Clear Finish for an Exterior Door No clear finish lasts long in the sun and weather, but here are some thoughts from finishers on the best of the bunch. December 15, 2005
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
Marketing with a Customer Survey If it's presented in a thoughtful, personal way, a "How are we doing?" survey can be a very effective marketing device. February 1, 2011
Selecting the Right CAM System A CAM systems administrator outlines the top considerations involved in choosing computer-aided manufacturing software. August 16, 2005
Marketing and Selling Outsourced Cabinets Here's an insightful discussion of the practical aspects of outsourcing cabinet parts for the small shop, in light of customer perceptions of the value of the end product. November 23, 2008
Incentive Pay for Workers This long, detailed thread takes a close look at the whole concept of bonus and incentive pay for employees. January 9, 2008
Establishing a Change-Order Policy An extended discussion of one of the peskiest issues in custom woodworking: managing customers who want to change their minds. February 6, 2007
Kiln Control Technology and Drying Parameters This mostly hypothetical discussion develops into a back-and-forth about whether wood stress should be used as a determining factor in kiln control systems. June 13, 2014
Interior Designer Referral Fees Referral fees charged by "interior designers" are a frequent source of misunderstanding. April 20, 2007
Whether to Give Clients your Drawings Here's an extended discussion about appropriate policies for control of shop drawings and design layouts. May 26, 2010
Six Sigma Strikes Are the Six Sigma system requests that a customer makes appropriate? November 3, 2004
When a Job Goes Sour Expectations were unclear, now the customer is unhappy. What to do? May 4, 2005
Value added defined Many definitions and interpretations are offered up. July 29, 2003
Recovering from an Estimating Mistake If a rookie salesman accidentally sells a job way, way under cost, can the shop owner back out of the deal? There's more than one side to that question. October 25, 2006
Controlling Drying Conditions and Monitoring Progress Here's a lively, sometimes contentious, and very informative thread about how to ensure quality control when drying lumber in a variety of different kiln types with different control systems and instrumentation. July 16, 2012
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
Vacuum, Dehumidification, and Microwaves — in One Kiln? Here's a long, highly speculative, but informative discussion of the concept of using microwaves, vacuum, and dehumidification for drying wood in a prototype kiln. April 20, 2011
Employee Bonus Incentives Most employers in this thread believe that bonuses for employees don't work. June 4, 2012
Social Conversation and Shop Morale Can a business owner help maintain a friendly and sociable work environment? The question sets off a long and lively discussion on the Business Forum. July 24, 2005
Training Employees A rambling brainstorming thread about how to teach complex tasks to workers. December 2, 2006
Is a Woodworking Sub Responsible for ADA Compliance? If you catch potential Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) violations in a set of plans, advise the architect, and help out with corrected working drawings, are you now on the hook for some kind of liability? Here's a long and thoughtful discussion. March 12, 2009
Two-Ply Veneer Versus Crossbanded Plies A custom cabinetmaker carefully considers the veneering process on a custom project for demanding clients. January 12, 2015
MDF versus particleboard Strength and other qualities in relation to cabinet construction. (From WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum) March 23, 2003
Handling an Order Cancellation Early in the Contract Two lessons are learned from this case where a customer wants to cancel without explaining: One, contracts should spell out the exits for both parties; and two, some things in life are more important than business. January 31, 2012
Troubleshooting a Poor Stain Match Finishers discuss what could have created a glaring mismatch between Maple and Birch components supposedly stained with the same formula. August 6, 2010
AWI Certification and Bidding Advice on how to get certified with the Architectural Woodworking Institute, and how to qualify as a bidder on projects when you're not certified. May 20, 2009
Door Pricing and Outsourcing Here is a long thread about door pricing, kicked off by a cabinetmaker who gets sticker shock from a door vendor's bid. July 25, 2010
Collecting Shavings from a Cyclone Here's a long, detailed thread developed as a woodworker tries to create a system to collect shavings from the bottom of a cyclone and store them in a large bin.September 3, 2011
Whether to Invest in a CNC Router Here's a long, thoughtful, and detailed thread comparing the advantages of a CNC router to other efficient setups, and considering whether buying a CNC is a good move for a small shop facing cut-rate competition. September 30, 2010
Custom Built-In Seating for a Boat The furniture forum discusses plumb, level, port, starboard, pitch, yaw, and relating nautical seating terminology. June 10, 2006
The Value of Interfaces A user discovers the power of interfaces and others join in the conversation. February 25, 2005
Four Dust Collection Zones, or One Big Unit? For a large new shop, is it smarter to install one central dust collection system or a set of smaller independent systems? January 14, 2008
Accepting Less than the Agreed Price Learning from experience: a cabinetmaker gets paid less than he is owed because of supposed defects the customer perceives in the product as delivered. September 29, 2014
Hand-Coding G Code for a Curved Handrail Lacking software to automate the job, a CNC operator wrote the code for a complex handrail job on a 5-axis CNC router himself. Here's an extended discussion, with photos, including input from people who prefer the automated route. July 29, 2012
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
Evaluating Industrial Shapers Woodworkers discuss the characteristics that define quality in a heavy-duty industrial shaper. April 30, 2006
Is a Drill Block Worth It on a CNC Machine? Including a drilling capability on the CNC can save time and reduce material handling requirements. But depending on your volume, it might not be a cost-effective choice. October 26, 2011
Radios In The Shop A discussion with as many opinions as there are styles of music. February 25, 2005
Taking on an Apprentice It's good for society when young people gain skills. But the rules for apprentices are the same as for employees, and the management problem is not trivial. April 8, 2013
Calculating the weight of lumber Formulas, detailed instructions and species-specific charts from Professor Gene Wengert. May 3, 2001
Motivating and Guiding a Commission Sales Rep This thread starts with a question about how to structure a contract with a commission salesperson, then expands into a broader discussion of effective sales and marketing strategies. February 6, 2010
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
Custom Architectural Woodwork on the CNC A request for ideas for making some custom quarter-round mouldings turns into an extended discussion of custom techniques and the value of hand labor versus computerized production. February 19, 2008
Furniture Manufacturer Direct Sales A furniture manufacturer gets some well-informed and thoughtful advice on how to structure a direct sales operation so as to survive tough market conditions that are destroying his multi-step dealer sales volume. December 27, 2008
Going from handcrafted to CNC Discussion of P2Ps, dedicated boring, edgebanders and other equipment, software and processes. August 29, 2001
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
Managing a Customer Cancellation When a customer wants to cancel after paying a 50% deposit, and after you've purchased materials, what's the fair and equitable solution? Do you give all the money back, part of it, none of it, or what? April 21, 2011
Moulder Fence Adjustment Issues Woodworkers troubleshoot a problem with wood drifting away from a moulder's fence during operation. February 10, 2009
Communication Between Cabinet Shops About Outsourced Work A busy cabinetmaker who needs to send work to another shop for cutting on CNC equipment wishes the other shop would meet him halfway on the transfer of information. A debate ensues. January 31, 2012
Switching to a Woodworking Career A professional pilot who loves woodworking is considering a career change. His story sets off a spirited discussion on the ups and downs of the self-employed craftsman's life. November 10, 2005
Chordal's Letters Considered by Today's Shop Men A discussion of a century-old book about shop craft, "Chordal's Letters" by James Waring See, available today as an on-line archive. February 6, 2010
Rough P-Lam Edges, Specs, and AWI Standards A bad case of chip-out on some laminated door edges leads to an informative discussion of AWI standards and quality specifications, along with some good guesses about what caused the unacceptable chip-out. November 23, 2012
Moulding prices Pricing product in a small, start-up moulding manufacturing operation. October 9, 2002
"Dovetail" Drawer-Box Joinery on a CNC Strictly speaking, this joint may not be a true dovetail. But it functions the same way, and can be efficiently cut as nested parts on CNC equipment. May 7, 2007
Math for Helical Stair Parts Pros find and discuss a formula for figuring helixes (it's a real head-scratcher). April 11, 2005
Furniture Refinishing Basics A beginner gets advice on cleaning, stripping, and refinishing several pieces of furniture. October 13, 2008
Terminating a Job in Mid-Project This story of a job gone sour has a happy ending: The cabinetmaker gets out in good shape by having a good contract and standing his ground. January 13, 2009
The "Sustainable" Chain of Custody How can a small shop get certification that its wood is sustainably produced, all the way back to the source? June 30, 2009
Choosing CAD/CAM for Complex Carved Custom Furniture What programs could handle the drawing and machine control requirements for reproducing an intricate, highly decorated, hand-carved piece of custom furniture? April 19, 2011
Managing a One-Man Shop for Income A solo operator's question about reasonable income expectations kicks off a long discussion of wise management practices. October 3, 2006
Flat-Table CNC Versus Pod and Rail or Beam Saw What starts out as a question about energy usage of various equipment turns into a detailed discussion comparing CNC equipment with other choices in terms of efficiency and output. January 23, 2012
Hammering and Rolling Large Saw Blades Saw blades can be pre-tensioned so that they take on a true, flat shape when spinning. The technique is an art that requires knowledge and experience. June 24, 2007
Start-Up Advice for Businesses It's the same old story: A skilled craftsman (and new solo businessman) just figured out he's been making three dollars an hour. Guys who have been there and done that chime in with advice and encouragement. December 14, 2005
Learning from an Under-Pricing Mistake When inexperience leads a good cabinetmaker to under-price a nice kitchen, he tries to make up for it on a time-and-materials island — but the ensuing sticker shock strains his relationship with the customer. Older hands point out the lessons he should draw from his mishap. December 2, 2006
Making Money as a One-Man Outfit Experienced woodworkers and business owners share some excellent business advice with a solo operator who's struggling to get organized and make ends meet. May 26, 2011
Spiral Cutterhead Experiences Woodworkers discuss the cut quality and performance they've achieved by switching to spiral insert planer tooling. March 26, 2009
Unstable Cabinet Geometry and Toppling Risk A furniture maker wrestles with the stability and safety issues of a tall, narrow freestanding cabinet with one heavy glass door. August 21, 2006
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
Tooling for Teak Teak is hard and abrasive, and takes its toll on knives and blades. This long, informative thread delves into the heavy-duty tooling choices for handling extra-hard woods, and also touches on useful techniques for working with teak. December 1, 2005
Waterborne Finishes - Pros and Cons Here's a long thread with finishers comparing the attributes of waterborne finishes to solventborne products. May 27, 2014
Quality of Cherry Lumber Cabinetmakers discuss cherry quality, grading standards, and the market. August 17, 2006
Competitive pricing Establishing a pricing system that will bring you plenty of jobs and profit. November 22, 2001
Designing a Unique Rocker Inspired by Nakashima's "Conoid" chair, a Woodweb member gets advice and criticism from the Furniture forum before creating, and executing, his unique vision for a custom rocking chair. March 16, 2015
Chip Load and Tool Diameter Experts and operators discuss the relationship between bit size, chip load, RPMs, and feed speed when machining various materials on a CNC router. August 29, 2006
New Shop Layout Efficient shop flow for increased profit. February 28, 2004
Making Raised Panels Flat Advice on how to joint, plane, and glue up the pieces to achieve a flat door panel. August 31, 2009
Three-Way Communications Involving the Client A woodworker who subcontracts on custom job needs advice on meetings and decisions involving the client. What are the rules of the road on a three-way street? October 25, 2006
Working for Friends Offering friends a special deal can blur the boundaries between what's personal and what's professional. Here, an example triggers a long and thoughtful discussion. August 23, 2006
Itemized Estimates Should you show item-by-item cost breakdowns to a client? April 10, 2005
Sharpness of High Speed Steel Versus Carbide Tooling Here's a long, technically detailed, and authoritative thread that explains why high speed steel can be sharpened to a finer edge than carbide, but will lose that edge quickly in hard or abrasive materials. (And more.) February 22, 2011
Mahogany Versus Sapele for an Outdoor Structure A long discussion about different flavors of Mahogany, their sources and qualities, and how they compare with Sapele for durability and quality. March 26, 2010
AWI Quality Standards and Balanced Lamination Here's a long discussion of good practice for making laminate cabinet doors, and what the Architectural Woodworking Institute's quality certification standards require. September 27, 2008
Figuring Out Woodshop Power Requirements Amps, volts, watts, horsepower, and all that jazz: here's an instructive thread on how to figure out if a building's power supply will support your plans for shop equipment. July 9, 2007
Thirty-Inch Deep Base Cabinets Extra depth brings cabinet faces out flush with a standard refrigerator, but it introduces other complications. In this discussion, cabinetmakers share techniques for building 30-inch deep cabinets that work. December 28, 2005
Moving to CNC: Worth the Investment? A small-shop owner is considering whether to invest in a CNC router. In this thread, experienced pros help him evaluate his options. July 24, 2005
Construction Factoring and Accounts Receivable Financing A growing cabinet business has run into cash flow problems, and is considering working with a "factoring" outfit. Fellow businessmen advise the owner to think twice. November 19, 2005
Solar Electric for Kiln Fans Kiln builders kick around ideas for an all-solar kiln using passive solar heat and photovoltaic panel-powered fans for air movement. January 28, 2014
Marketing Porch Furniture A woodworker has a large overstock of wooden porch swings left over when a big buyer backed out. Here, others critique his online marketing presentation as he tries to move the surplus. January 10, 2008
Applying Paper-Backed Veneer A question about the best adhesive to use for paper-backed veneer over plywood leads to an extended discussion comparing professional methods to inexpensive and less-durable DIY options. March 18, 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
Going Out on your Own in Cabinet Installation A skilled and responsible employeed for cabinet installation sub ponders the practicality and ethical issues involved in going solo and competing with his present employer. February 12, 2009
Climb cutting and why not Climb cutting on a shaper with feeder--safety and procedure issues. September 19, 2001
Employee Attention Problems Should an employer try to train a worker on attention, focus, and work discipline — and if so, how? August 15, 2011
Distributing Dust and Shavings in a Long Bin Ideas from experience for augers, paddles, or blowers to spread out shavings from the dust collector system through an entire large bin. March 4, 2009
Setting Up a 32mm Stop System Tips on the "Sticks" 32mm stop system from Metricks, and general advice on getting started with 32mm Euro cabinetry methods. August 31, 2009
Drawer Slide Choices for Pull-Out Shelving Thoughts on whether to use high-end drawer slides to mount pull-out shelves, and on what the installation process would entail. February 26, 2007
Woodworkers and Labor Unions Woodworkers discuss the relevance of organized labor to modern conditions in the industry. February 6, 2007
Direct Drive Shaper Motors A woodworker gathers information for designing a custom-made shaper for finish machining of door edges. August 30, 2010
Fine Crackle Finish Products and techniques for achieving a fine China-like crackle. May 19, 2004
Subcontractor Payment Terms in Commercial Work Getting paid when you're low down on the food change can be a frustrating hassle and a runaround. Here's some general advice and a few relevant anecdotes. July 12, 2012
Is this customer worth the hassle? The project was complete and paid for in full. Then, the customer requested a "free" change to it. June 7, 2000
Sealing Maple Plywood Before Staining A beginner asks for advice on a hand-applied seal coat for maple plywood to allow even staining with a brushed top coat. March 25, 2007
CAD "Stretch" Function Shortcut Saving generic shapes, then pasting and re-sizing them, can cut down on drafting labor time. September 24, 2006
Confusing Lumber Term: "Sap and Better?" Experts and wood buyers and sellers discuss the meaning of some obscure lumber grading terms — such as "Sap/BTR" for white-wood Maple. April 20, 2011
Scribe Rails -- Why Not? Why are custom shops not including scribe material on backs? August 26, 2004
Creating Curves on CNC Equipment Instructions for cutting curved shapes can be hand-programmed, but it makes more sense to draw in CAD and import the shapes to the CNC controller. October 26, 2005
What Opportunities Does a CNC Router Open Up? A shop owner who is considering an entry-level CNC investment learns about how the machine's versatility might help his business diversify. May 15, 2014
Radiant Floor Heating for a Small Shop Shop owners who have tried it recommend radiant floor heating, and offer tips for a good installation. April 24, 2006
Tandem Slides and Drawer Dimensions To notch, or not? Cabinetmakers discuss the fine points of matching slide specs to drawer sizes. August 29, 2005
Detailing Costs and Markup in Commercial Work Commercial contracts often require documentation and place a limit on overhead, profit, and markup. This means you have to learn to appropriately modify the way you present job costs and profit in your bids and invoices. November 23, 2012
Line-Foot Estimating Advice on efficiently coming up with ballpark numbers for a cabinet job proposal. August 8, 2008
Staining Alder Alder is an under-appreciated wood that takes stain and paint well. Here, finishers discuss how to get the best results with it. October 26, 2005
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
Corner-Cabinet Face Frame Joints Corner cabinets pose a tricky face-frame construction problem. Here, cabinetmakers discuss ways to detail the corner joint. August 29, 2005
