244 posts tagged with woodworking.
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Painting MDF, small area — alternative to shellac primer?
What product could work as a primer in a small area of MDF? [more inside]
Woodworking 101
What tools should every beginning woodworker’s workshop have? [more inside]
Looking for UV light 365-400 NM with output of ~1-3 mW per cm^2
I'm looking for a UV light that I can use for curing wood finish. The description from the manufacturer states that it should be "a dedicated UV light with a frequency between 365 and 400 nm ... [which] must operate in low energy with a range of 1 to 3 milliwatts light output per square centimeter." I would prefer to spend under $60 or so. [more inside]
Wood bed frame claims to have 1,500 lb weight limit. Really?
I need to buy a new bed frame. I'm a heavier person, and so is my partner. We also occasionally move around in bed, if you know what I mean. I looked up the best bed frames for heavier people and found one (all-wood) bed frame that is highly recommended, but the claims seem pretty wild when I look at the actual structure of it. Is it real? Or BS? [more inside]
Standard measurements for the scoring areas on a shuffleboard table?
I am building my own 16 foot shuffleboard table, and to my surprise there seem to be no official standard sizes for the 1, 2, and 3 point scoring zones and for the "foul lines" on each side of the playfield. Shuffleboard owners and/or better Googlers than me: is there a standard for the size of each scoring zone? (Bonus question: if you built a shuffleboard table do you have any tips or lessons to share?)
Can a complete carpentry novice build a DIY office shed?
I have a very small house in a pretty high COL area, and need more space. Specifically, I need the equivalent of an additional bedroom to use as a home office/craft space. I can't afford to add on to my house (I'm in a historic area) so I'm considering adding shed to my back yard. Buying pre-built, having custom made, and even buying a kit are out of my price range, so I am considering a DIY build. I have never built anything with wood. Am I setting myself up for failure? [more inside]
Ultra-beginner woodworking and furniture building for the non-homeowner
Instagram has been showing me videos by folks who use (mostly) hand tools to build stuff out of wood. This looks pretty awesome! I currently own extremely basic tools (hammer, set of wrenches, a screwdriver, one power drill). Is it possible to get into woodworking without thousands of dollars of equipment? I have no idea how to even get started. [more inside]
How to make a teak table food safe
I am interested in buying a vintage teak dining table with very dry wood, like this. How can I refinish it to make it food-safe? I want it to be sealed enough to fill four conditions: [more inside]
How can I replace this kitchen counter molding?
My kitchen counter has a ceramic tile finish with a wood molding border. I had to remove one of the pieces of molding in order to install a new dishwasher, and destroyed it in the process. I'd like to replace it, but I have questions.... [more inside]
Hand-carved wooden gift for a beekeeper?
What's the perfect hand-carved wooden gift for a beekeeper? [more inside]
Beginner to intermediate home improvement
Our house has a lot of old wooden double-hung windows. I want to restore them over the course of the next several years rather than replace them. But I don't have a ton of experience with woodworking tools beyond middle school shop class thirty years ago. What are smaller, useful things I can do to bring my skills up to par? [more inside]
Woodworkers / DIYers of MetaFilter - what's this basement window latch?
I'm making some replacement screen windows for my basement, which has been a fun learning process. The one thing I'm hung up on is getting replacement window latches. They're like bowtie latches, but the right hand side of it is ~1/3 - 1/2" offset from the other to fit over the window frame. [more inside]
Laundry-resistant adhesive
I have an extremely cheap pocketknife with glued-on wooden scales. Twice now, the knife has gone through the wash and the scales have fallen off. I'm willing to reglue them again, but I wonder if there is a heat-and-water-resistant wood-to-metal adhesive that would be worth picking up. (I believe the last one I used was Gorilla Glue, and it didn't hold up.) [more inside]
Slow TV, but for woodworking
I'm curious about all the little nuances that a craftsman does, sometimes without even thinking about it. Does anyone know of a video resource showing woodworkers doing projects from start to finish, with only minimal editing?
Would a Cricut work for my needs? What other options are there?
I have to apply a graphic to a wooden cylinder. This has not been easy so far and I need a better way to do it. I'm thinking a Cricut might work but I don't really know much about them, how they work, or what they can be used for. Maybe you can help? [more inside]
What tool(s) do I need to make a Goban/Baduk board?
I have what I need to cut and join wood to make a base (circular saw, table saw, mitre saw, biscuit joiner, plane). I have a Dremel Advantage (which I have no experience with; I've only ever used it with grinder wheels to cut off protruding screws/nails; it's long since discontinued, and apparently not compatible with the Dremel plunge router attachment). I'm capable of rough woodworking, and would like to make a Go board by cutting very straight grooves in wood in a grid, then filling them with a compound, then sanding and varnishing. What is best? [more inside]
Can you find me a higher res shot of this Egyptian tomb image?
