Questions tagged [woodworking]
Questions related to making things out of wood. Consider asking your question at the woodworking stack, instead.
702
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How do I make around-the-room shelves for a seriously skewed room?
I've been given the Christmas task of setting up an HO model train and rails around a child's room, so I researched a bit and found a shelf train would be the thing. So I go to measure the room in ...
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11
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Should I tilt my DIY self-standing bookshelf backwards to prevent it falling down?
Context
I intend to build a self-standing bookshelf using 18mm-thick, CNC-router-cut plywood. The bookshelf is made of nested planks, and entirely fits a 35cm-deep recess in my wall.
Following ...
- 437
28
votes
9
answers
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What to do with wood shavings and sawdust?
Been doing a lot of woodworking recently and have many bags of sawdust and wood shavings. I haven't the facility to compress them into the pellets I get from my local woodyard which are useful for my ...
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28
votes
4
answers
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Why does my shed door expand/shrink?
I built a shed door last summer and have had a few problems with it since.
Using pressure treated outdoor timber I made a fairly simple shed door. I wood glued the long planks together and then used ...
- 442
26
votes
4
answers
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What is the best tool for cutting up scrap wood?
I have some wood left over from building a patio, mainly some planks. Normally when I'm creating firewood, I just use an axe a split the wood, but these are too long for that. I really don't want to ...
- 393
22
votes
3
answers
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How can I remove material from this wood beam?
I am trying to mount a roller shade in between two wood beams on my porch. The problem is that the beams are a hair too close together to accommodate mounting the shade.
I am trying to remove a small ...
- 323
22
votes
5
answers
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How would I go about turning a tree in to a tabletop?
My father-in-law is about to cut down a large Ash tree (on the insistence of a neighbour). At the same time, we need a dining table, and quite like the idea of a simple wooden slab on legs.
...
- 1,031
21
votes
6
answers
11k
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How can I fix this gap between bookcases I made?
I just built two bookcases to line the wall of a room in my house and apparently didn't build them square enough so, when I put them next to each other, I get this giant gap. (I think the one on the ...
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20
votes
2
answers
3k
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Where do measurements start on a ruler/tape measure
I feel really dumb asking this question, but I need help reading the lines on my tape measure. I need to make precise measurements, but given the thickness of the inch lines, I'm not sure how. I've ...
- 309
18
votes
2
answers
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What is this measuring tool for?
I was going though my dad's and his dad's tools and found this tool. The two iron pins can go up and down and be locked by the screws.
Is it a measuring tool? How do you use it?
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17
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8
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Wood glue versus epoxy for doweling stripped screw holes
I've come across two schools of thought for gluing dowels in place.
PVA wood glue, such as Titebond.
Two-part epoxy, such as Araldite.
Bearing in mind long-term stability, which is preferable for ...
- 961
17
votes
2
answers
62k
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Can you rout plywood?
I have some applewood 13 ply 3/4" plywood that I'm using for a desk top. I was wondering if I took a router to the edges if it would turnout ok.
- 325
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votes
12
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15k
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How can I protect my fingers while using a band saw?
I intend on using a band saw to cut out large meeples (the wooden pieces from the board game Carcassonne) from a 2x4 board. I'm worried about cutting my fingers.
What tool can I use to help keep ...
- 369
15
votes
5
answers
4k
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Where does the strength of a French cleat lie?
I'm making a French cleat wall for a home office. I'm wondering how to make the strongest French cleat. Is it the length/angle of the bevel that matters most, like in B vs A in the diagram? Or is ...
- 369
14
votes
8
answers
5k
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Gluing two halves of a door together
Needed a door that matches that the doors from 1940s in my house. So I bought a 30" door on Craigslist and cut it down to 23" by cutting out the middle of the door as you can see in the ...
- 1,541
14
votes
3
answers
12k
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Can I use old bowling alley lanes as counter tops?
There's a guy in Brooklyn who has a huge stash of old maple bowling alley lanes that he says a person can make counter tops out of. The wood is actually pretty beautiful and some of it has inlaid pin ...
- 1,120
12
votes
5
answers
18k
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How do I drill a hole in a shelf without going all the way through?
I need to drill a hole in a shelf that's half an inch deep but I don't want to drill a hole through the shelf. What's the best way of doing that? I have a drill and i was thinking of showing just a ...
