23
votes
When should I use a Jointer vs. a Planer?
A planer is used for making two edges parallel while a jointer is used for making straight or flat surfaces. Let's say you have a warped board (suppose it looks like a banana from end to end). If you ...
- 4,176
20
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 ...
- 61.8k
19
votes
Accepted
When should I use a Jointer vs. a Planer?
A planer
will ensure that 2 opposite faces of a piece of wood are parallel to each other
will generally handle wider pieces of wood
is not the appropriate tool for working the narrow edge of a 'wide' ...
- 6,077
18
votes
Accepted
How should I store the batteries of my cordless drill?
Batteries in general have several points worth concerning their usage. Yes, you are asking about storage but it is worth knowing that their storage strategy is influence by their usage frequency as ...
- 20.1k
18
votes
Best method for drilling a larger diameter hole at an angle
Similar to bowlturner's answer, my answer depends on having access to a drill press.
However, I suggest you use a few jigs. I've done similar projects, and the biggest problem is that a forstner bit ...
- 4,382
18
votes
Accepted
What is a try square used for?
a Swanson speed square has a lip on one side that makes it really good for quickly drawing a perpendicular line on a work piece
A try square is similar in that respect: the handle is thicker than the ...
- 8,911
17
votes
What is the best way to get started with limited funds and space?
I agree with the comments above that this question is a little too broad, but "college student's budget" and "limited space" give at least a starting point and I can offer a few pointers based on that....
- 61.8k
15
votes
Accepted
How can I store hand tools so they won't rust?
I have something akin to an answer, but I might consider it more like advice.
Rust begets Rust- purely anecdotal, but I feel like rust left unattended promotes more rust. I would first work to rid ...
- 1,762
14
votes
Accepted
What are some suitable woods to use for tool handles?
One website states that hickory and ash are really the only (US domestic) woods worth using.
Obviously just one man's opinion and a gross over-simplification. It's also inherently misleading because ...
- 61.8k
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 ...
- 20.1k
13
votes
Accepted
Do rip saws still have a place in the wood shop?
Hand saws may never get used in a shop that turns out cabinets exclusively, but in most shops they have a wide variety of uses. Yes, there are specific rip and crosscut saws, but the woodworkers I ...
- 648
13
votes
Accepted
Best method for drilling a larger diameter hole at an angle
Personally, I would use my drill press. The bed will tilt to any angle and then you just clamp the board to the bed. You would need a piece of waste wood under the board so not to put the bit into ...
- 15.4k
13
votes
Best method for drilling a larger diameter hole at an angle
As bowlturner mentioned, a drill press with a Forstner bit is the first solution that comes to mind.
If you don't have a drill press, another solution is to cut the corner off a block of scrap wood ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
13
votes
What is a try square used for?
When discussing tools, there is a spectrum ranging from construction tools (good enough for framing a house but not necessarily precision instruments) to machinist tools (which are typically highly ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
13
votes
What is the hook angle on a saw blade?
The hook angle refers to the angle at which the teeth will engage the material being cut. A high or positive hook angle means the outermost tip of each tooth will engage very aggressively, whereas a ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
13
votes
Making a small indent/crevice/depression for a ball
The usual way to do this I think would be to use the correct bit in a router, but it could also be done using a suitable cutter chucked up in a drill. If using a drill ideally it will be in a drill ...
- 61.8k
13
votes
Trying to identify this antique woodworking tool
You have there what's called a saw jointer. The one below is very similar. The site linked as the source says it's similar to a Stearn's model, so that might be what you have.
(source)
These are ...
- 12.1k
12
votes
Accepted
Are there advantages to using pipe clamps over parallel bar clamps?
Pipe clamps are very inexpensive compared to parallel bar clamps (also called K-body clamps), and have a virtually infinite range of clamping capacities because you can always replace your pipe with a ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
12
votes
What is the difference between a sabre saw and a jig saw
Currently Saber Saw and Jigsaw refer to the same tool. My Dad always called the top item a Saber Saw. Up through the 1980's, the hand held tool was referred to as a Saber Saw in Popular Mechanics, ...
- 8,036
12
votes
Accepted
What drove the design for the traditional tang?
I am trying to figure out why that was the standard at the time.
Not sure if this is a chicken/egg issue, but I think the answer has to do with a tool called a brace.
The first braces were no more ...
- 12.1k
11
votes
Accepted
What minimum amount of equipment is required to start turning bowls?
Like anything it depends, but the list is fairly small either way. For the Lathe itself you can use almost any of them, though I would recommend at least a Midi-Lathe, the larger bench-top lathes. I ...
- 15.4k
11
votes
Accepted
jointer cutter head : segmented spiral vs traditional knife design
The cutterhead you pictured in your question is a Byrd Shelix cutterhead, which produces a shearing helical cut using square, 4-sided carbide inserts. There are also other configurations of segmented ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
11
votes
What's the best way to remove varnish from recycled wood flooring?
You can either mechanically remove the varnish or chemically strip it.
Examples of mechanical methods:
planer
jointer
table saw
belt sander (or other aggressive sander)
hand plane?
If I was using ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
11
votes
Accepted
Can you overwork an impact driver?
Yes, it's possible to wear out an impact driver, but what you're describing sounds normal.
The driver will act as a normal drill until it exceeds its "normal driving" capacity, then the internal ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
11
votes
Accepted
What are the advantages of band-saws with multiple speeds?
The primary reason for speed adjustment on bandsaws is to accommodate different materials (mainly metal). That said, dropping the speed down for some operations can stretch the capabilities of an ...
- 395
11
votes
Accepted
What is this brace bit cutter tool exactly and how is it used?
Hollow auger
U.S. Patent 203,384 is for a "Hollow auger" or more specifically for improvements to a hollow auger. "What's a hollow auger?" you ask. Well, as @Keshlam suggested it is a device for ...
- 3,667
10
votes
What are some suitable woods to use for tool handles?
Another consideration is the wood's effect on steel. Some woods like oak have acidic tannins in them that stain and promote rust, so oak is rarely used for that reason.
- 261
10
votes
Creating additional boards from thick lumber
Cutting a board along its thickness--in this case, cutting a 2" thick board in half to produce two ~1" thick boards--is called resawing.
Hand Tools Only
With practice, you can resaw the boards in ...
rob♦
- 18.6k
10
votes
Accepted
How to lower large equipment down the basement stairs
Back it down with a stair walker:
http://www.amazon.com/Capacity-Appliance-Truck-Stair-Climber/dp/B00O39FJ2S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1454178497&sr=8-3&keywords=stair+dolly
- 2,019
9
votes
Accepted
How to keep a hole saw together?
I have not seen the type of adjustable hole saw you describe, perhaps it's a regional thing (I'm on the west coast USA), but the type I'm familiar with have a spring loaded collar with "drive pins" ...
- 648
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible