Teak has become a very valuable wood in our day and age. It is a type of wood that can be used for a variety of different woodworking projects and is well known for its amazing characteristics. Due to high volumes of logging, there are fewer and fewer teak forests, and only Myanmar has a supply of Teak.
Teak wood is expensive because of its durability, its resistance to rot, pests, and water, and its beautiful look. Its high price is due to the lack of wood on the market, and the regulations on teak forests. It ranges anywhere from $7 to $41 per foot.
There is much to be learned about teak wood. It has a rich history that stretches across continents and people as well as a high price on the worldwide market today. If you still can't understand why it is valued so highly, read below to learn more about this amazing type of wood.
Throughout time, teak wood has been used for a variety of different things. It was first used by native tribes in Southern Asia to build their homes, but it also served as the tools with which they were able to build those homes. Later it was used in the construction of ships and even as a tea so that people could access its healing properties. The British actually used teak wood to create their navy ships. Its phenomenal properties and characteristics have helped to shape its uses in the old world and in our world today.
Teak wood is found in Myanmar, Thailand, India, and Laos and has been grown in Indonesia since the 16th century when Buddist monks brought it over from Myanmar (Burma). As natural teak forests began to disappear due to excessive logging, more teak plantations began to pop up all over southeast Asia. Some of the first teak plantations were started in Sri Lanka around 1680.
Teak plantations are now commonly found in India, where they grow teak for export. About the same time teak plantations began in southern Asia, the Myanmar people found a new way to grow teak plantations while also planting cash crops to keep up with the heavy expenses. This and other factors have allowed teak to become a more worldwide trading product.
While this has helped people continue to use teak widely, the best teak is still found in natural forests, or in other words, Burmese Teak. In the early 1900s teak plantations started in Nigeria, Brazil, Panama, Costa Rica, and other places that had the right conditions.
Today, teak is commonly used to make furniture. Its durability and water resistance make it optimal for outdoor furniture and other carpentry work. It continues to be a vital part of our woodworking world. Once it was used to build ships, but now the wood itself is shipped across all the world.
Teak is a hardwood with a rich golden brown and red color that runs grey in the weather. It has many potential uses and applications. Its water resistance makes it the best choice for outdoor furniture, shipbuilding, decking, and other general construction needs. It has quite a few really good advantages that make it optimal for these kinds of situations, which has led it to become so popular. We will go over a few of these below.
Advantages: Teak wood is a great hardwood!
As you can see, there are a variety of reasons that this wood is not only widely used and loved, but also why it costs so much money. It has all the characteristics to make amazing creations, but that doesn't mean that you will get all of those good qualities for free. It will definitely come at a price, but it's a price that will get you the results you need and desire.
Disadvantages: Teak wood may be hard to find!
There are not too many disadvantages to teak wood, but the few it does have to carry a lot of weight for suppliers trying to make high-quality products that are still affordable for consumers. As a consequence of this, many teak alternatives have come into existence. They may visually look like teak, but they don't have the same durability or strength. Do not be fooled by their good looks and cheap price tag. While teak is very expensive, it will outlive all of its alternatives meaning you won't have to buy it over and over again as it wears away and becomes ugly.
Maybe you want that nice weathered gray look that teak gets when left out in the sun for too long. Or maybe you are going for the classy appearance of teak wood that has been finished and polished off. Either way, there are great treatments that will help you attain whatever look you may want. You can stain, or paint teak wood with no problems making it any color you want while still preserving the beautiful grain of the wood. Let's talk about the best types of finish to be able to not only preserve the teak furniture you have but also keep it looking beautiful.
Across the internet and forums, people mention Teak Oil as one of the best ways to finish off teak wood. It helps it to maintain its color and furthers the integrity of the wood. Teak oil is exactly what it sounds like; it is an oil made of tung and linseed oil that pairs perfectly with teak wood. It normally gives off a golden brown sheen. Since teak oil is specifically designed for teak wood, it is absorbed really well to help preserve the wood over time. There are quite a few really great teak oils on the market today that you may want to consider using.
Other than the oils mentioned, there are many stains and varnishes that one can try in order to create whatever masterpiece they may be working on. Whatever you may choose, it may be helpful to buy one that will protect and seal off the teak wood so that it maintains the color you want and helps to keep your wood looking good as new. Be sure to make sure you find one that is non-toxic and will be used to strengthen the wood rather than cause it to deteriorate faster.
If you don't want to pay the very high price to get your hands on some teak wood, you can opt to buy a used teak wood creation like patio furniture and reuse it to create what you need. Since teak is so durable and strong, it will normally last a long time, giving you the option to buy teak wood and still be able to use it for years to come.
There are quite a few things that can be created even after the wood has been kicking around for years and years. It is important to be able to know where it will still have great uses that don't including going to the dump. One thing that looks cool (even when it is very old-looking) is chairs. You could make old teak into a chair for your front porch, or you could find an old teak chair. You could also transform old teak into a bench. The ideas are endless, but you can definitely reuse the wood.
All it may take is a few simple steps like sanding it down slightly and then finishing it with either oil or stain that will keep it looking a little fresher and prolong the life even further. Reusing and finishing teak can be a great adventure and it will be ready in no time!
In the end, it may be an expensive wood, but it is because of its durability, strength, resistance, appearance, and versatility. Each of these characteristics makes it some of the best wood around. Another reason for its high price can be understood by a thorough understanding of its history. It comes from South East Asia and sometimes the supply is low and the trees are still in the process of growth!
Whatever the reason may be, teak wood is definitely worth the wait and it will supplement your life with new outdoor furniture or a nice new canoe or fishing boat.
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Wood glue versus screws for joining wood pieces has been an argument for a long time. Some woodworkers don’t trust wood glue to be enough by itself. They argue that at least screws should be added to the glue for maximum strength.
There really is no need for screws in addition to wood glue since a wood glue bond has been proven to be stronger than a screw bond. This is true because, in a glued bond, you have a continuous bond along the wood's entire face. The more surface area that is bonded together, the stronger the bond will be.
While wood glue may be the relatively new kid on the block, it often outperforms its predecessors. So, while you don’t want to glue your house walls together, it is perfectly safe to glue your furniture together. Let’s see why that is.
Glue is stronger than screws. Not so much because of the chemical make-up of glue, but because of how it joins the wood together. The glue soaks into the wood fibers and essentially welds them together.
When wood is screwed together, you create a bond on the joint where the screws are. The bond holds firm wherever a screw is placed. This means that there are multiple points where the wood is not bonded.
In every place that the wood is not bonded, there is potential for structural failure.
With glue, however, you have a continuous bond along the entire joint. This factor is what makes wood glue so strong; in fact, stronger than the wood itself!
There is no gap in the bond so there is no leverage to pull the bond apart.
In tests, it has been proven that screwed joints break at the joint itself; glued joints break at some point away from the joint.
If you try to pry apart a glued wood joint, the wood will splinter, but the joint will hold.
So, while it may be tempting to “reinforce” your glued bond with screws, it is completely unnecessary. In fact, it may actually damage the bond since the screws will interrupt the adhesion at every point where they are placed.
Screws have a bad habit of cracking the wood or going in crooked, which compromises the joint's strength. Of course, the best way to avoid this is by drilling a pilot hole.
Furthermore, screws will shift over time. If exposed to extreme temperatures, screws will back out of the joint, leaving you with gaps or an unstable joint.
In humid regions, wood will swell and shrink according to fluctuating moisture levels. This will cause the screws to work loose and ultimately cause the joint to fail.
None of these issues arise with wood glue. The joint will last longer than the wood does.
Gluing takes more time than screws do, but in most cases, it works best.
Glue resists temperature and humidity changes better than screws do, and glue is not affected by weight in the same way that screws are.
While pressure can cause screws to shift or even break, glue is quite capable of tolerating significant pressure over prolonged periods without losing integrity.
But gluing a project together does require more preparation than screwing does. Let’s look at the process.
Sawdust or dirt on the wood can prevent the glue from bonding properly. This should be removed before attempting to glue the joint. A few simple steps can ensure a tight bond.
The strength of your bond is dependent in part on the wood. For this reason, the two pieces being joined should be as smooth and straight as possible.
If there are gaps between the two surfaces, this will result in glue having to fill the space. The bond in these cases will not be as strong as possible because of the discrepancies between the two pieces of wood.
You may want to sand or shave down both edges of the joint to make it as snug a fit as possible.
If there is still a bit of space between the boards at some point despite your best efforts, it can be remedied.
You can blend sawdust with wood glue to form a paste for tiny gaps to fill the gap. But this is not a one-size-fits-all tip. This does not work for large gaps.
If you want to stain or varnish your wood before gluing the joints, special care should be taken to keep the substances out of the joints to be glued. Glue does not bond well over stain or varnish.
An excellent way to protect your joint surface is to apply masking tape over the area that will be glued.
Applying an adequate amount of glue to the joint is vital to get a good bond. Too little glue will result in a weak joint, which may pop apart under stress. Too much glue will make a mess and cause flaws in your stain.
To prevent excess glue from squeezing out onto the surface of your wood, you can place masking tape on the upper surface all along the edge of the joint. This way, when the glue squeezes out, it squeezes onto the tape and can be easily removed.
It takes practice to learn how much glue is enough. Typically, you want the glue to squeeze out in a row of small beads along the joint's length. A scraper can remove these once the glue has set up a bit.
You will want to spread the glue to cover the joint’s entire surface area. Check out my video below on one way to apply glue.
If it is a small joint (two inches or less), you can apply the glue and rub the two pieces together a few times to spread the glue. This method is not recommended with joints larger than two inches and definitely should be done before the glue starts to set.
Once the glue has been applied, it is time to clamp the joint while the bond sets. This is arguably the most important part. When glued bonds fail, it is usually because it wasn’t clamped tightly enough.
Official recommendations for clamping are 150 psi for softwoods. Most wood glues require at least twenty-four hours in clamps for the bond to cure.
A bit of caution is in order here: if you are using metal rod clamps, the glue contacting the rods can cause a dark spot on your wood.
This is easily remedied by covering the rods with wax paper before placing your bond in the clamps.
While the consensus is that wood glue works better than screws for most joints, of course, there are times when screws are necessary. It really depends on what type of joint you’re making. If you wonder if you can put a screw into the joint after the glue is dry, then check out my article on screwing into wood glue(Link Here) for additional information.
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The main way to stop sap from wood is to heat the wood and seal it properly. Pine and fir are the worst offenders. Kiln drying wood to 170 F will crystallize most of the sap and prevent oozing. If you aren’t able to buy kiln-dried wood, then if possible, heat the wood with a heat gun until the sap crystallizes, then seal the wood with the sealer of choice. Clean the Sap off the wood with a Solvent first.
The initial moisture content of your wood can be the main contributor to sap. Check out my article on How dry should wood be for woodworking for more information.
We are excited about the new live workshops we will be holding thru Cucamonga Woodworking starting in 2022 and will definitely be talking a lot about Woodworking techniques like this. You can check it out and register here!
There are many things that you will quickly learn when working with fresher woods. One of the most frustrating things is that when sap appears after a project has been complete, there is extraordinarily little that can be done.
If you can’t buy kiln-dried wood and have a small piece of wood your working on, you can carefully heat it with a heat gun to crystallize the sap. I recommend the 1500 Watt Porter Cable heat gun due to its lower price.
All trees have sap in them. It is how the tree transports nutrients throughout itself, which is why you need to ensure the wood is dried correctly before working with the wood.
Here’s how sap can be treated and why it is such a big problem.
As said before, all trees have sap, and this means that every single piece of wood you can use to create something will have sap in it as well. The causes of sap coming out from a finished piece of wood is vast, with many people reporting that they’ve never seen sap on their projects, while others seem to be continuously stuck with it.
If you are using green wood that has not been dried properly or completely the sap will get stuck in pockets and seams throughout the wood. It might seem fine while working on the piece, and once you start sanding or working on the wood, you may not even notice any problems with the wood.
However, once heated by the sun, indoor heating, or just a heat gun, the sap will start to melt and solidify. Slowly but surely gathering on the wood pieces that you have worked on, this is why the standard practice for woodworking is to let the wood dry(either kiln-dried or air-dried). See my article on How dry lumber should be for woodworking for specifics. (link to article here)
If your finished piece is already past the point of no return, then you will have to apply the finishing’s you want on your piece. This can mean using very thick layers of paint, oils, or stains, which will work perfectly well.
You can stain your wood if there is sap coming out of it, but the areas where sap has congealed will not react the same way as the wood. In extreme cases, this can leave large areas of your piece unstained and untreated.
To overcome this, you need to sand down the piece, ensuring there is no sap congealing anywhere on the work. Then immediately apply the stain or oil you want in the wood. This will effectively stain the wood; however it will not stop more sap from appearing down the line.
Furniture can show symptoms of sap oozing out of them, with some smaller pieces of art, also showing the effect of improper treatment. However, commonly the DIYer will face sap seeping out of almost every single part of their deck.
The sun is continuously baking the deck, making the sap ooze out and become congealed in many spots. Any DIYer that has used inexpensive wood for their deck will know the horror of going outside one afternoon and suddenly having sticky feet.
The only way to overcome sap leaking form a deck is to try several different treatments, scarping off the sap as it appears, and reapplying any drying or oiling agents you may think is sufficient.
You can always paint over sap, making your piece look slightly bumpy in spots but never losing its shine. However, as time goes on, your paint will start to peel and bubble. The sap that oozes out of wood is under a lot of pressure and will easily overcome the bonding structures of paint.
Paint is probably one of the worst affected treatments on wood that can be harmed by sap seeping out of wood. This is because the sap comes from the inside of the wood and will rarely bleed through the paint with oils or stains.
Pushing the paint and damaging the paint in a way that is almost impossible to fix properly ever again.
There are several methods to clean sap off wood, with the only tried and tested way is to scrape the sap off after it has dried. One of the challenges of having untreated lumber is that the sap will be soft and sticky, making it a big pain to deal with.
Once the sap has hardened, it can be relatively easy to scrape off. If you would like to try and get sap out of your wood without sending it to be treated or risking your finished piece to be damaged, you can use a heat gun. Heating the sap and getting it to ooze out of the wood is an easy way of getting rid of sap in smaller pieces of wood.
Once you scrape off the excess sap, use a cleaning solvent like mineral oil or turpentine to clean the rest of the sap off. Sand the surface down to 240 grit, and than apply a sealer to the surface. Shellac works the best because you can put a layer of shellac on the bare wood, than stain, paint or varnish over the shellac.
Wooden decks are hard to predict and knowing how long the sap problem will be there is impossible to know. Fortunately, there are many tests and storied of how long it has taken other decks to become perfectly sap free.
Usually, between a year and 20 years of natural waiting for the sap to finish oozing out, which means you may never see the sap stop bleeding while you are using the current deck. Many DIYers end up buying proper wood and rebuilding their decks to overcome the problem of sap.
All wood has sap, with pine an fir being especially sap filled wood, but there are many kinds of wood we work with from day to day that does not have a trace of it in them. This is because the wood has undergone proper treatments before being sold, and here are the telltale signs that the wood you are using is not all it is advertised as.
The best way from treating sap is not to have sap at all, but if you are unfortunate enough to experience wood with sap still in it, you will find there are many ways to treat them. Some are extreme, while others require a lot of elbow grease, be sure you don’t scratch that smooth new surface you just spent hours making!
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The best workbench height for handwork (hand planing, thickness work, etc.) is a low height between 29-30” while the best for detailed work (creating dovetails and precision designs) is a tall height between 37-39”. The most popular height for a workbench compromises between the two at 34-36”.
However, finding the right workbench height for your woodworking tasks can ultimately depend on what you intend to do on the workbench the most frequently. If you spend your days hunched over a low sitting workbench, this could result in just as much pain and frustration as having to reach too high.
So, choosing the right workbench height for your particular woodworking tasks and physical stature is imperative for your success as a woodworker. Let’s take a closer look.