Tree Harvesting on Swampy Land Here is an argumentative, but also informative, thread about whether and how to extract useful wood from a plot of ground that is impassably wet during summer. June 14, 2014
Aerotech Router Bit Wear & Tear Is the Aerotech dust-vacuum CNC attachment heavy enough to increase spindle wear? January 2, 2012
Joint Design for a Solid Oak Desk A conversation about how to create the joint between a solid Oak desktop and its support so as to accommodate wood expansion and contraction. June 17, 2013
Mixing Stain to Make Teak Look Like Wenge Here's a primer on mixing your own custom stains from primary colors, plus some rare old lore on getting finishes to last on oily woods like Teak. July 29, 2007
Axial Constant Grinding: Is It Worth It? A discussion on the costs and benefits of switching to an axial constant system on moulder and shaper knives. August 18, 2009
What's a Chainsaw Mill Good For? Chainsaw mills have their particular strengths. Here's a long discussion on how to get good use out of one. March 31, 2008
Sawing Techniques for Cherry Pros explain how to go about getting the best lumber from some nice cherry logs. July 28, 2006
Cost of Carrying Employees Shop owners discuss the costs associated with employing help, the value of good employees, and the advantages of going through a temp agency. September 4, 2005
Dust Cut Procedures Woodworkers describe how they make initial cuts on sheet goods to establish straight and square edges. July 27, 2008
Stile and Rail Sizes for Doors and Drawer Faces A thoughtful discussion on whether and how to vary the stile and rail proportions when designing and detailing cabinets with larger doors and smaller drawer faces. July 13, 2010
Job costing help Methods of job costing for an architectural millwork business are discussed.July 24, 2001
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
Keeping the Glue Pot Clean This thread starts with a question about glue brands, but evolves into a discussion about how to operate the glue-pot edgebander to avoid charring of glue and reduce the need for cleaning the equipment. November 2, 2010
Specialty Sawing Vocabulary A newcomer asks for definitions of terms like "resawing," "ripsaw," and "chopsaw." December 30, 2005
Replacing Paneling in an Elevator Rules and standards related to elevators are so complicated and strict that the jobs tend to be quite expensive and difficult. March 4, 2007
CNC for Veneer Marquetry Is there CNC equipment that can do fine work with very thin veneer stock? Here's an in-depth discussion. January 3, 2012
Speaker Box Material — Solid Wood or MDF? Solid wood turns out to be a poor choice for speaker cabinets. This discussion explains why, and covers other ground concerning speaker construction. November 20, 2005
Wide Miters in Wood Countertops This long discussion about a proposed custom project includes good explanations for why miters in wide solid wood don't work, and some suggested methods to use instead. November 14, 2014
Troubleshooting a Slipping Drive on a Bandmill Motor's running but the blade's not moving — what's wrong with this picture? Take a tour through the drive train and find out ... April 20, 2011
Finished Versus Unfinished Cabinet Installations In some areas, cabinets are often delivered unfinished and sprayed on site, but in other markets that's practically unheard-of. Here, cabinetmakers discuss the pros and cons of both approaches. May 23, 2007
Veneering MDO for Stair Treads A question about whether MDO could be stable if veneered on only one side, continues on into a deeper debate about the suitability of veneered material for stair treads. July 29, 2012
Veneered MDF Table Top A furnituremaker wrestles with the issues involved in veneering a 1-3/4" thick MDF table top. March 26, 2009
Eradicating an Insect Infestation A load of insect-infested reclaimed wood may have contaminated a whole operation. What to do? April 20, 2011
Sealcoat Before a Waterborne Finish Water-based finishes tend to raise wood grain. Here, finishers discuss options for a first sealer coat. October 25, 2006
Cutterhead Knife Angle Long and detailed discussion of knife grinding, focusing on back bevel and side clearance. February 19, 2006
Allegic reaction to sawdust Dangers associated with breathing sawdust and saftey precautions to take. August 1, 2001
Miter Joinery in a Wood Countertop In principle, a miter joint in wood is problematic because of moisture-related expansion and contraction. But some installers say that if the whole countertop is left free to move, the joint will be okay. January 25, 2013
Wood Panel Shrinkage and Bare-Wood Witness Lines A discussion of how to prevent or repair the tell-tale bare wood lines that may appear on the edge of stained door panels in dry winter conditions. April 29, 2011
Ripping and Re-Gluing to Limit Cupping The Wood Doc weighs in on the old-timer technique of ripping and re-gluing boards in order to lessen moisture-related cupping. February 19, 2008
Attracting Qualified Woodworking Employees Employers and workers discuss how to advertise effectively for good help, and how to separate the wheat from the chaff in the responses. February 27, 2013
Scribing a Farmhouse Sink to Fit A heavy, irregularly-shaped sink needs to fit just right — the first time. The installer asks for help, and reports on his results. August 29, 2005
Wood Movement Destroys Table Top Another designer learns the hard way, as a table top cracks because of ambient moisture changes and restrained wood movement. May 3, 2011
Troubleshooting Pre-Cat Cracking Heavy cracking in a pre-catalyzed varnish finish appears to indicate too thick a build. March 26, 2009
Joinery for Cabinet Drawer Boxes What's the best joint for a drawer box, asks a shop owner who wants to supply drawers for the trade? Cabinetmakers share their thoughts on drawer joinery and on supplying the outsourcing market. November 22, 2005
Filling Deep Gaps Under a Clear Finish Most grain fillers either take a long time to dry or turn milky white when applied too thickly. Here are some ideas for a water-clear crack filler. December 10, 2007
Shopping for a New CNC Think carefully about what capabilities you do and don't need, and take a close look at the vendor's tech support system. October 13, 2008
Website Hosting Options Woodworkers discuss various ways to put up a quick and simple website for marketing purposes. October 2, 2007
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
Selling Furniture Through A Retail Store Woodworkers discuss reasonable terms of the deal when showing furniture at a retailer's showroom. Markups on already made pieces, prices for custom orders, and simple referrals each involve their own reasonable market value. June 23, 2006
Sharpening Hand Tools with Sandpaper Chisels and planes take a keen edge using increasing grits of sandpaper glued to glass. Here, pros discuss the fine points of achieving that wicked edge. December 15, 2005
Laminate Windowsills Shrinking in Service Particleboard cores of laminate architectural elements can shrink in place due to seasonal changes in interior humidity. September 5, 2010
Was a Teenage Woodworker Pros encourage a 14-year-old who wants to be in business to go for it. October 3, 2006
Finger Jointed Stave Cores for Cabinet Doors? Man doors with 1/4-inch sawn face veneers and finger-jointed stave cores are a good product. Would the same concept work for a wood cabinet door? Discussion ensues. July 30, 2009
Small-Volume Edgebanding Setups What's an economical but productive setup for edgebanding just the occasional shelf? February 8, 2008
Matching Old and New Floor Finishes A floor refinisher struggles with achieving a visual blend between old oil-finished floors and a waterborne refinish job. November 3, 2010
Melamine Chipping on a Sliding Table Saw A cabinet shop goes through the learning curve cutting melamine on an entry-level slider. The discussion covers blade choices, sharpening, setup, adjustments, and technique. August 8, 2008
Minimizing Planer Snipe Wood machining pros discuss the causes and cures for "snipe" at the end of planed boards. August 23, 2005
Finished Outside But Not Inside How to handle things when specs call for finished face frames but unfinished interiors. February 8, 2005
Taking on Help A furnituremaker with a growing workload gets advice on how to hire his first employee. January 2, 2012
Drying with Moderate Heat Here's info on how various types of wood will respond to conditions in a home-built drying room that doesn't get much warmer than 120°F. There's a useful lecture here on how case-hardening occurs. May 16, 2008
Glazing Tips and Tricks Finishers discuss the fine points of various glazing methods. November 25, 2008
Efficiency with CAD Software Making time with CAD in a cabinet business requires matching your software tools to your company's needs. October 15, 2009
Dust Collection System Design Duct choice and duct sizing are key elements of a working dust collection system for a woodshop. June 15, 2014
Using a Corn Drier as a Kiln Lumber drying is a controlled process, that an agricultural corn dryer probably cannot accomplish correctly. February 15, 2009
Arched Door Casing Against a Curved Wall Pros discuss a complex trim problem: The intersecting circular arcs resolve to an ellipse, but that doesn't make it easy. October 4, 2005
Is CNC Phone Support Free? CNC manufacturers are typically generous with phone support, but tough economic times may threaten that. August 3, 2009
"Finder's Fee" for Designers Yet another discussion of the ethical and practical business issues involved when a designer is in the middle of your relationship to a customer. April 19, 2015
Time Frame for Scuff Sanding and Topcoat Application It turns out that there are physical reasons why manufacturers recommend no overnight waiting between sanding and applying a second coat of a catalyzed finish. Here's a detailed explanation. January 2, 2012
Managing a Slow Worker Cabinetmakers discuss the problem of whether, and how, to terminate an employee who is slowing the shop down by being too darn meticulous. October 2, 2007
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
Spalting Tips and Tricks A question about how to get rid of a bad batch of spalted Maple leads to a nice discussion of different ways to spalt wood, with photos. April 15, 2012
Eliminating Snipe on Mouldings Looking for the cause of moulder snipe, an operator finds his solution in a custom-fabricated chipbreaker. March 13, 2007
Wide Board Table Tops Wide boards are a historically proven and viable table-top material. But think the issues through before you start. May 10, 2007
Wood Movement and Bar Top Finishing A finisher gets advice on a tough problem: finishing a bar top made with small wood strips over an MDF substrate.December 28, 2007
The Illusion of Depth in Transparent Coatings A simple question about easy-to-use lacquers sets off a technical discussion of the optical properties of finishes, and the characteristics that make even thin finishes appear deep and clear to the eye. May 17, 2010
Making Wooden Toys Safety regulations discourage small shops from making wooden toys for sale. September 29, 2010
"Mahogany" Stains for Birch Finishers share formulas and methods for staining light-colored woods a dark mahogany color. April 19, 2006
Cabinet Side-to-Bottom Joint Design A discussion of whether to let cabinet sides run past the bottom and top shelves, or sit above and below them. October 14, 2009
Radio-Frequency Glue-Up Failures with Hardwood A door manufacturer gets advice on troubleshooting adhesion failures in an RF glueing process (that occurs only with certain wood species). March 26, 2010
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
Troubleshooting a Chipping Finish The chipping problem in this case could be an adhesion failure caused by sanding wood with too fine a grit. February 16, 2014
Marketing and Sales for Commercial Millwork Commercial work can bring headaches and heartburn. But if you're willing to risk that, how do you position yourself for that market? February 17, 2011
Wood Identification Puzzle Once again, the wood detectives try to identify some boards from pictures. Elm, Hickory, and Ash are the likely suspects. February 15, 2009
Marketing for Furniture Makers For furniture makers, word of mouth and cultivation of personal relationships are the best way to build an exclusive high-end clientele. But advertising and web marketing can also attract custom furniture buyers. October 19, 2014
Routing Deeper than a Tool's Allowed "Usable Length" Creative programming lets a CNC user rout progressively deeper into thick material, working around software restrictions on a given tool's maximum depth of cut. August 29, 2006
CNC Productivity and the Purchasing Decision A discussion of machine output versus shop needs, the outsourcing option, and the planning and preparation recommended before purchasing a CNC router. August 29, 2006
Should a Small Cabinet Shop Switch to CNC Equipment? Do too many people invest in CNC routers for emotional reasons, asks a small shop owner? In response, CNC users try to zero in on a rational basis for the choice. November 25, 2005
Clamping Veneer Core to Plywood Advice on clamping methods for gluing two panel faces together without a vacuum bag. July 20, 2011
Steambending How much time to allow based on thickness and proposed radius of wood. September 23, 2003
Air-Drying and Kiln-Drying 8/4 Oak Experts and kiln owners discuss the proper drying schedule and the best equipment for drying thick Red Oak boards. August 13, 2014
Oversize End-Grain Butcher Block Woodworkers kick around the issues raised by a client's proposed DIY project: a 4-foot by 7-foot butcher-block top. October 2, 2007
Google AdWords and Sales Cabinetmakers report on their results from using Google ads to attract serious customers. March 26, 2009
A Wood Identification Puzzle No solid answers for this mixed selection of antique boards, but an interesting lesson from the Wood Doctor on the step-by-step method of identifying wood based on end grain. January 12, 2015
CNC Routing From PDF Definition of a tap file, and whether or not PDFs provide precision. August 17, 2004
Archway Casing Size Esthetics A discussion with photo examples of trim proportioning for arched windows and doors. March 26, 2010
Gluing Up Miters in Solid Wood Countertops Here's a wealth of advice based on successful experience of several cabinetmakers building mitered solid-wood countertops. August 6, 2008
Veneering Speaker Boxes Wood veneer on an MDF box makes for a tricky veneering problem. May 13, 2005
Diamond Tooling Versus Carbide Diamond bits are not best for every situation. Among other factors, they usually require slower feed rates. January 2, 2012
Air-drying oak Can a suitable MC for cabinet construction be reached? February 6, 2002
Auto-Updating Title Blocks Xrefs, rtext, or a viewport? There's more than one way to handle title block data. February 25, 2005
Inside Corner Drawers Pricing and practical considerations for drawers that fit the inside corner of a corner cabinet. February 11, 2010
Winches for Skidding Logs If you want the muscle to move logs, you should look at hydraulic winches, not electric. Read on for other skidding advice. July 3, 2008
Making a Full-Height Cabinet Fit A full-ceiling-height refrigerator cabinet can be a bear to install, because you can't tip it up (the diagonal is too long). Here's a useful thread on solving that problem. January 20, 2007
Steps for processing cabinets Cabinetmakers share the methods they use for processing doors and cabinet parts. July 3, 2001
Custom Software for Wood Man Doors A custom builder's looking for a versatile design and drafting package for original wood door designs. But is it worth it? September 1, 2010
Finishes for Spraying On Site Finishers discuss the pros and cons of waterborne and oil-based finishes for spray application inside houses. March 12, 2006
Cost of Door Samples A discussion about whether to give potential customers a sample of your cabinet doors — or how to charge for that. November 3, 2011
Learning Complex Handrail Concepts Here's a great conversation where an advanced woodworker sits down with a beginner to walk him through some complicated, old-school curved carpentry and joinery. October 3, 2011
Sub-Zero Fridge Installation Putting in a Sub-Zero? Cabinet installers feel your pain. But the big, heavy units have their defenders too. February 27, 2013
Knife Characteristics for Best Moulder Finish Quality This informative thread includes some expert discussion of the old-school method of back-beveling cutter knives, and also describes other knife characteristics that can improve the quality of machined wood straight off the moulder. August 13, 2014
Sanding and Rubbing Out Spar Varnish Tricky problem: eliminating brush marks and restoring an even gloss to spar varnish — after the piece is installed. April 19, 2011
Curved Staircase and Rail Discussion The Furniture-Making Forum takes on an architectural question: bending and laminating wood for curved stair projects. July 25, 2005
Finger Jointing Finger jointing lumber can reduce waste and utilize marginal material - and in depth article -1999
Choices for Sanding Moulding Hand-sanding mouldings is tedious and time-consuming. Here's a set of suggestions for mechanizing the process. July 23, 2005
Lighting for Spray Operators Thoughts on how to light the workspace so you can see how wet you're laying down your finish. June 17, 2009
Dust and Chip Separators for Shop Vacuums Advice on equipping a shop vacuum with an accessory that separates material out of the air stream before it hits the vacuum filter. June 15, 2014
Charging for Edgebanding A cabinetmaker ponders whether and how to modify his piece rates after acquiring a more productive, but costly, piece of edgebanding equipment. July 12, 2012
Who Buys the Hand Tools? There are reasons to supply hand tools for your workers, and reasons to have them supply their own. October 3, 2006
Spiral Versus Fluted Dowels Is either one better? The question sparks a discussion of how dowel joints work. March 20, 2007
Recovering Lumber from Tree-Service Oak Logs A woodworker has a tree-service friend who is looking at some fine old oak trees that need to come down. Here, sawmillers discuss the market and the milling choices for that nice wood. July 28, 2006
Stair to Base Transition Example Follow a trim carpenter from idea to execution as he figures out a tricky baseboard trim transition at the bottom of a staircase. April 21, 2011
Malachite: Another Decorative Faux Finish The look of malachite, a semi-precious gemstone, can be imitated by the savvy wood finisher. Industry veteran Mac Simmons explains how to lay down a base coat and sealer, then apply custom-mixed glazes with cardboard grain combs for a deep, eye-catching "mineral" finish. July 11, 2005
Running Tight Radius Trim on a Moulder Short-radius curved mouldings are tricky to run on a moulder (a CNC or lathe works better). It can be done, though — here are photos and advice. May 17, 2011
Getting to Know Aggregate Tools A newcomer to CNC asks for a basic explanation of what aggregates are and how they work — and gets one. April 10, 2008
Laser Level Accuracy Issues Laser levels can be knocked out of whack, and old-school water levels can have issues of their own. The watchword is "trust, but verify." October 19, 2014
Output Volume Per Employee A rough rule of thumb holds that cabinet shops should put out $100,000 per worker per year. In this thread, owners consider the fine points and exceptions. September 4, 2005
Jigs for Elliptical Moulder Work Aftermarket jigs let you do complex curved work on the moulder, especially if given additional shop modifications. May 21, 2007
Allowing for Wood Expansion in Solid Board Paneling A woodworker puzzles over the measures needed to let V-groove wood board paneling expand and contract with seasonal moisture changes in a seaside home. January 2, 2012
Table-Saw Power-Feeder Tips Detailed advice on setting up and using a power feeder with a table saw. July 9, 2007
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
Selling a CNC Shop Does a one-man woodworking business have any sale value besides its physical assets (the used tools)? November 26, 2007
Using Algebra Functions in CNC Woodworking A discussion of how algebraic functions can be useful in CNC work, along with some specific mathematical code expressions. June 17, 2009
A Brushed-On Finish for a Wood Drum Discussing the finer points of a brushed-on and polished shellac finish for a musical instrument. January 9, 2007
Fine-Tuning Log Scale Estimates Log scales are a tried and true standard for estimating board feet. But here's a discussion on improving the accuracy of specific estimates for particular jobs at the bandsaw mill. August 3, 2009
Straight line rip lumber Is the added time and waste worth what customers will pay? September 23, 2003
Open or Sealed Bearings? A shop owner struggles with a decision about after-market bearings for an older Italian moulder. March 4, 2009
Indexing Blumotion Drawer Slides Fine points of the alignment of a Blum drawer slide: Why are the screw holes not parallel with the drawer bottom? July 29, 2011
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
Value of Walnut Sawlogs What is a nice standing walnut tree worth as saw timber? That depends on many factors. January 11, 2007
Island Clearance How much space around an island? Code and comfort considerations apply. April 14, 2005
Yield Loss in Ripped-One-Edge Lumber A woodworker who has ordered a delivery of random length and width wood ripped on one edge and surfaced on two sides wants to know how much wood he can really expect to get. April 27, 2007
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
Fluted Round Wood Columns Round, fluted wood columns are easy to buy. But if you want to make your own, here's some advice. May 21, 2007
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
Why is Walnut Purple Sometimes? The purple color of some Walnut boards is natural. Here's more background with comments and observations from woodworkers. February 16, 2014
Matching a Finish from a Cell-Phone Photo No kidding — the challenge is to make a reproduction poplar chest of drawers look like this photo taken by a cell-phone camera. Finishers weigh in with advice. April 30, 2006
Whether to Leave Equipment Running Here's a discussion of the cost, efficiency, and safety aspects of leaving equipment running for periods of time, versus shutting machinery down the moment it's not being actively used. September 15, 2011
Dent Repair Debate Pros compare steam treatment to sanding and refinishing for repair of a compression mark in a finished cherry piece. March 29, 2006
Downdraft Sanding Tables Cabinetmakers sing the praises of downdraft sanding tables, and discuss whether it's worth building your own. November 20, 2005
Replicating the Look of Salvaged Wood Finishers consider the problem of how to make fresh lumber look like boards sawn from 100-year-old salvaged timbers. December 23, 2014
Can Large Solid-Wood Panels be Stable? A high-end customer asks for enormous solid wood glued-up panels. But is there any practical way to avoid major warping? November 28, 2011
Joinery Details for Wood Doors Crafting wood doors is an advanced capability that has to be learned from practice. But here are a few tips. June 15, 2014
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
Routers Basic descriptions of various types of routers commonly found in wood shops, including CNC router equipment. November 13, 2008
Flambee that Piano, Old-Timer Do not try this "light the piano on fire" trick at home. These men are untrained professionals. September 26, 2006
Static charge on wood Troubleshooting and resolving static problems on freshly planed boards. October 9, 2002
Just Trying to Get Paid Here's a long story with color commentary about getting stiffed on a job, filing a lien, contacting the owner, and finally picking up a check. September 27, 2008
Understanding the "Color" White Why no white dyes on the market? Good question. For a partial answer, here's a little info about additive and subtractive color, some chemistry, and a few observations about what happens when our brains can't keep up. June 28, 2006
Shopping for a Shaper Cabinetmakers give advice on how to select a good shaper for a decent price. September 21, 2005
Face Frames: Re-face Versus Replace Here's an interesting thread about the advantages of replacing just a cabinet face frame, instead of refacing the cabinet or replacing it altogether. June 11, 2014
Fastening countertops How to fasten a laminated particleboard countertop to cabinets. March 28, 2001
Quality Control for Picture Frames The fine art of woodworking: a discussion of wood choices, moisture control, and other key issues involved in creating picture frames that will be stable in service.June 12, 2014
Upgrading Office Computers Business owners suggest ways to improve the speed and power of your office computers, without switching platforms. April 19, 2015
Life as a Cabinetmaker "Would you do it all over again?" asks a cabinet shop owner after five years of struggling with business realities. Heartfelt responses prove that building cabinets is no easy way to make a buck. February 21, 2006
Duplicating a Ceruse Finish A finisher tries to figure out how to copy the finish in a photo — but then he gets the answer. April 18, 2015
Upgrading a Shaper Motor Should a woodworker beef up the motor on his shaper when the original one breaks down? It's a questionable call. May 5, 2007
Finger-Jointing Moulding Stock A discussion with pictures of using finger-jointing equipment to make long stock for running mouldings. November 19, 2008
Double-Checking Moisture Content You can check your moisture meter by drying wood samples and weighing them, but the method has its own uncertainties and imprecisions. August 29, 2006
Crown Moulding for Uneven Height Cabinets Alternating high and low upper cabinets create a puzzle when it's time to apply crown molding at the top. Here, installers share ideas and show finished examples. July 24, 2005
Subcontracting for Other Cabinet Shops A woodworker considering a new business making specialty items for other shops gets positive feedback on the idea. August 5, 2006
Lacquer Retarder with Shellac The right additives can help keep spray-applied shellac from drying in the air before it hits the workpiece. June 30, 2007
Supporting Traveling Dust Collection Ducts Here's a good look at several shop-rigged solutions for bringing dust collection ducting to CNC equipment under low ceilings, with freedom to match the equipment's travel. August 15, 2011
CNC Decimal-Point Quirk CNC controllers may occasionally ignore instructions when the numbers do not include a decimal point. March 28, 2008
Structural Concerns for Boat Cabinetry A proposal for a free-standing entertainment center on a boat sets off a discussion about appropriate technology in nautical cabinetry. July 30, 2007
Drafting Program Add-Ons for Dimensional Data Output Three-dimensional AutoCAD by itself won't supply dimensional data, but other programs are able to extract and output that for purposes of production. October 12, 2007
Slowing Down Wood Drying Once wood starts to dry, it's hard to slow the process down without encountering staining or rot problems. December 6, 2009
Idea: a Sawmill with No Frame? Forumgoers kick around the concept of a "gantry" bandmill that would roll on wheels on a slab, instead of sliding on a steel frame. October 3, 2009
Door Finishing and Wood Movement Thoughts on how to prevent bare wood from being exposed when door panels and frames shrink during dry seasons. November 13, 2009
Glazing methods Techniques for smooth glazing. November 18, 2002
Making Cool Stuff with Metal Components This thread started out with a question about finding T-nuts for rigging up an adjustable cabinet pull-out shelf slide. But it goes on to consider all sorts of things you can rig up in the shop using off-the-shelf metal parts. February 13, 2009
Considering Waterborne Finishes A finisher who wants to switch from oil-based to water-based asks about durability. November 27, 2007
Clamping columns Methods of holding the angles together tightly, without using too many clamps. July 24, 2001
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
Wood Apron on an MDF Table Furnituremakers discuss moisture-related movement issues for an MDF table-top with a Maple apron. March 28, 2010
Terminating Crown Moulding at a Vent A high-wall air-conditioning register interrupts a run of crown molding. What are the installer's choices? Pros supply ideas. July 5, 2005
Shop Layout Advice Here are some useful tips on making scale mockups of a shop floor plan, along with advice about how to best use the available space.July 8, 2014
Matching New Cherry to Old Cherry changes color over time from exposure to light. So how does a finisher match a new cherry cabinet to an old one? February 14, 2006
Reproducing a Period Door from a Photo Historical reviewers tend to care a lot about appearance of building details, but less about construction. Here, a woodworker gets a leg up on the research to recreate a passage door that can pass for period. April 22, 2014
Spraying Inside Cabinet Boxes Spraying the inside of a closed box is challenging because of air turbulence and overspray. Here are some tips. November 9, 2008
Sharing Shop Space Business owners caution against splitting shop occupancy between two separate businesses. March 4, 2006
Modifying a Shaper to Run in Reverse A question about setting up a second-hand shaper leads to an informative discussion about the fine points of running machinery in both forward and reverse directions. September 18, 2014
Test for Moisture when Installing Hardwood Flooring "Acclimating" flooring in the house before nailing down is not a sure-fire precaution. You should also provide a vapor barrier, and test the flooring, subflooring and slab for proper moisture content. December 26, 2006
Knife Steel 101 Here's a nice rundown of the various materials used to make cutter knives, along with some lively discussion. November 27, 2007
Slowing Planer Feed Rate Advice and cautions on ways to slow down the feed rate of a planer. November 27, 2007
Fixing an Uncatalyzed Top Coat The finisher forgot to add the catalyst. Can the sticky, uncured top coat be fixed? Maybe ... March 26, 2013
Extreme Drawer-Slide Extension With a wide desk overhang above some short drawers, a custom cabinetmaker needs drawer extensions that go above and beyond the call. Here, he presents and ingenious solution for giving a 20-inch drawer 36 inches of travel. November 11, 2005
Making Curly Maple "Pop" Finishers share ideas for bringing out the best in this stressed wood. February 26, 2005
Allowing for Shrinkage when Sawing Framing Lumber If you want the lumber in service to end up comparable to commercial kiln-dried softwood framing lumber, how much thicker and wider should you saw? November 28, 2006
Stripping and Bleaching Oak After trying several suggestions, a finisher hits on the right solution to clean and brighten some old oak drawer fronts. November 11, 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
Cabinets and Heating Vents When a new cabinet covers an existing heating or cooling register, warm air needs a new path. Here are tips on installing toe-kick vents for those situations. August 8, 2006
Spray Booth Safety A discussion of spray booth requirements, with some interesting photos. October 14, 2006
CNC Routing on Thick Hardwood Stock A CNC operator gets detailed advice on bit selection and machining technique for cutting curves into 1.5-inch thick Walnut for a bar top.July 29, 2012
Cleaning Up Objects So They Will Sweep or Extrude Polylines that intersect or overlap themselves will not sweep or extrude in AutoCAD. Here are some ways to clean those bad objects up so they will function properly for you. June 8, 2008
Exterior Door Construction Alternatives Craftsmen discuss various ways of building wood exterior doors, including a foam-core panel method with interior and exterior wood elements isolated from each other. June 29, 2008
Adding a Salesperson The owner of a growing shop mulls adding a salesman and reaches an interesting decision. February 25, 2005
Insuring Unsold Inventory Will fire and theft insurance cover the whole value of a piece that is lost before it's sold, or just the cost of materials? It's a tricky issue. July 18, 2008
Applying Latex Paint over Oil Paint A repainting project raises the old familiar topic of compatibility between oil-based and acrylic paints. June 16, 2014
Whether to Share Your Knowledge Locally Woodworkers discuss whether the type of knowledge they willingly exchange on a forum should be shared with local acquaintances. September 27, 2012
Furniture from Air-Dried Red Oak If "air drying" is understood to include drying to equilibrium in a conditioned indoor space, then the result can be useable wood. May 27, 2008
Eradicating Tree Stumps Details on a variety of methods for getting rid of tree stumps after cutting down trees. June 14, 2014
Training a New Salesman A cabinetmaker who has just hired his first salesman gets advice on how to orient and train the new hire. August 13, 2007
Conversion Varnish Turning Wood Panels Pink Investigation reveals that the catalyst in the varnish reacts with the wood to create a pinkish hue. Solution? Start by applying some kind of barrier coat. June 28, 2013
Grain-Filling and Finish Efficiency Can any formula fully fill grain with just one coat? Finishers kick around the time-consuming process of achieving a totally smooth surface. September 14, 2006
Drawer Slides and Stock Thickness Can drawer slides standardized for use with half-inch material work if you build your drawers from 3/4-inch stock?June 16, 2014
Whether to Oil or Wax Antique Furniture Be extremely cautious — the finish on a true, high-value antique furniture piece might be harmed by anything you do to it. caAugust 30, 2007
CNC Collet Maintenance and Repair Collets should not wear out or fail for many years unless something is wrong. Here's advice on keeping the collets in good shape. April 19, 2011
Tambour Doors for a Media Cabinet A few thoughts on the quality issues with tambour doors, and some nice pictures of a related router jig setup. November 23, 2012
Dirt in the Finish Troubleshooting a problem where pieces being finished with conversion varnish seem to attract dirt and dust out of nowhere.July 16, 2012
Shaper Decisions Reasons to buy a good shaper (and a power feeder to go with it). April 10, 2007
Email Check Scams Targeting Woodworkers Fishy-sounding email requests for quotes are sometimes the opening step in an "overpayment" phony-check scam. July 13, 2010
Timber Mats for Construction Sitework Information on heavy-timber mats used to support heavy excavation equipment on soft ground (a potential value-added product for sawmillers). November 28, 2006
Sawing for half Sawmillers trade their takes and tolerances for sawing in exchange for a share of the yield. August 10, 2000
Drying Thick Slabs Thoughts on managing cracking in thick slabs during drying. December 6, 2009
Uses for Cottonwood Cottonwood is a useful and versatile species. Here, pros discuss aspects of working with the wood. August 30, 2005
Where to Mount Drawer Slides Cabinetmakers discuss whether to position drawer slides so that the slide itself halts the drawer travel, or to install bumpers instead. August 14, 2007
Extending Wet Time with Pigmented Varnish Using an airless air-assisted gun and a pigmented varnish, a finisher has trouble keeping the large cabinets wet to avoid overspray problems. Here, he gets advice about formulas and tip sizes that may solve his problem. December 15, 2005
Old Jointer Accident Story Jointers can send fragments of metal blades flying like shrapnel. You're lucky if all you get is a good scare. March 27, 2012
Sealers, Washcoats, and Dyes For good coloring and popped grain, should a washcoat or sealer be applied before the dye? Finishers explain a few fine points. February 13, 2006
Glue Catalyst Bleed-Through on Veneer Undissolved adhesive catalyst can bleed through and discolor veneer with unsightly spots long after finishing. November 15, 2010
Dealing with Fisheye A finisher finds the source of his fisheye problem (silicon overspray from an auto detailer next door) and the solution (cleaning contaminated surfaces with ammonia). October 26, 2005
Cleaning Up Imported Drawing Files CAD users sometimes have to comb various garbage out of imported files to get rid of problems. September 27, 2009
Steam Bending Leopardwood and Lacewood An informative thread on steam bending versus lamination of curved pieces, and on the different properties of Leopardwood and Lacewood. April 4, 2011
Raised Grain on Mouldings Pros chip in to help solve a problem with grain showing through a vinyl overlay applied to mouldings. November 13, 2005
Mahogany Darkening in Light A look at the scientific explanation for why some woods change color when exposed to sunlight. February 19, 2013
LLC vs. S-corp The pros and cons of these two business classifications. June 6, 2001
Troubleshooting Magnetic Switches on Equipment A cabinetmaker complains that a piece of equipment keeps shutting down for no reason. "Off" switches can be finicky, explain those who have had similar problems. March 1, 2006
Reconditioning of Collapsed/Washboard Timber Collapse of sawn lumber during drying is a rare event. Steaming may help prevent the problem, and to some extent cure it. January 12, 2015
Shopping Around for Comp Coverage By shopping for competing quotes, a business owner got his workers compensation premium lowered. January 20, 2011
Making Templates from Existing Mouldings Moulding shop pros discuss how to scan and import profiles of existing mouldings in order to make exact drawings or manufacture new knives. November 10, 2006
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
Vacation policies for employees Setting standards for how much vacation time employees earn, based on their tenure and value. April 24, 2002
Finishes for High-End Auto Woodwork A discussion of finishes and techniques for putting the gleam into restored woodwork in classic Rolls Royces and Jaguars. May 27, 2008
Oops! Fixes for an Under-Catalyzed Finish When you spray conversion varnish without the proper dose of catalyst, is there any remedy short of stripping and starting over? July 29, 2011
Entering the Cut Bandmill operators discuss the problem of a brief "bump" in blade tracking as the blade first enters the log. Usually, blade tension is the issue. October 14, 2006
Worm Holes and Lumber Grading Bug holes aren't a lumber defect in everybody's eyes — it all depends on your market. Here's some info about how grading standards account for insect damage. December 9, 2010
Solid Wood Tables — Span Length Limits How long is too long for a maple table? The discussion moves to apron depth and thickness, steel reinforcement, a center rib, and box panel construction. April 20, 2011
Tweaking Viscosity for Good Flow-Out with Conversion Varnish Getting a CV to behave right takes a delicate balance between thinner proportions and gun tip size. Here, pros describe the trial-and-error process they use to get it right. December 1, 2005
Options for Carving on Cabinet Doors A cabinetmaker looks for practical ways to make bas-relief carvings on wood cabinet door faces. September 23, 2006
Adhesive for Exterior Doors Dark-stained wood exterior doors can get very hot in service. Here, woodworkers discuss choices for glues that will perform under those tough conditions. September 6, 2007
Melamine/Laminate Panels A discussion of practical ways of building cabinets with melamine exteriors and laminate interiors. October 13, 2010
Tall Box Dilemma How to build cabinets with sides higher than 8 feet, without any unsightly plywood joints. March 1, 2006
Sizing Exhaust to Minimize Overspray You want a fan large enough to move lots of air, but without creating turbulence. Here are some useful formulas. September 26, 2006
Sunken Joints at the Glue Seam Here's a good explanation of why glue seams in cabinet doors may appear visibly depressed. April 29, 2013
