Question: When is your book on workbenches coming out? I read the excerpts in your magazine this weekend and decided to purchase it before I attempt a bench of my own, I can’t wait. I have acquired some Southern Yellow Pine that I intend to use on my bench (it’s fire-rated 2 x 12 … Read more
Reader Questions
Some Details of the Parallel Guide
Question: I’m watching your commentary on this one quite carefully: I’m planning to build a bench this year or next and have wondered about torsion boxes instead of slabs. Also, could you post a picture of the hinge at the bottom of that leg vise? – Karl Rookey It’s not really a hinge at the … Read more
Wedged Tenon v. Drawboring
Question: Looking over the current and past issues of Woodworking Magazine, I see how drawboring or wedging a mortise and tenon joint will improve the strength and fit of the joint. But is there a reason to pick either drawboring or wedging over the other technique in terms of the strength or durability of the … Read more
About Holes and Cracks and Benches
Question: A couple of questions regards to my Roubo bench project: 1. Regarding laminating the top: I’m not the best laminator in the world. Ihave about a dozen small cracks on both top and bottom of the Southernyellow pine top. Tried filling them first with Titebond III, then Hot StuffSpecial T (sold at Lee Valley), and … Read more
Resharpening a Scraper Plane
Question: I’ve noted that you’ve recently mentioned that you’ve been looking into scrapers, so I thought that maybe you could answer a question that I have about scraper-plane blades. Recently I acquired a Stanley #12 scraper plane and the three Lie-Nielsen scraper planes (modern versions of the Stanley #112, #85, and #212). I am in … Read more
How Flat Should Benchtops Be?
Regarding benchtops, how flat is flat enough? When I use winding sticks on my top, they line up, but it cups down its length by about 1/16″ at its center. How anal should I be with this? – Jason Myre Benchtop flatness seems more important for hand work than for machine work. If you … Read more
Tips on Fore Planes and Flattening Panels
I recently bought your “Coarse, Medium, and Fine” DVD, from Lie-Nielsen. I wanted to thank you for it, I found it very informative and useful. I have two questions: 1. Would a low-angle jack plane qualify as a coarse plane for basic work, if used diagonally cross grain, with a cambered blade, and a wide … Read more