Shaper Setups for Complex Joinery
Here's a long thread that delves into shaper choices and shop rigs and jigs for advanced joinery such as mortise-and-tenon window sash. October 14, 2008

Knife Grinding and Woodworking Manual 5 -- Excerpts Part 5
One in a series of excerpts from the grinding manual of Charles G.G. Schmidt & Company. 1998.

Knife Grinding and Woodworking Manual 6 -- Excerpts Part 6
One in a series of excerpts from the grinding manual of Charles G.G. Schmidt & Company. 1998.

Setting Up Excalibur Slider
Tips and photos for accurate alignment. March 14, 2004

Evaluating Industrial Shapers
Woodworkers discuss the characteristics that define quality in a heavy-duty industrial shaper. April 30, 2006

Troubleshooting Planer Tearout and Snipe
An intensive discussion of the causes and cures of tearout and snipe in planing work. July 13, 2006

Upgrading Shapers: One High-End Machine, or Several Cheaper Ones?
Here's a long, detailed, and thoughtful thread with lots of first-hand stories, about the choice between using one top-end shaper for everything, or setting up four cheaper ones for dedicated tasks. June 22, 2012

Cutterhead balance
Solving the problem of a vibrating planer/moulder. January 16, 2002


Climb Cutting Door Parts on a Shaper
Here's a long, detailed discussion of climb cutting, with some strongly worded cautions and many practical tips. April 21, 2011

Radial Arm Saw Setup
Acheiving square, accurate cuts on a consistent basis. May 10, 2005

Rx for Wood Machining Defects
Dr. Gene Wengert examines the causes for defects in solid lumber caused by machining. 1998.

Tapering Bow Laminations
Thoughts on how to make tapered laminations for glued-up archery bows, using either simple or advanced equipment. December 28, 2006

Feed rates and spindle speeds
Programming CNC machines at the proper feed rates. August 13, 2002

Knife Grinding and Woodworking Manual 1 -- Excerpts Part 1
One in a series of excerpts from the grinding manual of Charles G.G. Schmidt & Company. 1998.

Panel Goods and Cutter Life
A search for melamine-faced MDF leads to a long discussion on the way different types of panel materials wear out tools. February 14, 2006

Machinery Choices for "Hollow Joints" on Rips and Glue-Ups
A conversation about the machinery and tooling required to create "hollow joints" for strong glue-ups. May 16, 2014

Spiral Cutterhead Experiences
Woodworkers discuss the cut quality and performance they've achieved by switching to spiral insert planer tooling. March 26, 2009

Maple Hassles
Woodworkers kick Maple's reputation around on this thread — but there's plenty of good information here about how to get the best out of it. April 9, 2008

What's the Best Machine for Ripping?
His tablesaw produces curved rips, so a shop owner wonders: should he buy a ripsaw, a bandsaw, or what? August 19, 2013

Gang Ripsaws, Movable Blades, and Optimizing Production
A question about buying a straight-line ripsaw with movable blades turns into a wide-ranging discussion about optimizing stock production on various kinds of ripsaws. January 17, 2011

Bandsawing a Radius in Massive Beams
Here's a long discussion of equipment choices and methods for sawing a curve into giant timbers. July 26, 2010

Vertical panel saws
A comparison of speed and efficiency of vertical panel saws as opposed to sliding table saws. July 24, 2001

Knife Grinding and Woodworking Manual 2 -- Excerpts Part 2
One in a series of excerpts from the grinding manual of Charles G.G. Schmidt & Company. 1998.

Saws and Techniques For Cutting Moulder Knife Steel
Advice on choosing and using equipment for cutting off moulder and planer knife blanks. October 1, 2010

Modifying a Multi-Function Machine
Is there a way to make the shaper on a combination woodworking machine spin fast enough to use router bits. January 27, 2007

Dressing Stock, Stress, and Movement
A discussion of planing and jointing techniques: Does wood need to "rest" between passes? April 30, 2009

Planing Short, Thin Stock
A woodworker finds out why his planer's manual warns against planing too thin, or planing too-short pieces. It's doable, but risky... August 21, 2006

Rounding Over Hardwood Block Ends
This week's "stump the chumps" puzzler: how to round over the ends of toy hardwood building blocks in a volume production setting. No answers, but an intriguing question. January 27, 2008

Equipment for Cutting Knife Steel
Cutting with plasma versus grinding wheels. January 16, 2004

Comparing European-Made Shapers
Woodworkers describe and compare the characteristics of shapers manufactured by Utis and Panhans. February 1, 2015

Large Ogee Edge Profiling
Woodworkers discuss methods for machining a very deep edge profile onto a big, heavy countertop. April 18, 2015

Routing Plywood in a Single Pass
Will a hand-held router manage 1/2-inch plywood in one pass, or do you need to make two? Woodworkers share experiences. July 11, 2013

Knife Grinding and Woodworking Manual 4 -- Excerpts Part 4
One in a series of excerpts from the grinding manual of Charles G.G. Schmidt & Company. 1998.

Moulder chatter
Moulder operators help troubleshoot the problem. January 16, 2002

A Disappointing Auction
Cautionary tales about equipment auction disappointments, from both the seller's and the buyer's sides. April 10, 2012

Spiral cutters vs. knife cutters
Which type of cutters is best for this special application? July 24, 2001

Horsepower Issues with Helical Cutterheads
If you switch to spiral knives and you want to keep hogging out deep cuts, you may need to upgrade to a more powerful motor. July 8, 2014

Value of a Vintage Tenoner
This discussion, started by a woodworker who is considering purchasing an old Powermatic tenoner for window reproduction, goes into lots of useful detail about how to get the best from this valuable machine. July 8, 2014

Planing Painted Lumber
Machining recovered, previously-used painted wood is an exercise fraught with potential problems. June 28, 2006

Choosing a moulder
Jointed- vs. non-jointed-head moulders; choosing the right machine for a custom moulding business. November 21, 2000

Shopping for a Jointer
Woodworkers discuss desirable characteristics to consider when considering a jointer purchase. May 21, 2009

Keeping cutterhead balance
Number of knives and other factors in cutterhead balance. (From WOODWEB's Solid Wood Machining Forum) March 5, 2003

Changing Wood-Mizer from gas to electric
Process and parts involved in converting an engine. February 19, 2002

Limitations of a Five-Head Moulder
For deep cuts in heavy profiles, a six-head moulder offers better capacity than a five-head unit. May 3, 2011

Modifications Cure Woodmaster 718 Chatter
Pictures, descriptions, and accounts of changes resulting in a finish as smooth as a baby's... well, you know. February 27, 2005

Minimizing Planer Snipe
Wood machining pros discuss the causes and cures for "snipe" at the end of planed boards. August 23, 2005

Stepping Up to a Shaper
After burning out yet another router, a one-man cabinet shop owner gets advice on investing in a shaper and some raised-panel cutters. July 3, 2008

Essential sawmill equipment
Determining the equipment necessary to operate a part-time, stationary sawmilling business. January 4, 2001

Grooving with a Shaper: Tearout Prevention
Solutions for a tearout problem encountered while cutting tongues and grooves. March 6, 2008

Specialty Planer Heads
Pros discuss the options and their preferences. April 10, 2005

Servo vs. stepper motors
What's the difference, and how does each work? April 17, 2002

Shopping for a Planer Moulder
A woodworker gets advice on equipment for producing S4S stock in the shop. April 18, 2015

Mounting a Sawblade on a Moulder
It's a workable way to make multiple moldings at one pass, but it calls for special safety accessories. March 3, 2006

Eliminating Snipe on Mouldings
Looking for the cause of moulder snipe, an operator finds his solution in a custom-fabricated chipbreaker. March 13, 2007

Streamlining Moulder Set-Ups
Shop owners discuss ways to make moulder set-up and changeover smoother and more efficient. August 21, 2006

Home-built band blade sharpener
Plans and pictures. February 18, 2003

Proper Grinding and Maintenance -- Will Increase Moulder Tool Life
Good grinding and maintenance help increase moulder life. February 23, 2001

Four-Side Planer Versus Moulder
A discussion of the relative capabilities of four-side moulders and planers for straightening, smoothing, and cutting profiles. May 12, 2005

Evaluating a Straightline Rip Saw
Information on straight-line ripsaws' capabilities, characteristics, and performance. April 21, 2011

Lubricating a Jointer or Planer Bed
Wax or a specialty lubricant can improve the performance of a jointer or planer. July 11, 2013

Routing and Sanding Pine End Grain
Rough end grain is hard to help with softwood, but here are a few handfuls of advice. January 20, 2007

Knife Grinding and Woodworking Manual 3 -- Excerpts Part 3
One in a series of excerpts from the grinding manual of Charles G.G. Schmidt & Company. 1998.