Shipping Bandmill Blades A bandmill operator got some blades back from the resharpener with broken teeth. Were they damaged in shippping? August 31, 2005
Wash Coats for Maple More thoughts on sealing maple to allow even staining. April 19, 2006
Waterborne Lacquer over Solvent Lacquer Product reps won't promise good performance, but some finishers have had good results by cleaning and sanding for a strong mechanical bond. September 3, 2011
Fridge Panel Head-Scratcher When a cabinetmaker is asked to make refrigerator panels without ever seeing the appliance — for a job that's a long drive away — he feels the need for some advice. January 26, 2008
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
Air Flow Meters for Kilns A discussion on the state of technology for monitoring airflow inside a kiln during drying, and about whether the data is useful in any case.June 13, 2014
The Power of Discount Pricing Here's an interesting conversation about what sort of discount offer will actually motivated an impulse purchase. September 27, 2012
Vomit-Like Odor of Bacterially Infected Wood When cabinets or wood smell like vomit, a likely culprit is bacterial infections in the trees the wood was made from. Unfortunately, there is no known fix. April 20, 2008
Troubleshooting Inaccurate Cutting with Dual Tables Mechanical backlash or a control problem could be causing performance flaws in a dual-table CNC setup. Here are tips of finding the source of trouble. May 16, 2005
New Equipment: Lease or Purchase? A shop owner is looking at a major investment in machinery. Should he consider leasing? Experienced business owners weigh in. July 24, 2005
Gluing Steel to MDF Cabinetmakers ponder the pitfalls that may lurk in a proposal to glue 1/8" steel to MDF for cabinet doors. October 19, 2013
Applying Laminate to a Curved Wall Installers puzzle over how to seam sections of laminate applied to a curved wall as an architectural covering. July 15, 2009
Holding Small Cut-Outs in Place Tiny cut-out pieces created when profiling CNC grill-work can pop out, land on the panel, and cause trouble. Here are some tips on keeping those small pieces in place or controlling where they end up. June 30, 2007
Wood I.D. Puzzle Another guessing game about wood species — this time, a hurricane-downed log from south Texas. April 18, 2009
Checking Moisture and Achieving MC Targets Higher moisture near the core has a lumber dryer doubting his moisture meter, but drying conditions are the more likely concern. September 6, 2010
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
Wood Movement Considerations for a Large Table Top Swelling and shrinkage place stress on wood table tops, especially if both sawn lumber and plywood are involved. Here's advice on construction details. March 13, 2007
Shop-Built Sliding Table Saw Jig A cabinetmaker displays his low-cost self-built alternative to a sliding table saw. February 2, 2011
Sawing Long Timbers on a Bandmill Logs that are too long for your bandmill can still be sawn, but it takes some extra handling. Here are some ways that sawyers get it done. April 10, 2007
"Shop-Dried" Versus "Air-Dried" Lumber A discussion of the quality and value of hardwoods that have been stacked and dried in a dry indoor area, but not in a kiln. March 26, 2013
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
Index Pin Accuracy on Line Boring Machines Index pin setups let you extend the line of holes you bore, but there is debate about how accurate they allow you to be. October 2, 2007
Glue-Pot Issues, Maintenance, and Edgebander Performance In this case, slow heating and glue burning were caused by blown heating elements. But there are other things to be aware of that can help or harm an edgebander glue pot's performance and longevity. June 17, 2012
CNC Spindle Maintenance and Repair Careless servicing can cost in terms of equipment life. Here's a useful example and a discussion of smart maintenance practices. April 17, 2009
Making a Miter-Fold Joint Here's a detailed description of how to make a miter-fold corner with laminate material. July 3, 2008
Troubleshooting Cracking Precat Pre-catalyzed finishes can have problems with brittle failure, cracking, and crazing (especially some of the early formulations). The only fix is to strip and start over. January 2, 2012
Leveling and Polishing Poured Epoxy Epoxy can be tricky to work with, especially in combination with other finishes. Here's a good example for learning. March 9, 2008
Spraying Mounted Cabinet Doors Finishing doors while they're on the cabinets is a questionable practice, but some finishers succeed with it. October 14, 2006
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
The Search for the Perfect Finish In your dreams, what properties would the ideal finish coating have? Pros exchange thoughts and opinions. July 6, 2005
Shellac for Exterior Priming Shellac isn't recommended for outdoor use. But some people report that they've gotten away with it. June 18, 2009
Can Spray Finishing Co-Exist with Hand Brushing? Yes, in an on-site refinishing situation, some pros have success removing the doors for spraying in the shop, and brushing the carcases on site. Here are some details. April 21, 2008
Should I Use a Tinted Undercoat? A finisher who's having trouble hiding color variations in a Poplar project gets suggestions for tinting the undercoat. August 12, 2014
Choosing a Power Feeder Advice on matching power-feeder horsepower to the intended use. July 27, 2008
Troubleshooting Breakage of Bits CNC operators help a colleague figure out why his 1/4-inch bits keep breaking in 3/4-inch-thick hardwood. August 29, 2006
Fine Points of Power Feeders Shop owners discuss selection, set-up, and operation of power feeders. October 26, 2005
Modifying Stain Color on Site Applying a toner is simple enough, but there are safety issues when you do the work on site. August 27, 2013
Doing Your Own Bookkeeping and Taxes Accounting's not for everyone. Here, owners discuss the pros and cons of managing your own books. February 17, 2006
Installing Drawer-Type Dishwashers Drawer-style dishwasher units don't always require a cabinet, but attaching the faces and installing controls can be tricky. April 18, 2006
After-Market Tool Holder Parts for CNC Equipment CNC owners discuss where to find minor accessories for their CNC gear — and how to fabricate their own parts from plastic, on the CNC itself. March 3, 2009
A "Green" Finish for a Cuban Mahogany Bench Thoughts on the meaning of environmental correctness for clear wood finishes, and some interesting history about Cuban Mahogany, a nearly-extinct wood that is making a comeback. March 4, 2009
Dovetails for Front Only? How about if we dovetail just the front joints of a drawer box, and just staple the back? Cabinetmakers kick the suggestion around. July 9, 2007
Lightness Variation in Bookmatched Veneer Panels Because of grain differences, the way bookmatched sawn veneers reflect light varies depending on their orientation. It's called "chatoyance" — but what can you do about it? May 24, 2006
Shop Accident Lessons Learned A few first-person cautionary stories involving mangled or amputated fingers. May 15, 2014
Re-Configuring Existing Cabinets Five out of five doctors agree: tearing out and reassembling existing cabinets is just not worth it. September 23, 2006
Flush-trimming a Hardwood Floor Pros weigh in on a remodeling problem: how to flush-cut around the perimeter of a hardwood floor (the baseboard can't come off). August 29, 2005
Two-Head CNC Router Choices Several suppliers make CNC routers with two independently operating heads and advanced control capabilities. January 14, 2008
Kiln Drainage Wood in a kiln releases water in vapor form. But condensation may occur in the kiln, requiring attention to drainage. April 2, 2015
Truss Lifting and Crown Moulding Trim installers discuss the finish problems associated with seasonal truss movement — cracking at the corners where walls meet ceilings. June 4, 2009
Troubleshooting a Web Hosting Snafu Advice on how to insulate your website hosting and domain name registration from problems with your hosting service provider. March 28, 2015
A Stain-Matching Example Matching the color shown here could begin with an "equalizing stain." June 28, 2006
Dadoed-In Back Panel Case Construction Methods A back panel glued into a dado on cabinet sides contributes to a rugged case, and one that can be quick to build. Here are some thoughts on the details. December 27, 2007
Troubleshooting Burnt Glue in the Edgebander Glue selection, heating element performance, and temperature settings all come up for discussion when an edgebander seems to have a burnt glue problem. December 27, 2010
Warping of a Tabletop with an Unbalanced Finish A teachable moment: Finishers explain why tabletops finished on one side only (and in humid conditions to boot) experienced bad warping. December 31, 2005
Moisture Variations in Dried Lumber "Wet pockets" in kiln-dried lumber, or occasional wet pieces of wood in a load of dried lumber, are an unacceptable defect.June 13, 2014
A Tag-Team Four-Motor Vacuum Setup A shop owner describes how he ganged four 240-volt motors onto one vacuum system to get the suction he needed within the power limitations at his shop. January 5, 2010
Drying Time for 6/4 Red Oak Here's a quick technical look at the factors affecting kiln drying 6/4 Red Oak, including kiln type and initial moisture content. Air drying may be more cost-effective. July 16, 2012
Specialty Scribing Tools Cabinetmakers and installers consider the value of specialized jigs for scribing cabinets to fit tight spaces.September 25, 2014
Staining MDF Products and techniques for best results. July 28, 2004
Waterborne Finishes Versus Solventborne Lacquer Struggling with the application and quality issues encountered when switching to waterborne formulas for health and safety reasons. June 8, 2011
Understanding Why Burnished Wood Fails to Hold Finish Oxidation of heated wood surfaces explains why heating up wood during machining or sanding can make the surface resistant to adhesion of various finishes or adhesives. October 19, 2014
Removing Boards While Sawing a Log A beginner asks: when running a bandsaw mill, is it better to remove boards one at a time or let them stack up? That depends, explain experienced sawyers. August 31, 2005
Spraying shellac Removing water, which damages appearance of shellac, from air compressor output. May 2, 2001
Choosing Footwear for Shop Use Army boots? Flip-flops? It's a matter of personal preference, but here are some thoughts and observations. December 6, 2012
Tuning an Edgebander Advice on dialing in the variables of an edgebander's operation, one step at a time. October 19, 2014
Getting Government Contracts Advice on putting your company in a position to do work for the Federal government. March 12, 2009
Shadow Lines On Cabinet Door Backs Faint dark lines on the inside face of cabinet doors right at shelf locations are typically caused by deposits of dust. March 12, 2009
Simple Radial-Ray Wood Carving Toolpaths A CNC owner gets tips on creating the toolpaths to reproduce a set of simple sunburst decorative carvings. January 21, 2010
Miter Saw Blade Cut Creep Saw blades pulling on the work can pull cut angles slightly out of whack. Here, craftsmen suggest solutions for accurate cutting. March 20, 2006
American Chestnut Versus Chinese Chestnut A discussion of the American Chestnut and the Chinese Chestnut, with regard to wood appearance and blight resistance. May 16, 2008
Off-Grid Power for an Antique Lathe Here's an unusual problem: powering an old piece of equipment (formerly steam-driven) in a building with no existing electrical service. January 27, 2008
Tinted Primer as the Color Coat Instead of a tinted topcoat, is it practical to tint the primer coat (shellac or tinted CV primer), and then top with clear? July 14, 2010
Edgebanding with No Edgebander Alternative ways to apply edgebanding to small runs of laminate doors when you have no edgebander. September 23, 2006
Alder for Exterior Doors Soft and unstable, Alder wood is not well suited for building entry doors. August 23, 2006
Choosing a White Lacquer Cabinet finishers talk about their preferences and experiences with opaque white spray finishes. January 18, 2011
Moulder set-up Basic guidelines for setting controls. October 24, 2001
De-Glazing a Widebelt Conveyor The standard method is to sand the conveyor with the wide belt, but you can just use a random orbital hand sander instead. October 15, 2012
Applying a Bead to an Arched Face Frame Several suggestions for machining a bead into an arched piece, plus the simple way: make it separately and then attach it. October 27, 2011
Slot Mortiser Choices Ideas on commercially available slot mortising equipment, and an example of a custom-built rig. January 29, 2009
Machining a Giant Chess Set on CNC A CNC owner shows off an unusual custom project: Carving giant chess pieces based on 3D scans of small pieces. October 15, 2009
Drying Schedule for Red Oak Advice for a kiln operator on drying rates and humidity and heat settings for drying Red Oak in a dehumidifier kiln. October 3, 2009
CNC Production Rates A discussion of ballpark numbers: How many sheets will a CNC router cut in a day, and how many before you need a new bit? June 30, 2007
Comparing Low Angle and High Angle Planes Woodworkers discuss the differences between low angle and high angle planes, and the appropriate uses for each. February 14, 2010
Sticky Tool Holder Syndrome Cleaning, maintenance and adjustment ideas to stop tool holders from sticking during CNC operation. February 13, 2009
Small Pilot Bits for the CNC There are several workable options for pre-drilling for #8 screws with CNC equipment. December 10, 2007
Sawing Stainless Steel Stainless steel is hard to cut. Specialty blades can handle it, but it may be best to have a metal shop handle the task. February 6, 2007
Tack Rag Residue on Spar Varnish Cautionary tale: wetting a tack rag with mineral spirits before use may deposit "tack" onto your workpiece. April 19, 2011
Sunlight and a Cherry Entry Door Cherry is a problematic wood for any exterior use, because it is known to first darken, then bleach, from exposure to sunlight. April 24, 2006
De-Barking Strategies and Rigs Debarking a whole log just to make your first square cuts is a lot of extra labor. Here, sawyers discuss effective ways to work around the de-barking problem. September 6, 2010
Uses for Sassafras Sassafras has been called "poor man's oak" for its durability, strength and beauty. The markets for it are small ans specialized. April 20, 2011
"Moon Ring" Defect in Oak Very rarely, some sapwood in a tree will fail to convert to heartwood, leaving the appearance of a light, bleached streak in the wood. March 13, 2009
Finish for a Teak Shower Floor Most finishers agree that Teak in a shower floor should be left natural. Here's why. April 15, 2013
Maple Stain Techniques Tips on achieving an even tint in Maple using spray dye, a seal coat, and a wiping stain. October 13, 2008
Finding Concrete in a Tree Tree surgeons sometimes repair rotted trees with concrete. "Well, imagine my surprise," said the sawmill man. January 27, 2007
1/2-Inch Drawer Bottoms Cabinetmakers discuss construction details of wide drawers with half-inch bottoms, dovetail boxes and undermount slides. October 2, 2007
Glue failures Adhesive failure can usually be traced to one of two causes: overly moist wood or defective glue. December 6, 2000
Will Lacquer Re-Dissolve Shellac? Most top-coats include some sort of solvent that could melt into shellac. Here's advice on prep sanding and other issues relating to shellac as a bond coat. May 18, 2010
Oddball Crown Moulding Miters Advice on joinery for spots where curved mouldings on an arch meet a horizontal return, and other odd intersections. December 6, 2008
Air-Line Drying Options Advice on setups to extract water from your sprayer air supply system. September 10, 2007
How Much Vacuum Can the Pump Tolerate? Pumps come with protective controls to keep them from being damaged by overwork. Here is some related advice on maintaining adequate hold-down of small parts. October 16, 2012
Scuff Scratches Between Coats of Pre-Cat With catalyzed finishes, it works best to apply successive coats before the previous coat is fully cross-linked, so the coats melt together. tober 28, 2008
Worm Holes in Mahogany Worm holes aren't always considered as a defect in Mahogany, but they do leave you wondering whether the critters will come back. July 30, 2007
Adhesives for Cabinet Re-Facing What's a suitable adhesive for attaching a new plywood end panel to an existing cabinet? September 22, 2005
Catalpa: Uses and Vulnerabilities Catalpa is a beautiful wood, rot-resistant and prized by some wood turners. Standing trees may have heart rot, however. April 24, 2013
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
Applying a Chip-Through Finish Wax or petroleum jelly applied in spots will break adhesion and allow the topcoat to chip off, exposing the undercoat. November 26, 2007
Sanding an Inside Profile Cabinetmakers don't report much luck with machine sanding to remove cutter burns. July 11, 2007
Tips for Steam Bending Advice on a steam-bending setup, and leads for more information. December 8, 2006
Stacking and Drying Southern Yellow Pine A sawyer gets advice on stacking and stickering Southern Yellow Pine, and on protecting it against insects. January 25, 2010
Routing Aluminum You can rout aluminum with the right bits if you're careful, but the wise course may be to bring this work to a specialty shop. December 28, 2014
How to Smooth and Flatten a Tablesaw Table A palm sander will do a decent job of removing scratches, but you can also have the thing professionally ground flat. April 27, 2007
Stripping Conversion Varnish A finisher gets the lowdown on how to remove conversion varnish (and the stain under it) from a piece that was finished too dark. December 15, 2005
Cold CNC Machine Won't Run When a CNC device generates a "too cold" error message after spending the night in an unheated shop, pay attention. March 6, 2006
White Film after Spraying A contaminated air line and filter turns out to be the culprit. March 12, 2015
Controlling Beetles in Fresh Logs Beetles under the bark of a fresh log don't mean you can't saw the log and use the wood. November 12, 2008
Veneer Slitter Choices Options for accurate veneer slitting, depending on the budget. January 14, 2009
Finishing One-Piece MDF Doors Profiled areas of MDF doors require additional labor and care for best finish results. Here's advice. June 18, 2013
Title Block and Filename Conventions If you want to stay organized, it helps to have a system for naming CAD files and structuring title blocks. October 26, 2005
Should Solid Surface Joints be Invisible? With some solid surface materials, joints are highly visible because the material is "directional" or otherwise non-uniform. April 20, 2011
Accurate Scales for Balancing Cutters What level of accuracy is required when weighing knives for balance during sharpening — and how do you achieve it?August 12, 2014
Spraygun Choice for Applying Primer Pros recommend a pressure-pot system over an air-assisted airless setup if all you're doing is applying primer. February 15, 2015
Vacuum Bag Versus Clamp Jig for Curved Moldings For a small molding laid up from laminated plies, keep it simple: a curved jig and clamps works as well as vacuum baggin, or better. June 23, 2006
Working with Balau Wood A dense, durable tropical hardwood that is rough on blades, Balau is good for outdoor features such as decks. April 4, 2011
Dowel case assembly Shop owners sing the praises of dowel case construction. September 6, 2000
Troubleshooting Crown in Ripped Boards Advice for diagnosing the problem when boards ripped on the sliding table saw come out not quite straight. November 28, 2014
Custom Mouldings for Arched Window Tops Manufactured windows may not have regular, true, or consistent dimensions. The safest bet is to make a template from the actual window. October 13, 2005
Mist systems and relative humidity Mist systems, what they do, and some general information about relative humidty and its effect on wood. 1998.
