Author name: Enthusiast

Making large-diameter mortises for chairs or staked tables requires big drill bits and a way to drive them. Usually a drill press won’t work because the workpiece is too large and the angles are too odd. So here are some bits that work – and some to avoid. To drive big bits (1-1/4” and bigger), you probably need a corded drill. I’ve tried using a brace, but that’s a tall […]

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The Popular Woodworking team is looking forward to the end of this week – instead of reporting to the office for work on Friday morning, we’ll be meeting bright and early at Braxton Brewing Co. to set up for the 2017 Greater Cincinnati Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event. I’ll be there Saturday as well…but perhaps not bright nor early – but by 10 a.m. for sure! (That’s when the doors open […]

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For my column in the current issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine, April, 2017 (#231), I wrote about how brands of water-soluble dye stains sold to the woodworking community differ. One of the differences is the degree to which they can be redissolved and lightened by wiping over with a wet cloth. My point was that you can choose for the characteristics you want, and I included a picture that was […]

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When I was learning to sharpen and set saws in the 1990s, I was desperate for information. All I had was one modern book, a somewhat helpful video and the attempts I had made on my bargain basement saws. It was a slog. While today there is a lot more information available on saws and saw sharpening, much of it is conflicting and more complex than necessary. Sharpening a saw […]

The post The One-stop Place for Saw Maintenance appeared first on Popular Woodworking Magazine.

In the video excerpt below, Doug Dale, instructor at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking, explains the three basic table saw blades – rip cut, crosscut and combination – and show you how each one makes the cut. And, he tells you the one he thinks should be in every shop. For more from Doug on proper and safe use of this machine, check out his “Power Tool Essentials: The […]

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You may have come across the term “water-white” for describing finishes. It’s a little confusing. It means a finish that is totally devoid of amber coloring in liquid form. The finish looks like water in the can. It doesn’t look white. In practice, the term is used to describe a type of lacquer, and sometimes a catalyzed (conversion) varnish. But you should be aware that water-white doesn’t necessarily mean non-yellowing. […]

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