Brush Sanders, Cross-Grain Scratching, and Finish Quality
Brush sanding equipment is highly useful for some purposes, but it will not do away with hand sanding. February 24, 2008

How Much Wood to Take Off Per Planer Pass
A shop worker tasks with dimensioning a large volume of lumber gets advice on improving productivity and reducing drudgery without damaging the product, the equipment, or his work relationships. September 8, 2014

Finger Jointing
Finger jointing lumber can reduce waste and utilize marginal material - and in depth article -1999

Producing Stable Part Stock
With little time and no system in place, can this shop produce parts that won't move over time? October 20, 2004

Computerized Straight Line Rip Saws: Worth It?
A shop owner shopping for a straight-line rip saw asks about capabilities and quality. September 25, 2014

Turning Solid Wood Drums
Woodworkers discuss the problem of turning and hollowing out large logs. March 3, 2006

Custom pressure shoes for moulders
A discussion of home-made and custom-ordered pressure shoes for special profiles. August 12, 2001

Rigging a Lathe and Router for Cutoff Operations
Woodworkers discuss a novel arrangement of lathe, router, and saw blade for an unusual machining and cutting situation. November 3, 2010

Flattening Lumber with a Power Feeder On the Jointer
Thoughts about jointer and moulder set-up and feeding technique for flattening lumber. August 31, 2009

Shapers Versus Router
Can a 1.5 horsepower shaper outperform a 3 horsepower router for cutting door panels? Yes, but best would be a 3 horsepower shaper. January 16, 2012

Feed speed and knife life
How the former affects the latter. January 15, 2003

Glue-Line Ripping Versus Ripping for Moulder Blanks
Thoughts on the equipment and technique required for smooth accurate glue-line cuts, as opposed to rough cuts that require further dressing before use. February 16, 2014

Widebelt Sander Choices and Power
Advice on shopping for a widebelt sander, and supplying it with three-phase power. May 18, 2010

Planing Very Thin Boards
Planing boards to a 1/8-inch thickness is tricky, but not impossible. Here, experts describe how it's done. December 1, 2005

Planers
Basic info on planers. November 12, 2008

Increasing moulder knife life
Increasing length of runs between sharpenings. March 21, 2002

Equipment to Rip Flooring Blanks
What's best, a straight-line or gang saw? Gang comes out ahead in this long discussion. October 2, 2005

Milling Flooring from Old Barn Boards
With carbide moulder blades, it's no big deal — but check carefully for nails. May 13, 2005

One-Belt Versus Two-Belt Wide-Belt Sanders
Shop owners discuss wide-belt sander choices. March 13, 2007

High-speed jointing head moulders
Are these machines practical for a custom moulding business? June 13, 2001

Moulders
Basic info on moulders. November 12, 2008

Tips for Hand-Held Router Work
Pre-cutting shapes on a bandsaw or hogging out cuts with a shaper can reduce wear and tear on routers and bits. October 2, 2010

An Antique Wood Scraper
Woodworkers puzzle over an old piece of shop iron and share some old-time lore. September 28, 2006

How Much Over-Width Should Stock Be Ripped?
A discussion of ripping precision, straight-line ripsaw performance, and how much extra width to allow in order to compensate for wood movement. January 8, 2010

Uses for shavings and sawdust
A discussion of uses for and the marketablility of waste from the primary processing of lumber. July 18, 2000

Tenoning Add-Ons for Shapers
Information on equipment choices when using the shaper for a specialized purpose: cutting tenons. March 26, 2013

Horsepower Requirements for a Widebelt Sander
How much horsepower should a widebelt have? March 9, 2010

Working with Sapelle
Notes on the workability and machinability of this exotic tropical hardwood. January 8, 2007

Training for a Moulder Operator
Hands-on professional training is vital for anyone setting out to operate ond of these complicated and powerful machines. May 12, 2005

Rotary Phase Converters
Some modern three-phase machinery requires high-quality power, which requires careful shopping when you're buying a phase converter. March 16, 2015

Buying a Used Shaper
A shop owner considers a second-hand shaper with a one-inch spindle, and hears advice from colleagues. May 28, 2006

Equipment Investment for High-Volume Wood Flooring Production
What's the capital investment to produce tongue-and-groove wood flooring in a serious way? And is it worth it, when outsourcing instead is a practical option? April 21, 2008

Widebelt Accuracy
10/03/2013

Buying Shop Equipment at Online Auction Sites
Some people report satisfaction; others, not so much. So it's "buyer beware." February 9, 2008

Finger-Jointed Wood from 2x Scrap
A discussion about the practicality of turning off-cuts into useable studs by finger-jointing. July 30, 2007

Machining crown moulding
What's the best way to run crown moulding? May 2, 2001

Helical cutterheads
Surface quality compared to other cutterheads. November 18, 2002

Cutting M2 Knife Steel
Is burning the steel while cutting a concern? January 16, 2004

Profiling Fir
Slower feed rates, sharper tools, multi-edge cutterheads, and very cautious climb-cutting can reduce the tearout and splintering that are common problems when profiling Doug Fir. October 4, 2011

Watts, Volts, Amps, and Step-Up Transformers for the Shop
Here's a discussion of using power transformers to supply machines that need higher voltage. July 31, 2009

M42 high speed steel
Information on M42 and jointer knives. April 2, 2002

Choosing the Best Rip Saw for Your Application
Adding one or two moving blades to the straight line rip saw setup can boost your useful yield closer to 100 percent. December 22, 2010

Making Curved Mouldings on a Shaper
General direction on the jig setup needed to run arched casings or other curved pieces on the shaper. October 4, 2007

Shaper Decisions
Reasons to buy a good shaper (and a power feeder to go with it). April 10, 2007

Machining a Three-Quarter-Round Door Sticking
This complex door frame profile is best tackled using a five-head moulder. August 27, 2013

Shop Temperature and Wood Machining
Is it okay not to heat the wood shop at night? Could be, but humidity changes are a potential problem. August 26, 2008

Rounding Board Ends for Pallet Production
Equipment and methods for high-volume rounding work. May 4, 2005

Increasing RPMs and Feed Speed on a Jointer Moulder
In theory, upping the RPMs and feed speeds at the same time will allow faster production with the same number of knife marks per inch. However, there are a few practical cautions to keep in mind. February 27, 2007

Sanding or Planing Edges
Ways to get drawer and door edges smooth while keeping them straight and square. March 3, 2006

Jarah
and we do mean HARD. 1998.

Wide-Belt Sanding Maple: Burning Problem
Grit choice and other factors that can reduce burning when sanding Maple. April 30, 2009

Turning the End of a Rod
Suggestions for tackling the problem of turning a 1.5-inch diameter rod down to one inch — but only at the ends.October 17, 2012

Infeed Systems for Moulders
A moulding manufacturer wants to set up a continuous infeed system for one of his machines. He gets tips and advice on what works and what doesn't. July 13, 2005

Double Sided Planers Versus Carpet Feed Planers
A little insight into how two-sided planers work, and which machines are appropriate for which shops. January 17, 2011

Planing a Tapered Timber
Ideas for surfacing a 13-foot tapered redwood timber — while keeping the taper. June 12, 2006

Vertical Siding
Types of siding for "old barn" look. August 9, 2004

Using jointing attachment on moulder
Proper methods for jointing knives on a moulder, and myths concerning their sharpening. February 28, 2001

Wood Movement After Re-Sawing
It's common for boards to twist, bow, or cup after being re-sawn. Here's some explanation. March 4, 2009

Controlling Very Long Rip Cuts
A woodworker looks for a way to make long rips without the problem of managing large stock on a table saw. April 24, 2014

Uses for an Edge Sander
It's a handy machine for all sorts of things, if you know how to use it. October 2, 2006

Zero Clearance Table Saw Inserts
Buy 'em, or make your own? June 28, 2005

Straight Line Rip Saw Accuracy
A discussion of ripsaw cutting tolerances (most variation is caused by natural variation in the wood). June 28, 2006

Sanding face frames properly
The proper tools and techniques to avoid rounding edges. October 30, 2002

Glue Line Rip Saw
Will a straight-line rip saw make cuts clean enough for glue joints? November 18, 2006

Finishing the Ends of Cedar Chair Slats
Woodworkers suggest ways to automate end finishing of pieces. October 4, 2007

Upgrading to a Heavy-Duty Planer
Dollar for dollar, buying a heavy-duty used machine is probably a better value than buying a less powerful unit new. February 15, 2015

Working with Resawn Moulding Blanks
Careful resawing can economize on material, but it can also introduce stress-related movement of the stock. September 17, 2012

How milling impacts figure
How milling influences figure in sawn lumber. November 15, 2000

Using a Sliding Table Saw to Rip Boards
Thoughts on using a sliding table saw for ripping, with a description of a slick jig that eases the work and improves the result. June 30, 2014

Rx For Planer Splits
The five main causes for splits in lumber during roughmill planing. 1998.

Making Crown Moulding on the Shaper
Tips on using a shaper to make crown moulding. August 26, 2008

Climb Cutting End Copes
Advice on a tricky machining technique for stile-and-rail door parts. August 15, 2006

Power Feeder for a Shaper
Advice on choosing and using a power feeder for a 3-horsepower shaper. June 5, 2007

Putting Points on Survey Stakes
Machinery options for putting a pointed end on stakes in mass quantities. June 18, 2010

Burning Problems when Ripping Maple
Woodworkers discuss why a table-saw may be burning 3/4-inch Maple. September 10, 2007

Choosing a Shaper for Tongue and Groove, Shiplap, and Flooring
Advice on machinery for running small volumes of edge-profiled lumber. January 17, 2011

Power Feeders for Router Tables
Power feeders offer better control and safety, but they can overmatch the router — so consider a shaper instead.October 15, 2012

Re-Sawing Machinery Options
What's the best equipment for re-sawing flat stock to make mouldings? September 17, 2008

Fine Points of Power Feeders
Shop owners discuss selection, set-up, and operation of power feeders. October 26, 2005

Working with Ipe Wood
Woodworkers air their objections to Ipe, which is heavy, hard, and rough on tools. The Wood Doctor adds a little technical detail to the discussion. March 12, 2014

Rip First, Or Sand First?
For an oak laminating shop, economy, efficiency and safety are all factors. April 10, 2005

Basics of Ripping Lumber
A simple overview of straight-line ripsaw technology. October 11, 2010

Blade sharpeners for band mills
Experiences with different brands of blade sharpeners are shared. January 3, 2001

Finger Joints: A Few Whys and Wherefores
The Wood Doctor provides his prescription for effective finger joints in solid stock. 1998.

Keeping sawblades cool
What to use and how to do it safely. October 24, 2001

Supersurfacer or Wide-Belt Sander for Window Parts?
A discussion of the capabilities and limitations of "supersurfacer" machines. April 24, 2014

Tooling Up for Production of Grooves
For high-volume production of stock with a 1/2-inch-deep groove, it's hard to beat a shaper.April 29, 2012

Producing a Rough-Faced Board
Thoughts on reproducing the surface appearance of rough bandsaw milled wood, starting with finished lumber, on a large scale. December 6, 2012

Optimal feed rates for CNC machining
What are the best feed rates for CNC work? October 31, 2000

Getting Your Waterstone Back in Shape
If your waterstone isn’t flat, it can’t deliver a proper edge to your tools. Here's how to fix that. December 18, 2013

Balancing moulder heads
A discussion about out-of-balance knives in a moulder/planer. June 13, 2001

Setting up a powerfeeder
The care and use of powerfeeders. November 7, 2000

Motor for a Shop-Built Lathe
Pros discuss torque, RPMs, cooling, and other technical issues for the motor of a custom-designed lathe. May 27, 2006

Keeping the Knife Collection Organized
A place for every cutter, and every cutter in its place — but how? Pros suggest ways to categorize and file cutter heads. March 3, 2006

200 Vs 220 V
10/04/2013

Rip Saws
Basic information about straight line rip saws. November 13, 2008

Diamond Saw Blade
It costs more, but rarely needs sharpening. Is it worth it? April 10, 2005

Economics of a Defecting Saw
For a big investment, you can get smart equipment that senses and cuts out knots in accordance with your cutlist. But that cost isn't worth it for every operation. May 23, 2007

Jointer and Planer Purchase: New Versus Used
When budgets are limited, high-quality used equipment may be the better value for the dollar. April 18, 2010

Wire edge on planer knives
Tips for deburring freshly ground planer knives. January 24, 2001

Dialing In Fence, Cutter, Blade and Table Position
Once you know your machine, you can adjust it accurately from memory. March 10, 2008

Setting Shaper Cutter Height Accurately
Techniques to consistently set up shaper cutters at the correct height. January 27, 2007

Making Shoe Moulding with a Shaper
Thoughts on running small volumes of shoe moulding with a low-end setup. February 24, 2008

Problems Cutting Full Bullnose
Cutting a profile in pine stock on a router table. March 14, 2004

Steel Drums Versus Rubber Drums on Widebelt Sanders
The choice depends in part on how you want to use the machine. March 28, 2010

Spiral planer heads
Descriptions, pros and cons of different kinds of planer heads, with an emphasis on the spiral type. June 13, 2001

Shapers
Basic descriptions of various types of shaper found in wood shops. November 13, 2008

Re-Surfacing Old Painted Boards
It may not be worth the risk of exposing your planer to damage. But there are other ways. January 27, 2007

Rockwell (SCMI) RC63 Planer
10/05/2013

Sanding Narrow Stock on a Drum Sander
Drum sanders and wide-belts can handle narrow stock ganged together, but it's a little tricky to manage. May 23, 2007

Sanding and Stock Removal for Large Burl Slabs
Advice on equipment and techniques to dress large burls before sale as raw material for table-tops. June 9, 2007

4-Head or 5-Head Moulder?
A 5-head or even a 6-head moulder is more versatile and produces better quality. November 8, 2007

Machining Engineered Blanks
10/24/2013

Snipe Problem with a Four-Head Moulder
A mis-adjusted upper pressure bar is probably the source of trouble in this sniping story. November 18, 2006

Moulder set-up
Basic guidelines for setting controls. October 24, 2001

Mortising Machine Options
Woodworkers discuss the pros and cons of various types of mortising equipment. November 28, 2006

Rip saw and moulder methods
Using a ripsaw and moulder to machine solid wood panels. July 24, 2001

Drilling Into End Grain
Thoughts and advice on bits and equipment for boring into hardwood end grain. October 8, 2005

Shopping for a Straight-Line Rip Saw
There are different flavors of straight-line ripsaw for different parts of the industry. Here's advice for a cabinetmaker with a budget, shopping for a smaller machine. January 2, 2012

Routing a Shallow Flute in a White Oak Stair Tread
Advice on router bit choice, hand techniques, and on maybe using a different machine for this. January 25, 2013

Dovetailing Jig Quality
Woodworkers discuss experiences with various dovetailing jigs. June 12, 2006

Machining for Lap Joints in 2x Stock
Ideas for rapid removal of material for lap joining 2x4 and 2x6 pieces. July 13, 2006

Preventing Tear-Out with Curly Maple
Curly maple is tough to machine. Here are tips for success. August 8, 2006

Motor Change-Out for a Shaper
Does it make more sense to change from a 3-phase to a 1-phase motor, or to invest in a rotary phase converter? Alternatives are pondered in this thread from the Solid Wood Machining forum. November 13, 2005

Choosing shaper tooling
Making the most of a new spindle shaper. Includes advice on grinding knives. November 7, 2000

Rabbeting Knives for a Moulder
Tooling suggestions to enable clean rabbet cuts, without burn marks on the shoulders. March 3, 2006

Correct Spelling of "Curtate Trochoids"
Clearing up the confusion about these ubiquitous machining marks called curtate trochoids. That's why we call it the "Knowledge Base," folks. You can't learn this stuff at those other websites. August 15, 2007

Straight Line Rip Saw Versus Table Saw
Even for moderate volumes, the productivity boost from a straight line rip saw will justify the price difference. May 28, 2006

Entry-Level Shopping for a Straight Line Rip Saw
Advice on shopping for a used or low-end straight-line rip saw. November 12, 2008

Planer Choices for Planing Rough-Sawn Lumber
Pros discuss equipment choices, set-up, and techniques. October 30, 2005

Shaper cutters: Tantung or carbide?
Choosing between carbide tipped and tantung shaper cutters. July 3, 2001

Grit Sequence for a Wide-Belt Sander
Thoughts on the coarse, medium, and fine grit selections for sanding solid wood on a widebelt. March 26, 2013

Straight Line Rip Saw Versus Gang Rip Saw
A discussion of the pros and cons of lumber ripping machinery. July 28, 2012

Working with hickory
How to get around the difficult machining characteristics of hickory. July 24, 2001

Shaper Safety Accessories
machining, accuracy, set-up, milling, cutting, shaping, joints, joinery, cutters, heads, knives, sharpening, June 28, 2006

Gang vs. straight line rip saws
Cutting straight blanks efficiently. January 16, 2001

Regulating generator voltage
Dealing with voltage control and wiring for generators. January 31, 2001

End Grain Tear-Out on a Shaper
How can tear-out be minimized when running end grain across the cutter head? April 21, 2011

Moulding maple versus oak
Why such problematic tearout on one and not the other? September 23, 2003

Dowel making
Machines and techniques used in dowel making. June 13, 2001

Cutting the Ends of Rough Lumber before Milling
Some shops make a practice of trimming ends before starting to rip, plane, or profile wood, because gravel or other contamination on lumber ends can ruin cutting edges. September 17, 2012

Insert Cutterheads for Finish Planing
Despite their advantages, spiral insert cutters may not be suitable for finish planing for glue-ups, according to some users. November 13, 2005

Finding bent bandmill blade teeth
Locating and fixing teeth that have been pushed "out of set." January 24, 2001

Troubleshooting Carbide Insert Cutter Breakage
In this case, someone probably hit a nail. But the discussion includes a useful list of possible causes to investigate. February 9, 2008

Router Table Versus Shaper
Which to buy? It depends on the intended use. The two are suited for different purposes, but there is some overlap. October 2, 2005

Tear-out on raised panel corners
Eliminating corner tear-out on raised panel cabinet doors when using CNC equipment. November 7, 2000

Shopping for a Planer-Sander
Advice on the characteristics that make a combination planer/sander most useful in the shop. March 28, 2015

Insert Tooling Pros and Cons
Insert tooling is handy for the machine operator, but can cause trouble for the finisher. September 17, 2008

Grain standards for radius mouldings
Standards methods for joinery of radius mouldings, with exposure of end-grain in mind. June 6, 2001

Converting a Table Saw to Higher Voltage
The considerations include switch setup, coil capacity, and wiring. October 30, 2005

Grit Selection for a Wide-Belt Sander
Advice and experience about sandpaper and the sanding sequence. June 29, 2005

Woodmaster for Straight-Line Ripping
Advice on using a Woodmaster as a gang ripsaw. January 25, 2010

Smooth-tracking sawmill
Keeping the track rollers on your sawmill running with ease. July 3, 2001

Best Dedicated Tool for a Straight Groove
over and over, until the world gets the message. Router, shaper, or table saw? November 27, 2007

Glue-ups and growth rings
Does ripping and re-gluing drawer faces reduce cup? June 24, 2001

Grinding knives to match mouldings
Why knife templates don't match the finished product. January 24, 2001

Sawmill horsepower: What's enough?
Are thirteen horses sufficient for cutting hard maple? January 31, 2001

Spiral Head Wobble
Could be an adjustment problem, or maybe the heads are just too heavy for the machine to handle. January 27, 2008

Stock Power-Feeder Horsepower
Feeders come in 1/4-horsepower, 1/2-horsepower, and 1-horsepower versions. What you need depends on what you're doing, but more horsepower is usually better. June 12, 2006

Jointing moulder knives
How to get good results when jointing straight knives. January 31, 2001

Running Synthetic Trim Materials Through a Moulder
Advice on running plastic trim stock through a moulder. July 28, 2006

Off-Brand Asian Planers
Interesting info about those Chinese-made shop machines you sometimes see bearing unfamiliar name plates.November 14, 2014

Three-Wheel, Four-Wheel, and Belt-Type Power Feeders
A discussion of the advantages of different power-feeder configurations. May 23, 2007

Limiting Tear-Out when Planing Curly Maple
Advice on dealing with the various grain directions in "curly," "birdseye," or "tiger" Maple. July 16, 2009

Grinding custom shaper knives
Does it make sense to grind your own shaper knives? June 6, 2001

Hogging Out Large Bowls
Ways to speed up the pesky process of removing large quantities of wood from the inside of a bowl before final turning. April 30, 2006

Production sanding for humidors
There's no 'silver bullet' when it comes to the detail sanding that fine work demands, be it in a one-off or production environment. 1998.

Table Saw Top Maintenance
Pros share tips for cleaning and waxing the working surface. June 17, 2005

Working with a Planer/Sander
A woodworker reports on his experience with a planer/sander. July 29, 2012

Cutting creosoted poles
Advice on cutting (or not cutting) utility poles treated with creosote. June 20, 2000

How to Size a Phase Converter
This discussion of phase converter sizing includes a brief, clear description of how phase converters work. April 21, 2011

Jointing Curly Cherry
Tips and tricks for avoiding tear-out. August 30, 2005

Serious Resawing Machinery
A request for help re-sawing some large Teak lumber leads to a closer look at some big-boy re-saw equipment. August 3, 2009

Cupping of resawn lumber
The two reasons wood cups when resawn. 1998.

