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…
A deck slowly tells its age. Sun bleaches away some of the color, rain leaves streaks on the boards and foot traffic rubs the surface thin. Before you start thinking about replacing it, take a step back. Painting your deck can completely transform…
It’s exciting, picking out a paint colour. Choosing the finish often isn’t. You see lots of people standing in the paint store holding up the same colour in eggshell and satinwood, asking what — really — is the difference, and which one…
If you’ve ever rubbed your hand over a great piece of furniture and thought how much smoother, warmer, and even more alive it felt compared to something out of the factory, there’s a good chance it was oil sanded as…