- 311
12
votes
10
answers
92k
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Is it safe to use an angle grinder with wood cutting blades? [closed]
Being a newbie to DIY and trying to get more and more jobs done myself, safety is a concern to me. I recently bought a Makita 5" angle grinder to cut some metal balustrades, job done. I considered ...
- 255
12
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Found an old tool - What is it?
I found this with a bunch of other old tools. This is the only one I can't figure out what it is. I wonder if it's a home made tool for some unique purpose. Or maybe it was just for made for fun out ...
- 495
11
votes
3
answers
3k
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How to modify a wooden fence to keep Nubian goats from extending their heads over and eating dwarf tree on the other side
We have a 4-ft (1.2 m) high fence (with a hog wire mesh) between our house yard and pasture.
I want to release Nubian goats into the pasture. But a Nubian will rear up, butt the front feet on the ...
- 231
11
votes
1
answer
1k
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What is the "wobble" adjustment on a jigsaw for?
Every jigsaw I've used had an adjustment knob with an illustration that looked like back-and-forth "wobble" in the blade.
What is this adjustment used for? I've always just set it as what I figured ...
- 9,423
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6
answers
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How do I cut an arc in a pine board?
How can I cut the arc as shown in the photo?
I have a circular saw. I have a jig saw.
I thought I might calculate the center of the arcs circle and (using a line tied to my circular saw) cut the ...
- 1,610
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votes
11
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How to put 5/8" oak dowels into holes which are just barely the right size?
I've got a handful of oak dowels (ok, a lot) and holes that are both 5/8" in diameter, the problem is that the dowels are just barely too big for the holes.
I'm trying to figure out easy ways to ...
- 275
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9
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What is the best way to shorten legs on a table and chairs?
A few years ago we bought a "bar height" kitchen table and chairs. It seemed like a good idea at the time but we hate it now. It's terrible to have to sit with your feet not touching the floor for ...
- 203
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votes
1
answer
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What type of woodworking clamp is this?
The pair of orange clamps are held onto a special mortising jig via threaded rod, the red inset image is a variation on the design but what are they called and where can you get them from?
- 203
10
votes
1
answer
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What is the recommended number of teeth for making finish cuts with a miter saw?
I'm going to be cutting 1x6 oak planks with a miter saw, but I'm not sure what blade to use. I currently have a 24T blade in the saw (which I know for sure I don't want to use), since I usually use it ...
- 131k
10
votes
4
answers
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Recommended screw fastener length
Is there an industry standard for recommended screw lengths to fasten to pieces of material together? For instance, if I need to fasten a piece of 3/4" plywood to a vertical brick wall, how long ...
- 113
9
votes
7
answers
55k
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How to SLIGHTLY widen bored hole in 2x6
I'm making a stand-alone pullup bar and I bored 1 1/4" holes in 2x6's for my 1" galvanized pipe (1 1'4" outside) to slide through. Only the pipe is definitely 1 5/16" (thank you, guy at Lowes) and I ...
- 201
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votes
4
answers
3k
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Can you make a plywood jigsaw puzzle, using a jigsaw power tool?
I just bought a cheap jigsaw power tool. I'd like to have a go at making a jigsaw puzzle with it, but all of the videos etc I've seen involve using a scroll saw instead.
I know that I could just get ...
- 339
9
votes
6
answers
10k
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Join wooden poles end to end
I need some 16ft (5 meter) long 3 inch diameter ash poles that will be used for re-enactment pike shafts. They will eventually be tapered to 1.5 inches at one end.
For practical purposes however - ...
9
votes
7
answers
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How do I remove excess wood stain that dried before I could wipe it off?
While staining some wood, we had an emergency and had to leave. The stain has now dried and I'm not sure how to remove the excess; it's normally wiped off before it dries.
When I get home I'm going ...
- 91
9
votes
2
answers
28k
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Can I use an 8" dado blade set in a 10" table saw?
I have a 10" table saw... this is probably a stupid question, but can I use an 8" dado blade set in this saw? Is one only supposed to use 10" blades in a 10-inch saw? I read on some contractor's ...
- 218
9
votes
3
answers
5k
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How do I drill a mortise and tenon joint so I can reinforce it with a dowel?