Figuring Rough Stock for Moulding Manufacture
How to estimate the rough material you'll need to produce a given quantity of a particular dimension and style of mouldings. August 8, 2008

Is More Horsepower Better in a Table Saw?
Five out of five woodworkers agree — get more power. December 29, 2008

Tooth setter
Photos and descriptions of home-built tooth setters for band blades. March 5, 2003

Boring Long Holes
Suggestions for how to make long holes in wood pieces, as for the wiring chase in a wooden floor lamp. July 28, 2006

230-Volt Motors on 208-Volt Service
Will slightly under-powering 3-phase shop equipment cause trouble? Probably not, but there are ways to modify voltage just in case. November 21, 2005

HSS vs. carbide jointer knives
Pros and cons of both types of blades. October 24, 2001

Stock Loss when Planing Cupped Lumber
If you plane cupped rough stock, how much will be left in your finished piece? January 14, 2009

Scraping Glue Before Planing
Dried glue squeeze-out can damage planer knives, so it's a good idea to clean glued-up material before further machining. April 13, 2010

Double-End Tenoner Versus Shaper for Door Construction
The shaper's slower, but more versatile and far less expensive. April 12, 2013

Spiral Heads and Reading the Grain
Spiral insert knives are great for eliminating tearout, but just learning to read the grain can take you a long way. October 15, 2010

Machining Problems with Red Pine and Southern Pine
Chipped or torn grain from moulder or planer knives in Southern Pine is related to an over-dry surface. September 6, 2011

Alternative to a Long Through-Bore
Instead of drilling the length of a long piece, route matching grooves into half-blanks, then glue up. September 28, 2006

Black streaks in birch
Searching for clues to the cause of black streaks, showing up in birch dowels during manufacturing. 1998.

Inset Routing with a Shaper
Advice on how to rout a cavity into the middle portion a long piece of solid wood. July 29, 2011

Shopping for a Widebelt Sander
A few suggestions about characteristics to consider when considering a purchase of a second-hand widebelt sander. September 18, 2014

Lock Miter Tips and Tricks
Advice on getting good results with a lock miter bit. August 15, 2006

Hickory Tearout
Hickory is a problematic wood, but spiral tooling helps limit the tearout. May 18, 2010

Best Hook Angle for Corrugated Insert Knives
Here's some insight into hook angles. Different hook angles may work better for different woods, but other factors matter more. May 5, 2007

Troubleshooting Grain Raise in Hemlock
Grain raise can be addressed by tweaking planer operations. January 27, 2007

Raised grain: A pith-side phenomenon
Raised grain tends to appear more on the side of boards which, in the log, faced the pith. Here's why. 1998.

Measuring surface roughness
Three methods for measuring surface roughness on dressed lumber. 1998.

Slope of grain
How to process lumber to achieve a given slope of grain. March 28, 2001

Adjusting a Wide-Belt Sander
Tips for fine-tuning a belt sander for smooth operation and good control. February 6, 2007

Running Resawn Moulding
Tips on resawing wood and running it through the moulder. April 27, 2007

Gang rip yields
Determining the factors which influence optimal yields. June 13, 2001

Sliding table saw basics
General information for first-time users of 'sliders.' 1998.

Gluing white oak panels
Because of its density, white oak lumber must be machined carefully for panel glue-up, and assembled within an hour of preparation. 1998.

Techniques for making tapered rips
Various machine and jig options for producing large quantities of tapered parts are offered . January 9, 2001

Removing the Velcro Adhesive from a Drum Sander
How to get the glue off a sander drum when you're changing out the velcro. November 18, 2006

Machining Alder on a Moulder
Characteristics of Alder that affect its machinability and performance. April 30, 2009

Machinery for Cutting Box Joints
It's called a "hauncher." Here's a picture of one. November 28, 2006

Warping after planing
Causes for the warping of boards after they are planed flat. June 13, 2001

In search of flat doors
Even slightly inaccurate machining can produce frame-and-panel doors which are less than flat. June 6, 2001

Machining Green Western Red Cedar
Wet wood fibers do not machine cleanly. February 17, 2014

Cope Sled Choices
Shop-built and storebought options for a shaper cope sled. July 28, 2006

Finger Jointers
Basic description of finger-jointing equipment. November 11, 2008

Wide belt sanders for moulding
Can the same finish quality be attained with a wide belt sander as with a random orbit sander? April 25, 2001

Preventing Sandpaper Clogging when Sanding Teak
Frictional heating of the oils in Teak wood can cause them to thicken and clog up the sandpaper. October 13, 2008

3-phase to single phase
Is it possible to convert 3-phase equipment to single-phase power? March 20, 2001

Embossing wood blocks
Producing embossed ABC blocks is expensive, unless you're doing a bunch of them. 1998.

Planer Chipping, Flaking, Tearout
Possible causes - and solutions - for a poor surfacing result with ash. February 27, 2005

Jointers
Basic description of jointing equipment and its use. November 11, 2008

Variable Speed Power Speed
The right controller can add variable speed to a 3-phase motor. January 25, 2013

Profile For Beaded Column???
10/08/2013

Full-bodied router bits
Advantanges and disadvantages of the full-body design. February 12, 2001

Denailing Reclaimed Wood
Tools and techniques for fast denailing of old salvaged lumber. March 9, 2010

Tooling tips for African wawa
More important than knife angles to obtaining a smooth machined finish is feed speed. 1998.

Choosing a table saw
Selecting a table saw and fence system for a small shop. January 3, 2001

Tenon Tooling
Why some tenons have a groove at the base. October 3, 2009

Stains on wood
remove. June 27, 2000

What Is Chip Load?
Average chip thickness vs. knife progression. December 26, 2004

Removing Router Burn Marks
Tips on getting a clean surface when routing wood. June 9, 2007

Ipe's cheap, with good reason
This Asian wood is incredibly durable, but tough to work. June 20, 2000

Tips for machining pecan
The Wood Doctor offers three things to bear in mind when machining pecan. 1998.

Shaping teak
The proper tooling, spindle rpm and feed rates for shaping teak. February 12, 2001

Reducing Dovetailer Tear-Out
Back up the piece with a block. February 9, 2008

So What Really is a "Glue Line Cut"?
Straight line rip saw maker Diehl Machines explains the term "glue line cut" in historical context. December 4, 2007

Cutting Tool Feeds and Speeds Excel Spreadsheet
Handy spreadsheet supplies feed rates and cutterhead RPM speeds for various machine configurations. January 7, 2007

Made in USA
Locating shop machinery manufactured in America. November 14, 2009

Antique, unsafe shaper knives
Safety and operational issues regarding shaper heads. April 4, 2001

Are Machinery Trade Shows Worth It?
A machinery supplier gets feedback from shop owners about the value of showing his equipment at national and regional shows. Bottom line: shop owners go to trade shows looking to choose and buy. August 29, 2005

Abrasive Planing: Gluing and Yield Observations
A comparison of abrasive and traditional knife surfacing of solid lumber, and their effects on gluing and yield. 1998.

Are Shapers Outmoded?
A CNC is versatile, but a good shaper is a workhorse. January 23, 2014

African Versus Honduras Mahogany
Woodworkers compare the grain characteristics, color, and machinability of different Mahogany varieties. November 19, 2005

Advice on Shipping Used Shop Equipment
Advice on choosing a shipper, insuring your freight, and related topics. June 23, 2014

Achieving Clean Router Cuts on End Grain
A cabinet shop wants to machine their own rosettes, but has trouble getting clean end-grain cuts. Here's advice on routing wood end-grain, or on using MDF instead. February 9, 2008

Advantages of Higher Voltage
Switching to 240 volt equipment can boost performance and cut costs. October 30, 2005

Anti-Kickback Table-Saw Fence Jig
For angled rips, a top-fence jig safely holds off-cuts down. June 17, 2005

Achieving Parallel Edges on a Straight-Line Rip Saw
Quick explanation of how to keep consistent widths and parallel edges with the straight-line ripsaw. July 29, 2011

Financial Success in Woodworking
Philosophies and turning points on the path to $100K a year. January 6, 2005

- Wood species
Information on tree species and their uses. March 20, 2001

Should a Moulding Mill Bring Sawmill Operations In-House?
Here's a long, detailed, and authoritative examination of a moulding mill owner's proposal to invest in his own sawmill operation. April 20, 2011

Milling Wood Flooring on a Shaper
Extensive advice on how to make hardwood strip flooring on a cabinet-shop shaper. April 19, 2006

Radius Moulding Machinery Choices
Millwork pros discuss shopping for a radius moulder and the related knives. January 9, 2008

CNC Versus Conventional Equipment for Entry Door Construction
Woodworkers wax poetic as they discuss the practical considerations, the historical ramifications, and the spiritual significance of evolving technology in the field of door construction. January 23, 2014

Start-Up Manufacturing Millwork
It's harder than a beginner might think to make money producing mouldings on a shoestring. Old hands discuss the hard truths in this thread. April 4, 2011

Stroke Sanders and Wide-Belt Sanders
More thoughts on the choices in production sanding equipment. March 13, 2007

Lumber Tally: Rough Versus Milled
When you buy dressed lumber, the quantity is tallied based on the rough board footage, before milling. The "rip-off" percentage can sometimes confuse the buyer. September 27, 2012

Importing Machinery
A woodshop owner takes a chance on importing his own machinery straight from Asia, takes a chance, and reports back on the results. August 19, 2008

Dealing with Equipment Distributors
Here's a long, lively, and sometimes contentious thread about the middleman's role in the machinery market. April 29, 2012

Shop Power Choice: Single Phase or Three Phase?
Shop owners discuss the relative pros and cons of three-phase and single-phase power supplies. February 6, 2010

Home-built moulder
Advice on the construction of a moulder, and encouragement to follow an easier path. November 18, 2002

