8
votes
Accepted
How can a bit brace handle be replaced?
Is it possible to change the handle and how?
Yes, you can replace the handle. But there's a decent chance you can repair the existing one strongly enough that the repair will last for many years if ...
- 63.5k
6
votes
Removing Paint from Rough/Coarse Surfaced Beams
They have been painted though and I'm looking for a method to remove the paint, and let the natural wood stand out instead.
I live in an apartment building that used to be a large furniture factory. ...
- 12.1k
5
votes
Which edge of the plane's mouth should I file if I want to open it up?
The front exclusively.
The rear surface of the mouth represents part of a reference/registration surface that works in conjunction with the frog's face to support the iron assembly, and if it's in ...
- 63.5k
4
votes
Removing Paint from Rough/Coarse Surfaced Beams
Unfortunately there are no easy solutions to removing paint from rough wood in situ.
Methylene-chloride paint remover: Dont know how difficult that would be to remove the pain on the rough surface ...
- 63.5k
4
votes
Any tips on reconditioning/using an old benchtop jointer?
If it were my choice to make... let me put it this way: I've actually spent a little time with a handheld power planer upside-down in a jig as a "micro jointer". I've come a long way, since I now have ...
- 311
3
votes
Need advice how to fill a screw hole in plywood
Alternatively, have you considered remaking / replacing the head?
After considering feedback and your desire to put the horse back into use it might not be possible to satisfactorily repair the ...
- 297
3
votes
Accepted
New varnish beading/crawling on refinished furniture [poss. silicone contamination]
This appears to be classic "fisheye", a defect caused by contamination of the surface by silicone oil. In a furniture context the chief source of this is modern furniture polishes, although ...
- 63.5k
3
votes
Accepted
What glue suits restoring this old (French?) chair?
What glue suits restoring this old (French?) chair?
Take your pick. In addition to there being some personal preference involved naturally, different jobs may require specific adhesives.
Although ...
- 63.5k
3
votes
How to remove and repair a crooked desk leg?
Given your lack of tooling I think the only reasonable way to address this is to flood the affected joints with epoxy. (Funny how many of my answers seem to be this solution lately.)
First, get some ...
- 5,490
2
votes
Accepted
Removing black stuff from polishing pads
The black stuff is iron particles that have been abraded from the table saw top. To remove them from your pads, you'll have to dissolve them.
The good news is, it appears that the festool cutting ...
- 2,406
2
votes
Which edge of the plane's mouth should I file if I want to open it up?
Intuitively I would choose to file the fore edge of the mouth, for two reasons:
The angle is not critical. The rear edge matches the bedding angle of the frog, whereas the fore edge is just ...
- 121
2
votes
What should I do to restore/un-uglify my wooden shoe cabinet?
You may have unrealistic expectations when you say "I want it to look more like it used to before all the wear-and-tear...". The best you can probably hope for with furniture with this level ...
- 243
2
votes
Accepted
Restoring old furniture finish
I was wondering if there's a good way to fix up the scratches
A simple way to touch up scratched finish is with scratch cover products. I have never used one, but I think you will get a good visual ...
- 2,109
2
votes
Accepted
How do I clean aluminum tool tables?
Maybe try automotive/marine aluminum polish like used on aluminum wheels and so forth.
Or, maybe something like this Aluminum Cleaner/Brightener/Restorer which seems to be a non-abrasive approach.
...
- 1,446
1
vote
Accepted
Cleaning "kitchen dirt" from old spice rack pieces
I want to clean it, smooth-plane it, glue it back together, put some nice finish on it and give it to my mum for her birthday.
Sounds like a plan. If I had gone to the trouble of taking the item ...
- 63.5k
1
vote
Cleaning "kitchen dirt" from old spice rack pieces
If you're nervous about planing, the most effective way to clean it I have found is:
1/ Soap and a small amount of water with a nylon scouring pad.
2/ Rinse the pieces well with warm water, then pop ...
- 11
1
vote
Need advice how to fill a screw hole in plywood
The plywood is pretty badly compromised. Restoring a mess like that is a multistep process. I would proceed as follows:
Clean all the loose, chippy pieces of veneer out of the blown apart plywood,...
- 1,401
1
vote
Old drill press. How do I remove the handle/quill
I don't know what you're facing here, but I thought I'd provide something that might help so this Q doesn't remain unanswered (meaning it will subsequently bob back to the top over the coming months ...
- 63.5k
1
vote
Accepted
How to fix warped wood in cane chair hiding weaving
Should I soak it in hot water or steam it to make it more pliable and force it back into place
Unless you are in a position to make a new one I think this has the greatest chance of success. After ...
- 63.5k
1
vote
Worried about pre-stain conditioner results
There's a few questions here, so I'll break it down a little.
General advice:
The best way to determine what finishing regimen you should use is to make test boards with different steps until you ...
- 5,490
1
vote
Is it possible to repair scratches to this sort of wear?
Start with a colored oil based poly (Polyshades) or varnish close to the sheen and colour, then use artist oils to match the colour. This process can be a little tedious mix in small batches adjusting ...
- 623
1
vote
Top coat poly makes other sides rough
The spray gun is generating an electrostatic charge in the spray and atomized particles are attaching to the nearby surfaces of the wood. It looks white because the varnish has been atomized (like a ...
- 1,005
1
vote
Accepted
How do I duplicate large fretwork, brackets and corbels? Plywood and CNC?
The plywood will hold up but the edges will look like plywood sooner than later. Keep in mind that the original wood managed to last 150 years and probably failed from lapse of maintenance. I would ...
- 859
1
vote
How do I use dividers to layout decorative shapes?
When designing projects, it's common for dimensions to be defined in terms of ratios to other parts of the project, as a way of subtly tying things together even when their size varies. There are some ...
- 9,171
1
vote
How do I use dividers to layout decorative shapes?
Good answer by @Graphus, though my initial interpretation of your question was about using dividers to lay out the curved shapes of the bracket itself. If so, my advice is to not bother... just pull ...
- 3,771
1
vote
Is it a good idea to apply lacquer over shellac?
I have found (dewaxed) shellac to be an amazing barrier coat. I haven't used it as a primary finish since I did decoupage as a kid, but I have sprayed dozens of gallons of dewaxed under both ...
- 534
1
vote
Is it a good idea to apply lacquer over shellac?
On my can of Zinsser shellac "Not recommended for use as a sealer under polyurethane". It says nothing about lacquer. It sounds like some serious skill would be required to evenly match the original ...
- 11
1
vote
Efficient paint removal from rough sawn wood
I embarked on this mission yesterday and was quite successful by using a heat gun on low heat at first. Once the paint bubbles I used rigid hand scrapper like the ones used to fill holes in walls. ...
- 11
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible