Mike

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 […]

Router Feed Direction

I made a typical mistake and used a hand router to route in the wrong direction. The router moved away from my straight edge and curved through the wood. Generally, when hand routing, you want to move from left to right, so that means counter clockwise on the outside edge and clockwise on an inside […]

Lumber Yard Mistakes

My first trip to the lumber yard was a bit overwhelming. So many wood choices and so much confusion over how it works. In my case when I arrived one of the yard staff asked if I was picking up. I told him I was not and that I wanted some plywood and hardwood. He […]

Staining Plywood Steps

1. Sand to 220 grit Make sure to sand the surfaces, start with 100 grit and work up to 220 grit to give a clean surface. Use a tack cloth to remove all dust. 2. Clean plywood with mineral spirits Using a rag, clean everything with mineral spirits. This will highlight any dried glue that […]

Waterfall Miter Joint: dowels or floating tenons

When looking to miter two long pieces together for a TV stand, it seems the popular option is a spline for strength (which also gives a nice look with a contrasting spline material). However, since I don’t have a table saw I looked for other options. (I did see some people make jigs to use […]

Review: Kobalt 9 Drawer Tool Chest

When looking for a tool chest there was a compelling video comparing the Harbor Freight 9 Drawer Tool Chest to Home Depot’s 9 Drawer. At the time of the video, the Yukon from Harbor Freight had more slide rails, drawer pads, and a fixed top that the Husky from Home Depot did not. But that’s […]

Woodworking Clamps

“You’re always one clamp short” is how the saying goes (I think). Make sure to check craigslist and garage sales to find some bargains on used clamps. F-style clamps Shaped like the letter F, clutch-style bar clamps are very common in most shops. They offer greater width than C-clamps and are quick to adjust to […]

What the heck is tack cloth?

After watching a lot of youtube woodworking videos I see that everyone uses a tack cloth to wipe the dust off their projects. I feel silly now as I assumed it was just a rag and didn’t realize the “tack” part of it meant “tacky” or “sticky”. Tack cloths come individually wrapped in plastic to […]