Vacuum Lifters for Melamine Sheets Advice on shopping for shop equipment that takes the heavy lifting out of loading melamine onto the CNC table. July 15, 2014
Off-Brand Asian Planers Interesting info about those Chinese-made shop machines you sometimes see bearing unfamiliar name plates.November 14, 2014
Wormy Cherry Lumber A furnituremaker gets help figuring out what kind of critter made holes in his nice Cherry boards (and hears that some people consider them an improvement). April 21, 2008
Cleaning a Dust Filter Ironically, sometimes you can get dustier cleaning a dust filter than you can working without the dust collector it came from. Here, cabinetmakers discuss the dilemma. July 11, 2007
Manufacturing Veneered Cylinders Fabricating veneered drum-shaped cylinders is a specialty with many jealously guarded trade secrets. April 29, 2013
Tangent Handrail Class Tips from a class on tangent handrail fabrication, presented by expert Jim Baldwin. July 28, 2012
Ring Deformation (Compression Wood) An odd-looking ring pattern in a cross-cut log is explained as compression wood, certain to bend after sawing. April 20, 2011
Re-Coating Painted Furniture Advice on applying a compatible, high-quality re-coat to painted furniture. January 14, 2008
Allowing for Panel Movement when Finishing Doors If you assemble five-piece doors before finishing, seasonal drying shrinkage can expose unfinished wood. Here's how some finishers address the issue. March 26, 2007
Grit Choice for Sanding Grit selection may vary depending on wood type and finish formula class. April 19, 2006
What Customers Mean by "Natural" When customers ask for a "natural" finish, they mean a simple sealer and clear top coat — no stain. April 30, 2006
Sawing Timbers for Timber Frame Softwood and hardwood behave differently, but in either case "box-heart" sawing tends to minimize drying movement and checking. January 11, 2007
Glue Spreaders Basic description of glue spreading equipment. November 11, 2008
Wood Worms White worms in reclaimed lumber intended for furniture. What to do? April 20, 2011
Are water-based finishes worth it? An industry expert recounts users' experiences with, and motivations for, converting to water-based finishing products. 1998.
ATS Measuring Stand Repair Tips on repairing or replacing the caliper device on a moulder'smachining, accuracy, set-up, milling, cutting, shaping, joints, joinery, cutters, heads, knives, sharpening, automatic tool-setting stand. May 13, 2005
Line Boring Bit Sharpening Careful sharpening will renew the bits and preserve bored-hole accuracy. October 11, 2007
Cabinet Installation Prices A reasonable per-box rate for cabinet installation can really vary, depending on the complexity of the job. September 27, 2008
Sourcing Exotic Laminate Cabinetmakers discuss how to find unusual and interesting laminates, including distinctive patterns and glow-in-the-dark laminate. February 12, 2009
"Worm tunnels" or fungal growth? Strange growths on freshly sawn lumber turn out to be "fungal hyphae," not a tunnel made by worms or insects.June 4, 2012
A Black Finish on Furniture Black paint can be added to most water-based finishes. Here are a few tips on formulas and application. November 13, 2005
Drying Softwoods If the product is structural lumber rather than appearance-grade wood, just dry the stuff as fast as your equipment can. January 27, 2007
Rocker Lamination Tips Advice on hardwood lamination thickness for rocking chair rockers, and tips for cutting the laminations. February 12, 2007
Duct Silencer: Measured Results With an inexpensive decibel meter, a shop owner finds out how much a duct silencer has quieted down the noise from his dust collector cyclone. April 27, 2011
A Slice of Finishing Shop History Feeling creative, a woodworker takes a cross-section of the two-inch layer of residue on his finishing table after years of accumulation of overspray. The result is art. April 13, 2012
Controlling Bugs in Finished Furniture Fumigation or spraying are ineffective and have drawbacks. Instead, here's a tip for heat-treating furniture. April 24, 2013
Profit-Sharing and Incentive Pay Employers and workers discuss the pros and cons of linking employee compensation to company performance. November 4, 2007
Paying Designers Cabinetmakers discuss their relationships with designers. April 4, 2011
Preparing Face Frame Stock A lively discussion among cabinetmakers about whether, when, and how to joint, plane, or sand stock for face frames. October 8, 2005
Payment Terms in Commercial Work A discussion of the contract technicalities a woodworker has to navigate when making the switch from residential to commercial work. April 6, 2007
Health Benefit Solutions Woodworking shop owners discuss their experiences trying to provide employee health insurance benefits. March 5, 2008
Business, Craftsmanship, and Satisfaction How do you keep love of woodworking alive and also run a successful woodworking business? No one said it would be easy... February 17, 2006
Problem with Insert Tooling Teeth Breaking A shop owner tries to figure out why teeth in his helical insert planer heads keep breaking (which leads to further problems and headaches). October 19, 2013
Payroll as a Proportion of Costs Cabinetmakers help a colleague analyze his labor costs and compare the office, shop floor, and installation shares of it. May 12, 2008
Baseboard for Bullnose Wall Corners A soft-corner baseboard treatment is easy to want, not so easy to do. Here's a spirited discussion of the trim installer's options for this pesky detail. July 9, 2007
How To Spalt Wood Like making a world-class cheese, spalting wood intentionally is more art than science, and you may waste some raw material learning how. Here's an extended and detailed discussion. May 28, 2008
Bidding Wars in Perspective Seeing another company's low-ball bid starts a cabinetmaker thinking. December 26, 2006
Paying for Woodworking Training Is it worth it to go to a "school of woodworking" (or send your employees) to learn skills such as veneering? October 18, 2011
Building a Table In Boat-Builder Style Here's an discussion of costs, pricing, and technique concerning a unique table made using methods inspired by the boat-building trade. August 26, 2008
Building a Stroke Sander Craftsmen share tips about making and running this handy shop tool. October 2, 2005
Blue Stain in Red Oak A discussion of staining, drying odor, and related problems in a large oak tree blown down by wind. December 12, 2008
Buying Equipment Versus Leasing Comparing the advantages and disadvantages of leasing or purchasing shop equipment. February 6, 2010
Helical Stair-Rail Science Pros puzzle through the complexities of following a spiral stairway's curve using round stair rail. March 5, 2008
Building a Shop Cabinet shop owners converse about what they would do differently if they were to build their shop all over again, again. August 14, 2007
Building Insulated-Core Carriage Doors Detailed instruction on how to construct a custom architectural wood door with an insulating foam core. April 4, 2011
How Not to Sand Through Corners Advice on avoiding breaking through the stain on the corners of pieces when sanding between coats. March 3, 2006
Home-Built Dehumidifying Kilns Practical issues and concerns with building a drying kiln that uses an off-the-shelf dehumidifier or a salvaged commercial air conditioner instead of air venting. July 13, 2006
Board Widths for an Oak Table Top Wood movement is the big concern with table tops. Here's how that concern affects the choice of lumber size. May 7, 2007
Brainstorming a Modified Door Frame Joint Is there a quicker and easier way to machine the joints for a raised-panel stile-and-rail cabinet door? Here's a handful of possibly useful ideas. May 22, 2007
Beaded Face Frame Joinery Detailed explanations with photos and drawings of how to achieve nice jack-miter joints on beaded face frames. April 16, 2009
Performance of Resharpened Bits CNC router bits should take several resharpenings before performance drops off. October 18, 2005
Phase Converters for CNC-Equipped Shops If you need 3-phase power for a CNC machine as well as other equipment, you should consider your phase converter choice carefully. The wrong setup could damage your equipment. July 9, 2007
Bending Pressure-Treated Wood Detailed, authoritative information on the ins and outs of bending pressure-treated wood for curved outdoor decks or garden structures. May 23, 2007
Hold Harmless Clause Complications A cautionary tale: When a customer's dog bites a subcontractor, the contractor finds his government contract may leave him holding the bag for a homeowner's insurance payout. June 2, 2009
Preventing Back Pain Seasoned cabinetmakers discuss shoes, boots, floor mats, exercise, and other back-pain prevention strategies. November 30, 2009
Praise for HVLP Has HVLP outgrown a bad reputation? Here's why some swear by it. (Finishing Forum) May 19, 2003
Payment Schedules in Commercial Cabinetry Work When it comes to deposits, progress payments, and final payment, commercial work is a whole nother world. Here's the voice of experience on bidding and contracting those jobs. August 7, 2006
How Long to Build Cabinets? Cabinetmakers share views on how long a typical cabinet job should take a small shop, and help a colleague figure out why his progress has been slow. April 20, 2008
Balanced Laminating Over Melamine Here's a detailed discussion about whether it's okay to apply laminate over just one face of a melamine door, and about various other ways to achieve the same product. October 12, 2012
Problems with Bio-Diesel Switching to bio-diesel fuel for log-handling equipment is not always trouble-free, according to some. December 28, 2006
Balanced Construction of Plastic Laminate Doors Experience shows that balancing P-lam doors can prevent the occasional case of warping. Here are thoughts on how to lay up balanced P-lam panels. February 12, 2010
Plywood Quality Issues An in-depth discussion of quality concerns regarding hardwood plywood, with details on the way various plywood flavors are put together. December 30, 2005
Patenting a New Jig or Tool A woodworker has thought up a modification that improves on someone else's design, and wonders whether he should seek a patent. Responses supply a rundown on the patent process and its pitfalls. February 17, 2006
Pricing Furniture Cost is a hard fact, but the market value of a unique furniture piece can be very subjective. October 28, 2008
Buying a Used Beamsaw Input from users and maintenance techs on what to watch out for when buying a pre-owned beamsaw, and advice about teardown, transport, and re-assembly.July 29, 2011
Price and Quality — Sawing Oak Boards for Dump Truck Beds Sawing for a utility market like truck bed liners carries its own set of economic calculations. Here's a practical business discussion that delves into the pennies and the board feet. May 23, 2007
Burning Off Water Damage Wipe the white discoloration with alcohol, touch it with a lit match, and Bob's your uncle. January 7, 2010
Profits, Bonuses, and Debt This interesting discussion considers the significance of a Christmas bonus in the context of company financials and taxes. February 27, 2015
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
Protection for On-Site Spraying Advice for avoiding overspray damage when refinishing cabinetry in a furnished house. April 18, 2015
Planning for Workflow Improvements A manager of a large shop who's working on streamlining the machine layout and work process gets advice on how to look before he leaps. October 2, 2007
Pricing and Marketing It's been said before: don't set your prices too low. November 26, 2007
Profile Grinding Bent Wood The developer of an innovative method for extreme-bending hardwood explores options for profiling his bent pieces using abrasive wheels. March 12, 2014
Pricing a Furniture Prototype How do you decide what to charge for designing and building a piece of furniture that will then be mass-produced by others? June 22, 2010
Proper nail hole touchup Using a material to fill holes that will be compatible with the finish. July 9, 2002
Blade and Bit Resharpening Most cabinetmakers agree that sending blades and bits out for resharpening is a practical and economical choice. March 25, 2007
Pricing and Closing During a First Sales Call This thread presents good arguments for being prepared to present a firm quote and close the deal during your first meeting with a customer. August 28, 2010
Panels for Railroad Roundhouse Doors A discussion of technical assembly details for some huge architectural doors to be made of sawn wood. June 28, 2013
Picket Fence Lumber Selection A discussion comparing the pros and cons of treated wood, second growth Cedar, and other wood species for use in a fence. December 1, 2010
Blind Dadoes Versus Dowel Joinery A discussion of the efficiency and accuracy trade-offs involved in switching from blind-dado and screw construction to dowel joinery. August 8, 2008
Birdpeck in Walnut Woodpecker damage can be found deep inside some Walnut trees, and tends to concentrate within particular stands of trees or geographic areas. June 8, 2008
Presses Basic info on manual and automated veneer and laminate presses. November 12, 2008
Handing Back the Check Advice on backing out of a bad deal before it gets worse, while you still can. September 29, 2014
How To Charge For Design Getting paid for design work's not easy, but some markets will bear it. April 10, 2005
Preventing Nubs in the Finish Call them nibs or call them nubs, they're not good. Preventing them usually comes down to careful wiping and good hygeine. July 3, 2008
Prices for Finishing a Kitchen A craftsman who usually finishes only his own cabinetry gets feedback on setting a price to finish someone else's work. March 4, 2009
Panel Processing Time with and without CNC A CNC shop and a cabinetmaker using conventional equipment compare the labor time used to cut up and bore an entire kitchen. January 1, 2012
Building Your Own CNC Machine It won't be a top-end machine — but if you build one, you'll learn a lot. November 27, 2012
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
Brush Backed Flap Sanding Wheels A simple question about where to buy a replacement sanding wheel prompts an information-filled thread about brush and flap sanding technology. August 29, 2014
Paulownia Characteristics and Uses A fast-growing, light and strong semi-tropical wood, Paulownia has enough value to be worth stealing. Here's an example growing on a bathroom windowsill. September 5, 2010
Bacterial Action in Wood Temperature and the availability of oxygen help determine which sort of bacteria can thrive in wood, and therefore how the infected wood might smell. January 27, 2007
Black Walnut for Windows A discussion considering whether Black Walnut is an appropriate wood for constructing custom reproduction window sash. April 4, 2011
Bit Selection for a CNC Router A shop owner gets advice on what bits he'll need for his new CNC router, along with tips on bit care and re-sharpening. August 30, 2005
Hand Clamping for Mitered Doors What's a simple shop setup for assembling mitered cabinet doors? Pros supply a beginner with tips and suggestions. July 25, 2005
Preventing Mold Formation on Freshly Sawn Pine Surface dryness is the best answer to preventing mold from getting a foothold on sawn softwood. Here are tips on how to achieve it. April 18, 2010
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
Profit sharing plans Developing a plan where employee compensation is linked to productivity. June 24, 2001
Board-Foot Scales Compared Different log scaling systems predict different lumber output because they include different assumptions about waste. October 12, 2007
Poured Inlay Work in Solid Surface Advise on using heat, additives, and other tricks to get good results with routing and pouring details into a solid surface top. July 16, 2012
Pigment Staining Through Finish Coats Objects left on furniture (such as candles or pumpkins) may stain the underlying wood right through the finish coating. January 14, 2008
Photo Advertising on a Trailer Legal and practical discussion: Should you use stock photos of cabinetry (that you did not make) as advertising on your company trailer? June 17, 2012
Parenchyma Cell Rings and Wood Grain Info about parynchyma cell rings, a structure similar to growth rings that can affect the appearance of sawn lumber. October 1, 2009
Painting a Flexible Wood Seat Paint will naturally crack if you ask it to flex. But some automotive finishes might be able to handle minor flexing. April 21, 2008
Pre-Finished Plywood and Wood Edgebanding Advice on assembly and finishing of a cabinet made with prefinished plywood interiors and solid wood edgebanding. October 13, 2012
Building Outdoor Chairs An example and step-by-step instructions for an Adirondack-style rocker. December 1, 2005
Protecting Fresh Wood from Bugs Chemical means have drawbacks and are not very effective. So good drying and careful hygeine in the the yard are your best methods for keeping wood bug-free. April 20, 2011
Building with Green Water Oak Building with timbers that have not been dried creates some degree of risk. September 27, 2008
Hardwood Utilization Book Review "The Management, Manufacture and Marketing of California Black Oak, Pacific Madrone and Tanoak" covers the various aspects encountered by the forester, the logger, the sawmill manager, the marketing people, and the business owner - 1998
Blue Book Advertising Some woodworking shops get good results from advertising in their local Blue Book. March 12, 2009
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
Boosting Your Cabinet Lift Site-rigged makeshift adjustments to gain extra height when setting a high upper cabinet. August 31, 2009
Hanging Panels with Z Clips on a Crooked Wall Nice step-by-step game plan for hanging wall panels with Z clips onto a furred-out metal stud wall (some straightening required). January 2, 2012
Hidden Door Hardware Advice on how to hinge a heavy door disguised as a hanging mirror on a wall. May 11, 2011
Bug Control: Pesticide, or a Salamander Heater? Warnings: Pesticides will likely not penetrate lumber and kill a particular pest, and heating wood with fuel combustion exhaust can cause discoloration. January 28, 2014
Protection on the Assembly Table Suggestions for soft surface coverings for the assembly table to protect delicate cabinet surfaces during assembly. December 9, 2013
Hanging on a Floating Shelf Here's a fun addition to the Knowledge Base collection on floating shelf attachment: a woodworker demonstrating how a small shelf will support his own weight. May 15, 2011
Troubleshooting Accuracy Problems on a Tenoner Here's a long story of a woodworking shop's difficulties in getting a tenoner set up with split tooling to work to the desired level of precision, accuracy, and repeatability. October 26, 2011
Bidding Wars Heat Up In a tough economy, price undercutting can get extreme. Here, a cabinetmaker's anecdote sets off a long discussion of price competition and reality. August 11, 2009
Cultivating Initiative and Creativity on the Shop Floor Here's a thoughtful discussion about how a shop foreman can train his employees how to think for themselves, rather than simply solving problems for them. Also mentioned: how to craft shop SOP's. February 11, 2010
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
Cabinet Shop Growing Pains A cabinet shop owner gets advice on expanding his production volume while integrating some complex new software into his workflow. July 12, 2008
Taking Measurements on Site — Tape Measure or Laser Device? The new generation of laser measuring tools can improve accuracy and save time. Here, cabinetmakers describe why they made the switch and how they use the new tools. November 22, 2005
How Strict Should Work Hours Be? Woodworking employers and employees discuss working hours, flex time, performance, and shop morale. March 4, 2006