Straight-Line Rip Saw Operation
An extended discussion of safety and operating technique for straight-line ripsaws. May 28, 2006

Why is Wood Flooring Kerfed on the Bottom Face?
Speculation, theories, and facts about why wood flooring and some door jamb stock is usually milled with grooves in the underside or back side. October 13, 2008

Flattening boards with a planer
Methods for planing warped wood flat. September 25, 2002

Woodshop Waste Percentage
How much wood do you waste in the construction of your product? June 21, 2004

Moulder Purchasing Advice
A woodworker going into the moulding business gets advice on moulder choices and related issues. December 26, 2007

Elliptical Moulding Jigs and Tricks
Simple curves are hard: elliptical shapes require a high degree of skill and experience. Here's a long discussion with photos from some seasoned old hands. April 12, 2013

Compressed air delivery system
Appropriate piping for shop air distribution lines. January 15, 2003

Calibrating Wood Thickness for CNC Part Production
A CNC shop needs help figuring out how to achieve consistent thickness on stock before sending it to the CNC for cutting into small parts. The discussion ranges over belt sander accuracy, planer choices, onion-skinning techniques, and more. April 21, 2008

Shopping for Mortising Machinery
Woodworkers discuss the practicality, cost, and operation of horizontal and vertical mortising equipment for door construction. June 2, 2009

Increasing production flow
Presenting to a boss the numbers that prove production flow could be improved. (Business Forum) May 17, 2003

Techniques and Equipment for Long-Grain Miters
Cabinetmakers who like to miter their face frames to their end panels discuss table-saw and shaper setups, joinery, and gluing techniques. September 28, 2006

Making Stove Pellets from Shavings and Sawdust
A look at the technology for turning wood waste into wood-stove briquettes or pellets. Is it practical? January 25, 2010

Solar Power for a Wood Shop?
Solar panels or a windmill can supplement your shop's electric usage, but you're not going to run big iron on it without the grid doing most of the work.. June 4, 2012

Woodworking 101: The Basics
and shows how it can affect various production operations. 1998.

Machining raised panels
Addressing workpiece movement and tear-out problems. April 9, 2003

What's the Best Tool for Cutting Panels?
A start-up shop owner asks whether he should purchase a sliding table saw, a vertical panel saw, or maybe even a beam saw. Experienced hands offer thoughtful opinions. July 6, 2005

Choosing a Sliding Table Saw
It's wiser to buy quality used equipment than a low-end brand new unit. May 27, 2006

Drum Sander Options for a Small Shop
This thread wanders a little, but it sheds some light on the sander choices available for the owner of a one-man shop with space and budget limits. March 12, 2015

Buried Metal Stories
Forum members swap stories of finding metal in the heart of a sawlog — and even in plywood. October 17, 2012

Pricing Puzzles (The Case of the Custom Corbels)
How do you explain to the customer why one-off woodworking products are so expensive? January 15, 2008

Labor and Cost for a Complex Wood Window
The fine woodwork for a custom decorative window can be painstaking and slow. Here are some detailed thoughts on methods and the time involved (including an interesting description of doing the work with a CNC).June 12, 2013

Better moulder finish quality
Eliminating snipe on mouldings. August 13, 2002

What's your Favorite Machine?
Woodworkers chime in about the equipment they love. May 26, 2010

Sanders
Basic descriptions of every type of sanding equipment commonly found in wood shops. November 13, 2008

Straight-line vs. gang rip
Which is better suited to this moderate operation? June 24, 2002

Saws
Basic descriptions of sliding table saws, miter saws, re-saws, and related saw equipment used in wood shops. November 13, 2008

Antique Machinery and Stair Rail Fabrication
The old machinery is cool, but it can't compete with modern CNC equipment for productivity (or safety). October 19, 2013

Making Raised Panels Flat
Advice on how to joint, plane, and glue up the pieces to achieve a flat door panel. August 31, 2009

Ultimate Primer on 2 Head Wide Belt Sanders
Tips and advice on how to best utilize and achieve success using 2 head wide belt sanders. June 14, 2015

New Shop Layout
Efficient shop flow for increased profit. February 28, 2004

Shaper and Moulder Choices
Observations on the relative capabilities of shapers and moulders. January 9, 2006

Machinery and Methods for Creating Complex Stair Rail Shapes
Here's a long and detailed thread with photos about the production choices for crafting complex custom railing shapes. June 8, 2011

Compound Curves: Circle Applied to a Cylinder
Problem: Create a curved molding shaped like a Frisbee wrapped around a drum. May 23, 2011

When an Equipment Auction Transaction Goes Bad
It's "buyer beware" at an online equipment auction — and it can also be "seller beware." Here are tales of some lessons learned. March 22, 2013

Direct Drive Shaper Motors
A woodworker gathers information for designing a custom-made shaper for finish machining of door edges. August 30, 2010

The Ultimate Primer on Single Head Wide Belt Sanding
With understanding of how successive grits function, you can improve the efficiency of your belt sanding and orbital sanding process while optimizing the quality of the results. November 12, 2014

Shaper Choices for Door Construction
Cabinetmakers discuss equipment selection and machining techniques for making raised-panel cope-and-stick doors. May 22, 2006

Flattening a Long Plank: Planer Versus CNC
CNC wins the argument, but we have fun getting there. December 6, 2012

Climb cutting and why not
Climb cutting on a shaper with feeder--safety and procedure issues. September 19, 2001

Ways to Machine Radiused Casings
Woodworkers discuss various methods of making curved mouldings, including CNC and moulder techniques as well as ways to join segments. December 2, 2006

Straight-Line Rip-Saw for a Small Shop?
Should a two-man cabinet shop acquire a straight-line rip-saw? The discussion balances cost against quality and productivity issues. March 13, 2014

Value-Added Processing -- for the Sawmill
How to make sawing, drying and other processing operations profitable. March 22, 2001

Square Hole Production
Woodworkers brainstorm about how to machine decorative square holes in a wood faceplate. May 8, 2012

Gluing and clamping pressure
Is clamping necessary, and if so, how much? January 21, 2003

Edge Sanding Curved Parts
Craftsmen discuss off-the-shelf and shop-invented solutions for smoothly sanding unique curved wood items. May 16, 2014

End Joint Splitting in Table Glue-Ups
Here's a long troubleshooting discussion about splits that form at the end joints between boards in a round table top. August 29, 2014

Does Your Sanding Make Sense?
"Trouble starts when taking off more than a belt can handle, or taking off more than the scratch pattern of the previous head. These are the most common mistakes in sanding... It can be incredibly frustrating to see a company trapped in a prison of their own design because they really never und ......

Getting a Square, Clean Edge on Face Frame Stock
Cabinetmakers discuss tolerances for face frame edges, and compare ways of prepping stock. April 6, 2007

Practical Lumber Tally Methods
A moulding manufacturer needs advice on a method for tallying lumber that his people can conveniently implement. January 27, 2007

Gang-Resawing Thin Strips with a Frame Saw
The "frame saw" allows rapid high-volume production re-sawing. October 12, 2007

Cutting Flutes in Pilasters
Advice on using a table saw or router to make fluted woodwork. January 13, 2009

Compression and Chatter
Pros discuss the meaning and causes of "compression" and "chatter" in moulder operation. October 4, 2005

Whether to Mill Your Own Cabinet Mouldings
Is it practical for a cabinetmaker to mill his own mouldings? Shop owners say that depending on your situation, investing in a moulder might be worth it. July 29, 2007

Cutting crotch wood
Details on the right equipment and techniques to get the job done. March 4, 2002

Straight Line Ripping on Two Edges
Cabinetmakers discuss the difficulty, cost, benefits, and drawbacks of buying lumber that has been straight line ripped on two edges — or buying the equipment and doing it yourself. October 13, 2012

Whether to Rip Your Own Stock
Cabinet shops consider the pros and cons of setting up to gang-rip and surface stock, instead of ordering it that way from a supplier. February 12, 2009

Shopping for a Widebelt Sander: One Head or Two?
Expert advice on good characteristics for a belt sander, with advice on effective sanding and some first-hand reports on a few models. April 19, 2015

Stroke, drum and widebelt sanders
What sort of sander is most efficient for a small cabinet shop? July 24, 2001

Is Making Custom Moulding a Viable Business?
Can you make money doing short runs of custom mouldings? Experienced shop owners share business tips. March 26, 2009

Accurate End Cuts for Entry Door Parts
Advice on machinery and tooling to make highly accurate cross cuts on wide lumber for architectural door construction. April 17, 2013

Efficiently Ripping a Straight Edge on Rough Stock
A spirited discussion on jigs, equipment, and how investing in the right machinery can make you money. February 27, 2015

A Tale of Two Grit Sequences
Sophisticated practical advice on the wise sequence of grit choices for a belt sander to optimize sanding effectiveness while removing final scratches and preventing burnishing defects. November 12, 2014

Fabricating Pyramid-Shaped Raised Panels
Advice and thoughts on how to machine a raised door panel that looks like a very low pitched hip roof. November 5, 2013

Router Table and Lift
Designs and ideas for a smoothly functioning router workstation. December 9, 2004

Jointing Door Stock Twice
Is a shop worker being too careful and creating double work? How much trouble is it worth to be extra sure that door parts are precisely milled? January 19, 2012

Machining S-Curved Crown Moulding
Woodworkers weigh in on a complex machining challenge: crown moulding with both an inside and an outside curve. September 5, 2006

Converting power to three-phase
Things to consider when converting power from single-phase to three. June 24, 2001

Saw Blade Diameter, RPMs, and Rim Speed
A technical discussion of the thinking required to calibrate tool speeds to blade sizes. September 26, 2009

Walnut Butcher Block Countertops
Techniques for creating a beautiful butcher block countertop are shared. May 10, 2005

Shaper Advice for Euro-style Outswing & Tilt-Turn Windows
Tilt-and-turn windows in the European style require fine tolerances and call for good tooling. January 28, 2014

Moulder Tearout Problems with Hickory
Hickory is notoriously difficult to machine. Here's a discussion on how to deal with tearout while making hickory crown moulding. February 19, 2006

