When I first started learning woodworking, an older craftsman once showed me a workbench that was older than both of us. He tapped one corner and said, “That joint has lasted generations because it was the proper way to do it.”…
What Is a Hip Roof? A hip roof has four sides, of which all the sides slope downwards to the walls. There are no flat ends the way a gable roof does. Each side of the house is sheltered by a slanting…
The Real Timeline Every Tile Project Needs to Know You’ve just now completed grouting your tiles. The lines are smooth, the mess is gone, and now you’re standing there asking yourself: Can I walk on it yet? Can I shower? Can I…
If you have ever found yourself inside a hardware store staring at hammers and mallets, you are not alone. At first glance, they appear similar. Both have a handle. Both are meant to hit things. But the wrong one can mess…
I tried turning a bowl a few years ago without any accessories other than a faceplate and screws. Halfway through the job, the blank came off, hurtled across the workshop and crashed into the wall. Fortunately, I wasn’t hurt — but I was…
Mallets: Last month, I watched a friend struggle to put together flat-pack furniture with an ordinary hammer. Each blow was leaving marks in the wood,parts shifted out of place, and frustration kept growing. I handed him my rubber mallet and suggested, “Try these…
What’s behind the walls, most people never consider. Insulation has a lot to do, though, with how warm your home feels in the winter and how cool it stays in the summer — and also with how much money you spend…
When most people need glue, they quickly grab super glue or epoxy. Acrylic adhesive is often ignored, even though it can solve many problems those glues cannot. In fact, acrylic adhesive is one of the strongest and most reliable bonding…
A special wood finish called ebonized oak actually completely changes the look of oak. Typical oak is light brown, strong and common. It ends up deep black, rich and elegant very similar to the expensive ebony wood – after it’s made ebonized.…
If you’ve ever seen someone spray water on sandpaper and wondered, “But why?” —you’re not alone. Wet sanding seems unnecessary at first glance, and maybe even wrong. But once you know how sanding really works, the decision between wet sanding and dry starts…
