Choosing a Finish for an Outdoor Sapele Table

When I built my sapele outdoor dining table four years ago, I finished it with oil-based polyurethane. The table spent summers outside, usually under a cover, and came indoors for most winters. For a while the finish looked great and did a good job of keeping the wood’s deep reddish color, but eventually irregular pale […]

Building strong storage shelves

After my house flooded one year, I had to rethink how I used my basement. Once everything was torn out and dried, I decided to rebuild the storage from scratch instead of buying metal shelving. That decision turned into a small learning journey. I have now built four full sets of basement shelves and each […]

Colormatching by Mixing Wood Stains

A common questions is how to color match a new piece of furniture to something you already own. It is a real world problem. Furniture is rarely bought all at once, wood species change, finishes age, and suddenly you are trying to make a brand new table feel like it belongs with chairs that have […]

Refinishing a Veneer Desk Top

I bought a desk on Facebook Marketplace that was solid overall, but the top was veneer, and one section had been worn down from years of use. The finish was thin and uneven, with lighter areas where the original protection had clearly failed. Veneer can be intimidating to refinish because there is very little room […]

Is Odie’s Oil A Strong Enough Finish for an Everyday Dining Table?

If you’ve spent any time in woodworking communities, you’ve probably heard the debate about using Odie’s Oil on tabletops. Some people swear by it. Others worry it won’t hold up to plates, utensils or the day-to-day chaos of a family meal. What Odie’s Oil Actually Is Odie’s Oil is a hard-wax oil finish. It penetrates […]

What’s the Difference Between Titebond Glues?

When I first got into woodworking, I thought glue was glue. Then I met the wall of Titebond bottles at the hardware store and suddenly felt like I needed a chemistry degree. Titebond I, II, III, and then a bunch of specialty versions… it can get confusing fast. The good news is the differences are […]

How to Apply Odie’s Oil (The Right Way)

Odie’s Oil is popular because it gives wood a natural, warm finish that feels rich without building a heavy film. The application is simple once you know the rhythm, and a little product goes a very long way. The first step is sanding. Your final sanding grit determines the look and feel of the finish. […]

Transporting 4×8 Plywood in a Toyota Tacoma

The bed of a Toyota Tacoma, between the wheel wells, is not 4 feet wide. Instead there are cutouts in the bed liner to insert two 2×8’s or two 2×6’s and place the plywood on top. If you then place a milk crate on the tailgate, the tie downs at the rear of the bed […]

Sawstop Blade Requirements

Due to the safety mechanism in the Sawstop table saw, it’s important to make sure you buy a blade that matches the specifications listed by the manufacturer. From the Sawstop website: Blades should not have a lacquer coating or finish on the teeth 8″ dado stacks with a maximum thickness of 13/16″ Sawstop brand 10″ […]

Finish Your Finish

After finishing sanding and staining your new woodworking project there’s still one more step: finishing your finish. Even with the best technique there can still be a slightly rough surface to your finished project. Applying a finishing wax paste with a rough applicator can remove the roughness and fill in the gaps leaving a smooth […]