If you are new to woodworking, then you are likely just starting to prepare your woodworking shop. There are plenty of tools (as well as skills) to acquire, but the one piece of your woodworking shop that cannot be missing is the workbench. Unfortunately, many people do not see the importance of choosing the right height for their workbench and end up feeling the physical toll that the wrong height can cause.
With this in mind, it is important to choose the best workbench height. Keep in mind that these measurements are for a person with an average height of 5’9” to 6’, so adjust the measurements accordingly if you do not fall in this range. Consider the best workbench height measurements determined by your woodworking task.
If you are someone who leans over your workbench with a widened stance, feet spread apart and your shoulders really putting some power into the tools that you are applying to your woodworking project, then you probably want to opt for a low sitting workbench. In this case, you can use a low workbench height of 29-30”.
Now, when you walk into a woodworking shop and the workbench is sitting at 29-30”, it will feel incredibly short compared to some other more average workbenches. However, if you are someone who consistently does handwork like applying pressure with your hand planes or other types of thickness work, then you are going to want to be able to use your body to put some force into this type of work.
Because of this, you will want a workbench that does not sit very high. You will want to be able to lean over your projects and, thus, your workbench, to achieve the desired result. However, this is not an ideal height for work that requires you to be on your feet doing detailed work. That could leave your back aching for days.
Now, if you are looking for the right workbench height that you will not have to lean over (such as a workbench that you can comfortably use for detailed work with precision designs), then you will want to opt for a tall workbench at 37-39”. Of course, this is far higher than the type of workbench you might want if you are having to put your body into the woodworking action.
However, if you are creating dovetail joints or etching in a new design on your beautiful piece of wood, you will want something that you are not having to slump over all day long. Yes, we have all been there, and there is no turning back after finding the right height for your workbench.
Another reason that you might want a tall workbench is if you are working with power hand tools to secure the finishing touches on your woodworking project. You will not want to have to lean over to place a screw or to adjust the placement of your miter cut ends. Instead, you will want something that you can easily rest on while working to finish up your project.
Then, another reason that a tall workbench is preferred is if you are applying any type of pre-sealant or treatment to your project before you place the pieces together. You will want to be able to see this job up close, so having a comfortable height is important.
However, keep in mind that a tall workbench is not ideal if you are trying to place pressure on a miter saw or move around with your other woodworking tools while trying to peek to see what they are doing to your wood.
Many woodworkers find that they are not just using hand planers, and they are not just doing precision work when woodworking. Contrarily, they are doing a combination of these among other woodworking tasks, and they will need a workbench that can accommodate all types of tasks. In this case, a woodworker can opt for a compromise between a low and tall workbench height for an average workbench height of 34-36”.
This type of workbench is incredibly popular- especially when space is limited in a woodworking shop and there is not room enough for multiple workbenches. Along with that, many woodworkers find that they prefer to have one main workbench so that their tools are not scattered all throughout the woodworking shop.
Because of this, an average workbench height of 34-36” can provide somewhat of a happy medium between a workbench that is ideal for handwork and detailed work. Of course, you might find that if you are using an average workbench height for something that requires a bit more pressure, you might need to stand a bit taller or even build a small platform on which to stand during this type of project.
Similarly, you may find that the average height sits too low for what you are comfortable with while doing detail work. It can be incredible how much of a difference a few inches can make, but that is why it is ultimately so important to find the right height for your stature and woodworking needs.
Now, if you are taking these recommendations into perspective, you have the option to purchase a pre-built workbench, or you can choose to customize the perfect workbench height just for you and your unique woodworking tasks. After all, you are a woodworker, right? What better project than to build the perfect workbench for all of your woodworking needs.
To measure the perfect workbench height for you, consider the following steps:
Alternatively, if you are someone who does a lot of thickness adjusting and needs to use the weight of his or her body applied with the tools to achieve the best results, then consider a low sitting workbench. Finally, if you are someone who plans to do some of each, then you can either make two workbenches or choose an average height.
One method that you can use is to leave your arms hanging at your side and measure from the floor to the crease of your wrist. Then, use this height as the workbench height. Another option is to measure from the floor to where your fingers reach if pointed downward. This is perfect for creating a lower sitting workbench.
Finally, another option is to hold your arms out at your sides at a 90-degree angle. From here, you can have a friend measure from the floor to where your hands are sitting in this position. This is ideal for a taller workbench height as it mimics where your workbench would be sitting once your hands are out of the way.
In choosing the right method, you can always add or subtract an inch or two from these measurements to give or take a little height from your table. This can help you to determine the right measurement for your particular height as well as give you the freedom to make adjustments according to your woodworking needs.
In adding adjustable legs, you will have an “on” and “off” position or an “up” and “down” position that allows you to add a few inches to your workbench when you are in need of a taller setup (or lowering it when you are in need of that option). To do this, you will create your workbench at your personalized height.
Then, you will add a set of legs adjoined to the bottom of your workbench by 3” butt hinges that can be secured for an up or down position for your workbench. In adding these to your workbench, you get the best of both worlds with two height adjustment variations in your workshop setup.
In doing this, consider the following workbench heights depending on the purpose of your woodworking task. Again, keep in mind that these heights are based on an average height (of the woodworker) between 5’9” and 6’. So, if you are shorter or taller than this, you can add or subtract the appropriate number of inches in your range from 5’10” to hit the right height.
Workbench Stature | Workbench Height (In) | Ideal Workbench Tasks at this Height |
Low Workbench | 29-30” | Handwork (Hand planing, applying pressure, adjusting thickness) |
Tall Workbench | 37-39” | Detail/precision work, using power hand tools, joint work |
Average Workbench | 34-36” | Combination of tasks (ideal for a woodworker who does it all) |
*Optional Adjustable Legs | 3-4” | Optional add-on with butt hinges to provide two workbench heights in one setup |
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I started learning how to do kerf cuts to make a rounded storage box. I knew that I could make the outside the flat side so the kerf cuts wouldn’t show, but I wanted to know how to fill in the kefir cuts on the inside. So, I researched how to do it and put together this article to explain it.
You fill kerf cuts by using epoxy/resin or glue. The best are those who have stuck well to wood, and you can use many specialty products. Depending on the project, you either need to screw or nail the wood into place first and then fill it, but you also use clamps.
Below I’ll give you a list of better glues, epoxies, and resins to use. And detailed instructions on how to hold your wood in a curve while you fill the cuts. So, read on to discover this and other helpful tips about working with kerf cuts.
In my opinion, PVA glue mixed with sawdust is the best option. I’ve summarised in the table below:
PVA glue (yellow glue) | Resin | |
Shelf life | 1 to 10 years | 6 months to 1 year |
Cost | $20 per lb (1 litre) | $40 per lb (1 litre) |
Appearance | Good | Good |
You can use any wood glue mixed with sawdust or resins. PVA glue mixed with sawdust is the easiest for most folks since you’ll always have some around, and mixing it with sawdust makes it go a long way.
Also, resin's shelf life is a lot shorter than PVA glue, which means if you have some leftover, you can use it for another project without it going bad. According to the Wood Whisperer, PVA glue lasts about 1 year, at least in an opened bottle.
But, it can last as long as 10 years. Resin, on the other hand, lasts about 6 months to a year in the bottle, according to Wood Epoxy World.
PVA glue is very cheap, and because you will normally need quite a lot of it, it is my favorite. But, epoxies are a lot thicker and are easier to apply. Resins are also good, but they can be quite pricey. Epoxies are also normally more expensive than using PVA glue.
A 32 oz bottle (1 liter) of resin that works well on wood costs about $40. Whereas the same amount of PVA glue only costs about $20. As you may be aware, PVA glue and yellow glue act the same. They have different names - yellow glue is PVA glue with an additive that makes it yellow.
My recommendation for the best PVA glue is Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue, 8 oz.(Click on the link to check the current price on Amazon)
And, my recommendation for the best resin for wood is Dr. Crafty Epoxy Wood Resin Kit - 1 gallon (Click on the link to check the current price on Amazon)
They also have a similar appearance to each other once they are dry. So, now that you have a good idea of what to fill kerf cuts with, I’ll include a step by step guide on exactly how to do it.
Whether you’re an experienced woodworker, carpenter, or joiner, or you don’t have any experience, this guide will work for you.
The hardest part about filling kerf cuts is getting the glue or resin into the cuts and holding the curve in place while the glue or resin dries. For this guide's purposes, I’ll say glue, so I don’t have to say glue or resin each time. But, each of the steps works whether you’re using glue or resin to fill your kerf cuts.
Before executing the steps, it’s important to know that the order you do the steps in depends on the exact project you are working on, and you can interchange the two steps - holding the curve in place and filling it with glue.
You need to hold the curve in place so that it doesn’t move around when the glue is still wet. You also want to secure the curve in place because, with really tight curves, the glue may not be strong enough to hold the curve in place once it dries.
Depending on your specific project, you will want to use screws, nails, or clamps to hold the curve's shape. In most projects, you will be putting the curved piece of wood around a frame of some kind. So, you can also attach it to the frame using glue. Then once the glue has dried, you will fill in the kerf cuts.
The woodworking plans you are using will often have instructions for how to attach the kerfed wood to the other parts of the project. So, go ahead and follow those. If it’s something custom that you have put together, then you’ll want to use enough screws, nails, or glue to hold the curve in place before you fill in the kerf cuts.
In some project designs, you can also layout the kerf cut wood on a table, fill the kerf cuts with glue, and then clamp it into place while it dries.
This can be quite easy and fast depending on the order in which you fill your kerf cuts. If you fill them with glue first and then clamp them or screw them into place, it’s straightforward and fast.
But, if the project's requirements mean that you need to screw, nail, or clamp it into place first, then it is trickier to get the glue into the cuts. Either way, you can brush the glue or glue and sawdust mixture into the cuts. Then you’ll want to wait for it to dry.
You often need to apply glue twice to fill the cuts. Because it’s hard to get it perfect the first time. So, I recommend filling them as best you can once, waiting for it to dry. And then applying glue a second time to fill the cuts.
I wrote another article about how long it takes for wood glue to dry. You can read it by clicking here How Long Does It Take Wood Glue to Dry?
After all, that’s done, you may want to finish the kerf cuts to improve their appearance
To finish the filled in kerf cuts you’ll want to:
But, you can also glue, nail, or screw the reverse side of another piece of kerf cut wood on top of it.
You want the least amount of overflow as you can because you will need to sand down any parts that are sticking out. And with the curved surface of a kerf cut, you’ll need to do it all by hand.
Paperbacked veneers have a shiny surface on one side and paper on the other. And they are by far the easiest option. The shiny side should face outwards and is the part you will see once you’ve glued it on top of the surface of the wood.
A drawback of a paper-backed veneer is that it isn’t natural wood. Which, in my opinion, looks a lot nicer. It depends on what you like, and how much time you need or want to spend finishing it.
When you finish your project this way, both kerf cut surfaces will face each other. And both sides will have a nice wood finish. You can either fill in the kerf cuts of both or leave them unfilled because you won’t see the kerf cuts when they’re glued together. If you fill the kerf cuts, though, it will make it stronger.
And that sums up everything you need to know about filling kerf cuts.
You fill kerf cuts by holding the curve in place and then filling it with glue or resin. Wood glue is cheaper than resin, and both have a similar finish. If you hold the curve in place and then fill them, it can be more tricky than filling them with glue first and then holding the curve in place.
Each project is unique, and you should do it the way that makes the most sense for your specific project. And based on your experience.
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There are dark woods, redwoods, vivid orange woods, and plenty of plain old brown woods in between. However, there is one wood color that many seek, but few find. When it comes to white woods to use for your woodworking business, which takes the cake?
The whitest natural wood available is holly. Such a simple name and well-known presence almost make it seem impossible, but holly is known worldwide as the whitest wood available. There are over 200 species of holly growing worldwide, making it easily accessible for most buyers.
Holly stands alone when it comes to the vivid white that the wood can produce. Although many look at different types of wood and want to stain it immediately, holly is often an exception to this perceived concept, as many individuals admire its flawlessness and bright tone.
It is one of a kind, but even with its beauty, just like any wood, it has its flaws. Let’s take a closer look at what Holly looks like and a few key facts to remember when working with it to create legacy furniture and impressive masterpieces.
We are excited about the new live workshops we will be holding thru Cucamonga Woodworking starting in 2022 and will definitely be talking a lot about Woodworking techniques like this. You can check it out and register here!
Have you ever come across a wood so naturally beautiful, so flawless, so smooth in texture that it nearly stopped you dead in your tracks? Only me? Ok, so maybe my love for the wood is a bit more over-the-top than yours.
Many wood varieties in their natural state are difficult to appreciate before they have undergone a bit of sanding and staining - the result is a bit difficult to realize right then and there, but how about holly?
Holly is not only noticeably beautiful when you immediately notice its exterior, but it has a striking white color that can shock those looking to use natural wood with a bright finish. Its texture is almost as pure in that it has practically no grain pattern- making it the perfect blank, white slate for your next woodworking creation.
From the outside, a holly tree is something breathtaking before you even get to its center. From a small bush to a towering tree, holly is covered in deep green leaves that are petite and sturdy.
Amid these leaves, you will find the most vivid red berries adorning every branch, adding the most delicious pop of color to the tree's deep hues. It is a striking species when considered only outwardly, but you are in for something grand when it comes to its interior.
Holly is one of those woods that is beautiful from the moment it is harvested. It is known worldwide as the caviar of wood when it comes to its color and even overall texture.
Holly is a vivid white, striking against any deep cherrywood or brilliant standing alone as a beautifully constructed piece itself. The white color that this wood can produce is something that many refuse to change and hold in great esteem.
To maintain its pristine white color, holly is typically cut in the winter months and rapidly harvested to avoid discoloring.
If you are looking to harvest your own wood, keep this in mind as the wrong method of cutting at the wrong temperature can result in a nasty blue-gray stain rendering your once flawless white holly piece useless.
Outside of its color, it is also quite beautiful texturally. Many woodworkers have to be conscientious of the grain pattern in the type of wood they use for any given project. This can be a pain for nailing down consistency, but holly stands above the rest in this area.
The grain pattern of the whitest natural wood in the world (Holly) is truly impressive. Holly has virtually no grain pattern - that is right, I said it.
It is like the wood version of ivory (but legal, ethical, etc.) and makes for a flawless surface of wood perfection. You will be thrilled to see the projects that can come about when using a practically grain-free natural wood- especially one that is as bright as Holly.
Holly may be beautiful, but beauty can only go so far. Although this type of wood does have a few redeeming qualities, there are some components of holly that you should consider before working with it or before purchasing a piece made of it.
Holly is a beautiful white natural wood that stains beautifully, but it can be difficult to work with for various reasons. Plus, it is known to decay more easily, making it frustrating for woodworkers who dedicate hours of their time, energy, and resources to craft the perfect piece.
Let’s take a closer look at why Holly might be a bit of a stretch for some woodworkers to consider working with.
If you are not one who wants to keep the white of holly on full display, then you may be looking to stain it. Although some may scoff at this decision, I get it!
Sometimes white is not your flow, and you need something with a little more color to really light your woodworking fires (ok, no literal fires though, that could end very badly). If a stain is what you are leaning towards, holly is your absolute go-to for an absolutely flawless job.
The reason this wood stains so well is because of its texture, as I mentioned previously. Because it does not have any noticeable grain pattern, few areas in which the stain can unevenly deepen or not take due to the wood's grain.
This is going to give you an extremely consistent stain and one that looks just about as flawless as the raw wood itself if you apply it in a way that is also consistent.
As I said, holly is not all rainbows and sunshine when it comes to woodworking. Yes, it is stunningly beautiful in all its white glory, but it has a few quirks that make it a little more difficult to deal with than other hardwoods that are not quite fussy.
Do not be deterred, though. Just because something may offer you a harder time than other options does not mean it is not worth the time and effort, nor does it mean you are not capable of handling it.