I want to make a mortise and tenon joint that will be held together with a dowel instead of glue. How can I drill the hole in the mortised stock and the tenon so that they line up accurately and ...
- 1,324
9
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4
answers
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Should I use MDF, plywood, or something else when building a desk?
I'm looking at building a desk but have been reading a lot of conflicting info about which material to use. My main concern is having the desk sag at all. I will also be painting/coloring the desk. ...
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votes
3
answers
2k
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Why do some table saws have a direct and a reverse ruler on the fence?
For example, in the ruler, the bottom row goes from 0 to 31 cm from left to right and the upper row goes from 32 upwards from right to left?
EDIT: Here is the manual for the tablesaw pictured above. ...
- 2,315
8
votes
8
answers
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How large should a hole be for a bolt to go through?
I am building a table and I have something like the following:
I want to know if I have a 3/8 inch bolt, how large should the hole on the diagonal piece be? I already secured it on the table leg.
- 81
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votes
2
answers
2k
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What's the correct way to think about wood's integrity when driving screws?
I've been reframing a closet door and have two studs that I've driven screws into and am now fastening sheets of drywall. I did this pretty haphazardly as a result of not having the correct tools ...
- 123
8
votes
9
answers
3k
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Dining Table Chair Repair
Some years ago, I purchased a set of dining table chairs. Alas, despite being happy with them in other ways, they are not well made. After a few months of normal use (pulling them out, sitting in ...
- 447
8
votes
2
answers
4k
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How can I repeatedly cut the same pattern using a router?
I'm involved with a project where I need to use a router (or some other tool?) to carve a specific-sized square in the top of a desk. This square will not go all the way through the desk; rather, it ...
- 215
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votes
2
answers
2k
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How do I identify and replace unusual screws?
I've got a desk held together by these really strange screws below. The tapped end goes into one end of a joint, the plastic piece goes into the other end of the joint, and then the head of the screw ...
8
votes
1
answer
26k
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Why do we need multiple coatings of polyurethane?
I just finished my first wood-working project ever, and applied the first layer of polyurethane last night. This morning, it looks beautiful. So I have a few questions:
Do I need a second (or more) ...
8
votes
3
answers
845
views
What to look for when picking a router?
I am in the market to purchase a router for the first time, and I am not really sure what I should be looking for. As a reference, this is for hobby wood working, and the best I know to categorize it ...
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votes
2
answers
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How can I plane the edges of plywood?
I'm working on an 8ft x 12ft climbing wall. I have 3/4 inch ACX plywood attached to a frame. Since the frame isn't perfectly square, the plywood overlaps on the edges (up to about 1cm) so I need to ...
- 185
7
votes
12
answers
77k
views
How to accurately cut plywood with unpowered hand tools?
As a beginner in woodworking I would like to build a simple box from plywood. The edges will be simply glued butt joints which means they need to be straight and smooth. When I use a hand saw I can't ...
- 181
7
votes
8
answers
3k
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Will floating pantry shelves built with 2x2s be ok?
I am really proud of these floating shelves I made, which still need plywood tops, bottoms and fronts. But now that I’m done I’m worried pine was a bad choice. It was the only wood that came in 2x2. I ...
- 379
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votes
4
answers
4k
views
Did I make a major mistake on my garage shelves?
I built garage shelves using Grip Rite construction screws (photo of box below). Only afterwards did I notice the statement about "non-structural" use.
Did I make a major mistake? Should I get some ...
- 407
7
votes
2
answers
1k
views
7
votes
4
answers
3k
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What wood to build a bath-tub tray?
I'm new to wood working and I want to build my wife a bathtub tray that can hold a laptop (for Hulu watching) and a glass. It doesn't need to hold anything else really. But I don't know what type of ...
- 463
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votes
4
answers
3k
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Prevent sagging shelves in alcove
We're building some shelves to fit in an alcove next to our fireplace, and so we built 4 frames using 1x2s for the front and back of the frame and 2x2s as the ladder support in the middle (each spaced ...
- 73
7
votes
2
answers
97k
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Plans for building a simple swing set out of wood
I would like to build a simple A-frame style swing set, which obviously has to be safe while also accommodating up to two swings.
Where can I find plans for building such a swing set?
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