Techniques

Why Does My Wood Have Stripes?   Q: I put a clear finish on a beautiful ash table I made and found faint stripes an inch or two wide going across each board. Any ideas on what caused them [...]

After today’s installment we have one installment left in this multi-part series. Last week we added the top front rail with dovetails and the drawer support system. This week we will add [...]

Working with Melamine It’s dirt cheap, it’s practical, and best of all, there’s no sanding and finishing! By Dave Munkittrick Melamine is the professional cabinetmaker’s best friend. Build a [...]

Portable Food Safe This safe features two sliding doors and two removable trays. By Randy Johnson No more smashed frosting, cracked crusts or capsized casseroles.You can take your culinary [...]

Perfectly Parallel Fence Here’s a quick and easy way to align your tablesaw fence with your miter slot.Plane down a board until it fits into your miter slot without play. Now slide the [...]

Repairing Ripped Belts Sanding belts can rip at the worst possible moment – such as when you're out on a jobsite with no spares. When this happens I remove the belt, turn it inside out [...]

Is Polyurethane Food-Safe?   Q: I’m planning on finishing a set of wooden plates with polyurethane. Is this finish safe for food? A: According to finishing expert Bob Flexner, all [...]

Glazing Techniques from a Pro Use gel stains to add richness, depth and color. By Kevin Southwick Some wood finishes have richness and depth that combine to create a special warm glow. This glow [...]

Modular Desk System Mix-and-match components make a desk that fits your needs. By Bruce Kieffer This computer-desk system has more going for it than great looks. The system is based on modular [...]

Tablesaw Jig Clamp I added this hold-down to my tablesaw’s sliding cutoff jig and find it a great convenience, because the height of the clamp is easily changed. This clamp uses a standard [...]

We are nearing the end of this multi-part series. Perhaps two more installments and we will be done. To put this project in context I thought it might be helpful to see what we are trying to [...]

Why Predrill Screw Holes?   Q: I think predrilling screw holes is a real drag, so I rarely do it. Most screws seem to work fine without all that bother. Why are you always advocating [...]