Holly is a very tight, close-grained wood. Its texture is very fine, and although this is fantastic for easy sanding, this can mean big trouble when you are sawing or drilling.
Unlike many hardwoods, holly is a bit more sensitive when being worked on by power tools rather than regular old hand tools. This means that you have to be very attentive to every cut to ensure you are not trashing any of your pieces.
When you are using any saw, be sure to avoid a feed rate that is too slow. If you have the rate at too low of a feed, you risk the change of scorching or even burning the wood.
When it comes to drilling, stop fairly often to clean dust from the holes you are working on to ensure burning does not occur in those areas. You also have to work around all knots that often occur holly, making for some creative operation methods.
Holly is beautiful, but it is not as durable as one might think. Holly is as fine a treat as any when it comes to insects, and they can flock in droves to it. They like to make their way into this wood and feast like it is Christmas day.
Although there are measures you can take to avoid this from happening, over time, holly tends to age at a rate that can be faster than their hardwood counterparts, which can result in decay and insect encroachment.
It is also important to note that this wood is not one that is considered to be durable. It is often used in projects where it is made to be the interior of something or used as an accent against the sturdier wood.
Because of its weak structure, it is not often used for larger pieces on its own but does do well when used as small pieces in engraving or carving.
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Oak has long since been a favorite of many carpenters and woodworkers because of its solid but beautiful characteristics. Depending on the type of environmental exposure, the treatment and finishing process can differ. In this article, we will discuss how to finish different types of oak for outdoor use.
Depending on the desired look, the type of oak, and the wood's environment, the treatment and finishing options for oak are myriad. However, specific cardinal steps are needed for even the most basic finish. This process consists of ensuring that the wood has reached its EMC or equilibrium moisture content to prevent warping after treatment, sanding the wood with multiple different grades of sandpaper, and applying your choice of finishing chemical.
As there are many different types of oak and many applications for the use of oak, the preparations and finishing agents may differ. For this reason, there is no perfect one-shot way to finish oak for outdoor use, as different environments contain different factors that may change the way that the wood will react. However, to remedy this, we will cover some outdoor applications and how to prepare, treat and finish them.
There are more than a few oak treatment finishing options that will work well for exterior uses. Below we will mention and explore each option as well as the environment in which they work best.
Before deciding on a finishing treatment, there are some factors to consider:
The preparation process is more or less the same across most species of oak wood. The process consists of sanding the wood with different grains of sandpaper. Start with a rougher grit such as 80. Then steadily progress to 120, 180, 280, and finally finishing with a fine-grit like 320. Between each sanding session, clean the surface with a cloth moistened with mineral spirits to remove sawdust and fine wooded particulates.
The sanding process is very time-consuming, and you may use a lot of sandpaper. However, it will ensure that the finish you apply to your oak wood takes to it properly and that the pores of wood absorb the finish of your choice.
As the name indicates, penetrating finishes seep into the wood and seals it from moisture, and some even protect the wood from pests. Penetrating finishes offer little to no protection against sunlight or general wear and tear but do not blister or peel, and can they usually are straightforward to apply and easy to maintain. They do, however, need to be applied regularly and offer no protection against dirt and debris.
Most penetrating finishes come in the form of teak or tung oils and semi-transparent stains that lend a natural look to the wood. They can also vary in formulations from water repellents, water-repellent preservatives, and colored water preservatives.
Water repellents and water repellent preservatives repel water but do not waterproof the wood. As mentioned above, they offer a natural look because of their clear or transparent coatings that reduce wood movement or warping. The usual ingredients for water repellents and water repellent preservatives are solvents, paraffin wax, varnish resin, or drying oil. The solvent aids the resin and wax to soak into the wood before the wax or resin evaporates.
The difference between a water repellent and a water repellent preservative is the addition of a wood preservative or mildewcide to the water repellent formulae. As the name suggests, it helps preserve and protect the wood from fungi and mildew.
Teak or Tung oil finishes bring out the natural colors of oak for a short time but have to be frequently reapplied depending on the quality of the product. If the product is not applied regularly, the wood can suffer photooxidation damage and turn a gray color.
Teak oil is not manufactured from teak trees but rather a brand name from the manufacturer that plays on the characteristic of teak wood because of its natural decay resistance and popularity. Similar products include Danish oil or Antique oil and contain a small percentage of pigments that assist them to last longer.
Tung and linseed oil are wood treatment oils that are vegetable-based. They absorb oxygen in the wood and crosslink to form polymers. For this reason, tung and linseed oil are classified as drying oils. They do not provide a lot of durability or protection from outside elements but are usually used in concert with other treatments such as varnishes to help protect the wood from fungi and sun damage.
These finishes are comprised of paints, polyurethanes, solid color stains, and varnishes. They generally offer excellent protection against wear and dirt, provide very long-lasting protection and come in many varieties of sheens. They are, however, more difficult and effort-consuming to apply. They can peel and blister if moisture gets under the treatment finish into the wood and are generally less forgiving when this happens.
Paint provides the longest-lasting protection amongst the film-forming finish treatments. It completely blocks ultraviolet rays and, when applied correctly, seals the wood from microbial attacks and water damage. Paint is an excellent choice for a outdoor finish if the oak wood is not exposed to regular water, as this can cause the paint to blister and peel. If this happens, the paint, like most film-forming finishes, will have to be removed with chemicals such as paint stripper and scraped from the wood before being reapplied.
The best type of paint to use on exterior finishes is the acrylic latex variety, as it lasts longer than oil-based paint and has stronger resistance to ultraviolet rays. Other advantages of acrylic latex-based paints are that they are more flexible and do not crack with age. They also allow the wood to breathe easier and shed water.
When applying paint to oak wood, it is always good to apply a primer to ensure proper adhesion. A primer will also extend the life of the paint. Remember to ensure that the wood has been prepared properly by sanding it with the various grits mentioned above.
When treating any vertical surfaces near-horizontal surfaces or any horizontal surfaces with paint, it is recommended that you apply a water repellent preservative a few days prior. This will ensure that the service life of the wood is extended and protected from splashes of water. This is useful when treating doorjambs or window jambs.
These types of treatment present a nice balance between aesthetics and wood protection as they often bring out the depth and beauty of the wood while protecting it from wear, decay, and ultraviolet rays to some extend. On the other hand, they demand more effort to apply and maintain. When maintenance is neglected, these types of treatments, much like paint, have to be removed with a paint stripper and sanded off completely before reapplying.
One of the best types of clear varnishes is marine varnish, which is specially formulated to protect the wood from outdoor environmental exposure against the sun, wind, and water. Traditional marine varnishes are comprised of phenolic resins, tung oil, biocides, and ultraviolet inhibitors. New versions are formulated from Uralkyds or oil-modified urethanes and provide even greater water resistance, durability, and less expensive. However, they tend to take more effort to apply and require more maintenance in comparison to traditional varnishes.
Applying clear varnishes and polyurethanes requires equal amounts of patience and skill. The process follows more or less the same steps as the other treatments, with the oak wood being sanded with varying grits of sandpaper and cleaned with mineral spirits. After ensuring that the wood is clean and dry, you can apply the first varnish or polyurethane coat.
When applying the treatment, it is important to make sure that the coats are spread evenly, and no bubbles form. The first coat needs to be thoroughly dry before proceeding to the next step: to use a fine grit of sandpaper, around 200 or higher, to lightly sand the surface of the first coating. Afterward, it is recommended to use steel wool and damp cloth to remove any particulates before applying the second coating. After the second coating has dried, you will need to check the smoothness of the finish. If your hand glides over without sticking or hitching to the surface, the third and final coat may be applied.
If not, you will need to sand the surface again using the fine gritted sandpaper, clean it with steel wool and a damp cloth and only then apply the third coating. Please note that when wiping the varnished surfaces with a damp cloth, the surface needs to be completely dry before applying the next varnish coat. Neglecting to do so will result in the treatment bubbling or peeling.
Most woods have to be treated before being used outdoors for any extended period of time. For most people, this is common knowledge. What's not common knowledge is why wood has to be treated as finishing products can range from seemingly unnecessary to somewhat expensive. However, regardless of the effort that goes into treating oak or how much it cost. The fact remains that it will ensure that the wood lasts longer and, in most cases, look better, which will save you the effort of replacing it and the costs attached.
One of the environmental factors that any wood needs to contend with when used outdoors is sunshine. Or, to be more specific, the UV or ultraviolet rays contained in the light directed from the sun.
While a tree is still rooted and alive, sunlight is necessary to photosynthesize and grow. However, when the tree is harvested for lumber and wood, the chlorophyll cells within the tree leaves that previously absorbed sunlight and converted it to energy, oxygen, and carbon dioxide cease to function.
This causes the wood to absorb the ultraviolet rays in a very different manner. Instead of using the ultraviolet rays in a life-sustaining manner, the wood, lacking the chlorophyll cells that leaves have, is forced to release its moisture content. This has to do with how the lignin cells inside the wood react to ultraviolet rays and the heat associated with sunlight.
The lignin cells inside wood are the cells that lend the wood its rigidity and structure. When harvested wood is exposed to direct sunlight without being treated, the moisture content contained within the lignin cells decreases. The movement of water reduces the coloration of the lignin cells, thereby bleaching them. This process is referred to as photooxidation or bleaching. When this process repeatedly occurs, the lignin cell structure can come under duress and deteriorate with time.
Although there are quite a few factors to consider when treating oak wood for outdoor use, luckily, some steps are quite standard and easy to follow, as described above. The main rule is to be cognizant of what type of finish you want and if it is practical to apply and maintain the treatment in the environment, you find yourself.
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Woodworking is profitable—it can be. Many people and businesses do it as their livelihood. However, getting into it isn’t easy to make money, and you will have better luck if you start it out as a hobby.
We will be going over more in-depth on how profitable woodworking can be. If you’d like to learn more, we encourage you to keep reading!
Woodworking is a very diverse topic because it applies to a lot of things. Anything from engraving a sign to creating large furniture is considered woodworking, and it can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.
Plenty of people do woodworking as a hobby because it is very satisfying to create high-quality things, many of which can be used in everyday life, such as tables and chairs. Just like an artist who draws in their spare time, a woodworker can get that same enjoyment out of cutting, shaping, and finishing wood.
Much like an artist who draws, woodworkers can sell their creations for profit to anyone willing to pay.
The biggest challenge of profiting off of woodworking for many people is the barrier to entry. Still, woodworking as a hobby can be affordable depending on what you want to do.
You can buy a beginner set of chisels for under $50, such as the REXETI 10pc Wood Chisel Set, and get into wood carving, a popular and old-school way of creating wood artwork. If you get good at this, you may be able to start selling your creations to people looking for handcrafted wood art.
Woodworking doesn’t just mean art, though. Many people love to build furniture in their garages for the joy of it, and getting started with this doesn’t have to be expensive either. You’ll just need these tools to get started as well as a proper workbench:
You’ll also need lumber, wood finish, brushes, and various other tools. By the end of it, you are looking at under $600-$700 to get started if you shop right.
It is doubtful that you will be selling furniture within your first week of woodworking. It is best to think of it as a hobby that can grow into a business rather than something you are doing just for the money. Most people start rusty but end up growing into it over time.
The people who can sell their creations have been doing woodworking for a while and are good enough to the point that what they are selling holds value over what you can buy from IKEA.
Getting into any business takes time and knowledge. If you put your mind to it, you can profit from woodworking, but you will need the right approach and the understanding of who you want to sell to. Below are a couple of key tips to keep in mind if you plan on taking this journey.
First, you will need to decide what you want to make. Furniture is a popular one because everyone needs it, and it is a large part of a home’s decor. However, don’t think you need to follow what others are doing if you don’t want to. There are plenty of woodworking projects that can be profitable:
If you need more ideas, this list has plenty of suggestions to choose from. Always do what you love—woodworking should be enjoyable and rewarding, and so if you’d rather make fruit bowls over tables, then go for it!
Next, you’ll need to figure out where you are going to sell your creations. You could try Etsy, a popular online store where people sell their handmade projects, but you might want to look into selling local first to get your foot in the door. See if there are any local craft fairs in your area and/or talk with some local stores about striking a deal.
You could also create a website where people can order creations from you. You will need to understand SEO and digital marketing, but it can make you pretty successful in the long run if you play your cards right. You don’t have to be a programmer either; lots of services allow you to build a website by just selecting what you want it to look like and paying the monthly fee.
Suppose you intend to profit from woodworking that you are essentially investing your own money to make money. You have to factor in supplies and labor if you want it to be truly worth it.
Some people make the mistake of selling too low. At the end of the day, all they are doing is mitigating their investment rather than making any real profits. Selling too cheaply can also turn people off since it can indicate poor quality even if your crafts are stolen.
Customers who know their stuff and/or have plenty of money to spend on custom wooden appliances are looking for something unique, even if, in many ways, it is similar to what you can buy elsewhere.
They are also the type who like to help “the little guys” and are willing to pay more to do so. If they want something cheap, there are plenty of retail and online stores that will allow them to get a $30 chair. So, do not be afraid to price what you think your projects are worth.
Here is an example of the right way to price one woodworking project:
Suppose you spend $40 on materials to make a chair, that’s the beginning, but you also need a price based on how long you’ve spent making the said chair. If it took you 3 hours to make it, then you should figure out how much money you want to pay yourself per hour—let’s say $25/hr for the sake of it. The labor would be $75 in total and combined with the material cost, so your creation should sell for at least $115.
This is an oversimplification and doesn’t account for doing this full time where you’d want to calculate overhead costs and various other things to determine an even higher price. Plus, you may want to pay yourself more than $25/hr if you are particularly skilled at what you do and know who you can sell to.
Woodworking is indeed profitable if you are skilled, know your worth, and have an idea of where and who you can sell your creations.
However, it’s important to remember that it will take time to gain traction, even if you are doing it as a hobby. Create something that you are satisfied with and pitch it online or locally. You have to start somewhere, and your journey can begin with a few hours in the workshop.
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Whether or not to sand between coats of shellac has been the subject of much debate online. Researching this topic can feel like reading different chefs’ recipes for the same meal. Everyone has their own special idea of how it should be done, but is it essential when applying shellac?
You do not need to sand between shellac coats, but it can seriously improve the piece's finish. That is because small imperfections like specks of dust get bigger and bigger every time you add a new coat. Shellac will bond with the coat under it, making one layer. Not sanding can leave you with a lumpy finish.
The answer to this question is far from clear, and different carpenters give wildly different advice. In this piece, we will be looking at the problem in detail to determine whether you need to sand between coats of shellac.
We are excited about the new live workshops we will be holding thru Cucamonga Woodworking starting in 2022 and will definitely be talking a lot about Woodworking techniques like this. You can check it out and register here!
Shellac is not a particularly durable finish. It does not do well when exposed to the elements and can even be damaged by the bottom of a hot mug. It is usually reserved for indoor decorative pieces, and the benefits of using shellac include the fact that it is completely non-toxic. In fact, it is still used in the glossy shells of many sweets even today.
Another big benefit of shellac is that it will bond to just about anything you try. That can be very handy if, for example, you want to coat a piece in both an oil-based and water-based finish. While they will not bond well to each other, they will both bind to a coat of shellac in between.
It should be noted that polyurethane stains will not bind to shellac due to the wax content, although you can avoid this by buying dewaxed shellac, which will bond just fine.
Shellac also works very well as a sealant. That means that not only can it make your project more water-resistant, it can also stifle any strong smells coming from the piece. Shellac is also pretty easy to apply and can be re-applied easily if the original finish becomes damaged or faded. It also ages quite well, meaning that it is less likely than some other finishes to become discolored or faded with age.
Shellac can be mixed with denatured alcohol to varying concentrations depending on how thick you want your finish. A pound cut (16 oz) refers to the number of pounds of shellac flakes that you add to a gallon of denatured alcohol.
For example, if you wanted to make a 1 pound (16 oz) cut using a gallon of alcohol, you would add 1 pound (16 oz) of shellac flakes, giving you a thin mixture. Putting three pounds (48 oz) of shellac into a gallon of alcohol gives you a thick 3-pound (48 oz) cut.
How thick a mixture you want will depend on what you need it for. A 3-pound (48 oz) cut, for example, is generally used for the priming or sealing of stains. It is often easier to apply several thin coats of shellac than a few thick ones. That is because thick mixtures of shellac will show brush marks more easily than thin ones. Lots of layers of a thin cut will give you a smoother and glossier finish.
Unlike some finishes, you do not need to sand shellac between coats to ensure adhesion. As you add each shellac layer, it burns into the previous layer, creating one solid mass.
That is because shellac is an evaporative coating, which means that the alcohol evaporates off as the solvent. It causes the shellac itself to stick together into a solid mass. When you add more solvent, the previous layer softens and merges with the new layer.
So why should you sand between coats then? Imagine you put down the first coat of shellac, only to notice a speck of dirt stuck in the finish. Unless you remove that tiny bump, each layer of shellac you add will exaggerate the bump, making it larger and larger with each coat.
The best way to get a smooth finish is to remove the tiny defects before they have snowballed into something larger and more difficult to get rid of.
How quickly shellac dries will depend on both the ventilation and temperature in your workshop. With the right ventilation and temperature, it can be completely dry in as little as 30 minutes. It is best, however, to err on the side of caution.
It is recommended to wait about 4 hours between coats to allow the shellac to dry and settle properly. Applying the next coat too early can seriously affect the quality of the finish.
When it comes to sanding between coats, if the shellac is not dry enough, it will clog the sandpaper and feel tacky to sand. If the shellac is dry enough, it should produce a fine powder when it is sanded. Remember to remove this powder with a tack cloth before applying the next coat since the residue can snowball into large defects, as described above.
Hopefully, you already know how to apply shellac-based on what we have already discussed, but it is worth going into the process in a little more detail. It is important to note that you should get the surface as smooth as possible before applying shellac for a reason described above. If you are touching up the surface, you should remove any oils or finishes from the wood before applying the shellac.
Here are the steps on how to apply shellac:
While some carpenters disagree about whether or not it is a good idea to sand between shellac coats, the consensus is that it gives you a much smoother finish. While it does not help with adhesion, doing this prevents small imperfections from snowballing into unsightly blemishes.
Hopefully, this has helped you to understand why sanding between coats of shellac is a good idea.
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Filling in holes in the timber you are working with can sometimes be a frustrating undertaking, especially with trying to match the color of commercial wood fillers to the same color as your timber. The commercial wood fillers may also change color as they dry, which may make them stand out as an obvious fill on the final product. You may also run out of your favorite commercial wood filler and need an urgent alternative. Fortunately, there is a pretty simple, easy fix for this problem. You can make your own wood filler from sawdust!
To make wood filler from sawdust, you need to mix a little sawdust into a paste, using a binding agent. The resulting paste is used to fill the void in the wood and given time to dry. Once dried, it can be sanded down to a smooth finish. The binding agent can be wood glue, epoxy, CA glue, or shellac.
Commercial wood fillers work well, but it is difficult for these product manufacturers to provide exact color matches to all kinds of wood. Sometimes you will only manage to get a close match rather than an exact match, but should you be looking for an exact match and do homemade wood fillers work?
As we have intimated already, there are a few scenarios where making your own homemade wood filler from sawdust would be appropriate and more convenient.
Color matching wood fillers that are store-bought can sometimes be a daunting task, especially if you are working on a piece you want to sell. The colors on the outside of the wood filler's container may not match the wood, and you don't know how they will look after they dry.
Should you choose a darker color, a lighter color, or a color that closely matches your wood. While you may think that this is an issue with commercial wood fillers, as we will see later, it is also an aspect of concern for homemade wood fillers.
Color matching is not the only reason why one would choose to make wood filler from sawdust at home. You may have an urgent project you need to get out of, and you have run out of wood filler. As an alternative way to get the job done, it is certainly possible to make your own wood filler and complete the project on time.
There are many different recipes for making your own wood filler, and we will discuss a few examples so you can determine which option would work the best for your application.
Various different methods are recommended by people for making wood filler from sawdust. The main difference between the various methods is the binding agent used to bind the sawdust together into a paste and then harden into a surface that can be sanded smooth.
First, we will show you the method that is used to make the sawdust wood filler. We will then discuss the binding agents you can use and how each of them performs in this role.
Some of these wood filler recipes work better than others, and we will discuss each one with its advantages and disadvantages, which will give you an idea of which method will work best for your project.
You will only need two basic components to make your homemade sawdust wood filler. Sawdust and the binding agent, but you will need some equipment to get the job done, so let's get down to some lists.
Tools you will need to make your sawdust wood filler will be the following.
You will need to gather together a pile of sawdust to make your wood filler. To match the color of the piece you are working on, it would be best to obtain the sawdust you need from the same wood piece.
Use a scrap piece of wood from the project to make your sawdust. There are a few different methods that can be used to get the sawdust for the job at hand. If your orbital sander has a dust collection bag, you can sand the scrap piece of wood and then collect the dust from the collection bag.
Another alternative is to take some sandpaper and rub it over the wood to create the sawdust. You can place the scrap wood on a piece of cardboard or a piece of paper to catch all the sawdust.
The finer the sawdust is, the better wood filler it will make. We recommend using a piece of 220 grit sandpaper to produce the sawdust from the scrap wood. You could use a 180 grit, but don't go below this as the sawdust will become coarser with a lower grit. The coarse sawdust will not diffuse through the binding agent effectively, and the finish on your wood filler will be coarser.
If you have coarse sawdust, you may want to sift the sawdust to extract all the smaller pieces to use in your wood filler.
Gather the sawdust together in a pile in the center of your cardboard or piece of scrap wood. Pour some of the binding agent onto the sawdust and mix it with the craft stick. Don't just stir the mixture, but press down on it to mush the sawdust into the binder agent.
The consistency you are looking for is a putty-like texture, so if the mixture is still a little too dry, add some more of the binding agent until you reach the desired consistency.
With this consistency, you should spread it with the craft stick or putty knife as you would with normal commercial wood filler.
At this point, you have made homemade wood filler, and it is ready to apply to your project.
At this juncture, we will talk about the different binding agents you can use in your wood filler and what the advantages and disadvantages would be.
Wood glue is an item that every woodworker will have available in their shop, making it a convenient and easily accessible binding agent to make your wood filler.
Most woodworkers would be familiar with wood glue and the strength that it gives to the wood once it dries.
Wood glue works very well in this application to make wood filler with sawdust, and it is easy to apply. The wood glue goes a long way, so don't pour too much in when you first add it to the sawdust, or the mixture may be too runny.
Because the wood glue does not have much color of its own, it is usually white or a light yellow; it takes on the sawdust color very well. The mixture will be slightly darker than the original wood, but as we will see later, this is not a bad characteristic.
Once the wood glue sawdust wood filler cures, which will take overnight, it will be very hard and sand easily and produce a slightly darker result than the original wood but close to the natural color.
Because of the cured wood glue's hardness, this wood filler can be used as a structural component to affix joints, for example, or hold dowels in place.
Shellac is better known as a wood finish, and it is quite popular in this role, and it provides a beautiful finish for wood that not only makes the wood look good but also protects the wood.
But how does shellac fare as a binding agent for sawdust wood filler? The methodology for mixing the wood filler with shellac is the same as with any other binding agent. Add the shellac to the sawdust and mix it to a malleable paste.
Shellac will also produce a wood filler that is slightly darker than the original wood but also makes a thinner consistency wood filler.
The biggest problem with using shellac as a wood filler is that it does not cure a rigid form. It will harden somewhat but will remain soft enough to dent it by pressing it with your finger or fingernail. This filler will generally be softer than the surrounding wood.
For this reason, you would only use this type of binding agent in a decorative piece that is not going to see much wear and tear. It cannot be used as a structural filler to fill knots in the wood to prevent them from expanding or preventing cracks from spreading.
Epoxy is a great binding agent to use in your sawdust wood filler, but you need to work a little differently with this product.
Epoxy can have a very quick drying time, so you will need to work quickly when mixing the sawdust into the epoxy. Epoxy also sets rock hard, so it is best to apply the wood filler with a disposable craft stick rather than your putty knife.
You also should be careful not to get much of this wood filler on the surrounding wood, and if you do, you should wipe it off quickly and then wipe the area with a damp cloth or even a cloth dabbed with a little acetone.
Because most epoxy mixes are clear, the color that the wood filler would take on would be closer to the color of the original piece of wood, and in this respect, the epoxy would produce similar results to that of wood glue.
Because epoxy sets up extremely hard, it is an ideal binding agent to use for your wood filler where you need it to provide bonding and structural support. Thus, it is an excellent choice to fill in knots and fill in and repair cracks in the wood.
Once the epoxy has cured, it sands down really well, and you can achieve a smooth surface over the flaw that has been filled.
CA glue is another binding agent that works really well when making homemade sawdust wood filler. Because this is glue and it sets quite quickly, this is another case where you will have to work quite rapidly to get the wood filler into the void in the wood before the glue starts to set.
The advantage of CA glue, or superglue, is that, like epoxy, it sets very hard. As a result, the filler made with CA glue can fill cracks and knots, stop them from spreading, and fill a void in the wood.
The wood fille's color made with CA glue will be similar to the original wood color but slightly darker. You can also get CA glues tinted in different colors, which will give you the ability to try different colors of CA glue to get the desired color for the piece you are working on.
Once the CA glue has cured, it can easily be sanded to a nice smooth finish that feels good to the touch and offers a lot of strength to the wood. Thus, this type of wood filler is also good for repairs as well as for filling voids.
Even though it is possible to make a wood filler from sawdust and your favorite binding agent, you should be aware of some characteristics of this wood filler before you go ahead and use it.
Many of these characteristics pose similar problems that commercial wood fillers have, so the problems will not be new, but you need to know how it will affect your work's final look.
The homemade fillers can sometimes suffer from shrinkage as the wood filler dries. To compensate for this possible shrinkage, you can apply the filler so that it is slightly above the wood's surface.
The excess filler can then be sanded down once the filler has had an opportunity to thoroughly cure and harden.
When a wood filler is used, whether homemade or commercial, it sets very hard and no longer has the surrounding wood's absorbent qualities.
As a result, the wood filler will not absorb any stain and will not be affected by the stain. It will not be possible to adjust the color of the fill with a wood stain or dye.
Because the filler does not accept stain, it is generally a good idea to mix your wood filler so that it is slightly darker than your original wood. If you are using light-colored wood and staining it a darker color, you should make your wood filler from a darker wood than your original piece.
This will make the filled section blend in better with the wood after the stain has been applied to the lighter wood.
Even if you are not staining the wood, you should have the wood filler slightly darker than the original wood because wood darkens as it ages. This means that if the filler is darker, it will blend in with the wood more and more as the surrounding wood darkens with age.
You can put your normal finish over the wood area that has been filled, but depending on the type of finish used, you will get different results.
An oil-based finish will not affect the filled area, but the filler will not absorb any of the finish. Thus, the surrounding wood will absorb the oil finish and become darker, but the filler material will not.
If you are applying a varnish or a polyurethane coating over the wood, you can put this over the wood filler. The coating will go over the wood filler and dry to the same finish as if applied to wood.
Making your own wood filler is a practice that many home woodworkers are trying out, sometimes because of the convenience, sometimes for the better color matching, and sometimes simply as a cost saver.
While commercial wood fillers work well, they tend to be fairly pricey, especially compared to the cost of a little wood glue and a small pile of sawdust.
As with any of these types of homemade alternatives, you will need to experiment with making your own sawdust wood filler and see how well it works for you and whether you are willing to adopt it as your go-to filler whether you want to stick with a commercial product.
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Wood filler can be a lifesaver for even the most experienced woodworkers or carpenters. It gives you a second chance when you made a mistake or hides some of your more unsightly work. At some point, however, everyone worries about if wood filler will do the trick. And if you work with hardwoods or ancient, delicate wood, you must have wondered if you needed to add hardener to your wood filler.
Wood filler usually contains a hardening compound. However, this differs from the brand, type, and base. Hardeners are usually applied to either a knot that structurally compromises the wood or a damaged part of the wood. It's the last choice amongst many woodworkers to save a broken or rotten piece of wood.
Wood fillers can be used to reinforce softwoods or rotten woods structurally. However, this is usually only a stopgap without using a hardener as well. You can use both in conjunction to save ancient, fragile woods. For normal use, the wood filler should suffice. Below we will discuss the different types of wood fillers and hardeners commonly used by woodworkers and carpenters.
Wood filler is a substance used by carpenters, DIYers, and woodworkers to repair or hide imperfections in the wood. It is usually composed of sawdust or wooden particulates and an adhesive chemical paste. Wood fillers can have different bases, depending on your needs. Depending on their base, their function and use can change dramatically.
Ensure that you research and study your wood before acquiring or using wood filler. Applying the wrong wood filler can have adverse effects and sometimes damage the wood to which it is applied. Most wood fillers are easy to use but do require a curing time. Be sure to let your wood filler cure for the best results.
Wood filler has been in use since ancient times. Most carpenters learned how to make it from their teachers or instructors. The home-made wood filler consists of cold wood glue and sawdust from whichever wood are currently working on.
Most wood fillers should be used on untreated wood to ensure that it bonds with the wood. If you are unsure which kind of wood filler to use, read on to learn about some of the different types of wood filler and when to use it.
Home-made wood fillers, as stated above, are almost as old as woodworking itself. Most recipes include white glue, carpenter's glue, resorcinol glue, or epoxy cement. The most commonly used, however, is polyvinyl acetate resin emulsion glue, or white glue. This is because every woodworker has it in his workplace.
Furthermore, it is cheap, easy to come by, dries quickly, and does not stain most woods out there. To make your own, mix the white glue and sawdust until it forms a thick paste. Apply generously to the chosen area and allow it to dry for a day. Be aware that white glue is heat-sensitive, so for best results, seal or treat the wood after applying it.
Latex- and solvent-based fillers are pre-colored wood fillers that come in a variety of wooden tones. They are usually used on treated wood to conceal cosmetic damage.
Their ease of use and pre-mixed availability make them a favorite. They are easily applied with a putty knife and then sanded down. Latex- and solvent-based fillers do not have much structural strength.
The experts recommend using for openings or holes smaller than ½ inch or 2.54cm. They will not hold a nail or screw and will crack or sink if misused.
Epoxy-based fillers are fillers that usually contain a potent chemical epoxy. It bonds in or around the crack in the wood and often forms a harder substance than the wood itself.
Use it carefully as it does not sand off easily, and using an excess amount, will call attention to the repair. It can be clear or colored, and you can drive screws into it. It has a plastic appearance and therefore is mostly used when structural integrity is more important than aesthetics—best on both treated and untreated kinds of wood.
Exterior wood filler comes in cans and has elastomeric properties. This means that it is perfect for outside use as it shrinks and expands with the weather. It can be applied with a putty knife and painted over if desired. It is often paired with Acrylic latex or butyl caulk to help seal and weatherproof exterior woods. Exterior wood filler should be applied to treated wood for the best results. Elmers and Minwax have a good selection of fillers on Amazon(Check Prices here)
Wood putty is oil-based and is typically meant for exterior use on wood that has already been treated. Because of the oil base, it resists moisture and will never truly harden. Wood putty will retain some flexibility even after it has been cured and cannot be sanded. Minwax wood putty is an excellent choice.
Wooden Bondo is a relatively new product that most carpenters swear by for quick patch jobs that require both strength and reliability. It is water-based and can be sanded and stained or treated afterward. It is easy to apply and penetrates deep into the wood for maximum strength. The secret behind this wood filler's success is because it is a two in one product, a mix of wood filler and wood hardener, which is why it cures quickly and strengthens the wood so well.
