American Woodworker

What wood is least likely to burn?

jbalthouse — Sat, 11 May 2013 19:52:00 GMT

I have an unusual project coming up and think it best not to confuse by trying to explain. I remember trying to burn gum many years ago and it was reluctant to burn unless put into a very hot fire. I don't know what variety of gum it was and would have no idea where to get it. Is there another wood with fire resistance that would be as good or better? Where should I look for several board feet? I hope I don't have to ask a local sawyer to come up with a small special order.

Help with Identifying some wood please

cwiseman10 — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:19:58 GMT

I have a piece of wood that I was given which had been lying outside for a while so I decided to put it on a lathe and make something. Not too sure why but I made a miniature baseball bat. There was only a small section from this branch that could be used as the rest was rotten. Anyway, I am trying to figure out what type of wood it is. I have had people tell me its a type of Yew and some say its a Pine. I'm inclined to say its a type of pine as it must be a soft wood due to it having needle leaves. Its a very fragrant piece with a lovely red center running right the way through it and yellowish wood on the outer. The bark too is very thin. It was found in Georgia.

Can anyone help me with this one please? :)

Thank you, Chris

Rockwell 34-300 table saw part wanted

Bob Stoll — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 21:19:22 GMT

I need the miter gauge assembly for this saw. Anyone have any ideas on where to find it?

Design/layout concaved x-leg bench

gda70h — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:25:31 GMT

Desire to make upholstered occasional bench, 20X32 inches with half overlap x-legs which are concave 2-3 inches from the outer edges to the center (like chair back turned on end). Can not picture how to layout the half-laps with the concave feature. Any ideas?

Clean-up on saw table

toyman — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:47:57 GMT

Recently I was gluing wth Liqiuid Nail using my table saw as a work bench DUH! It has now harden I have got it off by scraping with a chisel now what is the best way to polish the surface of my saw.

directors chair

ian mustoe — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:48:42 GMT

does anyone have or know where i can find plans for a directors chair

bookcase

marksplace — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:02:27 GMT

I'm planning on building a bookcase out of oak. The overall deminisions will be 71" tall and 54" wide. The shelves will be made out of 3/4" plywood and be approximatly 52" long. They will be loaded with nursing books. I'm planning on using a small piece of oak wood rabbitted and glued for the shelf to set on probably an inch and a quarter on the front and back of the shelves for strength. My question is can I span this far without the shelves sagging and if so will the inch and a quarter be enough?

Portable Router tables

MarkK — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:56:58 GMT

I'm looking to purchase a portable router table for my Bosch Router. I'm looking at the Kreg PRS2000. I'm a relative novice, but can anyone give me some advice--on this table and others?

Looking for Woodworker to Hire for Small Project

Jason — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:33:42 GMT

Hi,

I am a designer with a small business that works with craftsman, woodworkers, artist, etc to make varying products to sell. I am currently working on a project that requires a talented woodworker. I have a model ship I bought at an antique store in Maine I want to duplicate and make model ship kits from it, in limited number, like 50. The ship itself is not like the usual ornate model ships. It's very basic in detail, completely made from unfinished wood. I am looking for a woodworker to work with and create kits based on this ship. Your part would simply be creating a template from the original, sourcing the wood, and cutting the wood pieces. The rest we do on our end. If interested, please email me at jason@pasteusa.com and put "model ship" in the subject line. I can then email you pics of the ship and we can go from there. I am hoping to keep this as an ongoing project, maybe eventually do other types of models.

Thanks,

Jason

Removing dried glaze finish

Tom Guilbault — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:29:29 GMT

I recently finished building a cherry blanket chest but I made a mistake in the finish process. I'm looking for some direction to correct my mistake. I first applied two coats of sanding sealer ( wax free shellac ), then I applied a coat of burnt umber glaze with glazing medium. After drying I decided to add a second coat of glaze to darken the color but after applying the second coat I got called away to do something else. By the time I returned the second coat of glaze had dried and I could not rub it out.

Can someone please let me know what my options are for correcting this problem ? Should I add a third coat of glaze , strip the finish down, or sand it down. I would greatly appreciate your help in this matter.

Bandsaws

JMPHAPPYHOMES — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:33:20 GMT

I am starting to look for a 14" bandsaw and do not want to spend much money. The Ridgid brand is available below 500.00 with a 3/4 hp. motor what information can someone provide or suggestions. JMP

Gluing workpieces

James Allen — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:14:03 GMT

Technical Question; I've seen it both ways on woodworking shows. When gluing two pieces together, should you apply glue to both pieces, or is one enought?

Thanks

Jim

Router RPM

Jeff Allan — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 23:46:45 GMT

Has anyone heard of a "SPEEDOMATIC" router with a 1/2" shaft made by SIEBURG Industries in Danbury, CT? There is no other label information other than MODEL: 115V and 8 AMP. I'm trying to find out its RPM.

Craftsman Excalibur Elite 8" Dado Set ( 3 Blades )

DougP — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:39:52 GMT

I was given this dado set and it was completely disassembled. I am looking for assembly instructions so I may use the dado set on a table saw which has the motor oriented to the left of the blade.