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
Troubleshooting Air-Assisted Airless Performance A finisher isn't sure whether he's shopping for a new gun or trying to fix the one he has. Either way, he gets some advice in this thread. October 19, 2013
Acetylated Treated Lumber — What's Up with That? Here's an interesting discussion about the durability, fastener compatibility, and other properties of acetyl treated lumber, such as "Accoya," with some useful links to more. January 2, 2014
Troubleshooting Moulder Head Vibration Many things could potentially throw a moulder head out of balance. Here, pros discuss the possible causes of excessive vibration. August 23, 2005
Sliding Table Saw Safety Here's an extensive set of tips and cautions for working safely with a sliding table saw. December 2, 2010
Business Worries and Sleep Running your own business can make it hard to get a good night's sleep. Here's some advice on healthy habits that may help (personal and business both). April 9, 2008
Drawing Units and Precision Deciding on the level of precision needed for cabinet and millwork design. October 20, 2004
Home-Built Dehumidification Kilns Here's a long discussion of small, inexpensive dehumidifier kiln design, including a consideration of the fire risks involved. September 17, 2012
Managing Growth as a Start-Up Cabinet Shop In its second year, this small shop owner's cabinet business is starting to take off. Here, he gets advice on his next steps.October 19, 2011
Log-Hauling Equipment Choices Sawmill operators talk about the rigs they use to move logs from off site. October 3, 2007
Efficient Trim Installation Extensive advice on organizing and planning for efficient production on site when installing baseboard, crown moulding, and window and door casing. October 25, 2006
Classifying Workers An accountant's suggestion to turn a few employees into "subcontractors" comes in for criticism — along with some information about the rules for that sort of thing. September 30, 2010
Presenting A Quote There are reasons to sell the job face to face, in person. April 10, 2005
Swing Blade Safety How dangerous is a swing blade sawmill? Operators kick the topic around. June 30, 2007
Fabricating Solid Wood Doors A discussion of the risks involved with solid wood door construction, and some detailed advice on "plank construction" methods. January 12, 2009
Bit Deflection with 3/8-Inch Bits Tiny "nibs" at the entry and exit points of cuts: what's the problem? Could the bits be deflecting, or is there some other cause? October 1, 2010
Appliance Size Specifications Rant Here's a universal complain from cabinetmakers: it's dern near impossible to find out the dimensions of a kitchen appliance without measuring the actual appliance.November 27, 2012
Installation scheduling When he can't keep up with the jobs the sales staff hands him, what's an installer to do? June 24, 2001
De-Nailing Salvaged Antique Floor Joists There's no magic bullet for pulling hard old cut nails from antique hardwood floor joists — but there are lots of techniques. February 14, 2010
Buying Second-Hand CNC Equipment People who have been there and done that describe the trouble they've been through with used CNC gear — and the payoff. March 21, 2006
Spray Booth Fans and Explosion Risk The scary stories in this thread should convince anyone that explosion-proof fans are a must in any spray operation. August 17, 2009
AdWords Campaigns: Do They Work? Woodworking business owners discuss the results they've seen from Google AdWords campaigns. April 29, 2010
HVLP with Turbine Advice on whether to switch from a siphon gun to an HVLP spray gun. May 17, 2005
Dining Table Stability Here's an enlightening, if confused, discussion of the forces required to tip over a table based on its mass distribution. Also, this is a cool looking table. July 16, 2012
Pricing for Kiln Drying Sawmillers share numbers on kiln-drying service charges. November 14, 2009
Joinery for a U-Shaped Wood Countertop Given the natural tendency for wood to move, joinery for a complex wood countertop requires some careful thinking. December 1, 2010
Delivery Truck Choices How best to move cabinets: Truck or trailer? Purchase or lease? Or just hire a moving company? Shop owners kick the topic around. September 4, 2005
Truck, Van, or Trailer? Installation pros discuss the convenience, gas mileage, and security of various vehicle choices. October 8, 2005
Choosing New Shop Space Deciding about shop size, distance from home, and the pros and cons of "condo" arrangements when searching for a roomier workspace. February 6, 2010
Troubleshooting Router Errors -- Hardware or Software? A CNC tech thought his machine's bad behavior was caused by mechanical adjustment problems, but it turned out to be bad numbers in the controller. Lesson learned. April 10, 2008
Remote Control Cutoff for CNC Equipment Ideas for solving a unique problem: shutting off a CNC router while programming and observing the machine remotely. August 21, 2006
Safe Spraying on Site Here's a discussion about how to prevent overspray from setting off alarms or explosions when finishing on site in a high-rise building. July 18, 2013
Sealer Coats and Surface Roughness Rags used for wiping off stain can snag on a rough surface, but if you fully seal and sand smooth, the stain will not take as well. So how to choose the first, "sealer" coat? October 25, 2006
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
Marketing a Machinery Modification A woodworker has perfected a great idea for improving an existing piece of equipment. How does he bring his idea to the market? October 3, 2011
Cutting Dadoes on a Sliding Table Saw Many sliders will accept a dado blade set. You'll have to consider the riving knife when using one for that purpose, though. August 17, 2006
Shop-Built Adjustable Shaper Fence Here's an example of a sliding-gib shaper fence capable of fine adjustments for close-tolerance woodworking. October 3, 2009
Hand-Powered Saws for Milling Logs A discussion of pit saws and an idea for adapting a bandmill blade for a hand-powered frame saw. May 11, 2005
CNC Routers Versus Jobs for People Despite employees' fears, a new CNC will not replace people — it will make their lives better. June 11, 2010
Paying Workers for Travel Time Is a boss required to pay workers for travel time to and from a jobsite (such as a cabinet install)? That depends on the circumstances. June 15, 2009
Enforcing Cancellation Policies When a customer cancels a service call on short or no notice, how do you effectively charge a cancellation fee? April 21, 2011
Edgebanding with Veneer A cabinetmaker gets advice on applying quartersawn cherry veneer as edgebanding. January 26, 2008
Down-Sizing the Motor on a Used Sander A shop owner can get a great deal on a used wide-belt, but he doesn't think his shop has the amps to run it. What are his options for matching his power to the machine? September 17, 2008
Edgebanding With Veneer Exploring ways to attach matching veneer to the edges of veneered panels. October 3, 2009
Understanding Web Statistics Exposures, impressions, click-throughs and refferals, and how to measure them. April 18, 2003
Structural Testing for Chairs There's the Fat Man test, the Little Boy test, the Throw it Off the Roof test, and the "Entire state is sliding into the ocean" test ... you get the idea. January 3, 2012
Rounding Over Corners on Blocks (Mass Production) Woodworkers brainstorm in search of a high-volume, high-accuracy production method for a repetitive task of rounding over corners on small hardwood blocks. September 15, 2011
Baby Steps toward More Efficient Sanding A small shop owner considers stepping up to a drum sander or stroke sander, or just investing in more compressor capacity and some pneumatic hand sanders. October 27, 2011
Equipment and Curriculum for a Woodworking School Woodworkers discuss the shop equipment, software, and focus appropriate for a serious secondary school program intended to train professional woodworkers. July 27, 2008
Getting Mahogany Flat Very hard woods with alternating grain patterns sometimes develop waviness when sanded with wide-belt equipment. Here's an extensive discussion of the characteristics of Mahogany, and of ways to approach it using both hand tools and power equipment. November 12, 2005
Scroll Cutting Rafter Tails Cutting a scroll detail on the end of big, heavy rafters requires some tooling ingenuity. February 25, 2009
Low-Budget Spray Guns Finishers mull over lower-cost spray guns and what they're good for. November 13, 2005
Screws for Joining Face Frames Together A cabinet installer finds his crews are snapping the occasional screw when connecting adjoining face frames in the field. Here's a discussion of installation methods, clamps, and fastening hardware. December 27, 2007
One-Man Installation Setup Small cabinet-shop owners explain how they organize bringing their tools and supplies to the jobsite for installations. March 9, 2008
Choosing a Spraygun for a Small Shop A thoughtful discussion on the pros and cons of airless, air-assisted, pressure pot, and gravity HVLP sprayguns. December 9, 2010
Large Ogee Edge Profiling Woodworkers discuss methods for machining a very deep edge profile onto a big, heavy countertop. April 18, 2015
Fitting Inset Doors to Face Frames Pros discuss the efficiency and accuracy of various approaches to measuring, marking, cutting, and installing inset cabinet doors. January 21, 2007
High Gloss Finishes Advice on formula choices (including automotive clear-coat urethanes), polishing methods, and finishing schedules for a drop-dead glossy clear finish. December 9, 2010
Pre-Cat Lacquer Seal Coat Sanding Pre-cat lacquer works well as its own sanding sealer, but it takes some experience to learn to avoid bubbling in the coat over certain types of wood. July 18, 2008
The Fine Points of Scuff Sanding "Scuff sanding" to knock down minor imperfections between coats may be done quickest and best by hand. Here, professionals delve into the fine points of how, when, and why to scuff sand finish coats. August 10, 2005
Tool Organization for Cabinet Installers How does a cabinet installer cut back on the number of trips back and forth from the truck to the house? Pros ponder solutions. December 2, 2006
Construction Details for a Super-Sized Rustic Table The "rustic" label may add a "character" forgiveness factor, but there's still some head-scratching involved in building a table eight feet wide. October 28, 2014
Gluing face frames Is glue alone enough to attach face frames to 3/4-inch plywood cabinets? July 29, 2003
Window Hinge Mortising Retrofit Techniques Detailed advice for cutting new Soss hinge mortises on custom replacement windows to match already-mortised existing window jambs. June 3, 2007
Budget Alternatives to a Sliding Table Saw If a slider's not in the budget, what are the alternatives? Cabinetmakers discuss table saw attachments, vertical panel saws, and track saw packages. April 6, 2011
Labor Charge to Hang Doors Millwork installers discuss the steps, labor time and cost for installing interior pass-through doors. October 4, 2005
Track Saws for Breaking Down Panels A tracked circular saw is no substitute for a panel saw or sliding table saw, but it's a productive tool that's worth the investment. October 13, 2010
Router Overheating Woodworkers discuss how hot router bits and collets should be expected to get during normal operation, and what might cause them to overheat. September 7, 2006
Shop Air Filtration Advice on an air filter setup for capturing fine dust that escapes the dust collection system. December 24, 2009
Solid Color Finishes for Kitchens Finishers share views on the selection and application of solid-color finishes for kitchen cabinetry (including thoughts on site application and/or touch-up).November 29, 2014
Ripping a Glue Line on Site Have to glue boards edge to edge on the job site? Here are a couple of tips on preparing the edges for a satisfactory match.January 23, 2014
Troubleshooting Small Bumps in Finish Here's a long list of suggestions for what might be causing small bumps to appear in a finish coat. April 18, 2015
Making a Wood Edge Flush with a Laminate Top Flushing up the top surface of a wood-edged laminate countertop is tricky, any way you do it. Here are some suggestions. April 10, 2007
Cutting Out Oven Cabinet Openings Oven cabinets come with small openings that need to be enlarged to fit the brand of oven selected. Here, installers share their methods for making a clean, precise cut. December 14, 2005
Reproducing a Grooved Vanity Door Thoughts on imitating the look of a reeded door panel (made with tambour mat screening in a hinged door panel). September 23, 2006
Biscuit Joiner Comparisons Besides the quality and price issues, not all biscuit joiners work the same way. Here's a closer look. April 9, 2008
Stationary Biscuit Joiners Advice on modifying or adapting biscuit joining equipment for use as a stationary machine. November 10, 2006
Making Money with LEAN Systems A thread that starts out with a question about stock versus custom cabinetry turns into a lesson in LEAN systems. October 13, 2010
Cabinet Door Shop Set-Up Necessities Specializing in cabinet doors isn't a business you can easily jump into. Here's a lively discussion about "barriers to entry" — the minimum scale required for success, and the equipment you'll need to compete. December 14, 2009
Pricing Kitchen Cabinets Price by the foot, or by the box? Cabinetmakers discuss the pros and cons of different estimating and pricing methods. May 20, 2006
Accurate Cuts on Crown Molding Trim carpentry pros discuss saw stops, cutting methods, and measuring techniques for getting perfect miter cuts and joint bevels. March 18, 2006
Finger Versus Tablesaw A cautionary tale of a seven-stitches encounter with a tablesaw blade sets off a discussion of accidents had and lessons learned. April 25, 2006
Fine Dust, Cyclones, and Filter Clogging The right combination of cyclones and filters, good airflow, and diligent cleaning are part of keeping the dust collection system free from clogging. June 15, 2014
Granite Countertop Underlayment Depending on thickness, granite countertops may be self-supporting without underlayment. September 5, 2006
Using a Radial-Arm Saw to Cut Dadoes A radial-arm saw is good for repetitive cross-cut dadoes, but dangerous for ripping. Here, woodworkers discuss equipment alternatives for efficient, accurate dadoing. November 10, 2006
Troubleshooting Curved Miter Cuts Big chopsaw cutting a little concave? Blade quality and technique might both play a role. August 8, 2008
Radial Arm Saw Blade Issues With the wrong blade, radial-arm saws will grab the work piece and "self-feed" it in. May 20, 2009
Pricing Trim Work Stay away from square foot pricing for finish carpentry. Here are details on how to price by the piece and the joint (and factor in aggravation). June 23, 2006
Financing a Building Purchase A woodworker's landlord is selling the property, and the tenant wonders if he can afford to buy it. January 9, 2008
Stating Dimensions for Crown Moulding Crown molding sizes can be looked at two ways: The thickness and width of the board, or the vertical and horizontal distances it will span when installed. Depending on the situation, either could be important. December 2, 2006
Using OSB for Stickers Sawmill pros generally frown on using oriented strand board (OSB) for sticker material. January 17, 2011
Making Mitered Boxes with MDF Here's a long discussion of how to get accurate, clean miter joints with MDF, time after time. September 26, 2009
Blade Life when Cutting Melamine Melamine tears up saw blades. Here are some observations on blade life expectancy, some thoughts on blade choice, and a success story involving diamond blades. August 14, 2007
Choosing a Spray Setup Finishers kick around the perennial HVLP versus air-assisted airless question, and exchange detailed thoughts about the pros and cons of different spraygun makes and models. April 19, 2006
Spray Shop Layout Setting up an efficient spray-finishing area in an expanded shop. December 26, 2004
Understanding Vacuum Hold-Down When shopping for a vacuum pump for a CNC, it's helpful to know how vacuum works. February 13, 2009
Project and Product Photography for Cabinetmakers A good professional photographer will give you the best results. But if you want to do it yourself, there are ways to improve your technique. January 26, 2008
Fine Points of Paint Finishes More expensive acrylics typically perform better than "latex" formulas. Here are some tips on choosing and applying opaque finishes. July 3, 2008
Advice for a Beginning Finisher Pros counsel a cabinetmaker on how to get started applying spray finishes to his own work. April 19, 2006
Vacuum and Part Size A question about how to relate vacuum requirements to minimum part size. January 2, 2012
Options for Finishing Cherry Cabinetmaker gets advice on finish combinations and application techniques. July 9, 2005
Toner for a Poplar Cabinet A customer changes her mind, and a cabinetmaker needs to apply a stain finish instead of paint — to a poplar cabinet. Pros chime in with detailed recommendations and explanations for a very challenging toner application. May 17, 2005
How To Correct Blotchy Stain on Cherry Here's a complicated finishing situation that draws a lot of different opinions, and some useful insights. February 15, 2015
Fine Points of Pigments and Dye Stains Here's an extended, in-depth discussion of the alternatives for coloring wood before applying a clear top coat. December 31, 2013
Measuring and Mixing Small Batches of Finish Here's a long, useful discussion of practical ways to measure out your finish, thinner, and catalyst when you only need a very small amount. April 29, 2013
Getting Started with Dye Stains A newcomer to finishing gets a boatload of advice on custom tinting with dye concentrates and powders. March 29, 2006
Advice on Conversion Varnish A beginner gets tips on product choices, application techniques, and conditioning the workspace. March 18, 2005
Whether to Strip Cabinet Doors After considering all the options and their various drawbacks, a cabinetmaker decides to buy new doors instead of stripping and refinishing a bad batch. December 29, 2008
Reducing finish overspray Methods, additives and equipment for minimizing this problem. October 30, 2002
Lacquer Adhesion Over Glaze A reported problem getting nitrocellulose lacquer to stick over a heavy-bodied glaze leads to a discussion of possible solutions. November 8, 2007
Getting Penetration with Spray Stain After switching from wiping stain to spray stain, a finisher asks for advice on working the material into fine cracks and crevices. December 31, 2012
Dye Stains, Solvents, and Alder A question about spray dyes for Alder leads to a discussion of sophisticated custom formulations using dyes and solvents. March 26, 2007
Square-Foot Pricing for Volume Work When a potential customer suggests a low-ball price for a volume job, finishers chime in with information about the realistic costs of such a project. May 27, 2014
Re-Painting Kitchen Cabinets Finishers discuss the options for painting cabinets in a home, while the owners are living there. August 24, 2008
Tung Oil for Table Tops Tung Oil is not the toughest coating, but it's easy to maintain and repair. July 28, 2008
Catalyzed Versus Uncatalyzed Lacquers An extended discussion of the chemistry, attributes, and performance of catalyzed lacquers compared to traditional uncatalyzed nitrocellulose lacquer. April 21, 2008
Finishing Cherry for a Uniform Color Cherry is photosensitive and prone to blotching, so trying to overcome the natural differences in color between pieces by sealing and tinting has low odds of success. July 11, 2013
Mixing Your Own Toner Stain mixed with lacquer makes a good toner, but it takes practice. March 18, 2005
