25
votes
Accepted
Why are keyed drill chucks still available for modern tools?
Keyed chucks still get a better grip on any bit. I'm willing to use keyless on my portable drill -- though mine will take a key too, and there are times when I use it. I wouldn't trust keyless on a ...
- 9,101
23
votes
Accepted
How can I cleanly cut a large circle out of plywood?
How can I cut a large circle out of a 4x8 sheet of plywood?
You sound like the perfect candidate for a router circle jig. The one linked is available at Rockler, but they are easy enough to make ...
- 12.1k
18
votes
Accepted
Substitute for Pocket Hole Jig?
I'm glad someone finally asked a Question about alternatives to these jigs.
In the US at least, and probably in other parts of the world by now, pocket holes have become synonymous with Kreg. While ...
- 59k
16
votes
Why are keyed drill chucks still available for modern tools?
As @keshlam pointed out. My drill presses both have keyed chucks and it allows much greater torque to put a stronger clamp on the bit.
This is really important for larger bits when you get over 1 1/...
- 15k
14
votes
Accepted
Caliper Showdown: Dial vs. Digital vs. Vernier
After doing a fair bit of research the general consensus is use whatever you have available and you feel comfortable with. That being said, there are several points worth making about all three tools ...
- 20k
12
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between a dead center and a live center?
what are live and dead centres?
To put it simply a dead center is just that - dead. It has no moving parts. It is really nothing more than a metal shaft with a point.
(source: parts-recycling.com)
...
- 12.1k
11
votes
How can I tell if leather is vegetable tanned?
The differing properties of vegetable-tanned hide over chromium-tanned is an interesting subject to read up on but I think it should be stressed here that a preference for one over the other for ...
- 59k
11
votes
What tools/methods I could use to create a small circular recess?
I think everyone is overthinking the issue at hand here.
I figure they would be very shallow. Just enough to stop the feet from moving but enough to have a gap between the glass and the table. 1/...
- 12.1k
11
votes
Accepted
Does it matter what kind of diamond stone I get?
I am trying to figure out if there are any differences between the two that would make me want to choose one over the other.
Or perhaps it just boils down to price and opinion in which case the answer ...
- 59k
10
votes
How can I debark wood?
A draw knife is one traditional tool used to remove bark.
If you have a folding pocket knife, you might be able to hack it into a mini-draw-knife- wedge the tip into a small stick, use tape or twine ...
- 4,382
10
votes
How can I cleanly cut a large circle out of plywood?
You can cut a perfect circle top using your table saw.
To do this, you will need a jig (a large sheet of plywood with a pin on which the board being cut spins).
Cut off corners (on the work piece) ...
- 1,172
10
votes
Accepted
Tungsten Carbide grades
Regarding C1, C2, ... C6 carbide grades, higher numbers mean harder, but at the same time more brittle. C1 carbide cuts softer metals like aluminum and C6 carbide cuts hardest metals like steel.
What ...
- 156
10
votes
Accepted
How do I carve an inset circle?
I would do this with a router and straight bit. Of course you would need a router. You don't mention the overall diameter so I am assuming larger than a reasonable drill bit size. You could also dish ...
- 859
9
votes
Is all fine grit count sandpaper called wet/dry?
So is all the very fine grit count paper actually wet/dry sandpaper?
No. You can get regular papers that go to 400, 600 and even 800 grit (or equivalents). But as a broad generalisation if you see ...
- 59k
9
votes
Caliper Showdown: Dial vs. Digital vs. Vernier
If you were given a choice between dial, digital and vernier calipers which one should you pick?
When I went looking for a caliper I wanted a dial type, based on the following comment in Andy Rae's ...
- 59k
9
votes
Accepted
Help needed to decide between a miter saw or sliding miter saw
Rather than a higher quality miter saw I purchased a low end sliding miter saw years ago and have not regretted the choice.
I did try out several sliding miter saws before making my choice, however, ...
- 628
8
votes
How do I flatten portions of a 1" dowel equally on both sides?
Belt Sander
This seems like an obvious choice. It might not make perfect corners on the new dowel but I can't imagine people will be looking up at where this meets. Very easy to remove stock quickly ...
- 20k
8
votes
Accepted
What is the old-school way of smoothing a curved surface?
This is a tangential point to your main question but has a bearing on my suggested solution:
I have heard that the old-school way of creating a flat surface is to use a hand plane, and that if you ...
- 59k
8
votes
Small, Lightweight woodworking bench Styles
Tusk tenons, as you mentioned, would be good for disassembly, allowing you to make a larger workbench that can be easily moved in parts. Probably the biggest single piece would be the work surface ...
- 3,156
8
votes
Does it matter what kind of diamond stone I get?
I am trying to figure out if there are any differences between the two that would make me want to choose one over the other.
There is really only one significant difference I can see between the two ...
- 12.1k
8
votes
What tools can I use for carving
Hand tools
No real surprise here, carving chisels are the main tools used to carve wood if you're doing it with hand tools. But knives of various kinds are also used by some carvers (and used ...
- 59k
8
votes
Accepted
Do you need to countersink self-countsink screws
So my question is, do I need to countersink these screws?
Since these are going to be used on the floorboards and overlaid with another layer of subfloor sheet, so long as you screw these in enough ...
- 12.1k
8
votes
Sanding inside pockets, fast
Bandfile Belt Sander
Not advocating any particular product but showing the product picture
Image from Harbour Frieght
That should help you get into the tight spots quickly and efficiently. Only ...
- 20k
8
votes
Accepted
Sanding inside pockets, fast
Personally I would have aimed for an internal milled finish that didn't require sanding, that's the ideal. Obviously too late for that now and I don't know if that's possible with the Shopbot and the ...
- 59k
8
votes
Accepted
What determines carving tools/chisels quality?
This is actually a pretty broad topic, but other than marketing decided price (brand A being more expensive than brand B simply because of the brand name) there may be large difference in ...
- 3,156
7
votes
Is all fine grit count sandpaper called wet/dry?
When polishing metals, it is quite common to use very fine grit (high grit count) sandpaper. I use it frequently. It's also recommended to use up to 1500 grit sandpaper when preparing certain wood ...
- 245
7
votes
Do auger bits have advantages?
The problems with forstner bits is that they only have a portion of the bit (half an inch or so) that is as wide as the hole you are cutting. Whereas with an auger the entire length of the auger is as ...
- 4,384
7
votes
How can I debark wood?
As @TXTurner suggests, a drawknife is great for bark removal. The dirt, grit, and grime in the bark will dull the blade faster, so it might be a good idea to have a drawknife dedicated for the task.
...
- 12.1k
7
votes
Cutting a wooden box into 2 pieces, with special shape
Warning
I don't think it necessary but there are several links in this answer that are directly related to the horror movie Hellraiser. If you have issues with that type of content don't click on the ...
- 20k
7
votes
Does it matter what kind of diamond stone I get?
It seems the other answers so far have all been hobbyists who use their diamond stones occasionally, which is fine (though I may be wrong!), but I can speak from the perspective of using these stones ...
- 3,789
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible