
121 views
What power tool is best suited to use for small straight cuts?
Hi guys I am wondering what is the easiest consistent way to cut small pieces of wood.
Here is an example I recently recreated and it was a pain the butt. That piece is around 2 inch long.
So first ...
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vote
0answers
74 views
Produce long, strong, flexible shavings
Ainu people (indigenous to Japan) use long wood shavings as a material to weave or braid into headpieces. The movie Ainu Mosir includes a scene that demonstrates the process of shaving down a green ...
2
votes
1answer
98 views
Help with cracks in spalted maple
I'm making a spalted manitoba maple dining table. It ranges from 5 to 11 percent moisture so pretty dry.
Each slab is 5 1/2 feet long 2 1/2 inches thick and between 20 and 21 inches wide.
Now to the ...
0
votes
2answers
375 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
82 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
107 views
Would poplar or alder be good for a desk?
I'm planning on building a desk soon and I am going to make the top of it out of 1x6 planks that I am going to join together. Would poplar or alder be strong enough for a lot of writing with something ...
0
votes
1answer
94 views
Tool handle wood - Which to cut?
I need to make some handles for chisels, mallets, and hatchets. I have a polesaw and plan to cut branch wood.
Available suitable species are: apple, hawthorn, dogwood (Florida and kousa), locust (...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
Excess wood filler left dark spots on oak wood
I'm building a desktop using oak wood. I used tongue and groove joints to join four planks together, gluing the planks along the joints with Titebond III, but there were some small gaps between the ...
2
votes
1answer
106 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
67 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 ...
3
votes
2answers
138 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
135 views
Screws or L-brackets to build a drawer unit?
I'm refurbishing my room and I have gotten to the point of building my new drawer unit/shelving units. My old ones hold themselves using wood f4 50mm screws, two on each joint. I'm debating if I ...
0
votes
0answers
27 views
Finishing options for naturally looking wood flooring
I have sanded my wood flooring and I want to put a protecting finish on it.
I want to keep it looking as natural as I can and not shiny.
Any help please
5
votes
3answers
424 views
How do I size and select wood for French cleats?
When making French cleats for hanging cabinetry (or other wall-hanging things), plywood (1/2" or 3/4") seems to be an ideal choice as it's strong, stable and, generally pretty straight.
If I ...
3
votes
1answer
94 views
Advice for cutting a thick, wide, poplar board
I have a 4" thick, 10.5" wide by 120" long poplar board (read heavy) that I was originally going to saw into workbench bench legs but now want to saw into a handrailing. Any ideas on ...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Clear varnish for textured coat
A while back I built a pinewood drafting table for myself. The mechanism works great but I find that papers, books and my laptop sometimes slide down the table. I don’t want to coat the table with a ...
1
vote
1answer
117 views
Expansion of wood countertop with built in bookshelves resting on it
We are installing some cabinets with built in bookshelves and like the look and durability that a hardwood countertop would provide.
Our question is how to replicate the example installation above and ...
0
votes
1answer
113 views
Grid pattern made out of thin wood slats or MDF
Can the wood slats or MDF be purchased pre-cut ready to assemble? If available does this product go by another name? I have read the article detailing how to make this using carpentry equipment but I ...
0
votes
0answers
97 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
448 views
pocket hole joint Vs. cam lock joint - What's sturdier?
what is the strongest joint between using such fasteners https://www.core77.com/posts/27725/Death-to-Cam-Lock-Nuts-Flatpack-Hardware-That-Will-Hopefully-Become-Obsolete (ikea furniture ones), and the ...
1
vote
1answer
83 views
Wood bench legs are uneven at Christmas but even at Thanksgiving
I measured every thing correctly. All the legs of the bench were the same at thanksgiving but now are half an inch different at Christmas dinner. Is there a way to stop wood from expanding and/or ...
0
votes
1answer
24 views
using two different types of woods for outdoor pergola
Is it okay to use two different types of woods for building a pergola?
I was thinking about using 6x6 pecky cedar for pergola posts and use redwood for beams and rafters. Is this considered Ok?
0
votes
1answer
98 views
Curved Dome shaped wood
I am trying to build a wood structure with the domes at top. I need some suggestion on how to build the domes at the top. Can you please let me know how they are built ? They look curved. How can I ...
3
votes
2answers
184 views
Is a Pre-Stained Surface Food Safe?
I’m using Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner. I’m trying to find information on whether, after drying, my surface will be safe to prepare food on.
I plan to follow up with Minwax Wood Finish (Oil based)...
0
votes
0answers
61 views
Is this a good way to highlight a laser engraved design in wood?
I'm making a signboard for a coffee bar. It's made from three glued together pieces of douglas fir tongue and groove floorboards that were installed in 1945.
The engraving is done and I want to keep ...
0
votes
1answer
267 views
How to seal and treat wood when building a wooden kitchen sink?
I'm planning on building a kitchen countertop made out of joined wood, and I would like to build the sink out of the same type of configuration. So far, I have built the top (see picture below), and I ...
2
votes
1answer
126 views
Restoring old oak chair but at a loss for something I've never seen
I am trying to restore an old oak chair that was given to me by my mother. It was my great grandfather's and is probably 120-140 yrs old. At the front of the chair seat there is a long ~3/8ths slit, ...
4
votes
1answer
111 views
Repairing a half lap joint in table leg x-bracing
I want to repair the bottom cross bracing that runs between the legs of an oak table, pictured here.
Some unknown number of years ago, the top piece sheared off at the half lap joint and pulled out ...
6
votes
1answer
99 views
How to remove and repair a crooked desk leg?
Apologies if I break any rules with this post, please let me know if I do.
I am an utter novice when it comes to woodworking but I want to get into it as soon as I have the time/money and I decided a ...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
Using acrylic paint lettering
Good morning.
I am making a charcuterie board and want to use water based acrylic for decorative lettering. All of the sanding has been done. Should I use the mineral oil coating prior to putting on ...
0
votes
2answers
94 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
99 views
Looking for the LEAST fragrant wood for storing tea
I am looking to create something similar to a cigar humidor for storing Pu'er tea which requires relatively high humidity and temperature.
However, the important difference is I would like a wood that ...
0
votes
1answer
85 views
Help with old beam for mantle
I bought an old barn beam. It doesn’t have a lot of wood character but as a piece I love it and they are hard to come by around here. I wanted it for my mantle.
I don’t want to ruin it but I know very ...
0
votes
2answers
118 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
590 views
Filling an old hole to offset it a few mm and put in a fastener, what is the best approach?
Hi everyone I have a large dining chair where the factory drilled a hole that attaches the back 2-3mm off. The idea is to fully close up the hole and re-drill in proper place. The 2 holes will overlap....
0
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0answers
149 views
Refinished old door looks awful, nothing like I expected! How to fix?
I had my interior doors dipped a couple years ago and have been gradually staining them (using gel stain and gel varnish). They don't look perfect, but I think they're really pretty (see first two ...
2
votes
1answer
48 views
Advice for repairing shaped glass cabinet doors
Background:
I am upcycling a glass display cabinet and have found one of the doors has glass that was broken/cracked so I decided to investigate removing all of the glass from this door and think ...
1
vote
1answer
237 views
Best method of joining these two pieces seamlessly?
I will be creating a floating side table for my wife and am wondering the best way to join two pieces of wood.
They will be joined in an “L” shape with the back of the L hanging against the wall and ...
1
vote
1answer
67 views
Can resistance to rot be improved with home heating?
There is a process by which wood is heated several times in the absence of oxygen to improve its mechanical properties and to make it more resistant to rot.
See also these questions 1, 2.
Would it be ...