Wood hardeners are chemical substances used by woodworkers and carpenters to strengthen the structural integrity of old, fragile, rotten, or even broken wood. They seep into the wood when applied correctly and strengthens the wooden fibers while protecting them against other elements like moisture.
Wood hardeners like wood fillers have a curing time to be effective. Ignoring the curing time will result in splintering or, worse, destruction. Hardeners are generally used before wood fillers to prepare the wood before making repairs. Some manufacturers even boast that the hardened wood is strong enough to carry its own weight after the treatment process.
Wood hardener can really save your project and even restore antiques to their former glory. However, the price is patience and care, as fragile or old wood normally cannot be rushed for restoration.
Below we will discuss some of the more prominent wood hardeners and conditioners. So if you are in the market for something that will help restore a wooden family heirloom that's fallen on some bad times, read on.
Miniwax 41700000 high-performance wood hardener is at the top of the list for many woodworkers and carpenters for wood restoration. It has a watery consistency that enables it to penetrate deep into wood and cures into a rock hard base. It protects and seals the wood while drying quickly.
Miniwax 41700000 high-performance wood hardener is best paired with its sister product Minwax High-Performance wood filler for general wood repairs. Be aware that this product is solvent-based, so please follow the user instructions carefully. (Check out the current price on Amazon)
PC-Petrifier water-based wood hardener is especially effective when dealing with the damage done by insects. It has a thicker consistency than Miniwax 41700000 high-performance wood hardener and is a little easier to use. PC-Petrifier water-based wood hardener can be sprayed, brushed, or injected into your wood.
After curing, this product is nontoxic and environmentally friendly, making it great for environmentally conscious users. Because of this product's versatility, the hardened wood can be painted, primed, or filled afterward. Be aware because this product is water-based, only certain fillers will work together with it. (Check this product out on Amazon here)
Bondo Rotted wood restorer is the wood hardener that is part of Wooden Bondo wood filler. As can be expected, this is an excellent general hardener for rotted wood. It penetrates deeply and stabilizes the soft spongy rotted wood fibers and later sets to a solid base.
This product dries and cures very quickly and is water-resistant, making it ideal for interior and exterior use. For the best results, use this in conjunction with Wooden Bondo wood filler.
Liquid wood kits are top-rated and rated as the best products for restoring and renovating rotting wooden material. The reason behind this is that it is suitable for almost any type of wood and can make even pine as durable as oak.
The kit consists of two tins separately marked Part A and Part B and should always be used together for the best results. It is durable for structural repairs and can be drilled, sawed, glued, painted, carved, and even routed. Liquid wood also acts as a primer, meaning you can paint on top of it after curing. Although marketed for both interior and exterior use, this product is less suited for outdoor exteriors.
Restoring old furniture or doing maintenance on your wooden house does not have to be complicated or frustrating. Any of the products mentioned above can speed up restoration and, in some instances, save you some money. However, if you only need to make cosmetic repairs, you can get away with using wood filler without a wood hardener.
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To reduce table saw noise, insulate the base of your table saw stand using rubber pads. You can quieten the saw by keeping it sharp and setting its height only slightly higher than the piece you’re working on. You can also buy special blades that are manufactured to be quieter than regular blades.
Throughout this article, I will discuss why a table saw makes noise and how to reduce the noise from your table saw, including how to quiet the motor and the blade itself. Lastly, I will go over the importance of protective earmuffs.
A table saw is a machine that contains a circular saw mounted underneath a table, with just the blade sticking out through the top of the table. Table saws make a lot of noise, and from different places too, so, to understand how to quiet a table saw, we first must go over what exactly is making noise on the machine.
The motor of a table saw, for instance, makes one noise, while the blade itself cutting through the air, or the piece you're working on, makes another.
Therefore, one of the ways to reduce noise from a table saw is to quiet the motor. While you can't exactly quiet the motor itself, you can quiet the vibrations made from the motor.
If the nickel stays in place, you're good to go. However, if the nickel falls, your motor is vibrating too much.
If you've done the nickel test and your table saw has failed, or your table saw is just vibrating way too much, causing excess noise, your motor is definitely the culprit. You can easily find tools for aligning your table saw on Amazon. Other options to reduce noise caused by your table saw motor are:
The motor from your table saw is causing vibrations throughout the whole apparatus. This can be loud. To quell these vibrations, you should insulate the base of your table saw. You can do this in two ways:
One way to insulate the base of your table saw is using rubber pads. This will absorb any of the vibrations made from the motor. Wedge the rubber pad in between the mounting plate and the frame of the motor. Typically One side is foam, and the other side is felt with adhesive attached so you can stick them almost anywhere.
Another way to insulate your table saw is to use isolation mounts, which are rubber mounts with studs and nuts. They have a universal design and are extremely easy to install.
Another reason your table saw may be making a lot of noise is the blade itself. While cutting through a wood piece, the blade can cause excess noise, creating a high pitched ringing sound. Or, the blade could be off-centered, causing vibration in your table saw. Follow these tips if you want to quiet your table saw blade:
Table saw manufacturers are making quieter blades, so your best bet is to look into purchasing one. It will most likely be sharper than your current blade anyway so that it will be extra quiet. A Makita MakBlade 10-Inch 70 Tooth Quiet Crosscutting Saw Blade with 5/8-Inch Arbor from Amazon is an excellent choice. It boasts quite cutting with less vibration.
A sharp blade is much quieter than a dull one. There can be a 3-decibel difference in noise levels. One option is a 120 Volt Circular Saw Blade Sharpener you can buy from Amazon. It includes a motor block that tilts 25 degrees left and right so you can adjust the sharpener to fit any configuration of the blade tooth.
To reduce the noise of your table saw blade, you can adjust the blade's height to just slightly higher than the piece you're working on. So, if you're cutting a 2 x 4, don't set the saw blade at its highest height. Set it just high enough to reach the edge of the piece of wood. Cutting your wood this way can actually reduce the noise by a whole 2 decibels.
Using a blade stabilizer can quiet your table saw blade by another 2 decibels. It can help stabilize the blade of your table saw, reducing the amount of vibration, and therefore noise. Make sure to purchase the correct size blade stabilizer for your table saw blade.
Don't cut your wood too fast. This can cause excess noise. When you cut your wood, make sure to do multiple passes if the wood is too thick. Don't try to cut thick wood with just one pass, as this could also increase the noise.
Table saws can get as loud as 120 decibels, which is pretty dangerous, considering eardrum rupture can occur at 150 decibels. It won't stop the noise from reaching your family or neighbors, but wearing protective gear is an important step in tool safety.
A pair of 3M WorkTunes Connect + AM/FM Ear Protection Headphones from Amazon works great for me. They not only protect your ears from the harsh noises of your table saw, but they also come equipped with Bluetooth technology, allowing you to listen to your favorite music, movie, and tv shows while working. They also include AM/FM radio and have a noise reduction rating of 24 decibels.
If earbuds are more your style, A pair of OSHA approved Mipeace Safety Hearing Protection Industrial Ear Plugs Headphones is another good option. These sweat-resistant earbuds have a noise reduction rating of 29 decibels. They also have a universal headphone jack, so you can plug them right into your smartphone.
Not only are they annoying to listen to, but table saws can produce noise that comes close to a dangerous level of decibels. So, it's important to try to reduce the noise it makes as much as possible.
We discussed quieting your table saw motor by using insulation, like rubber pads and isolation mounts. We also discussed how to reduce the noise from the blade itself. You can sharpen it, set the correct height, use a blade stabilizer, buy a new blade, and even change the way you cut.
We also talked about protective headphones for your ears. Using headphones while cutting may not reduce the noise of your table saw for the people around you, but they will protect you from the dangerous level of noise that a table saw can produce. Some headphones can reduce noise by almost 30 decibels, which will create a much safer work environment.
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If you’re looking to build something to last for hundreds of years, hardwoods should be your choice. But with a high price tag, even for small boards, you have to be careful with your choice of hardwood for woodworking projects.
We are excited about the new live workshops we will be holding thru Cucamonga Woodworking starting in 2022 and will definitely be talking a lot about finishes. You can check it out and register here!
The least expensive hardwood depends on the area you live in and the availability of the hardwood. Some of the least expensive hardwoods are Maple, Poplar, Alder, Oak, and Ash. They might be available in your local lumberyard, or you can get them from online retailers who will ship them to your location.
Hardwood Type | Typical Cost |
Maple(soft) | $3 to $7 /Board-Foot |
Poplar | $2 to $5 /Board-Foot |
Alder | $6 to $8 /Board-Foot |
White Oak | $6 to $8 /Board-Foot |
Beech | $6 to $8 /Board-Foot |
Ash | $3 to $5 /Board-Foot |
Black Walnut | $10 to $14 /Board-Foot |
Koa | $40 to $60 /Board-Foot |
Ebony | $80 to $150 /Board-Foot |
Typical Online Prices at a Lumber Yard. Expect to pay more than double at Home Depot or Lowes. Black Walnut. Koa, and Ebony added as an example of more expensive woods.
These less expensive hardwoods give you the extra durability and distinct grain pattern you’re looking for from hardwoods without the hefty price demanded by the more exotic species. In addition to the cost savings, the less expensive hardwoods are great to use for a lot of woodworking projects and look really nice. You will love the ability to easily work with them that they might even become your preferred woods to work with on many projects.
You can work with Maple, Poplar, Alder, White Oak, Beech, and Ash as they are less expensive than more exotic species of hardwood like Cherry, Walnut, and Mahogany.
However, the availability of these less expensive hardwoods depends on the area you live in. You can visit or get in touch with the lumber suppliers in your region to understand hardwoods' availability.
We will understand more about these least expensive hardwoods, their properties, ease of use, and common usage.
Maple is a really clean hardwood and is very easy to machine and work with. Soft Maple is cheaper than Hard Maple. However, both of these types are harder than Softwoods. They are suitable for making furniture and have a hardness that is similar to that of Walnut wood. You will love working with Maple wood because you can effortlessly shape and carve the wood to suit your project requirements.
The best thing about using Maple wood is that you can get the bold and distinct colors of other exotic woods by staining the wood with various dyes. This will make the wood look more vibrant and add a more appealing look to it.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive option within Maple, you can go with the Soft Maple. While it is only a little softer and less hard than Hard Maple, the wood is easy to work with, and you can use it to build a lot of wooden items like tables and bookshelves.
If you can find the Maple wood available plentiful and in good quantities in your local lumber shop, then you can get them for a good price. This is one of the most preferred woods among hardwoods since it is not very expensive.
Maple is in some forms toxic. Make sure you are wearing the appropriate PPE when working with it, especially its dust.
Poplar is cheap, soft, and easy to work with for your woodworking projects. The distinct white and green color of Poplar wood gives it a unique look. The boards are usually wider, with the color tone popping out. While some people do not like the color variety of the Poplar wood, you will certainly love it if you are looking for the wood's natural color to be on display.
These woods are easy to machine, cut, and shape. Since the wood is really fine-grained and not expensive, you can try using paint on painted projects, although it is not recommended.
The natural color of the Poplar wood doesn’t need any painting if you choose to let it be. It comes in a greenish-white color with streaks of purple color in some places. Once you finish the wood, the colors will fade after time, leaving a good looking piece of wood.
Poplar wood is prone to denting, but you can straighten the dents and use it for many woodworking projects. The fine grain of the wood is a pleasure to work with, and you can seamlessly cut through and carve the wood.
Alder is another hardwood that is less expensive and nice to work with. You will not have any problems working on this wood as you can cut through it easily, sand it properly, and use other machines without any problems. They are on the softer side as the Poplar wood, and since they have a rustic look to them, they are used on entry doors, cabinets, and furniture.
If you can stain Alder wood, you can make it to match Walnut or Cherry wood's color. This will can add a more colorful look to the wood. There are many possibilities with the staining that makes Alder a less expensive and very versatile hardwood.
The wood is of uniform texture, and the grains are straight. There are no unusual streaks of color on the wood. The polished look of the wood is attractive on various wooden items. Alder can be used for large-scale projects once you’ve guaranteed a reliable supply of wood. The wood is also used for making shutters, carvings, and kitchen utensils.
Oak has been the choice of hardwood for a lot of people throughout the years. It is appealing due to its strength, durability, and the beauty of its grains. Oakwood is used in flooring, paneling, and building furniture. The decorative properties of Oak come from the rich tone it infuses into the wooden work.
White Oak has a warm tan color that is amplified by the finish of the wood. This, combined with the wood price that sits in the mid-range, makes the White Oak ideal for woodworking projects. The wood is excellent for outdoor projects where it can stand the rain and heat from the sun.
White Oak wood is strong, tough, and looks good. It is very durable and used in boatbuilding. The wood is rot-resistant and works well with hand and machine tools. It is no wonder that woodworkers are looking to create elegant and custom wooden items that reveal the wood's warm color.
Beech is a fine-grained wood that is dense and inexpensive. The wood is not hard to work with, and you can cut and shape it with woodworking tools. The distinct color of the Beechwood from Europe makes it look good on wooden items. It has a pale cream color with straight grains of uniform texture.
Beechwood does not stain very well, and hence it is recommended to use clear finishes. The wood's characteristics match that of Hard Maple’s as both of these woods are of similar density and hardness. Beechwood is a little easier to work with than Hard Maple wood.
They are commonly used for making cabinets, turned objects, plywood, and furniture. The strength, wear-resistance, and durability of Beech combined with its low price make it among woodworkers' favorite woods.
Ash is a hardwood that has straight grains with a uniform texture. The wood has a color range from a light cream color to a light brown color. You can expect cathedral patterns consistent throughout the wood, making it a strong choice for making custom wooden products.
It has good general workability because these woods work well with machines and can be nailed, screwed, and glued easily.
Ashwood can accept stains, and hence you can stain these woods to get a good finish. Relative to the weight of the wood, Ashwood has good overall strength. Since the wood has excellent impact resistance, it is used to handle tools like hammers and shovels. While the wood is being worked on, it can have a moderately unpleasant smell.
The Ashwood color can change depending on the growing conditions and can be light-colored or pale yellow in color with streaks of brown.
Some of the uses of Ashwood is its use in making furniture, kitchen cabinets, baseball bats, and other sports equipment. The wood is suitable for food containers since it does not have any odor or taste.
While the cost of hardwoods can differ in places, you can be sure that these least expensive hardwoods will be more affordable and much better to work with than Softwoods.
You will certainly love the hardness and durability of hardwoods, and with some woodwork, including adding stains, you can get the look of exotic hardwoods on less expensive hardwoods. Be sure to check the local lumberyard to get the best inexpensive hardwood that suits your woodworking project.
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Douglas Fir is a fantastic wood for many different purposes. However, it can sometimes be a bit of a pain to stain. I assure you that it is possible to get a rich, strong color out of Douglas Fir. Follow along with the steps below and you'll have beautifully colored wood in no time!
You may think that this step is frivolous, but it is actually extremely important. Stains will affect the wood's color for a long time, so it's important to pick something you like. You'll need to test multiple different kinds of the same color to make sure you can find one that you like.
Scope out several options for that color that are within your budget and don't worry about anything more expensive.
Douglas Fir can be a bit finicky when it comes to staining, so before you commit to anything you need to test your stain on a piece of scrap wood to make sure it looks good. It may take you a few different iterations to get something satisfactory, but trust me it will be worth it. Sometimes you'll need to apply a few coats as well in order to get the correct color.
Before you choose your stain, you should keep in mind that gel stains work far better than any other kind with the Douglas Fir, which is definitely something you'll want to keep in mind when shopping.
Now that you know what you're going to be using for your stain, it's time for you to sand the surface of your piece just a little bit.
Douglas Fir doesn't require very heavy sanding at all, so I would recommend that you not go above 100 grit for this part. Any higher than that will actually close the pores in the wood, making it significantly harder for the stain to set properly.
