Archives

My pneumatic nailer makes quick work of assembling cabinets, but if a nail blows out the side, it can be a real mess. Those power-driven nails often bend or break...

I didn’t notice this misfit miter until glue-up. Fortunately there’s an easy way to hide narrow gaps like this one. Before the glue dries, rub the corner with a hard,...

One day while disposing trash at the landfill, I discovered a pristine miter saw. It looked perfect—well, almost. The blade was covered with nasty burn marks. I love fixing old...

A newly-installed oak floor with oil-based polyurethane wouldn't dry after five days. What was the problem? Bob Flexner explains.

Take the money and run. At least, until you’re caught. Every professional woodshop has heard horror stories about subpar work and unreliability of some shops. They give the good shops a bad...

Welcome to The Splinter Report, where I gather the assorted interesting and amusing things I’ve seen in the woodworking world. This week we’re looking at giant saws, Honda Civics, and...

Here’s a simple, invisible repair for an all too common mistake. Say you’re flush-trimming a board and, for whatever reason, your router’s bearing dips into a dent and makes an...

Bye-Bye Birds-Eye An Army buddy from northern Michigan stopped when he came upon a truck that had overturned and scattered its load of lumber. The trucker, who was unhurt, told...

Breezy Bandsawing Reasoning that I’d only be cutting small stuff in my basement shop, I parked my bandsaw diagonally in a corner. Then I decided to make one of those...

Super Sander After years of hard use, my tablesaw’s 120-volt motor finally expired. Eureka! This was the perfect opportunity to acquire a more powerful machine. I purchased a new 240-volt...

Wedged Woodworker Winter comes early here in Oregon, a fact I’d forgotten as I carried a custom kitchen cabinet to my truck. This cabinet was long and slender, to go...

Flaming Scroll Saw When I work in my garage shop, I keep the garage door open to let the sunlight stream in. After working for several hours one fine afternoon,...