Jointing Heavy Slabs
Furnituremakers discuss how to get a glue-ready edge on heavy Walnut slabs for a bookmatch table top. December 31, 2013

WOODPRO - Species Selection Made Easy
A free complete working computer program (that can be downloaded at WOODWEB), allowing woodworkers to select the most suitable wood species for any particular application - 1997

Equipment for Fine-Tuning the Fit of Inset Doors
Cabinetmakers talk about equipment choices for refining the edges of inset doors for a perfect fit. April 6, 2011

Milling Face-Frame Stock
Fastidious cabinetmakers find that S4S stock comes with too many imperfections. Here, pros discuss their methods for machining lumber that's straight, square, flat, and true. January 10, 2006

Ripping hardwood straight
Why do ripped pieces come out banana-shaped? July 9, 2002

Making Custom Curved Moulding for Arched Doors
Ideas for curved moulding fabrication, including nice photos of a couple of router-table jigs. February 18, 2011

Tablesaw blade safety device
Does a new sawblade-stop product really protect your fingers? July 29, 2003

Fortune Teller: Making More Money in the Wood Industry
Wood Doctor Gene Wengert makes some educated guesses about the near future in the wood products industry, and offers some advice about how wood-based businesses can profit from change. April 15, 2013

Planing on edge
Processing stock through planer to define parts' widths. January 3, 2003

Machining Humongous Crown
Thoughts on the problematic practicalities of milling and installing 16-inch-wide crown moulding. September 19, 2009

Working Safely with Ipe
Dust and oils from Ipe wood are allergenic and toxic. You need serious personal protective gear if you work with Ipe. Here's more info. May 16, 2008

Bowing in Pine Staves After Planing
Here's a good explanation of why lumber may move after being planed — and why that is not easy to correct. January 20, 2010

Tenoners
Basic descriptions of various types of tenoning machinery and their capabilities. November 13, 2008

Re-Drying Kiln Dried Lumber
An architectural woodwork mill gets advice on acclimating stock before machining it. December 9, 2010

Machining Dadoes into Door Jambs
Ideas for high-volume production methods for cutting dadoes in door side jambs to receive the header jamb. April 30, 2006

Making Raggle Boards
Suggestions on how to tool up for volume production of raggle sticks, and speculation about what a raggle stick is. March 9, 2010

Avoiding Shaper Blow-Out
Various suggestions for achieving clean, sharp profiles without tear-out and blow-out when running moulding on a shaper. July 28, 2007

Moving to Metric
Tips on making the transition as smooth as possible. September 9, 2004

Stop! Don’t buy that wide belt sander!
A tale of caution regarding purchasing a wide belt sander. June 14, 2015

Lumber for Cabinetmaking: Air-Dried Versus Kiln-Dried
Cabinetmakers explain why they prefer kiln-dried, skip-planed stock for solid wood cabinetry. April 13, 2010

How to make a tenon
Accurately sized tenons without a tenoner. September 25, 2002

Alternatives to Honduran Mahogany
A discussion of the qualities of some of the woods used as substitutes for Mahogany, plus an attempt to clear up some of the confusion around the much-misused "Mahogany" label. February 5, 2007

Shaping with a Table Saw
Lacking the machinery to run a large moulding, a woodworker spends a few hours using his table saw to cut the curve. May 28, 2010

Stick Profiles and Out-Feed Fences
Setting up the shaper to cut the stick pieces for cope and-stick doors. May 14, 2006

Machining and Tooling for Large Tenon Production
Woodworkers suggest workable setups for high-volume production of large tenons for heavy doors. April 24, 2006

Machinery Layout Ideas
Shop owners discuss ways to arrange a straightline ripsaw, molder, and wide-belt sander, and how to efficiently move materials from one station to the next. March 6, 2008

Improving Moulder Efficiency
Two guys have their hands full trying to satisfy a busy shop's moulding needs. Here, they get some advice on how to streamline their operation. March 29, 2006

Machinery for End-Matching Flooring
Short of investing in a specialized end-matching machine, are there other ways to efficiently get quality results on more typical shop equipment? July 26, 2010

Flattening and Truing Big Matched Burls
A CNC is handy for dimensioning big, heavy awkward pieces accurately. But a shop-built router jig can also get it done. July 18, 2008

Rosette Cutting Speed
Drill press RPMs tend to be too slow for great success with machining rosettes, especially in difficult wood. May 21, 2009

Best Equipment for Tenoning Door Parts
Basic advice on machinery and cutters for making cope-and-stick architectural door parts. August 5, 2006

Routers
Basic descriptions of various types of routers commonly found in wood shops, including CNC router equipment. November 13, 2008

Pitch Build-Up When Planing Air-Dried Pine
There's no way to stop Pine pitch from gumming up machinery, short of kiln-drying the lumber. (This thread has some interesting asides about using your own sawn wood for construction.) April 27, 2011

Shapers: Single-Phase Versus Three-Phase
A discussion of what makes a three-phase shaper different from one with a single-phase motor, and whether the difference matters. January 23, 2012

Milling Raised Door Panels
Should you run the pieces face up, or face down, asks a cabinetmaker? Opinions, and the reasons for them, vary. October 30, 2005

Shopping for a Shaper
Cabinetmakers give advice on how to select a good shaper for a decent price. September 21, 2005

Finger-Jointing Moulding Stock
A discussion with pictures of using finger-jointing equipment to make long stock for running mouldings. November 19, 2008

Troubleshooting "Chip Beat" with a Small Moulder
Small dents in the finished moulding are a well-known issue, caused by chips and typically related to ineffective dust collection. October 27, 2013

Buying a Planer for Big Timbers
Heavy-duty planing capability requires a whole different class of machine. March 9, 2010

Humorous Tool Definitions
Do not read this while drinking, or your beverage may go up your nose and on your keyboard. December 28, 2006

New turn on rosettes
Could cutting rosettes on a lathe reduce tearout problems? July 22, 2003

Drum versus belt sander
Pros and cons of two approaches to surface sanding. October 9, 2002

Static charge on wood
Troubleshooting and resolving static problems on freshly planed boards. October 9, 2002

Sliding-Table Shapers for End Tenoning
Cabinetmakers talk equipment for machining tenons. May 11, 2011

Cleaning and Deodorizing Urine-Contaminated Wood
Advice on how to handle old lumber wood salvaged from storage, which appears to have been "soiled" by raccoons. 16, 2014

Getting a Good Glue Joint with Cherry
Hard woods may burnish on the planer, interfering with the wood's ability to take glue for good adhesion. Here's advice on dealing with the issue. May 11, 2008

Machining and Gluing Challenges with Ipe
Here are a few tips and cautions about working with Ipe wood, especially the difficult problem of achieving a lasting glue bond. October 11, 2012

Troubleshooting Moulder Jams
Strategies for dealing with the problem when boards get stuck in the moulder. April 24, 2009

Surfacing curly woods
The best machinery and tooling to handle the job. October 9, 2002

Machining Curved Crown Moulding
Pros describe how they manufacture small runs of crown moulding to curve around outside corners. November 8, 2008

Wood Choice for Paint Grade Historic Millwork
Woodworkers discuss the pros and cons of Spanish Cedar, Mahogany, Sapele, Black Locust, and recovered Heart Pine for a restoration and historic reproduction project. April 27, 2011

Hardwood Lumber Tallies
Are you being shorted on a lumber delivery? The answer could depend on the fine points of board-foot calculations. April 19, 2015

Climb-Cutting for Stiles and Rails
Cabinetmakers suggest equipment and techniques for creating sharp-edged grooves with minimal tearout. May 22, 2006

Drum Sander Ripple Marks
Ripple or chatter marks on boards run through a drum sander may not be a maintenance issue, but just the nature of the equipment. April 30, 2009

Sliding Table Saw Tips
Sliders are a little different for those used to working on a standard table saw. January 24, 2005

Radius Limitations when Machining Curved Mouldings
Very tight curves introduce shape distortions in moulding profiles. March 4, 2006

Variable Angle Chamfers in a Production Job
Shaper? Router? Table saw? A woodworker wants to know the best equipment choice for machining large quantities of beveled flat stock at various angles with high accuracy and ease of adjustment. June 4, 2012

Manufacturing Pellet-Stove Fuel
Thoughts and information on how to process sawdust into fuel pellets. March 14, 2006

Wood Flooring Yield and Waste Factor
How much rough lumber should I order for milling into a given quantity of tongue and groove wood flooring? June 8, 2011

Can Carbide Saw Blade Chips Kill?
There's no source for the rumor that a carbide saw blade fragment struck a woodworker in the heart. But woodworking kickback is deadly dangerous — no doubt about that.November 14, 2014

Outfeed Table Plan
Construction ideas for an outfeed table with mounted router. March 14, 2004

Router Bits for Raised Panels
Horizontal versus vertical bits for cutting raised panels. January 28, 2004

Equipment Auction Bidding Strategy
A look at how online auctions work, and some discussion on wise bidding and buying strategies. December 24, 2012

Running Baseboard and Casing in One Pass
Can you run baseboard moulding or casing on a four-head moulder, using the first knife to create the necessary back-relief? October 14, 2006

Dadoing techniques
Using a router to make dados. June 24, 2002

Moulder Operator Skills and Pay
Feedback on the going rate for moulder operators in different parts of the country, and thoughts on how to earn at the top of the scale. December 30, 2007

Straight Lining Rough Lumber
Efficient methods for creating an edge. December 9, 2004

Moulder and Shaper Setup for Curved Work
Wrestling with the issues of machining complex curved stair-rail parts. May 11, 2011

Machining Small Radius Molding
The problem: holding a small, curved piece of brittle wood fixed while machining a small moulding profile into it. Here, pros offer various solutions. December 20, 2005

Safety and climb cutting
Safety issues involved in climb cutting with a shaper. January 21, 2003

Heavy-Duty Miter-Saw Choices
Shop owners describe their experiences with industrial-grade cutoff saws and miter saws. July 29, 2011

Routing an Irregular Outline
Woodworkers compare a pin router to a CNC as the device for cutting the outline of a map or other irregular object. February 19, 2013

