Q & A: Perfectly Flush? Q: I recently bought a plate joiner in hopes that it would help me get perfect alignment when edge-to-edge gluing. I’m still getting some unevenness at the joints.What gives? A: Biscuits help considerably with alignment, but getting absolutely perfect alignment is unlikely...
Q & A: Why did my dovetail bit break? Q: I’ve snapped off the tips of my dovetail router bit twice now while cutting sliding dovetails in hard maple. I don’t want to get burned again. What am I doing wrong? A: A dovetail bit does indeed have fragile tips.A full cut in hard maple puts...
Q & A: How do you cut curves in glass? Q: My up-and-coming star pitcher accidentally hurled her baseball through a glass pane in our family room hutch. Usually, I’d just get out my glass cutter and make a replacement pane, but this one’s arched! How the heck do I cut a new arched glass...
Q & A: Are Broken Screws Removable? Q: Argh! I broke off a brass screw while installing a small hinge. Can I get it out? A: Join the club! Every woodworker has faced this problem.The best answer is to drill around the screw with a hollow bit, an unusual device with reverse teeth. Furniture repair...
Q & A: Help! My Router Makes Sparks! Q: When I run my router I see lots of small, blue sparks inside. Recently the sparks have grown larger. Is this OK? A: Nope. Small sparks are normal, but large sparks are an indication that your brushes are wearing short. That means your router is running inefficiently...
Q & A: Dovetail Jig Set-Up Q: I’ve fallen in love with my dovetail router jig, but my big frustration is setting the depth of the dovetail bit each time. I’ve tried measuring how much the bit should stick out, but that’s awkward and I spend too much time on trial and error test...
Q & A: Veneered-Plywood Tear-Out Q: I have some planks with a pronounced crook.The grain is beautiful and I would like to make use of the crook in a desktop design. How can I edge join the boards without loosing the crook? A: Assuming your dado set is sharp and your fence is exactly parallel to your...
Q & A: Folding Bandsaw Blades Q: I once saw someone fold a bandsaw blade for easier storage— how was that done? A: Folding a bandsaw blade can be a bit intimidating when you first attempt it. Armed with sharp teeth and a spring-like tension, the blade deserves respect. At the same time it’s...
Cutting Gauge Tune-Up Q: I bought a new marking gauge to cut across the grain when I lay out tenon shoulders and dovetails. The problem is, it doesn’t make a clean cut. All I get is a raggedy line.How can I sharpen the tiny cutting knife to make it work better? A: Marking gauges come in two different...