Liming a red oak door The proper procedure for attaining a subtle white finish. November 29, 2000
Controlling Lacquer Blushing Humid environments sometimes make lacquer "blush." Here, pros suggest ways to minimize blush, and to correct it when it happens. August 30, 2005
Solvent Pop in Automotive Clearcoat Tiny round white specks on a guitar finished with automotive urethane are the result of solvent trying to evaporate, trapped under the fast-curing crosslinked skin. There's no fix now, but it can be prevented next time. December 8, 2006
Applying glaze in tight spots Tips for achieving a consistent glaze application in tight places on raised-panel doors. June 24, 2001
Opaque Finish Choices Finishers discuss their preferred opaque finish products. February 15, 2015
Refinishing Built-In Cabinetry Tips and cautions for a finisher who's about to try toning and glazing a house full of existing cabinetry. March 12, 2015
Learning Faux Finishing A discussion of informational and educational resources for beginning faux finishers. August 21, 2006
Micro-Bubbles with an Air-Assisted Airless Compared to a cup gun, an AAA spraygun might shear the fluid and introduce gas that creates tiny bubbles in the wet coat. Here are some suggested work-arounds. April 19, 2011
Spraying White Lacquer Advice on mixing thinner and retarder into lacquer and primer for good coverage without runs. June 18, 2010
Soft, "Buttery"-Feeling Finishes How do commercial cabinet companies achieve the pleasing tactile surface feeling some finishes seem to have? April 18, 2015
Troubleshooting a Flaking Finish Finishers help a cabinetmaker diagnose a finish problem on Maple and MDF cabinet doors. October 2, 2005
Correcting a Too-Red Stain Green moves red in the direction of brown. Here are tips on careful application of that color correction. January 9, 2007
Troubleshooting Uneven Sheen in Lacquer Too much thinner can reduce the proportions of flattener, resulting in uneven sheen and excessive glossiness. April 20, 2011
Strange Brew — Trouble Ahead? A finisher gets a look he likes with a "mish mosh" sequence (latex paint, shellac, waterborne glaze, and clear lacquer). But will the combination perform over time? August 30, 2007
Reground Planer Knives Trapping Chips Woodworkers help figure out why chips won't clear out from the workpiece after a set of planer knives comes back from the grinder. March 14, 2006
Thinning Enamel Paint Thinning paint for spraying has gotten a little tricky now that the solvent content of the paints themselves has been cut back by regulations. May 7, 2007
Challenging Issues for Wood Shops This thread tackles two issues at one time (listing the top issues confronting wood shops, and managing multiple different kinds of work), and beats both into submission. July 30, 2009
An overview of sawmill operations Sawmill operators swap experiences, "war" stories, and ideas for production profitability. October 17, 2000
Three-phase motors 101 Three-phase power and converters; explained in layman's terms. June 19, 2003
Door Sanding Quality Issues Here's advice on setting quality standards for cabinet door final sanding, and meeting the goals in a competitive market. April 2, 2013
Portable sawing rates Methods for charging, plus more on the business of sawmilling. January 21, 2002
Cabinet doors: to build or to buy? A roundtable on making raised-panel doors for cabinets, versus "buying them out," opening onto a discussion of the larger issues of tooling and automation. July 18, 2000
Vacuum kiln drying How do vacuum kilns work and how effective are they? (From WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum) January 21, 2003
DIY grading The legal ins and outs of grading your own milled lumber. January 28, 2002
A Sliding Table Saw in a Small Work Space Here's another long discussion of the value of sliding table saws, and the practical aspects of fitting one into a small shop footprint. July 29, 2012
DeWalt 3521 Radial Arm Saw A collector and reseller of old American-made tools discusses a classic radial arm saw. March 26, 2013
Cabinet design techniques A survey of cabinetmakers' design techniques, from pencil and rule to CAD. September 6, 2000
Insert Tooling Versus Knives Machine owners weigh the pros and cons of standard planer knives compared to helical insert tooling. It gets complicated. October 27, 2013
A Disappointing Auction Cautionary tales about equipment auction disappointments, from both the seller's and the buyer's sides. April 10, 2012
The Web as a customer interface Shop owners share their ideas on the Internet's usefulness from a marketing and customer service standpoint. September 6, 2000
Building a bandmill from scratch Advice and examples concerning home-built mills. (From WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum) January 21, 2003
Planing on edge Processing stock through planer to define parts' widths. January 3, 2003
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
Conversion Varnish on Antique Heart Pine Antique Heart Pine tends to come with all the residues and character of its 200-year service life. Will conversion varnish stick to it, and behave?February 27, 2013
Finding good help How to find and keep reliable employees for your sawmill business. January 16, 2002
Buying a Used Straight Line Rip Saw Maintenance, wear and tear, and other factors to consider when purchasing a second-hand straight line rip saw. November 14, 2014
Amish mills Some perspectives on Amish sawmill operations. June 27, 2000
Dust Collection for Orbital Sanders High-velocity vacuum dust collection for hand sanders is a separate system from the low-velocity system used for larger machinery. June 15, 2014
Filtering out isocyanates Is an organic respirator capable of filtering out isocyanates? December 6, 2000
Small-Shop Cyclone Advice Even for fine dust, a cyclone is the key to keeping filters free-flowing. April 13, 2012
Biscuits for face frames A discussion of using biscuits for assembling cabinet face frames. Pros and cons of biscuits on face frames, and equipment used. November 21, 2000
Machining aluminum Determining the feed speed and other details for machining aluminum. July 24, 2001
Routing phenolic paper A discussion of the best bits and techniques for cutting phenolic paper on a CNC router. November 15, 2000
Cyclones for Fine Sanding Dust A taller, more narrowly tapering cyclone seems to remove fine dust more effectively, but you'll still need a fine filter downstream of that. July 29, 2012
Breaking router bits Why are bits breaking while cutting exterior-grade MDF? November 26, 2001
Finishing maple and birch Maple and birch are notorious for not taking stains evenly. Here are tips for achieving color uniformity in these popular, durable woods.1998.
Round timbers and ties Round timbers and ties represent some of the most efficient uses of our forest resources. They require a minimum of processing between harvesting the tree and marketing the structural commodity. Poles and piles are debarked or peeled, seasoned, and often treated with preservative prior to use as str ......
WOODWEB's Media Kit WOODWEB's on-line Media Kit - advertising information and rates for Link and Search Engine advertising, Banners, display ads, Billboards, Web hosting, Web design, programming and development services, Internet marketing, search engine ranking and positioning, link popularity, advertising testimonial ......
Assembling and Gluing Staved Columns Here's a boatload of advice and ideas about how to put together and glue octagonal columns made with staves. October 23, 2007
Estimating and Pricing Commercial Work Big, complicated jobs are an opportunity to make or lose money through the accuracy of your estimating. Here is some advice on coming to grips with the details that determine your costs. October 23, 2007
Gel Stain Pros and Cons Is gel stain "second cousin to paint?" (And is that bad?) September 26, 2006
Repairing Scratches in Glossy Laminate From quick and simple to time-consuming and elaborate, here are ways to get a visible scratch "below the radar." September 26, 2006
Dust Collection Direct to a Trailer Shop owners discuss ways to rig a dust collection cyclone so it dumps directly into a trailer. September 24, 2006
Overcatalyzation Callback Confusion Here's a cautionary tale: A cabinetmaker dismisses a customer's legitimate complaint about finish discoloration because he think the customer is hiding something. Turns out, overcatalyzing the finish did cause it to turn orange after many months. Now the cabinetmaker has to apologize and make the jo ......
Should I charge more? Cabinetmakers share their systems for determining pricing. August 29, 2001
Multi-Router Versus Slot Mortiser Furnituremakers discuss the value of a multi-router and compare it with other equipment options. August 21, 2006
Setting Up to Build Cabinet Doors Even if you usually outsource, building your own doors in special circumstances can make sense. Here's advice on machinery and tooling for that scenario. June 16, 2014
Cost, Overhead, and Profit: A Pricing Example A conversation about how to price a small cabinet job sheds light on different philosophies regarding costs, markups, and the path to a life of contentment. November 15, 2010
Alignment of Face Frames The decision on making face frames flush versus leaving a reveal. February 10, 2004
Cabinet Door Warping Problems Job-site humidity can warp cabinet doors. To reduce problems, some would recommend avoiding Poplar in favor of Maple, or even MDF. October 27, 2011
Dummy Finial Hinges for Inset Doors A cabinetmaker wants to use Euro hinges for the real hinge, but apply a fake half-hinge to the door surface for looks. January 13, 2009
Pricing for Cabinet Finishing A furniture finisher who would like to branch out into cabinet finishing gets feedback on how to charge for the service. February 18, 2007
Rubbing Out Wood Finishes Rubbing out a finish is the last step in finishing. The point is to remove imperfections, even out and smooth the surface, and establish a consistent sheen to the finish. Here's a detailed how-to from finishing maestro Jeff Jewitt. February 17, 2007
How to Prevent Sanding Swirl Marks There is more to power sanding than you might think. Here, pros discuss the fine points. December 26, 2006
Troubleshooting Sand-Through Problems with Dye Finish Here's a detailed discussion of sanding materials and techniques, with a view to avoiding the problem of sanding through light finishes while scuff-sanding between coats. October 19, 2014
Rates for custom milling An extremely detailed look at different systems of charging for custom milling. May 30, 2001
Has Buried Metal Ever Ruined Your Day? Bicycle sprockets, unexploded ordinance ... you never know what you're going to find in a tree. Here are the tales of buried metal contributed by Woodweb members competing to win a metal detector. The contest is over, but the stories (like spikes in a tree) last forever. April 15, 2013
Value of Logs from Tree Services Logs from tree-removal services can be interesting, but they're not worth paying a lot for. Here's a long discussion on the ins and outs of dealing with tree services. April 27, 2007
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
Troubleshooting Glue Joint Failure in Maple A discussion about various issues that could cause glue-line failure in joints made with freshly machined quartersawn maple. October 2, 2007
Solid Wood Entry Door Construction An extended technical discussion of proven methods for constructing large, heavy, durable custom doors using solid sawn lumber. January 18, 2007
Choosing a Bandsaw Blade Experimenting over time is the way to find the blade that works best on your mill for the kind of sawing that you do. (Also, fish responsibly.) February 2, 2012
Bending Stair Rail in Three Dimensions Experienced stair rail professionals weigh in on a deep and complex subject — multi-dimensional wood bending — in this long, detailed thread. February 25, 2009
Bandmill horsepower Will a higher horsepower diesel engine speed production? January 1, 2003
Priming MDF Raised-Panel Doors Primer can do unpleasant things to the exposed wood fiber of routed MDF. But there are quite a few ways to prime machined MDF beautifully. August 30, 2005
Troubleshooting Glue Line Swelling in Furniture In this long and complicated thread, woodworkers and experts try to figure out what's causing a slight ridge to form at the glue line in a wood chair lamination. July 29, 2014
Is It Practical to Store Logs for Long Periods? Most logs will deteriorate quickly if not cut and dried. Here's a long debate on the practicality of pond storage and other proposed ways around the dilemma. April 19, 2006
Timber Framing: Dry or Green? Thoughts and opinions on whether to frame with dry lumber or green, and whether to let felled logs dry before sawing. October 1, 2009
Lumber Thickness and Sawing Tolerances Here's a thoughtful discussion of the risks and benefits of trying to rough-saw to fine tolerances in order to get more board feet per log for a given finish lumber thickness. February 14, 2010
Chainsaw and bandmills A comparison of chainsaw mills and bandmills for small-scale production. March 28, 2001
A Small Kiln for Final Drying A woodworker needs to get his already kiln-dried stock down to lower moisture content to match indoor end-use conditions. Here's detailed advice for equipment choice and drying methods for a small-batch wood-shop drying chamber. May 9, 2007
Chainsaw Sawmilling for Old Guys Here's a great discussion on the capabilities of chainsaw mills, from the point of view of some dudes who have gotten smarter over time. February 27, 2013
Cabinet Refacing Labor Hours Making a profit on cabinet refacing depends on being productive on site. Here are some thoughts on the labor time required with various methods. May 28, 2010
Laminating Stock for Arched Casings Here's a wide-ranging discussion of gluing and clamping processes for laying up arched casings using multiple thin laminations. November 26, 2007
Figuring labor and overhead Factoring in all the variables, and ways to learn financial management. July 24, 2002
Table Leg Attachment and Veneer Details This thread offers good analysis of table structure, veneering techniques for complex shapes, and the business problem of trying to compete with cheap manufactured goods as a custom furnituremaker. October 1, 2010
Building a Hydraulic Swingmill Sawmillers talk over the fine points and choices involved in building a hydraulic swingmill. March 13, 2009
A Laminated Bent Chair Leg Furniture makers take a close look at the concept of building a bent chair leg by laminating cross-grain thin sawn layers into a thicker member. May 18, 2010
Glazing and Toning over Clear Lacquer Detailed advice on formulas and application methods that will achieve a dark walnut tone on oak cabinets that already have a coat of clear lacquer. May 17, 2005
Pricing, Productivity, and Profit An inexperienced cabinetmaker asks for help ball-parking a project, and kicks off an interesting discussion about how long it should take to do stuff. February 27, 2015
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
Converting a Bandmill to Narrower Blades A sawmiller trying to put a previously owned Mighty Mite bandmill back into service gets advice on dealing with blade tracking issues. January 19, 2012
Band Saw Blade Life in Hardwood Thoughts on sharpening, lubrication, alignment, blade quality, and other factors that affect how long a bandmill blade will stay sharp in heavy use. February 24, 2008
Gluing Ipe Wood for Outdoor Exposures Ipe's oily nature is not conducive to strong glue joints, especially when movement stress occurs. Here are some reports of success and failure at gluing Ipe in outdoor situations. December 26, 2007
Closet "Fit and Finish" What kind of precision is expected in closet shelving? Should shelves be scribed to fit? May 6, 2009
Vacuum Bagging Outside the Form Advice with photos on how to lay up and clamp laminations using a vacuum bag laid over a form — but with the form not within the bag. April 4, 2011
Adhesive Issues with Solid Wood Edgebanding Cabinetmakers discuss whether and how to prime surfaces before applying solid Maple edgebanding to particleboard edges. July 15, 2011
Teak Cutting-Board Glue-Up Woodworkers discuss food safety issues and adhesion concerns related to making cutting boards from Teak. January 23, 2009
Installing a U-Shaped Countertop Pros study the awkward problem of installing a big, heavy laminated countertop into a space that is enclosed on three sides. September 5, 2006
Clamping Pressure for a Hydraulic Cold Press A woodworker seeks advice on getting good pressure in his shop-rigged press, and a consistent glue line while glueing up 6x6 turning blanks. May 26, 2008
Installing an Island Over a Radiant Slab Cab installers ponder how to attach an island cabinet over a heated concrete floor, without puncturing any tubes. January 11, 2008
Sawyer survey A host of sawyers share their preferred techniques for sawing logs, and the reasoning behind them. June 20, 2000
How much land for a living How many forested acres are needed to supply enough timber to support you? June 3, 2003
Troubleshooting and Repair of Glue Failure in an Exterior Door A raised-panel Hickory exterior door behind a glass storm door is coming apart from the effects of solar heat and moisture condensation. What can be learned (or done) in this situation? June 3, 2007
Solar Kiln Designs Compared Thoughts on roof angle, dimensions, and other considerations for solar drying kiln construction. January 8, 2010
Sliding Table Saw: Manual or Digital? Cabinetmakers consider how to assess the productivity benefits of a digital or computer-controlled slider. November 15, 2010
Choosing a "Starter" Bandsaw Mill Sawmillers share thoughts about entry-level bandsaw mills for occasional use that might hold their value for when the user decides to upgrade. February 14, 2006
When a Customer Calls Too Often Advice on managing clients who like to check up frequently on their job's progress. November 26, 2007
True Dimensions of 4/4 Green Lumber The terms "4/4" and "RWRL" take some explaining. Here's the voice of expertise and experience. October 8, 2005
Tips on Working with Walnut A little advice for a cabinetmaker about to build a countertop using Walnut. October 11, 2012
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
Routing Flutes Across a Board: CNC Versus Jig Rig This thread has some practical suggestions for routing flutes across the width of a board, and some good arguments for farming the job out to a shop with a CNC. August 5, 2010
Wood Sink Finish A finisher seeks ways to protect a Teak sink. December 14, 2009
Value of Yard Tree Logs Yard tree value is low because of the probability of hitting metal. But some sawyers still take them. December 12, 2008
Estimating Sawmill Overrun Understanding the difference between the board feet estimated in a log and the board feet actually produced. May 11, 2005
Bandmill run by generator Using a diesel generator to provide electric power to bandmill. January 16, 2002
Adhering Glass to Wood Advice on gluing glass into grooves in wood frames for the sides and back of a small cabinet. July 30, 2009
Sawmill Dust Collection Descriptions, explanations, and pictures of dust collection systems for small sawmills. November 3, 2010
Gig-back techniques for manual mills Sawyers offer various ideas on gig-back techniques, and their impacts on saftely and profitability. June 20, 2000
Laminating Rockers Advise on sawing, prep, lay-up, and glue-up for laminated chair rockers. January 13, 2006
Cant Hook Versus Peavey Useful information on the relative merits and characteristics of these basic logging and sawmilling tools. May 11, 2005
Informal Testing of Wood Glues Woodworkers report impressive results from their own backyard and kitchen endurance tests for commonly used adhesives. August 23, 2006