Onion Skinning and Thickness Planing/Sanding
For accuracy and consistency, what's practical and economical: a belt sander, a planer, or a fly-cutter on the CNC? April 21, 2011

Machining Mullions for Glass Doors
Advice and a step-by-step how-to for making those pesky mullions. May 14, 2006

Taper-Cutting Parts At High Volume
Pros discuss equipment, set-ups, and jigs. April 10, 2005

Calculating Waste from Rough Lumber
You always lose some ... here's a look at the numbers. December 2, 2010

Router Overworking on Raised-Panel Door Work
Why is a router struggling on door panels? Probably because it's the wrong tool for the job. October 2, 2010

Climb Cutting with a Moulder
A shop owner considers the pros and cons of climb-cutting cedar and redwood on a moulder. May 28, 2006

Troubleshooting an Out-of-Whack Jointer
Woodworkers discuss what could make a jointer create taper on boards. January 10, 2006

Should I Make My Own Crown Moulding?
Is it worth investing in a moulder for the convenience of making your own crown moulding sometimes? April 20, 2008

Truing-up rough wood
Planers will not remove the bow from rough stock; jointing is required before boards can be properly thicknessed. February 13, 2001

Three-Sided Shapers Versus Multiple Machines
For making doors, what's better: an expensive dedicated machine that cuts all the profiles, or a setup using multiple basic shapers? February 2, 2011

Planing Warp out of Wood Flooring Stock
It requires hand labor, but you can use a moulder to straighten warped stock — up to a point.June 28, 2013

Causes of Grain Ridging in Moulder Finish
This thread includes a nice concise summary of issues that cause finish defects in mouldings. August 21, 2012

Straight Edge Options
Jointer bed too short to handle that long piece? Here's a grab bag of jigs, rigs, and tricks for making long straight edges. July 21, 2005

Sanding with a Flap Wheel Head
Jacob Malherbe of flap-wheels.com supplies a brief explanation of how flap-wheel sander heads work, with tips on getting the best from your machine. May 4, 2010

Setting Up Three-Phase Power
Owners share advice on ways to upgrade the shop's power supply. June 12, 2005

Running Radius Moulding: Shaper Technique
Tips for a newbie on making curved mouldings for an arched door jamb casing. January 26, 2008

Trimming Defects in Moulding
Stock manufacturers describe how they control quality in runs of moulding and how they keep track of productivity. April 15, 2013

Roughening Cedar Boards
We know about planing rough lumber smooth. But how do you make smooth lumber rough? April 30, 2006

Machining Curved Base and Crown for Applying Over Bullnose Cornerbead
Shaper operation tips for making a challenging custom moulding. December 2, 2006

Phase Converters for a Small Shop
Downsizing from a big-iron shop to a basement-based setup. Is it worth holding on to some three-phase machinery and installing a phase converter? April 27, 2011

Folding Chair from Barrel Staves
A woodworker puzzles over how to achieve a straight edge rip on a curved barrel stave. October 17, 2012

Troubleshooting Tearout on End Grain
A furnituremaker gets advice on avoiding tearout when machining Maple end grain with a roundover bit. October 19, 2014

Gang-Ripped Lumber Yields
A discussion of the ways lumber is lost during ripping operations, and of what is a reasonable yield from the job. October 15, 2010

Tolerance for Moulding Dimensions
Moulding manufacturers discuss the limits of perfection in wood machining. January 13, 2006

Upcut, Downcut Or Compression Tools
Which is better? It depends on the use (and your technique). April 10, 2005

Turning Sawdust and Shavings into Fuel
Shop owners discuss machinery that makes logs or briquettes out of wood waste. April 30, 2006

Glue Line Failure in Cherry Panels
Are these joint failures due to product or process? May 10, 2005

Milling Radius Crown Moulding
Advice on how to run pieces of radius crown moulding using a tilting head shaper. January 22, 2006

Shopping for a Slot Mortiser
Woodworkers and the slot mortisers they have known. December 8, 2012

Sanding Disk Preferences
Woodworkers discuss abrasive and backing characteristics that make various brands of sanding disk useful in particular applications. March 12, 2015

Limitations of a Router Table for Making Mouldings
Buying a second-hand shaper is a wiser choice than trying to stretch your router's capabilities too far. April 26, 2006

Tapered Stop Flutes
The search for a simple, efficient method. December 26, 2004

Making Beadboard Door Panels for One Job
Suggestions for how to make a small amount of beadboard for a custom cabinet door project. May 6, 2010

How I cut a 5-sided beam
Fully illustrated details. October 30, 2002

Buying at Online Auctions
Tips on loading and delivery and on checking equipment value when you purchase used woodshop equipment from an online auctioneer. May 4, 2011

Sawblades 101
Select the right blade for the job with this quick rundown of blade characteristics. January 7, 2007

Mortising for Monsters
How would you make a 2-foot mortise in a giant stick of Ipe wood? We don't learn that here, but we do learn something about why Ipe is so tough on tools. July 3, 2008

Best Ripping Width to Avoid Cupping
A discussion of the workable range of widths for ripped lumber intended for gluing up into panels. February 16, 2014

Selling small quantity custom profiles
Dealing with customers who don't comprehend the work and cost involved in the manufacture of custom knives. June 6, 2001

Square-trimming face frame stock
Woodworkers share their secrets for getting dead-square cuts on the ends of face frame members.

Understanding Drying Stress in Wood
A complaint about cupping in mahogany door stiles after machining leads to a discussion of what causes drying stress and related movement in kiln-dried wood. June 23, 2006

Getting Rid of Rip-Saw Cutoff Waste
Ideas for making a little spare change out of that pile of rip-saw off-cuts. May 26, 2008

Crown Molding for Radiused-Corner Cabinet Tops
An explanation of how to mill curved crown molding for application to radiused corners. June 23, 2006

Chain Mortiser Versus Hollow Chisel
Woodworkers discuss the evolution of power mortising machinery: chain mortisers, slot mortisers, and oscillating chisel mortisers. September 17, 2014

Centered Drilling in Pole End Grain
Thoughts on how to drill centered, matching holes in the end of poles so the poles can be connected end to end. March 26, 2009

Profiling a Curve into a 6x6 Blank
A furnituremaker gets advice on machining large, heavy pieces with a simple curve. August 26, 2008

Custom Veneering for Sequence-Matched Cabinet Doors
When the veneer-matching requirements get extreme, it's time to outsource to a specialty shop. November 19, 2008

Best Router for Dovetails?
A discussion focused on woodworkers' favorite routers for cutting half-blind dovetails.

Heavy-duty CNC router recommendations
Suggestions choosing for a good-quality CNC router, offering adequate tech support and training. February 28, 2001

Salvaging painted heart pine
Ideas for removing lead paint and nails from heart pine beams. August 12, 2001

Planing Charges for Rough-Cut Lumber
Sawyers discuss the up-charge for planed boards, and for custom planing work. December 6, 2009

S4S Moulder: Is It Worth It?
A shop owner is considering buying a 4-head moulder to dedicate to producing S4S stock. Opinions vary on the value of that investment — the difference may lie in the quantity he needs to produce. October 22, 2005

Slot Mortiser Choices
Ideas on commercially available slot mortising equipment, and an example of a custom-built rig. January 29, 2009

Corner Cutouts on Large Tabletops
There's more than one way to notch out the corner of a big table top. January 11, 2007

Troubleshooting Tearout With Maple Flooring
Check sharpening, settings, feed rates, and more. April 10, 2005

Finish Sanding Hand-Planed Boards -- Without Losing the Look
A woodworker wonders how to efficiently smooth a surface enough to take finish, without ruining the hand-planed texture. February 8, 2005

Down-Draft Sanding Table: Buy or Build?
There are good units you can buy off the shelf, but people have also had good luck building their own sanding tables. July 11, 2007

Shopping for a Phase Converter
Woodshop owners offer opinions on phase converter choices in the market. February 1, 2015

Pricing Lineal Moulding
Tips and advice on setting a per-foot price for custom moulding runs. July 23, 2007

Recreating the Look of Rough-Sawn Lumber
Finding or creating rough-sawn lumber for rustic cabinetry. August 31, 2009

Splitting Moulding Profiles
Technical advice on running two profiles on a single piece of stock, and splitting the pieces as they come off the machine. November 12, 2008

Building interior room doors
Pros share their methods for constructing custom interior doors. June 6, 2001

Mortising Large Timbers
Ideas about tools and techniques to efficiently cut lots of big mortises in 5x5 posts. April 9, 2008

Dealing with Planer Tear-Out
Craftsmen discuss tooling and operator techniques for minimizing tear-out from planing lumber. November 12, 2005

Thicknessing Stock for Arched Moulding Production
Advice on achieving thickness tolerances in thin rips for gluing up arched moulding blanks. October 19, 2013

Warping and cracking in glued-up pine
To find clues for cracked and warped pine panels, a measure of moisture content is needed before the splitting occurs. 1998.