New woodworker creating panels

HBC3 — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 03:33:08 GMT

Hi ive been using wood as a framer now for years but now ive recently inherited a nice tablesaw, router with table, and nice jointer and various hand planes, bits etc.

just because im a framer doesnt mean squat framers are by far intricate or have finese (lol) ive often been called the bull in a china closet.

Heres my question : In making panels is it necesary to cut a splice joint? or can one (making sure both edges are true)

just glue and clamp 2 , 3 or 4 pieces of wood together that have flat edges?

Im asking for tables of all sizes from large family style tables to small nightstands. Any advice or links to examples would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

HBC3

Best Sander for Contour Sanding?

Treefan — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:58:45 GMT

Does anyone have any recommendations for the best electrical sander to use for contour and or furniture with rounded surfaces? I have to do this alot and finding one sure would save time. Any help appreciated.

Most usefull sizes for milled wood

Boattech — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:01:52 GMT

Hello members, Happy New Year!

I recently had to remove some of the Black Walnut trees from my property. I had them sent to the local mill to be cut for home furnishings and alike.

We have not decided on any specific plans yet because we have time on our side. We intend to let the wood dry naturally for a year or two.

I'm having trouble deciding what dimensions will be most useful for such projects. Any Suggestions?

Thank you,

Frank P.

Black walnut bar top

Annette Watson — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:21:46 GMT

My husband and I are building a custom home which includes a 14 ft island/bar and the top is made of black walnut with a living edge. This home is extremely rustic and my husband actually cut the black walnut trees from our property. We are now getting various suggestions on how to finish. This is the focal point of the large open space, but want it usable also. has some cracks and knot holes which we wanted to keep for the rustic look but also will be using the area such as eating- cooking and there is also a prep sink in one end . Your honest feedback most appreciated!

Help! What would the experts do?????

Annette Watson

drill press stand

sal0715 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:39:47 GMT

does anyone know where I can get plans for the drill press stand that is in the "25 tips for Shop Storage" report? Thanks!

High moisture hackberry

John Hill — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:00:54 GMT

I was just recently given a nice size stack of 1" thick hackberry that's been cut 3 years. I also received some cherry and red cedar. I believe to all the wood had been store inside up until 3 months ago when it was moved outside then covered in plastic. I checked the moisture content of all and the cherry was 0%-6%. The cedar was 6%, and the hackberry was 50% to 99%. I wonder why the hackberry moisture is so high. I want to use it for kitchen cabinets. I'm starting to research building my own kiln dryer. Anyone have a good solution / ideas for getting it dry. Presently it is stacked and stickered under a side shed.

Thanks

Finishing Black Walnut Desk

Jim K — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:20:17 GMT

I am just finishing making a large desk made of black walnut-it's only taken about a year to do. I do not wish to stain it - just the natural wood. I am looking for the right finish - the table top is 31" by 104" - and I expect that eventually it will hold full glasses of water, wine, maybe a beer...I used boiled linseed oil on a tall dresser I made a few years ago of the same wood - and it still looks great...but the desk will likely get more abuse - nicks and glassware....

Thanks for your recommendations.

Gluing Black Walnut

Fjesso — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:52:11 GMT

I am building a set of kitchen cabinets from black walnut. I have been told that due to the oil in the wood that I should clean the gluing surfaces with acetone before gluing. Is this true ? Can anyone comment on this ?

How to lighten walnut

hornetcounselor — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:59:08 GMT

I want to get my walnut desk top to have a reddish cast. How do I lighten the walnut prior to staining?

Searching for Plans, Tips, Ideas, etc for building Sliding Compact Shelving

BobNVL — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:13:09 GMT

I have thousands of books and will be aquiring many more when my father moves and he gives me his huge library.

The only way that I can think of to handle all of these books is with something akin to compact shelving such as shown on these pages:

http://www.southwestsolutions.com/equipment/library-compact-shelving-library-furniture

http://www2.montel.com/eng/applications/education_libraries/education_libraries.htm

http://www.librisdesign.org/docs/ShelvingforLibraries.pdf - go to page 22

http://www.deneefinc.com/pdf/Understanding_Shelving.pdf

http://www.southwestsolutions.com/images/stories/jreviews/692_spacesaverhighdensitymobilebookshelving_1312048029.jpg

I am not planning to make a crank or moterized version, just one where I can slide the bookcases sideways to open up an isle to get at a particular unit.

Given the weight of such a system when loaded with books, I don't plan to support it from the ceiling. It will be supported by the floor - it will be on the first floor and I plan to reinforce the floor from the basement.

What I have in mind are bookcases with rollers/wheels on the bottom in tracks and then tracks at the ceiling to stabilize the units but not take any of the weight.

Given the weight issues, I think that this would be a combination wood and metal project.

While I have not yet learned to weld, I have a neigbhor who has voluntaried to teach me - he is a retired machinest.

Detailed plans would be great but I doubt any exist. Any and all suggestions, comments, tips, etc. will be greatly appreciated.

Bob

Old barn wood?

Steve Newman — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:15:09 GMT

Sometimes, old barn wood siding CAN be re-used. I had some that used to be double 5 dutch-lap siding. I found I could rip off the Tongue & Groove edges, plane the siding flat ( or at least until most of it was flat), do a rip down the middle, and have some real nice Doug.Fir boards. Once you get by the gray on the outside, the wood is a nice deep reddish brown. Try it sometime.