I'm about to make a copy of an Egyptian chair with lions paw feet. This detail from the paintings in Rekhmire's tomb shows a craftsman (seated figure, top middle) finishing up one such leg. [more inside]
Cross Cut Mitre Saw
I just bought a power cross cut mitre saw. What should I use it for? I have never owned any type of electric saw but have wanted one for ages. I eagerly and happily use my drill set. Heavy hand tools are mostly impossible for me to use because of decades-old arm and wrist problems (repetitive strain injuries). [more inside]
Flat pack snack! Wack? Flack?
Flat pack (decent) cabinet orders look like they take a long time, and I really only want 1-2 small bathroom sink cabinets at the moment. Building myself? Maybe? I'm concerned that any stain/poly/finish coating I apply will be incredibly toxic in the application and/or not be nearly as tough as I would like. How should I achieve my goal of (~30" wide) solid wood bathroom vanities that are waaaay less expensive than hiring someone else? [more inside]
galvanized / tin strapping?
I want to make old-style heavy-duty wooden storage crates, reinforced by metal straps, like these ones. I believe what I want is tin or galvanized tin metal, but I'm not totally sure. I want it to be ~1/2" wide, easy to cut, and not have holes in it already. Steel seems too difficult to work with. Why can't I find this??? [more inside]
Anybody love their corner clamps? I need some.
I have been enchanted with the apparent ease of corner clamps like these, but I suspect they really aren't that great to use. I want to clamp things from 1/4" up to 1.75" or even more, and these are too small anyway. Plus there are umpteen different versions. Can you point me to some convenient and not-too-expensive corner clamps? Of any type? I would like to be able to make boxes quickly. [more inside]
swiveling casters, locking, squishy
Does anyone here know about casters? Specifically, I think I want pneumatic / air-filled casters to give a smoother ride to the shelves I'm building (the floor is a little bumpy), I want them to swivel, I want to be able to lock the shelves so they don't usually move, and I'd prefer to spend <=$100 for four wheels. I'm striking out at Home Depot and Lowe's, Grainger's choices are very expensive, and the other options are overwhelming me. [more inside]
Why would I use a hot glue gun instead of just glue?
I have wood glue, cyanoacrylate, Super 77, and glue sticks. Is there anything I can't glue? If so, could I glue it if I had a glue gun? [more inside]
Lumber / Carpentry - clean grease stains off IPE deck
Hi - I have a couple of greasy stains on my IPE deck. Want to spot clean it without washing the entire deck so not considering Restore-A-Deck etc yet.
Any suggestions how to spot clean greasy spots off IPE? Here's the spots -spot 1 | spot 2
Thanks in advance!
Best material for hanging/suspending shelves outside?
I'm building some hanging shelves outside which will support a lot of weight for a long time. What can I use as a suspension cable/rope/connector that won't degrade (rot, rust, or sun damage)? [more inside]
Removing old tape glue from antique toy box
My great-grandfather made this toybox for my father when he was a little kid, so it dates from the early-to-mid 1950s. It's painted with a semi-gloss paint, and is decorated with several decals or stickers that date from the 1950s—all of kids' mascots and characters like Roy Rogers. [more inside]
Which color wood stain would you use on pine to match "golden oak"?
Please help me match this "golden oak" trim with a roughly appropriate wood stain for cheap pine. [more inside]
How Can My Dad Checkmate This Woodworking Problem?
Dad Swan is an accomplished woodworker who also has a fairly severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. He'd like to make his own chess pieces to go with the chess boards he makes, but the process is too fiddly for him to manage. He read in a 2004 book by Mike Darlow that there are chess piece tops on the market that a woodworker can buy and attach to their own turned bases, but I can't seem to find anything like that on the net. Woodworkers of MeFi, do you know of such a product?
Queer Woodworking/Carpentry Community?
Can anyone point me towards an explicitly LGBTQ+ community of woodworking folks? [more inside]
Woodworking - shortening bed legs made of mango wood?
We just bought this bed. We had measured to confirm that we could fit the headboard through the door, but we neglected to measure the clearance of the staircase going to our master bedroom - the headboard is just barely too big to fit up the staircase. If we trimmed the legs by just 2 inches or so, we could get the whole thing to fit up the stairs. I have zero woodworking experience - is it a bad idea to try cutting the legs myself? [more inside]
dealing with wood discoloration after surface treatment
I have a wood tabletop (IKEA Gerton) that I'm going to use as a work surface. After sanding from 120 to 180 grit and applying a preliminary coat of water-based polyurethane (Minwax brand clear satin wipe-on) several large light spots appeared on the wood surface. What may have caused this, and can it be fixed? [more inside]
#1 Guide to Refinishing
Looking for the absolute best guide to furniture/wood refinishing. I have some experience and some success but I'm looking for more in-depth than what your standard home handyman blog post can offer. Theory, practical steps, special tools, etc. Book form would be best, unless there is a consistently excellent web or magazine source. Thanks!