Lighter sandpaper will do the opposite of that, opening up the wood to let in whatever stain you add to it. Sand with the grain until you start getting a light but gritty sawdust. Then take a soft washcloth to get the sawdust off. Like with painting, you'll need to be quite thorough in order to make sure that the end product looks good.
Different stains need to be applied slightly differently, but I'm going to focus on gel stains in particular as they work the best with Douglas Fir.
Before doing anything else, put down a tarp or some newspaper to protect the place that you're working in. You'll also want to make sure that your workspace is in a well-ventilated area (preferably outside) as the fumes from the stain and the finisher you'll be using later can cause dizziness.
Gel stains are fairly simple to apply, and unlike other kinds of stains, they can be applied with a brush. Your first coat will need to be fairly thick to soak in properly. Don't bother wiping it away! At this point, the goal is just to cover the entire piece in stain so that the wood can start absorbing the color.
Once the main body of the work is done, move on to any drawers or knobs that might be included in it.
Go over the entire piece with a clean rag and remove any excess gel. This will help you to get a really even stain since having a lot of excess can definitely worsen the natural splotchy pattern of Douglas Fir.
You can do this step right away once you've got the first coat over the entire thing. Future coats will be much thinner than this one, so don't worry too much about whether this coat is too thick. As long as there aren't a bunch of big gross blobs, you'll be fine to work with it later.
Once the first coat has been applied, the stain needs some time for the necessary chemical processes to take place before you can put on the next coat. As long as it's dry where you are, you should only need to wait for about 24 hours before it's time for the next round.
When the first 24 hours are up, you can start adding the next coat of stain. There are two main purposes for these extra coats. The first one is to make sure that the end result doesn't look streaky or blotchy. The second is to ensure that the color you have is dark enough for your taste.
These coats need not be particularly thick. In fact, optimally they would be relatively thin to prevent streaking. In a lot of ways, gel stain is a little closer to paint than other kinds of stains.
You'll probably need two or three additional coats after the first one. Between each coat, you'll need to wait about 24 hours for the stain to cure just like you did for the first one.
When it comes to Douglas Fir, you have a couple of different potential choices when it comes to finishers. The best is probably polyurethane, but most finishers are applied in mostly the same way.
Unlike with the gel stain, you'll want to add only a very thin layer of polyurethane using a natural bristle or foam brush. Work with the grain of the wood and not against it, all the while watching for air bubbles. Whenever you see bubbles, you'll want to smooth them out.
You'll probably need to apply more than one coat of this as well, waiting 24 hours between each coat. Like with any other finisher, you'll need to sand it in between coats as well to ensure that no flaws can accumulate over the course of the project. Use relatively light sandpaper to avoid burning the wood underneath.
Once you have a satisfactory number of coats, polish the surface of the finisher until it's clear enough to see through to the stained wood. When the polishing is done, your project is officially finished!
Since the dawn of woodworking, carpenters, builders, and woodworking enthusiasts have had to deal with wood warping, expanding, or shrinking. This can be disastrous if not handled correctly and can cost you a pretty penny and a lot of time to fix. With modern technology advancing at breakneck speed, one has to wonder; Does sealing wood prevent warping and expansion?
Sealing wood will not prevent it from warping or expanding. Sealing both ends of the wooden plank may help prevent the ends from expanding or shrinking faster and exacerbating the warping of the plank. However, there is no guarantee treating wood with a wood sealer will prevent it from warping or expanding.
Although stopping wood from warping, shrinking, or expanding is impossible, you are able to manage it with the proper care and maintenance from time to time. For this reason, research and knowledge about the wood that you plan to use and how it is harvested are critical. Below, we will discuss how the wood you use is manufactured, wood movement fundamentals, wood care, how to fix warps, and which woods warp the least.
In order to understand why wood warps and moves, it is essential to comprehend how lumber is harvested, cut, and treated.
Lumber is a generic term used to describe various lengths of wood used for construction or building materials. Pieces of lumber are usually cut lengthwise from the trunks of trees in rectangular squared sections. A portion of lumber that consists of a thickness of fewer than 2 inches is called boards. In comparison, those sections that are between 2 – 5 inches are considered dimensions. Lastly, pieces of lumber with a thickness of 5 inches and higher are classified as timbers.
The process starts with the selected trees being felled. Depending on the wood species being felled and the area in which the wood is being harvested, this is done with chainsaws. Once the trees are felled, they are loaded on transport trucks and transported to a sawmill.
Some felling sites have heavy machinery that de branch the logs before they are loaded on the transport trucks' bed, while other de branch the wooden logs when they arrive at the sawmill. Water is sprayed on the beds of the trucks to prevent the wooden logs from drying out during transport.
At the sawmill, the logs are cut into boards, dimensions, and timbers. This is done by placing the logs on a moveable carriage that slides lengthwise on a set of rails. A computer scans the wooden logs to determine any abnormalities or visible defects and then selects a cutting pattern that will yield the most pieces of lumber from the wooden log. The machine that does these complicated cuts is called a Headrig saw. It is located at the end of the rails, upon which the wooden logs are mounted.
The first cut that is usually made to these logs removes a section called a slab. A slab consists of the wooden log's outer surface, which has the original tree trunk's curvature. This cut is usually discarded and ground into mulch to be used in the production of paper. The carriage upon which the wooden log is clamped returns to its original position and the other slabs are removed. For each cut, the wooden log is re-evaluated by the optic sensors and the Headrig sawyer or Headrig operator to ensure there are no defects or abnormalities in the wooden log.
The lumber that has been cut into boards and dimensions is moved to an area in the sawmill for drying or seasoning. This process usually consists of letting the wood dry to prevent decaying and to let the wood shrink and reach its equilibrium moisture content.
Because of the large size of timbers, they are usually sold wet or green. This is because it is extremely difficult to dry these large pieces of lumber thoroughly. The other pieces of lumber will be dried using either air drying, kiln drying, or vacuum drying. The method of drying depends on the sawmill and the type of lumber being dried.
As the name states, air drying is the process of stacking the pieces of lumber with spacers in between to let air move through them. The area is usually covered to prevent rain or moisture from seeping back into the lumber. Air-dried lumber generally has a moisture content of 20%.
For this process, wood is stacked in an enclosed area where heated air is circulated. The temperature of the air circulating through the lumber is usually around 110-180⁰ Fahrenheit or 44-82⁰ Celsius. Because the wood is stacked in an enclosed space with the constant hot air circulating, the moisture content is significantly lower than that of air-dried wood. Kiln-dried lumber usually has a moisture content of lower than 15%. For this reason, kiln-dried lumber is usually specifically used for interiors, floors, doors, and molding, where the risk of shrinkage should be minimal.
Vacuum drying is a method of drying lumber that consists of placing wood inside an airtight vessel or container under less than atmospheric pressure while heat is transferred to the wooden material through specific heating methods. It is not a new method of drying lumber, but rather a very expensive one. For this reason, not many lumber companies employ it. However, it has been proven to be the most effective and fastest drying method and is primarily used for more high-end wood species.
The primary differences between vacuum drying and conventional drying methods are that the main driving factor behind vacuum drying is the total atmospheric pressure difference. Because the airtight container lowers the total atmospheric pressure surrounding the wood, the boiling point of the moisture inside the lumber is lowered considerably. This causes the movement of the moisture inside the wood to change to water vapor bulk flow, which means that more moisture moves down the length of lumber to escape out the ends.
Vacuum drying has many advantages over conventional kiln or air-drying. One of which is that lower temperatures can be used to dry the wood due to the lower atmospheric pressure inside the vacuum chamber. This means that there are fewer chances of warping or damaging the internal structures of the timber. It also greatly reduces drying times, maintains the color of the wood, and sawmills are able to dry larger cross-sections.
The answer is more straightforward than you think. All wood comes from trees, which at one stage were living organisms and relied upon a source of water, minerals, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and solar radiation to grow.
This is more or less like humans if you think about it. So what happens when you open your hand and clamp down with the other hand around your wrist, you will notice that your fingers slowly start to close as the flow of blood is interrupted.
A similar process happens to wood when harvested, except that some of the moisture and minerals remain inside the wood's fibers. The moisture and minerals are susceptible to temperature, humidity, and exposure. Depending on the intensity of these elements, the moisture level within the wood will increase or decrease.
Increased moisture levels within the wood will expand the wood fibers causing the lumber to swell in size. While decreased moisture levels will cause the wood fibers to contract and shrink, possibly bowing the wood inwards depending on the wood's grain structure and direction. This process is known as wood movement and is also our next topic of discussion to better understand why wood warps and moves.
There are four ways in which moisture moves when drying wood. These moisture movements have a direct impact on how wood moves and will be explained below.
The constant fluctuation of the moisture content within wood due to the relative humidity of the surrounding air is due to the fact that wood is hygroscopic. This essentially means that the molecular structure of wood depends on the level of humidity in which it exists, better known as relative humidity.
Meaning as we established above, that if the environmental or relative humidity increases, the molecular structure of wood expands. In contrast, the opposite occurs when the humidity decreases and the wood shrinks. This relationship between wood and its environmental humidity is called equilibrium moisture content.
Equilibrium moisture content is predictable and can be invaluable when working with any type of wood to ensure minimal warping.
As we established before, the moisture content of wood is directly tied to the surrounding air's humidity. The higher the humidity, the higher the moisture content of the wood. So, for instance, if you harvested wood in an environment with high environmental humidity and transport the lumber to an area where the humidity is lower, the moisture content of the lumber will adapt accordingly to correspond with the environmental humidity.
For this reason, it is always best to let lumber or wood acclimatize when transporting it over large distances to allow it to reach its EMC or equilibrium moisture content and take regular moisture readings. To better understand how relative humidity affects the moisture content of wood, have a look at the table below:
Relative Humidity | Moisture Content |
0% | 0% |
25% | 5% |
50% | 9% |
75% | 14% |
99% | 23-30% |
Thus, you can accurately determine how lumber will move when installed when understanding the equilibrium moisture content principle. For this reason, carpenters and woodworkings rely heavily upon it.
A few factors come into play when attempting to accurately predict how wood will move, besides understanding the equilibrium moisture content.
The width of the material plays a pivotal role in how the wood will move. The wider the board or plank of wood, the more the movement will occur. The amount of movement in the wood is directly proportional to the size. In other words, a board or plank that is 4 inches wide will move half as much as a plank or board that is 8 inches wide. Gluing pieces of wood together will not prevent the wood from moving either, as the wood will move as one piece of lumber.
Another factor that comes into play is the grain orientation of the wood. Timber boards are usually sawed in either characterized as flat sawn or quarter sawed.
Quarter sawed lumber is also referred to as rift sawn or vertical grain cuts and consists of planks that have been cut with annual rings between 45-90 degrees to the board's face. Quartersawn lumber shrinks and expands only half the amount that flat sawn timber does.
Most timber that you will purchase over the counter is flatsawn and, as we mentioned, shrinks and expands more than quartersawn timber. Flatsawn timber consists of planks that have been cut with annual rings between 0-45 degrees to the board's face.
The average house in America has humility control. However, the same cannot be said of sheds, garages, and most structures where the average person will store their lumber. What this means is that most wood after being bought has to adjust to ambient humidity to reach the equilibrium moisture content.
On average, the humidity where you would store your lumber, assuming it is in a storage structure that has no humidity control, is between 25 -65% relative humidity. This means the lumber you store can undergo a 6% change in moisture content. This roughly translates ¼ inch movement in a 12inch maple wood board.
Some composite wood materials have less movement depending on the relative humidity but can still experience as much a 1/10th of movement that occurs with solid woods.
In order to measure the moisture content of wood accurately, a moisture meter is needed. Because the relative humidity can vary significantly from the timber retailer to your home, it is highly recommended to take regular moisture readings before putting the timber to use.
The species of wood has an impact on the amount the degree to which the wood will expand, shrink, or warp. Some species or types of wood move more or less depending on some of the factors mentioned above. However, genetics certainly play a role as well.
A 12-inch board made from western red cedar will fluctuate 1/8 inches, while the same sized board made from maple will fluctuate ¼ inches. To calculate how much your timbers' movement can fluctuate, you can use the online shrinkage calculator at http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/calculators/calc.pl?calculator=shrinkage.
You can manually calculate the amount wood will move by using the general rule of thumb that most types of wood, cut in flat grain, will move 1% for every 4% change in moisture content. For quarter sawn cuts of wood, the movement will be approximately 0.5% for every 2% change in moisture content.
Below is a table of the most popularly used woods in North America and Canada and how they move across the grain or radially.
Species | Radial expansion | Type of wood |
---|---|---|
Species | Radial | Type |
White oak | 0.00180 | Hardwood |
Maple | 0.00165 | Hardwood |
Yellow popular | 0.00158 | Hardwood |
Red oak | 0.00151 | Hardwood |
Pine | 0.00148 | Softwood |
Black cherry | 0.00126 | Hardwood |
Western red cedar | 0.00111 | Softwood |
Northern white cedar | 0.00101 | Softwood |
Many factors can contribute to wood movement, most of which are caused by human error. The best way to prevent most of the causes listed below is to consistently measure the moisture content and be aware of the specific wood's required equilibrium moisture content.
The best moisture content for wood that is intended for interior use is between 6-8%. In the best-case scenario, wood that is purchased or delivered from a retailer will have a moisture content of 9-10%. Remember, a preferable difference of 2% in moisture will have minimal wood movement. This is considering that the wood will be store indoors or under cover away from the elements. However, it is recommended that a moisture content measurement is taken as soon as the wood is delivered. And a period of at least a week is given for the wood to reach its equilibrium moisture content.
As seen on the graph above, we can safely determine that white and red cedar are the more stable wood species for interior trim, wooden structures, and furniture.
Northern white cedar is commonly found in the reaches of the north of America. The wood is light, strong, and decay-resistant due to the natural oils it contains. These trees grow up to be around 49ft or 15 meters tall and 2.11 ft or 0.9 meters in diameter. It is popularly used, as mentioned above, for wooden posts, siding, boats, and furniture.
The wood is has a coarse grain structure, is soft and strong for its weight. It is brittle, however, and should be treated with wood sealer to prevent cracking. Screws should be driven into pilot holes and consist of non-corrosive aluminum or brass. When cutting or resizing, a multi-toothed saw should be used slowly to avoid tear-outs and splintering.
The presentation of northern white cedar is, as the name suggests, is pale yellowish to light brown and takes well to staining, painting, and clear varnish, wax, or lacquer treatments.
Like its northern white cousin, Western red cedar is a softwood that grows in America's northwestern parts. It's a sturdy wood used mainly for exterior purposes such as construction, decks, fences, and furniture. Interior uses include wall treatments, millwork, cabinets, and moldings. The wood lacks pitch or resin, which is one of the reasons why it withstands warping and wood movement.
The texture of the wood is medium to coarse-grained. It has a low shock resistance but is highly stable. The color of the heartwood can range from dark red-brown to pale yellow. When left untreated, it will turn silver-gray with age.
Unlike northern white cedar, this wood does not hold nails well but glues easily. When sanding or planning, use low grain sandpaper or a shallow pass, as the wood's soft grain tears easily. Western red cedar holds paint and stain when coated with multiple layers. Inside it presents best with clear wax, lacquer, or varnish finish.
Five types of wood warping occur due to wood movement.
Fixing a warp in any wood is not an easy process and might end up costing you more than the wood itself unless you have the needed facilities on-site or on hand. No method is guaranteed to work, as each wood species reacts differently. The core of the idea is to add moisture content back into the wood fibers making it more flexible and then clamping it in the desired position or shape. Below are several methods for fixing warps.
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Routers have gained a remarkable reputation as one of the most versatile tools available for woodworkers, but there are so many different options, like palm routers and trim routers. Between these two, which one should you choose? It all depends on the projects you expect to use your router.