Lubing Blades When Sawing Utility Poles Old utility poles can be rough on blades. Here, sawmillers discuss why, and suggest blade lubricating fluids. August 21, 2006
Drying Spalted Alder To halt the growth of spalting fungus, dry quickly and/or heat above 133°F. December 23, 2014
Laying Up a Patterned Veneer Detailed advice on laying up a veneered panel with a perimeter strip made of one veneer, and a center area made of another. June 28, 2006
Strings on Bandsawn Lumber A discussion of why bandmills sometimes produce a stringy cut in some wood. March 26, 2009
Bi-Metal Blades for Sawing Wood with Nails You should always try to de-nail the logs or timbers before sawing, but for the occasional nail, careful sawing with a bi-metal blade may prolong blade life. April 10, 2007
Should I Season Timbers Before Framing a Barn? Timber-framing works well with green or partially dried timbers, but you should allow for some drying-related movement after construction. May 9, 2007
Gluing Up Thick Turning Stock Cracks may open up at glue bonds in large glued-up pieces, particularly in outdoor exposures. Here are some ideas for high-performance adhesives that may help. October 20, 2005
Quartersawing, Labor, and Yield This discussion of quartersawing with a bandmill makes some interesting points about the extra work involved and the variable quality and value of the resulting product. April 27, 2011
Antique Lumber: Steam Bend or Laminate? Upon consideration, a furnituremaker decides to laminate a curved table apron rather than try to steam and bend historic old wood. October 17, 2012
Joints in Very Long Laminate Tops Advice on fabricating and assembling large countertops so that laminate joints fall over solid substrate rather than at the substrate joints. May 3, 2011
Working with Independent Sales Reps A discussion of the pros and cons of working with independent sales reps, including thoughts on the compensation schedule. September 29, 2010
Eyewitness: Injury Scary stories about careless acts and bad consequences. June 28, 2005
Drawer Guide Socket Breakage What's making those plastic hardware pieces crack? Cabinetmakers talk it over. August 29, 2005
Clear Finish Over Faux Linen Painted MDF Wall Paneling Here's an extended thread on an unusual and challenging architectural finish problem: getting a high-gloss clear coat over painted MDF in a fast-paced custom homebuilding context. June 8, 2008
Spraygun Cleaning and Shellac Advice on maintaining the equipment you use for spraying shellac, and on how to clean equipment when switching between coating types with a single spraygun system. December 1, 2009
Recoating Over a Mystery Finish We're not sure what's on this table, but it might be polyurethane. Can anything safely go over it? Now that's a messy subject. October 14, 2006
Staining Cypress Mouldings On Site Advice on stain selection, wood filler choices, and more for finishing Cypress trimwork. December 28, 2006
Solid Mahogany Countertop Details Cabinetmakers discuss glue-up, attachment, and finishing methods for a solid mahogany kitchen countertop. May 23, 2007
Staining Maple: Blotchiness Versus Lightening Here's advice on how to combat Maple's tendency toward blotchiness, while avoiding the lightening effect of using a washcoat or sealer coat. July 3, 2008
Spray Booth Floor Treatment? Pros discuss strategies to keep floors clean and protected for trouble-free spraying. August 30, 2007
Toning out Prefinished Cabinets? Finishers discuss the feasibility of adding one or two more coats to pre-finished imported cabinets in order to adjust the color. April 17, 2010
Shellac as a Sealer Finishers clear up some confusion about waxed and de-waxed shellac used as a seal coat between different finish products. October 2, 2005
Finishing for the Small G.C. Pros offer a residential general contractor advice on learning to apply his own finishes. September 26, 2006
Attaching Plywood Panels to Drywall Fastening decorative plywood panels to existing drywall is tricky, but doable. In this thread, experienced hands explain several techniques. July 24, 2005
Bar Top Finishes Here's some practical info on using two-component polyurethane or epoxy bar-top finishes. April 10, 2008
Getting the "Habersham" Distressed Look Call it "Shabby Chic," or just furniture that looks like it walked down the wrong alley — it's not an easy look to achieve. In this thread, pros share their recipes for roughing up the woodwork. July 11, 2005
Sprayable grain fillers Sources and application techniques for sprayable grain filling products. November 29, 2000
Refinishing Over Plastic Laminate The challenge is to apply a new coating over existing laminate restaurant tables. Finishers weigh in with advice. April 17, 2010
Mahogany Varieties for Countertops A discussion of the practicality of mahogany for a countertop, and thoughts about similar alternatives. November 7, 2007
Clear Epoxy Over an Inlay Tips on applying a thin but tough clear finish over a delicate inlay detail. March 9, 2006
Refinishing an Old Veneer Table Some interesting points made about veneer, table construction, and stripping and finishing in this discussion. October 26, 2012
Waxed Versus De-Waxed Shellac Advice on which topcoats are compatible with amber wax-containing shellacs, and which require clear de-waxed shellac. Also, advice on filtering or making your own. August 25, 2008
Durability Issues with an Outdoor Wood Mosaic Advice on a tough challenge: finishing a multi-piece, panel-backed, wood mosaic, so it won't tear itself apart from moisture-related wood movement. March 29, 2008
Latex as Cabinet Finish? Some new formulas of latex paint spray almost as easily and hold up almost as well as pigmented varnishes. April 19, 2011
Walnut Plywood for Wall Panels A discussion of featuring clear-coated Walnut plywood as a finish wall material. July 18, 2013
Exterior Wood Door Finishes For the record: did we mention that clear finishes on exterior doors do not last? March 9, 2008
Fitting Cabinets to Bowed Walls Cabinet-hanging and scribing tips for installations in kitchens with irregular wall surfaces. April 18, 2006
Re: gun cleaning A message posted at WOODWEB's Finishing Forum (1/1) -- Same issue. Thanks for the reply, this will be very helpful for me. ...
Re: Mystery Hardware Help A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum (1/1) -- It's a lid stay, like this ... ...
Re: Door panels cracked A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- I will take issue with the statement that "Many (doors) twist and warp, t ...
Re: Door panels cracked A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- David, I have a question on your comment stating wood will only warp with chan ...
Re: Door panels cracked A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- John, I don't mean any offense to you or your construction methods. Woodweb is ...
Re: Door panels cracked A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- Must be some sort of reflection that makes it look white because there is no c ...
Employee Benifits A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- Happy New Year everyone . I hope it’s prosperous for all. I searched the databas ...
Re: edge gluing A message posted at WOODWEB's Adhesives Forum (1/1) -- Thank you both Mark and Matt for your responses. The table in question is 16 feet long. I have ...
Re: Door panels cracked A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- perhaps we are talking about a different poplar. The poplar we get is green/wh ...
Re: Door panels cracked A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- I think gluing 3/16" veneer to BB ply for panels is very risky. You are b ...
Re: woodworking equipment A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum (1/1) -- That is a tough question, basically your shapers and your sander are weekend warrior poor ...
woodworking equipment A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum (1/1) -- Ok, I am new to the forum. I have been looking on other forums for information, but they s ...
Re: rotted out pine core A message posted at WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum (1/1) -- Yes, I spotted a standing tree in a yard while driving by that had been hit by lightni ...
Re: Cabinet Vision on Mac A message posted at WOODWEB's CAD Forum (1/1) -- I ran CV for years on a Mac via boot camp and it worked great . I too had trouble with the graphics ...
Re: Employee Benifits A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- 20 employees 401k, we match max % (this puts money in the owners pockets too so ...
Re: Cabinet hinges, A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum (1/1) -- That was my thought. Either its a wrap hinge (which would be odd with the overlay in the p ...
Re: rotted out pine core A message posted at WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum (1/1) -- trying for better pictures ...
Re: Customer claiming termites A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- There is no way that this has active termites. They need water, as already menti ...
Re: treads warping A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- We know 100% that this is a moisture content change issue. It is hard to belie ...
Re: Appliance installation callbacks policy A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- In my experiences, appliance installation is not part of the price for new or re ...
Re: Surf Prep System A message posted at WOODWEB's Finishing Forum (1/1) -- If I understand it correctly, the "electric" version includes an air pump that drive ...
Re: Humidification Systems A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- At 70F, the amount of moisture required to increase the humidity from 20% RH to ...
Re: Surf Prep System A message posted at WOODWEB's Finishing Forum (1/1) -- Dean, There is an electric Surf Prep now. I too would rather use electric over air. But The el ...
Re: Help Setting Up Cabinet Shop A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum (1/1) -- Most would prefer to buy American if the price is close to the same and quality is there. ...
Re: Biomass Furnace A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- You do not have to have infloor. I have both infloor and hanging heaters. The in ...
12" Jointer/Taiwan A message posted at WOODWEB's Solid Wood Machining Forum (1/1) -- I'm looking to purchase a 12" jointer. I'm looking at used equipment but also ...
Re: heating and cooling for furniture shop A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- Gary is indeed correct. The dry winter humidity can easily be under 20% RH in an ...
Re: heating and cooling for furniture shop A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- Thank you for the replies. I am definitely adding a humidifier to the shop for t ...
Furniture Design Prototype shop A message posted at WOODWEB's WOODnetWORK Forum (1/1) -- Hello, I'm new to Furniture Design, graduated with a degree in Industrial Design and leaning ...
Re: 12" Jointer/Taiwan A message posted at WOODWEB's Solid Wood Machining Forum (1/1) -- Hard to say what machinery is now made in Taiwan or China. Many companies have plan ...
Cnc Routing_plunge Rate_axial Tool Entry Feed A message posted at WOODWEB's CNC Forum (1/1) -- CNC ROUTING_PLUNGE RATE_AXIAL TOOL ENTRY FEED FOR LAMINATED MDF TOOL DIA 1S 20MM , RPM 1800, FEED 90 ...
Re: Barrier coat question A message posted at WOODWEB's Finishing Forum (1/1) -- It just amazes me the things woodworkers do. Do like Rick says, you should be fine, that is fo ...
Re: Help Setting Up Cabinet Shop A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum (1/1) -- Have you seen anyone else do this in Las Vegas? ...
Random Rant - Read if you got nothing better to do A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- I was discussing an earlier thread with one of my guys that was about how hard i ...
Re: wood quality A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- Response to Leo G's comments: There is no grade in the 110 year old NHLA gradi ...
Re: wood quality A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- Remember the basic concept that wood does not change its size or shape unless ...
Re: wood quality A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- Yes, the grading has changed. Once upon a time a grader was to grade on the B ...
Re: Cabinets doors binding at hinges A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum (1/1) -- I sometimes have hinges bind on shutters during installations. Whether you are dealing wit ...
Re: wood quality A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- The NHLA rules have not changed in the 50 years I have known them. I have taug ...
Re: wood quality A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- One factor other than more people, less trees that plays a role is the export ...
Re: wood quality A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- As to the OP's question, unfortunately, it's going to take you longer to find ...
Re: Laying out radius A message posted at WOODWEB's CNC Forum (1/1) -- You need a template tracing of the existing shape. Then you can digitize that into AutoCAD. No digit ...
Re: would you warranty this entrance door? A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- The black in the style is a natural color spot in the wood. The black line all ...
Re: When should I use the log dogs? A message posted at WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum (1/1) -- Log dogs are used virtually 100% of the time when sawing a log into lumber on the head ...
Re: Closet software advise A message posted at WOODWEB's CAD Forum (1/1) -- We do all drawings and pricing in KCD, and then manually enter units into Ecabinets to create the CN ...
Re: Closet software advise A message posted at WOODWEB's CAD Forum (1/1) -- We've used KCD for 15 years, for designing and pricing, and it's been excellent for us. We've spend ...
Re: Light weight panels for laminate A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- Make torsion boxes with 3/8" or 1/2" thick faces, solid edges and a ...
newby sawyer A message posted at WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum (1/1) -- Hey guys, I recently acquired, or rather, was given a wood mizer lt 30g mill. Getting ...
Cabinets doors binding at hinges A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum (1/1) -- I refinished a corner cupboard for a customer. It was in rough shape when I got it since i ...
Net profit A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- I know this might be a vague question but what is a good industry average for Ne ...
Re: Blumotion clearances A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum (1/1) -- I like to load the box with some weight before fastening the front in the shop. The slides ...
Re: wood quality A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- In my area of Michigan, the largest suppliers of hardwood lumber are also in t ...
Re: wood quality A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- Then why is it that I have been ordering the same grade of wood for decades an ...
Re: wood quality A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- For me it is the opposite. The company we supply doors to requires that doors ...
Re: Closet software advise A message posted at WOODWEB's CAD Forum (1/1) -- Thanks Bernie for you respond. So how do you send you jobs now to the CNC? Are you still trying to s ...
Re: wood quality A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- I believe with every fiber in my body that the grading has changed. They let m ...
Re: Collet nut torque settings? A message posted at WOODWEB's CNC Forum (1/1) -- Pick up a collet torque wrench. It's available from the typical CNC tooling distributors. They're ex ...
Re: Blumotion clearances A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinetmaking Forum (1/1) -- may I ask what jigs or tricks do you guys use to mount the drawer guides when doing multip ...
Re: When should I use the log dogs? A message posted at WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum (1/1) -- So for sure on big machines, but also on small bandsaw? This is a WM LT15. ...
Re: Net profit A message posted at WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum (1/1) -- We are small shop also 5 people. We aim for 20%, but we closed our year on 13.5% ...
Re: Collet nut torque settings? A message posted at WOODWEB's CNC Forum (1/1) -- 125 foot pounds is more than you think, especially when using a short handle. ...
Re: newby sawyer A message posted at WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum (1/1) -- Your customers can tell you what dimensions they prefer to buy. ...
Re: Haunching tenons A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- Here is more info about relishing as it relates to windows on the AWWM site. L ...
Jointer troubleshooting A message posted at WOODWEB's Solid Wood Machining Forum (1/1) -- Hi All, I recently bought my first jointer, a ridgid 6-1/8" from home depot on ...
Re: Banding A message posted at WOODWEB's Adhesives Forum (1/1) -- Now you've got me wondering if we should be priming the 1.6mm also?? That would be a PIA. We a ...
Re: Scraps A message posted at WOODWEB's Solid Wood Machining Forum (1/1) -- Sit on it for awhile then throw it away, two days later you'll get an order!! Serio ...
alberta spruce/pine A message posted at WOODWEB's Sawing and Drying Forum (1/1) -- is the heart wood harder to dry and set pitch or the sap wood. we will be using a scra ...
Re: Haunching tenons A message posted at WOODWEB's Architectural Woodworking Forum (1/1) -- On a Griggio G4 tenoner, so no that won't do it as you've suggested. I like th ...
Re: Rifle stock A message posted at WOODWEB's Finishing Forum (1/1) -- I think polymerized tung oil would be a good option. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.asp ...
shop saber IS router A message posted at WOODWEB's CNC Forum (1/1) -- Has anyone used or looked at Shop sabers new IS series router? seems to be a heavier built machine t ...
Re: Stroke Sander: Good for finish sanding? A message posted at WOODWEB's Solid Wood Machining Forum (1/1) -- I acquired a lever pad Samco stroke sander when starting out over 35 years ago. I w ...
Re: Crown on vaulted ceilings A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum (1/1) -- Mike, your simple question with regard to the radius corners has alrea ...
Drills A message posted at WOODWEB's WOODnetWORK Forum (1/1) -- The wood clocks i make I have used mainly regular twist drills for drilling small holes. 0.1 ...
Re: Drills A message posted at WOODWEB's WOODnetWORK Forum (1/1) -- You pretty much answered your own question. A steel twist bit is exactly that, meant for met ...
Re: Drills A message posted at WOODWEB's WOODnetWORK Forum (1/1) -- Anyone have any suggested makes, brands, etc.? Buy singly online? or have to buy bunches. I ...
Re: Software for CNC A message posted at WOODWEB's CAD Forum (1/1) -- I would recommend EnRoute. I think they would be an ideal fit for what you are doing. ...
Re: creating spiral rope design in columns A message posted at WOODWEB's WOODnetWORK Forum (1/1) -- Check out the video from Legacy Machines. Google may have more. Too small for logs, but the ...
Re: Aluminum Straightedge A message posted at WOODWEB's Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum (1/1) -- 8' is not that long. Why not simply straighten a stick of wood on the ...
Re: My sawdustburner A message posted at WOODWEB's Value Added Wood Processing Forum (1/1) -- Yes. I start out by using a piece of 1-1/2 pvc in the center down to the air ...
Re: burning saw dust A message posted at WOODWEB's Value Added Wood Processing Forum (1/1) -- We use any old small cardboard boxes eg fag packets, toilet rolls basically ...
Re: My sawdustburner A message posted at WOODWEB's Value Added Wood Processing Forum (1/1) -- I am certain your using a pack type of sawdust burner. I have built one that ...