Hardness and Kiln-Drying Temperature
Higher drying temperatures affect the hardness and machinability of wood. December 12, 2008

Gang Ripping on a Moulder
Tips for making short work of multiple rips. February 27, 2005

Drying Technique and Wood Hardness
Those in the know describe the effects of case-hardening (a drying defect) and how to diagnose it, as opposed to hardness that would affect machinability of wood. July 30, 2007

Upcut Saws for Precision Work
Upcut saws can be used for items like door parts, but you need a good one. March 12, 2015

Machining Mouldings from Flexible Stock
Running flexible moulding stock through your machinery is doable, but problematic. October 15, 2010

Measuring Line Feet Produced with a Straight-Line Rip Saw
Here's how you rig up a rolling measuring wheel to your ripsaw to count how many feet of wood you're running through the machine. July 9, 2007

Tear-Out Problem When Machining Flooring Ends
Ideas for stopping the wood from tearing out when the cutters get close to the edge. November 27, 2007

Moulding Calculator Spreadsheet Program
A free downloadable Excel spreadsheet that calculates the price per foot to charge for mouldings. December 16, 2000

Machinery setup: Squaring up your saw
How to make sure your saw is cutting square. February 12, 2001

Flush Joining Plywood to Hardwood Edge to Edge
Woodworkers suggest ways to make a plywood-to-hardwood edge joint smooth and flush. June 18, 2009

Multi-Profile Knives and Heads
Shop owner gets advice on finding appropriate cutter heads for a set of nice knives (manufacturer unknown). Included are some set-up tips. July 13, 2005

Composting Chips and Shavings
Compost shavings and chips before adding them to garden soil. Here's how. December 31, 2012

Do ANSI B11 Standards Apply to Woodworking Equipment?
ANSI Standard B11 was created to apply to machine tools, not woodworking machinery. But an argument could be made for a broader application of the rules. October 26, 2011

Sanding an Inside Profile
Cabinetmakers don't report much luck with machine sanding to remove cutter burns. July 11, 2007

De-Nailing Antique Pine
Advice on finding and removing the nails from reclaimed lumber before milling into flooring. April 27, 2007

Bandsaw Tire Refurbishing Cost
New tires for an old bandsaw ain't cheap. May 13, 2005

Pricing Moulder Services
How to charge for machining someone else's material. January 13, 2006

Flooring Equipment
Basic descriptions of moulders and end-matchers used to make wood flooring. November 11, 2008

Resawing Tropical Hardwoods
Resawing dense hardwoods like Bubinga, Cocobolo and Swartzia requires special care. October 1, 2009

Going metric: Pros and cons
Pros and cons of converting to metric measurement in your shop. February 28, 2001

Drum Sander Sanding Marks
Drum sanders typically leave "washboard" contact marks, so that sanded pieces still require hand sanding with a random-orbit sander. March 13, 2007

Dedicated vs. power-fed tablesaw ripping
Increasing productivity by upgrading to a straight-line, dedicated saw. August 29, 2001

Resawing Reclaimed Heart Pine Timbers
February 27, 2005

Edge-Sanding Round Tops
Jigs and rigs for sanding the edges of solid wood round table-tops. March 31, 2008

Equipment for Square Turnings
Certain old-style lathes can some make square turned posts easily, but some complex designs (such as pictured here) are only achievable on a CNC. May 20, 2011

Mortisers
Basic info on mortising machinery. November 12, 2008

Working with Ribbon Mahogany and Brazilian Cherry
Tips on machining and staining two very hard, and very visually interesting, exotic hardwoods. October 27, 2005

Reversing a Router's Rotation
Woodworkers discuss ways to make a hand-held router spin backwards for special situations. September 17, 2008

Preventing Pine-Sap Buildup
Pine sap is building up on the bed and rollers of his moulder, reports a shop owner who's milling up large batches of flooring from reclaimed pine. Others supply advice for cleanup and prevention. October 20, 2005

Peruvian Walnut Drying Defects
Peruvian Walnut shows wide variability, which can create drying and machining difficulties. June 13, 2014

Relief Cuts for the Back of Mouldings
Advice on dimensions and moulder setup for making relief cuts on the backs of mouldings. April 21, 2011

Running Radius Mouldings on a Standard Shaper
Tips on making curved mouldings with jigs, ingenuity, and a shaper. December 6, 2008

Machining Arched Top Rails for Doors
Advice on shaper techniques for curved top rails, in order to avoid breaking the pointed tip of the sharp corners. November 23, 2012

Machining Mouldings from Southern Yellow Pine
The stock may be cheaper, but what about the quality of the product? December 31, 2013

Lathes
Basic descriptions of lathes and related equipment. November 11, 2008

Joinery for Wrapping Columns
Quick suggestions for corner joinery for wrapping columns with a Shaker frame. May 6, 2014

Machinery maintenance schedules
How to develop a system of regular equipment upkeep in your shop. March 16, 2001

Fuzzy Mahogany
Tension wood may exhibit more "fuzz" than wood that was not stressed during tree growth. December 24, 2012

Machining Alder
Tips on hook angle, feed speed, and more. February 19, 2006

Making Cabinets with Hickory
Tips on machining and finishing this heavy, hard wood species. May 22, 2006

Working with Zebra Wood
Zebra wood is splintery, twisty, smelly, and irritating — but beautiful, woodworkers say. January 25, 2013

Fuzz and Tearout with Soft Maple
What's causing machining problems with soft maple? Could be the hook setting, the knife angle, or just too high a moisture content. July 13, 2005

Waste Factor in Doormaking
You gotta make sawdust to make cabinets. But how much sawdust? Here are some views on the ballpark numbers. February 12, 2009

Waste factors in floor manufacturing
The amount of wood wasted from rough to finished flooring may surprise you. January 24, 2001

Poplar Is a Hardwood, but Is It Hard?
As a deciduous tree, Poplar is classified as a hardwood. Here's some hard info about just how hard it is (or isn't).November 15, 2011

Working with Silver Maple
Like Red Maple, it's a type of Soft Maple. Machines easily, but with a tendency to fuzz. August 29, 2006

Preventing Tearout When Jointing Maple
A five-degree back bevel on the knives works like a charm. May 13, 2005

Gearing Up to Make Tongue and Groove Boards
What's the best way to equip yourself to machine T&G decking and planking (on a budget)? September 17, 2008

Part 2: Remilling of Salvaged Wood Siding Coated with Lead-Based Paint
Salvaged wood with lead paint can be safely milled into useful products, says a Forest Products Laboratory study. March 4, 2008

Boosting voltage with a transformer
Guidelines for increasing voltage through the use of a transformer. January 31, 2001

Whether to Kiln-Dry Wood Before Turning
A woodworker is advised to kiln-dry Osage Orange wood (also referred to as "Hedge") before gluing up blanks for turning bowls. October 19, 2014

Selling Wide-Belt Sander Time on the Side
A wide-belt sander can help pay its way with occasional odd jobs for other woodworkers. May 13, 2005

Carving Machines
Here's a quick introduction to some of the high-tech, high-volume carving and duplication machinery that is now available. September 20, 2008

One-Horsepower Versus One-Half-Horsepower Power Feeders
What can a half-horsepower power feeder accomplish? August 3, 2009

Part 1: Remilling of Salvaged Wood Siding Coated with Lead-Based Paint
Recovered wood siding with lead paint on it can be safely machined into mouldings, according to an FPL study on wood from old Army base barracks. Here's how. March 4, 2008

Keeping the Spoilboard Down
Plastic screws work, and surfacing both sides might help. March 17, 2005

Machining "Chicago Bar Moulding"
Advice on making a curved bar arm-rest moulding. December 24, 2009

Octagonal tapers
Instructions for making octagonal table legs, tapered on all eight sides. June 13, 2001

Pie-Slicing a Log
Quick description and info about a German-made saw that slices logs radially. July 15, 2012

Renewing rusted table saw tops
How to fix a badly rusted table saw top in a few easy steps. February 7, 2001

Hinge-mounting machines
Hinge insertion machines are available for European as well as traditional cabinet hinges. 1998.

Pronouncing Exotic Wood Names
Does "Wenge" rhyme with "Ben-Gay"? Well, that depends on who you ask. November 23, 2012

Iroko Wood Tearout
This tropical hardwood (a good substitute for teak) can be tough on saw blades and moulder knives. December 1, 2005

Machinery for Making Rosettes
Specialized equipment works better than a standard drill press for cutting rosettes. September 27, 2008

Dowel drilling and use guidelines
A quick guide to dowel clearances and practices, including drilling depth, diameter-to-edge ratios, and dowel selection. 1998.

Diamond Versus Carbide Bit Life
More opinions on how long a cutter bit should last. July 4, 2005

Manufacturing Sawdust
Basic information about grinding wood. October 20, 2013

Blowout on Arched Rail Trailing Edge
Advice on getting a clean profile on coped arch-top door rails. May 28, 2010

Usfulness of Variable Speed in a Planer-Moulder
Single-speed equipment is okay for running very small and simple moulding, but not for anything large or complex. September 23, 2008

Uses for a Wide Jointer
What good is a 24-inch jointer? December 14, 2009

Measuring Moisture: Cross-Grain or Along the Grain?
Different moisture meters are calibrated for different testing orientations. July 29, 2014

Miscellaneous Machinery
Descriptions of various machinery types that fall outside the main categories. November 12, 2008

Sixty-Inch Versus Seventy-Five-Inch Widebelt Sander Belts
Longer belts stay cooler and last longer than shorter belts, as you would expect. October 19, 2014

Causes for warpage after planing
Why boards may warp after surfacing. January 16, 2001

Quartering a Turned Column
A trick for quartering a column after turning: Paper in the joint. March 26, 2010

Millwork set-up fees
What do small millwork shops charge for set-up on custom runs? March 20, 2001

Planing Figured Maple
Advice on avoiding tear-out damage when planing curly maple. December 12, 2008

Yellow Pine for Mouldings
Drying stability and machining problems make Yellow Pine unsuitable for fine woodwork. December 24, 2012

Sanding Carved Profiles
A small sand-blaster can be used for smoothing intricate carved profiles. September 19, 2009

Dust Collection Design Guide
A dust collection design guide (in PDF format) originally written by Air Handling Systems - July 17, 2001

Attention, Safety Practices, and Loose Nuts
A woodworker describes how a moment's inattention damaged his machine — but luckily, not him. The tale sets off a long thread of similar stories (including one fatality) and lessons learned. November 16, 2011

Accounting for Wood Waste
Woodworkers discuss how to estimate the waste of materials, and how it affects production and costs. April 7, 2008

Are Tracksaws Under-Powered?
A tracksaw is handy when you need one, but it's no straight-line rip saw. February 27, 2015

Avoiding Tear-Out with Very Small Mouldings
Thin stock chatters going through the moulder or shaper, which can cause major tear-out. Here's advice on ways to overcome the problem. March 4, 2009

Avoiding router tear-out
Eliminating tear-out when routing the edges of stiles. February 13, 2001

Advice for Working with Hickory
Use extra-sharp, hard tools and expect to see some waste anyhow. September 3, 2011

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