Palm routers are smaller and more compact, making them better for small projects requiring precision such as decorative molding, engraving, and rounding or beveling edges. On the other hand, Trim routers are better for larger projects such as shelving, wooden fencing, or creating large signs.
Because they are affordable and versatile, you can expect to find a router in nearly every country's woodworking shop. However, their popularity may make it difficult to decipher which options will be best for your projects. Continue reading for a complete comparison between a palm router and a trim router and some additional information on features and safety precautions.
We are excited about the new live workshops we will be holding thru Cucamonga Woodworking starting in 2022 and will definitely be talking a lot about Woodworking techniques like this. You can check it out and register here!
Check out the table below for a glance at what you can expect in this article.
Palm Router | Trim Router | |
Most versatile | ✓ | ✓ |
Most affordable | ✓ | |
Lightweight/portable | ✓ | |
Most powerful | ✓ | |
Higher speeds & more speed options | ✓ | ✓ |
Most durable | ✓ |
You may have guessed that the palm router received its name because of its ability to fit in the user's palm. It is also frequently referred to as a compact router or a hand router. Woodworkers love to have this type of router in their shop because it enables them to perform much more precise and accurate work than a trim router.
Palm routers are typically less powerful than trim routers, offering users between .5 and 1 horsepower. The horsepower essentially determines the type of work you can perform with your router. Lower horsepower machines cannot complete some tasks because they require more effort from the machine.
Despite not performing more robust woodworking tasks, palm routers have an advantage that trims routers will never have. They can complete smaller tasks, which require much more precision and accuracy than a trim router will offer. This is a big win in favor of the palm router because woodworking often requires intricate detail.
Some options for using your palm router include small sign engraving, cutting decorative edges, or evening out a piece of wood.
Trim routers, also known as laminate trimmers or laminate routers, were originally invented to cut laminate wood flooring. However, they quickly became a favorite of woodworkers because of their many uses in flooring, cabinetry, and countertops.
The main thing that separates a trim router from a palm router is its size, which directly affects the types of projects it can perform. Trim routers generally have higher power options, ranging from one to three horsepower. That is up to three times as high as many palm routers, enabling users to complete larger projects.
Its size and power can complete some tasks that would not be possible with the smaller palm router. Some projects that could be completed using a trim router are large wooden signs, duplication pieces of wood such as fence posts, trimming shelf lipping, and cutting intricate inlays in wood pieces.
There are a few features you should always be mindful of when shopping for a router. Choosing a router with features specific to the types of projects you work on will be crucial to your success. Here are a few features to which you should pay special attention:
As I said previously, the power, measured in horsepower, is the feature that will have the most impact on the type of work you can perform with your router. Each router will have a peak horsepower and a sustained horsepower. Respectively, these are a router's maximum power for brief periods of time and maximum power for longer durations of use.
Palm routers will typically have about 1 horsepower than a trim router, which could reach 2 or three horsepower. Unless you are performing large tasks, a lower horsepower should get the job done. There isn't a "better" choice for power because it all depends on your job.
Just like how you would slowly accelerate a car, you want to ease into trimming. The slow start feature makes the tool start slowly and increase until it reaches the desired speed. If it immediately turns on to the highest speed, it will be difficult to control and possibly escape your grip, ruining your work or injuring you.
This is an important safety feature and is relatively common in most trimmers. Ensure yours includes a soft start-up before purchasing.
Variable speed options enable the user to choose the speed, typically between 10,000-30,000 RPMs (revolutions per minute). This feature will help you adjust the tool to match the work you are performing. Larger bit sizes (generally found on the trim router) should be used at a lower speed, while smaller bits should be used at a higher speed.
The last thing to consider when purchasing a router is your budget. Routers are pretty affordable tools in general, but you could easily spend more than necessary. It may come as no surprise, but the more features included in your router, the more it will cost. With that said, consider features that are important to you as you decide how much you are comfortable spending on a router.
As always, when you are using any battery-operated or electronic equipment, safety should come first, second, and third. The best safety precautions for this type of work are gloves, eye protection, a dust mask, and ear protection. Continue reading for more information about safety precautions and some specific recommendations.
Gloves should be worn to protect your hands from sharp edges, splinters, or other abrasions from rough surfaces. They should also have a good grip and be comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time.
You should also wear eye protection when doing woodwork. The wood can sometimes be unpredictable, tossing small pieces around the room. Additionally, these routers have different bit attachments, which may fly off if not connected properly. In either event, you want something to protect your eyes. Something that makes full contact surrounding your eyes will be best. These YunTuo Safety Glasses are affordable and offer the best possible protection.
When working with wood, dust particles often end up on all surfaces. A dust mask will protect your mouth and lungs from inhaling the wood particles in the air. The volume of particles will depend on the project. Sanding and carving projects may produce more dust than others.
Lastly, depending on how loud your router is, you may want to consider ear protection. If yours gets too loud, protect your ears with the ClearArmor Safety Earmuffs. They will block harmful sounds and are comfortable enough to wear all day.
As you can see, it is easy to get bogged down by all of the small details of routers. Ultimately, the types of projects you intend on completing with your router will be the main factor in determining which tool you should choose.
When you decide on a router, it is important to be realistic about your skill level, experience, and needs. Smaller, more detail-oriented projects require a palm router, where larger projects may require a more powerful tool such as a trim router. Now that you have all of the important information, good luck finding the perfect router.
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Did you know that part of being a master woodworker is knowing how to bend wood? Many believe that woodworking involves cutting and shaving wood into shapes and parts. Although this makes up a significant part of woodworking, there's another crucial task that woodworkers often have to perform. They have to soak the wood in water to bend it and get it into a certain shape.
To efficiently make the wood bendable, it's recommended that you soak the wood in relatively hot water for one to three hours. Many other factors can change this, but one to three hours will work for most wood types.
This is a good general guideline to follow, but again depending on the type of wood you're using. How you're actually soaking the wood, the recommended time can change drastically. If you're interested in woodworking and would like more advice, the rest of the article will further explain how to bend wood by soaking properly.
We are excited about the new live workshops we will be holding thru Cucamonga Woodworking starting in 2022 and will definitely be talking a lot about Woodworking techniques like this. You can check it out and register here!
You now know how long to leave your wood soaking, but it's important to know the entire process so that you can correctly soak your wood for the best results.
The general process is as follows:
Knowing and selecting the type of wood that you're going to be working with is the most important step, affecting how you carry out the rest of the bending process.
When choosing your wood, the factor you should focus on the most is the wood's thickness. There are many other characteristics you should consider, but they will be covered in a later section.
In terms of choosing your container, you obviously want to make sure that it will be big enough to hold water and wood. It's also important to make sure that your container will handle relatively high temperatures because you typically want to use hot water for wood bending.
There are many types of containers that you could use, so make sure to use one to work well for your wood.
When you start soaking the wood, you again want to use hot water over cold water to get faster and better results. As we answered in the earlier section, after you place the wood in the water, the general recommendation is to leave it there for one to three hours.
However, you must realize the recommended soaking time can change very easily, depending on the actual wood type. Some wood can have substantial differences based on the change of only a few minutes.
After you've left the wood to soak for the right amount of time, you want to take it out when it appears that the wood is fully wet. This is very important when you start bending the wood because it will help the wood keep its shape.
After bending the wood, you want to let it dry naturally, and if needed, you can use direct heat to speed up the drying process.
This part of the process happens after you've soaked and bent the wood, but it's just as important because you want to make sure that the wood actually keeps its new shape.
There are many ways to make sure the wood stays bent, but some common methods include:
When you bend wood, you are essentially trying to increase its elasticity (how easy it is to stretch or compress a certain material). That's why we use hot water to bend wood because heat and moisture are some of the strongest influencers for a material's elasticity.
That's also why we subsequently remove the water from the wood by drying it when we want the wood to retain its shape. Some people even pre-soak their wood by placing it in a steaming chamber beforehand.
Another important determining factor is the force that the wood itself is going through. No matter how much you influence the wood's elasticity, you're still going to bend it in a way that wood is not naturally meant to be bent. The wood is going through a combination of tension and compression, and the more you bend it, the stronger those forces are.
If the forces get too strong, your wood can end up breaking apart. To help avoid breakage, it's advised that you push on the wood's ends while you bend it.
This helps reduce the wood experiences' forces, and it will greatly reduce the chances that your wood breaks. There are many different devices that you can use to help with this. You also want to bend the wood slowly and gradually to absorb the stress more easily.
What's equally as important as those external physical factors are the traits of the wood itself, which include:
Now that you have a good understanding of soaking wood to bend it, you may be interested in learning about the other techniques you can use to bend wood. All these options each have their own advantages and disadvantages, but many of the factors and affecting traits we've discussed earlier still apply to these methods.
This method is the most similar to soaking wood, and we mentioned it briefly before. Instead of completely submerging the wood in water instead, place it into a chamber that's very hot, humid, and steamy.
Once you leave the wood in for long enough, you can take it out and start bending. The drawback to this method is that you have to bend your wood very quickly once you take it out.
Using Glued, Laminated Wood is another common method. This special type of wood is made by gluing together individual pieces of wood. This will typically make the structure more durable, and, in contrast to what we want when soaking wood, it makes it more resistant to more moisture.
There's no steam or water involved whatsoever, and it's straightforward to bend the wood by creating it in a certain pattern.
Finally, the Kerf Cut is the most simple method for bending wood. It involves cutting multiple tiny slits across the wood piece so that it's much easier to bend. It's the most straightforward process, but it has some drawbacks when compared to soaking wood:
Soaking wood can be an effective and efficient way for you to bend your wood, but there are a lot of factors you have to think about, especially if you're deciding which other wood bending methods you might also want to use.
The procedure itself is easy to understand and execute. The only thing you would have to take time with is actually learning about the wood you're going to bend. Other than that, soaking wood is a simple way to make water a woodworker's best friend.
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Hardwood is expensive because it's strong and durable enough to last hundreds of years. It also often has unique, eye-catching colors.
The price of hardwood depends on the provider and varies from region to region. The cheapest hardwoods available are maple, poplar, alder, white oak, beech, and ash. You can expect to pay twice as much at companies like Home Depot or Lowes; it's better to buy from your local lumberyard.
Most hardwood is expensive because they're stronger, durable, and have distinctive coloring. But the cheaper hardwoods, while appealing in their own right, can be worked to resemble more expensive woods.
Perhaps the cheapest wood types available are SPF woods (and no, we're not talking about sunscreen!) In this case, SPF stands for spruce, pine, and fir. Stores like Home Depot and Lowes, and even places like your local lumber mill have will always have these woods in stock. SPF wood comes in simple, pre-cut measurements: two-by-eight, two-by-four, etc.
SPF wood might seem like the obvious choice for hardwood, because it's cheap, lightweight, and already cut to the perfect, uniform lengths. However, these were meant for construction, not for finer woodworking such as flooring, cabinetry, or furniture.
SPF wood is only partially dried. Only half-drying the wood costs less, which makes it cheaper to buy; it also means the wood is easier to screw and nail. This is perfectly fine for construction use; but for furniture and flooring, it's not ideal. The wood will quickly dry completely, which will take only two to three days.
When wood dries, it shrinks, which leads to twisting, bowing, and cracking. This will make the process of woodworking more frustrating than it's worth, and may even cost you more in the long run when you have to replace ruined wood. It's better to use other hardwoods, that haven't been half-dried.
Maple is perhaps the most popular among the cheaper hardwoods. It's clean and easy to work with; perfect to cut and shape with machines, and easy to work with by hand, whether that be by sanding or shaping. There are two different types of maple hardwood: soft maple and hard maple.
Despite the misleading name, soft maple is indeed a hardwood. It's usually cheaper than hard maple, and lighter in weight. Soft maple has darker colors, with shades and streaks of brown, red, and gray. Hard maple, sometimes referred to as "sugar maple", has lighter, more uniform coloring. Hard maple has longer growing cycles, which results in the growth rings being closely spaced.
Hard maple is, obviously, harder than soft maple (up to 25% harder). This hard nature usually makes the wood heavier, although you shouldn't rely on this as the only distinguishing factor.
Both hard and soft maple are used for furniture, musical instruments, and cabinetry. Hard maple is also commonly used for flooring due to its durability. Maple wood is similar to walnut, as both are naturally very hard and durable. But the best thing about maple is that you can stain it to get the colors of more expensive, exotic woods. The addition of a wood stain can make maple woods more vibrant and appealing to the eye.
Wood is measured by board foot, which is 144 cubic inches; or, twelve inches by twelve inches by one inch. Soft maple is cheaper than hard maple, costing an average of $3 - $7 per board foot. Hard maple usually costs anywhere from $4 to $7 per board foot. As an example of more expensive wood, black walnut costs an average of $10 - $14 per board foot; Koa costs an average of $40 - $60 per board foot; ebony costs $80 - $ 150 per board foot.
A warning: Some forms of maple are toxic, especially the sawdust. Always be sure to wear the appropriate safety gear when working with maple wood.
I could make the over-used joke about poplar wood being popular, but it's true! Poplar is the cheapest hardwood available, and only slightly harder than pine. The distinctive gray, white, creamy yellow, or green colors, sometimes streaked with purple, gives poplar projects a unique look. However, once the wood is given a finish, the colors will begin to fade over time, giving it a more even, consistent brown color. Poplar is fine-grained; sometimes called a smooth grain. This term means the wood has a natural pattern of very small, close-together lines. Fine-grained wood has fewer knots, as well. Once fine-grained wood is sanded, it becomes very smooth.
Poplar wood is known for taking paint well. If your project will require a layer of paint, you might want to choose poplar wood. You could even use a gel stain to make poplar wood look like cherry or walnut. Painting and staining aren't required with poplar wood. It looks fine all on its own!
Because it is prone to denting, poplar wood is usually only used as a secondary wood for bigger projects. However, denting can be fixed with a household iron and a damp rag. Even though it is prone to denting, poplar wood is resistant to decay. Once it's been sanded, primed, and painted, it should endure normal wear and tear for many years.
On average the cheapest of the hardwoods, poplar wood costs $2 -$5 per board foot.
Alder wood, a relative of birch, is almost white in color when it's freshly cut. Once exposed to air, the wood will change to become yellow or reddish. Alder wood is renowned for its "rustic" look, which makes it popular for statement pieces such as entry doors, cabinets, and furniture. Because of the consistency of its color, alder wood is one of the best woods for finishing.
However, alder wood is not an easy wood to stain. The small pore structure absorbs the stain unevenly. This can enhance the wood's naturally weathered, rustic look. But if you want an even stain, you'll need to apply a wood conditioner. Once properly conditioned, and with the correct stain, alder wood can be made to look like walnut or cherry wood.
Alder wood cuts and sands easily, and can be nailed without splitting and screwed with no need for pre-drilling. Because of its appealing color, alder wood is commonly used when making cabinets, crown moldings, paneling, and furniture. The only downside of alder wood is that it is much easier to dent and scratch than other hardwoods, like maple.
Alder wood used to be much cheaper, so much so that it was once referred to as the "poor man's cherry". It's more expensive nowadays, but still one of the cheaper hardwoods. On average, Alder costs $6 - $8 per board foot.
White oak is appealing due to its strength, durability, and beauty. The wood is richly toned, varying in color from light tan to pale yellow-brown, naturally warm with unique silver grains. The natural colors of this wood can be easily amplified by a wood finish, making it a very attractive hardwood.
White oak is the heaviest and hardest wood on this list, and it is amazingly durable. This makes it a popular hardwood for flooring and furniture. Used to build boats, this wood can easily handle the wear and tear of a common household. White oak is rot-resistant, which makes it excellent for outdoor projects; it can withstand the heat and cold easily.
Many would say white oak is the best of the cheaper hardwoods, although it's one of the most expensive on this list. At an average cost of $6 - $8 per board foot, white oak is just as pricey as alder wood.