CNC Noob Has Questions
Today I checked and the Onefinity CNC I ordered months ago is scheduled to arrive sooner than expected... like, gulp, next week. Little help? [more inside]
Let's table this issue
Woodworkers of MeFi: what's the best way to finish a door with painted details so that it can be used as a dining table? Specific issues inside. [more inside]
What's a (reasonably) inexpensive way to replicate this bench?
Outside the new local bakery there's an architectural bench feature. I want to replicate it to replace the cushioned love seat in my living room, but I'm lost even as to how to start thinking about it. [more inside]
One Bench to Rule Them All
I enjoy and want to expand my experience in both DIY electronics and woodworking. Is it feasible to create a single bench (limited available basement area probably precludes two) that would be usable for both activities? If so, what might it look like?
Where to buy a specialty replacement hinge for a piano bench
Where can I find replacement hinges for a piano bench? [more inside]
What is a milliner's plane for?
There is a kind of antique tool sometimes called a "milliner's plane", but I can find no information on what they were for or if they actually have any connection to millinery. Who used them and for what purpose? [more inside]
Woodworking safety during a pandemic
I want to do a woodworking project. A lot of fine sanding with a random orbital sander will be involved. Apparently breathing sawdust is dangerous. I don't own a respirator. It seems like woodworking respirators are all N95-rated or higher. Can I keep my lungs safe without using up supplies that healthcare workers need? [more inside]
New fence for an old saw?
I picked up a 1960's Powr-Kraft table saw at a garage sale, and it runs great. Only problem is, it didn't come with a rip fence or rails, just a miter gauge. Obviously I need a fence to be safe and accurate, but I haven't had any luck finding a replacement online, and searches for 'universal table saw fence' only turn out high-end aftermarket parts more expensive than a new saw. Is there a generic solution I haven’t found, or a safe and effective alternative to a fence, or did I just get a very heavy decoration?
Where can I find these shelf clip/brackets?
I'm looking for a particular type of shelf bracket. They slide onto the edge of a board, like these. But instead of being straight, they come in 90 degree L, T, or X shape.
I can't seem to find them anymore, the local hardware store used to have them, but I don't have the local hardware store anymore.
Woodworkers of MeFi, I got a sticky situation
I have a 20 year old table that has what is politely called patina but is really sticky and gross build-up in addition to the stain/varnish breaking down. Can I refinish the table without fully stripping? [more inside]
Experiences with apartment soundproofing?
There seems to be lots of advice on apartment soundproofing available online but most of it looks like advertising or doesn't seem pertinent to my needs. I'm hoping some people here can share first hand experience with proven, economical, non-destructive methods. [more inside]
Decent jig or cheap press?
Handyfolks, woodworkers, and metalworkers of Metafilter-- say I want to drill a reasonably perpendicular pilot hole (<1/8") in hardwood. Is my money better spent to get a nice (?) set of clamp-able drill guides like this, or an inexpensive ($80 or $130) Harbor Freight-quality drill press? Mostly (currently) for use in wood, not (currently) doing any tapping/threading. Precision desirable but I'm not going to Mars here. Compactness desired, all else equal. Assume reasonable existing cordless and corded drills. [more inside]
Where to buy power tools in Seattle?
I’m a beginning woodworker and want to buy my first table saw. I want to buy at a brick and motor store where I will receive excellent advice about selecting and setting up my new toy. [more inside]
Ordering a custom wood brand... advice/testimonials needed.
Where and how should I order a custom wood brand? [more inside]
What creative projects can a person do with driftwood?
I have no artistic experience (painting, drawing, etc), a desire to gain some, and access to a practically unlimited supply of driftwood. What are my options for beginner-friendly projects? [more inside]
Repair wood chair in NYC?
I need some wood chairs repaired in NYC. Any recommendations?
How to be a good antique fair vendor
I'm going to sell antique (120-200 year old) wooden carpentry planes at the Alameda Antiques Faire. I've read suggestions from previous AskMes about art
fairs. Is there anything different about selling at an antique fair that I should know? [more inside]
Simple construction/woodworking question
I'm going to be DIY-ing an audio rack out of wood pieces and spikes to isolate each rack. How do I ensure that the holes for the spikes are drilled in the appropriate location to match up with the discs they sit in? [more inside]