Widely used in Europe and a staple of IKEA furniture, beech has a very distinctive pale cream color, sometimes with hues of pink or brown. It is fine-grained, with straight patterns and an even texture. Beechwood shares similar characteristics as hard maple wood, with similar density and hardness. However, it's much easier to work with than hard maple.
This wood is easy to work with by hand or with power tools, and it's overall very easy to shape and cut. It's good for nailing and gluing, and the fine pores make it easy to sand to a smooth finish. Beechwood is strong and wear-resistant, which makes it perfect for making furniture and cabinets.
However, this wood doesn't take stain very well. It is recommended to use clear finishes when using beech wood.
Beechwood is probably the most expensive for flooring, but as a hardwood, it costs, on average, the same as alder and white oak: $6 -$8 per board foot.
This wood can have an unpleasant smell while it's being worked with, but the odor doesn't linger once it's been finished. Ashwood is lightly colored, varying from beige to light brown. The colors of ash wood change depending on the conditions it's grown in. It's generally very light-colored, darkening to a pale yellow with brown streaks. This wood takes stains very well, too. With its distinctive coloring and the right stain, ash wood makes very attractive furniture and cabinets.
This wood is easy to work with, easily nailed, screwed, or glued. It's known for its strength and impact tolerance. In fact, it's used to make baseball bats. With this in mind, it should endure the wear and tear of daily use very well.
Ashwood is in the same price range as poplar wood, at around $3 - $5 per board foot.
Although you can save money by choosing a cheaper hardwood, you'll have to deal with the added price of staining and finishing your project. Fortunately, there are some cheaper options for both.
Wood stain is a type of paint; while normal paint covers the surface of the wood, stain seeps into the wood's pores. A coating of stain will protect the surface of the wood, as well as color it. A properly applied stain will bring out the wood's natural colors and texture, and give the natural grains a very dramatic look. Stain can fade, but it is easy to apply more; and the colors will only become richer when the stain is layered, as it soaks deeper into the wood.
Some DIY stains are nearly free. Coffee, tea, vinegar, walnuts, and even different types of berries can be used to stain wood. However, sometimes these alternatives aren't practical when working with larger projects.
One method requires only coffee grounds, a steel wool pad, and vinegar. Place your coffee grounds-- used grounds that don't smell like coffee-- in a quart-size jar. Then take a steel wool pad, cut it into pieces, and place it in the jar with the coffee grounds. The coffee and the steel wool will create a chemical reaction, which is activated by the vinegar. White vinegar is best, although you could use balsamic vinegar for a slightly greener color. Fill the jar completely, then seal it and leave it for a day; if you leave it for longer, your stain will be darker.
This method is cheap, but you'll risk the stain reacting poorly with your wood. The chemicals may eat at the wood, or may not leave an even stain. You'll also risk your finished piece smelling like coffee and vinegar. This method should be used at your own risk! Try it on a smaller project or a piece of scrap wood to test the effect.
The cheapest, professional wood stain runs at around $20 dollars for a quart. The most expensive can be an average of $100 dollars. The price will vary for quantity and quality, as well as what color and darkness you're looking for. Some stains are better suited for different hardwoods; be sure to do your research before purchasing and applying a stain. Some hardwoods are attractive enough to not need a stain; the decision is up to you to make.
Finishing is the final step of the woodworking process. Wood finish prevents swelling and cracking of the wood, and protects against unwanted stains. Without a finish, the wood can dry out and deteriorate, resulting in a ruined product.
Some finishes can be toxic, so be sure to wear proper safety gear, such as gloves and eye protection. Keep your projects out of reach of small children and pets until the finish is completely dried.
The cheapest wood finish is about $5 for a half-pint; the most expensive is an average of $12 to $15. Fortunately, you'll likely only need to apply finish once.
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To start with, epoxy glue dries instantly once you apply the hardener. With PVA, which is your typical wood glue, you have anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes of assembly time before you need to clamp the piece for the initial set. Most glue will be completely cured in 24 hours and the bond will be stronger than the surrounding wood.
Try and avoid any lateral movement of the work that you are gluing up once the surfaces are in contact to prevent weakening the bond.
There are a couple main types of glue that you'll run across in your woodworking journey which I'll try to explain in this article to your satisfaction.
To ensure your project holds together you do need clamps to put sufficient clamp pressure on the joint to allow it to bond properly.
One exception to needing clamps is using hide glue and creating a rubbed joint. This is basically putting the hot hide glue on both surfaces and rubbing them together a couple times until it stops moving. This type of hide glue joint will hold without clamping.
Some alternatives, if you ran out of clamps or don't have the right type, is to create your own clamping board.
If a joint you clamped is under stress than you should let the glue fully cure for 24 hours. Joints that are not under stress can be un-clamped in just under an hour. Don't do anything that will stress the joint for a day because the bond is not fully cured.
Your weather and climate also should be taken into account. If you are in a cold damp place than glue will take a lot longer to set and cure. Be extra careful and give it some extra time. If you are in a hot and dry environment, like the southwest all summer, than you'll usually be safer to unclamp your project sooner.
Try using a thin bead of glue, spreading it evenly and thinly on the surface your gluing up. The old saying of the bigger the blob the better the job is not the right thing for gluing up your work.
If you are in a hurry to get your glue to dry faster than try a blow dryer or a heat lamp. This will help dry the glue a little quicker but you will still need to let the piece sit for 24 hours to allow the glue to completely cure so the joint doesn't fall apart in a year or two.
Typically the bond of fully cured PVA glue, which is the typical white or yellow gorilla glue or titebond or one of the similar glues, is stronger than the surrounding wood.
Hide Glue is the strongest glue you can get but has the added benefit of being able to take apart with some heat to refinish the piece.
ideal for exterior use due to highly waterproof
industry standard for woodworking with a stronger bond than the wood. Not exterior use or moisture.
long assembly time, really strong and can be disassembly with moisture. Best for fine furniture repair
waterproof, bond everything, 45 minute cure time, not for structeral apps
thickest fastest drying, not for exterior
2 part system for hard to reach and clamp surfaces
2 part system for hard to reach and clamp surfaces
Acacia trees are a huge family of trees that grow in many parts of the world, including Australia, Africa, and even Hawaii. Only certain trees of the species produce wood suitable for woodworking, and the wood produced is considered a hardwood. If you are using acacia wood, you may wonder how well it takes a stain and the best method for staining acacia wood.
Acacia wood takes stain quite well if applied correctly. Sand the wood to the desired finish. Raise the grain by dampening the wood and letting it dry. Apply the stain as evenly as possible, going with the wood's grain once the wood has the desired color, lightly sand, and apply the finish.
Acacia is very hardwood, making it durable, pest resistant, and suitable for use for items that will have much traffic or wear and tear, such as in hardwood flooring. Hardwoods are notoriously difficult to stain because the stain does not soak into them easily and when it does go in, it does not soak in very deeply. Thus, using the right stain and the right methods to apply it is important to stain acacia wood successfully.
Many hardwoods are difficult to stain due to the wood's tight grain structure, which makes it difficult for the stain to penetrate deeply into the wood.
The problem with this is that if the stain does not penetrate deeply and sand down the wood's surface before applying your finish, you could sand beyond the depth at which the stain penetrated.
This will then reveal the true wood color beneath, and when you apply your finish, it will look patchy and unsightly.
Fortunately, acacia wood can most certainly be stained, and if you correctly apply the stain to increase the penetration of the stain into the wood, you are sure to be impressed with the final finish.
Because of the acacia wood structure, you need to follow a different procedure for applying your stain than for other softwoods such as pine, which will take the stain very easily.
To stain your acacia wood or any other hardwood for that matter, it is best to follow a procedure that incorporates an additional couple of steps to increase the absorption of the stain by the wood.
The first step is the same as you would do for any other wood you are about to apply stain to. Sand the wood to the desired finish until you are ready to apply the stain normally.
You can sand the surface of the acacia wood up to the finish grit that your want for the final product, but the next step will raise the grain a little. After the grain has been raised and the stain is applied, you will need to go over the wood with your final grit sandpaper. This will only be a light sanding to knock off the peaks of the raised wood grain.
This step is the extra step in preparing the wood to accept the most amount of the stain possible and increase the penetration of the stain into the wood.
This process is known by a could of different terms in woodworking circles. It is sometimes called raising the grain or water-popping the grain.
Essentially, this process makes the ends of the wood fibers stand up, which allows the stain to soak into the ends of the wood fibers, which increases the depth of penetration of the stain.
To execute this process, you can follow the procedure detailed below.
This wetting process does the moisture causes the fibers to expand, and then when it dries quickly, the wood fibers shrink, and the ends of the fibers pull up towards the surface of the wood, and the ends of the grain become exposed.
If you run your hand across the surface of the wood after it has dried, you will feel the raised ends of the grain will feel rough, like the wood needs to be sanded again. This is what you are looking for, and it means the wood is now ready for staining.
Now comes the part you have been waiting for. It is time to apply the stain to the surface of the wood. The stain must be applied to the wood in even layers to prevent some areas from being darker than others due to them having more stain applied than other areas.
The best way to apply the stain in even layers is to use a cloth or a sponge to apply the wood stain rather than a paintbrush.
You will need a pair of gloves to protect your hands from the stain using the cloth or sponge application method.
The stain is applied with the cloth in much the same way that you used it to wet the wood. Dab the cloth into the stain, don’t let the cloth absorb so much of the stain that it drips on the wood. It will be difficult to disguise the drip marks later on.
Wipe the stain onto the wood, starting at one side and moving your way down the piece of wood. Make sure you are applying even layers and not crossing over layers too much, as these will appear darker in the final product.
Make sure that you are going along the grain of the wood while you are applying the stain, as this will allow more of the stain to soak into the wood than applying it across the grain.
If you like the tone that the stain has given to the wood, then only one coat is necessary. If you would like the wood to be slightly darker, wait for the first coat of stain to dry, which will take about 15-minutes, and then apply a second coat of stain.
To apply the second coat, you can use the same process and method that you used for the first coat. Remember that once the stain is applied, it is a lot of work to remove if the final product is too dark, so wait for each coat to dry to see how it looks before applying the next coat.
Once your last coat of stain has dried completely, you are ready for the next step in the process to restore the smoothness to the wood surface. The fibers' end grain will still be raised and will feel rough to the touch as you run your hand across the wood.
You can use the final grit that you want the wood surface's finish to be and give the entire surface of the wood a light sanding.
After each sanding, run your hand over the surface of the wood to see if the smoothness is to your liking. If you are still not entirely happy with the finish, sand the surface a little more until the desired smoothness is achieved.
Once the wood is stained, and the end grain has been sanded down, your workpiece is now ready for the final finish that you want to apply to the surface.
Depending on the type of finish you apply, your sanding on the wood may not yet be done. After applying the first coat of the chosen finish, wait for it to dry, and then test the surface for smoothness once again by running your hand over the wood.
If the surface feels a little rough, the finish's first coat has raised the grain of the wood, similar to the water that did in the second step of the process.
The way you address this is in the same manner. Take your last grit sandpaper and very lightly go over the wood's surface to knock these end grains down and smooth over the surface.
You should only need to do this after the first coat of the finish. Subsequent coats can simply be left to dry, and then the next coat of the finish is applied.
The type of finish that you apply to the acacia wood will depend on the piece's intended purpose. A hardwood floor will need a different finish than a tabletop or countertop would require.
There are several choices of stains on the market, from oil-based to water-based and solvent-based stains. Each has its appropriate applications and advantages, and disadvantages. So which type of stain would be the best choice to apply to your acacia wood?
Considering the stains that we have mentioned, the oil-based stains would be the first choice as the best stain to use on the acacia wood. This stain gives good penetration into the wood, and the oil has a preservative effect on the wood.
Water-based stains can be used, especially if you want to enhance the wood's natural grain, but your success on acacia wood may vary. Water-based stains do not penetrate the hardwood as deeply, and it offers no preservative properties for the wood. Therefore, a water-based stain can be used to stain acacia, but it would be a second choice to the oil-based version.
Acacia wood comes in a variety of colors, from golden brown to reddish-brown and even deep rich brown colors.
This makes the color choice of your stain dependent on the original color of your acacia wood. The darker colors can easily be stained to resemble the dark rich tones of walnut, while the lighter colors can be stained to resemble darker oak woods.
A valid question and should be raised in an article about staining acacia wood is whether you should stain the wood at all!
Acacia wood is beautiful wood in its own right, and you will be surprised how good it looks by simply sanding it down and applying your favorite finish to the natural-colored wood.
The grain of the acacia wood varies greatly depending on the region it is from. The Hawaiian Koa is a medium textured grain that has wavy interlocking patterns in the grain. Other species from Australia typically have a fine, uniform grain that is straight and very appealing.
Other acacia wood species have a natural luster to the wood. A clear finish enhances and deepens and produces an exquisite piece using the wood's natural color.
Staining wood can be a satisfying undertaking because it brings out the beauty of the natural material you are working with. Staining the wood is a process that requires patience and should not be rushed.
Staining and applying the finish are the final touches of the project, and it would be a shame to rush the job and end up with a final product that you are not entirely happy with. So, take the time and go through each step properly and give the correct drying times to each stain and final finish coat.
The reward you will get when you take a step back to admire your work will be well worth it. Hardwoods like acacia woods require a little more preparation and a little more time to complete the wood staining but don’t be tempted to skip steps or cut corners.
Acacia is a beautiful wood that delivers a stunning, durable, and versatile product, and whether you choose to stain it or enjoy its natural colors, it is a great choice of wood!
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What might surprise people is that wood glue is very strong, stronger than screws. But how does a paste get stronger than steel for holding wood together?
Glue is a liquid, and wood likes to absorb moisture; when you apply glue to wood, it will start to get absorbed into the fibers, and the pieces of wood will start to bond with each other. It’s on a whole different level than the glue you used in elementary school and can be successfully used to hold together wooden furniture or other projects.
You can use wood glue to do more things than just attaching things. It is far more versatile than you may initially think.
One use-case is that it can bond broken wood back together to make it new again. Let’s say you snapped a table leg, for instance; you can simply glue the two pieces back together and sand off any excess patches or blobs.
Wood glue can also be used in more crafts because you just need a small amount of it; it can be used for small projects with many different pieces. If you were to use screws for projects like these, you’d have a bunch of visible steel all over the places, plus it would be more effort to use screws in this scenario.
For aesthetic purposes, wood glue is arguably the superior way to do your projects. It creates a cleaner look and gives the vibe that the product is one solid piece of wood rather than hammered together.
Wood glue is a liquid means it is a double-edged sword. While it eventually dries to create a strong bond, you are going to be waiting for at least 30 minutes for the glue to dry and 6 hours for it to become completely cured. Past that, it is advisable to not stress the joints on your product for at least 24 hours.
If you hate waiting around and just want to get things done and read, this will probably become an annoyance for you.
While heat is beneficial to wood glue in that it can dry faster, it starts to have the opposite effect when there is too much heat. The cured resin that can be found in popular wood glues such as Titebond and Elmers will start to soften, which results in wood having a harder time bonding.
If you are working in a workshop that gets excessively hot, you might have a harder time working with glue.
Screws are another way to join multiple pieces of wood together, and there are many different kinds. That’s a topic in itself, so we will be just referring to screws as a whole.
Using screws to join pieces of wood together has been a thing for ages and it is still a great way to get things done. Because the screws themselves are made of steel, they are strong enough to hold together a lot of weight.
There are different reasons why you might opt to go with this method over glue (and reasons why you might not). We will be getting into both the pros and cons of using screws for your projects to give you a better idea on where they work best and where they fall short.
Possibly one of the biggest advantages of using screws is that, unlike glue, you don’t have to wait around for things to dry. Once you have locked two or more wood pieces together, you don’t have to worry about it.
Additionally, you don’t need to worry about the temperature of your environment. We mentioned above how excessively hot temperatures can make glue even slower to dry and stick. If you are using screws, you don’t need to deal with any of that (although we recommend an air conditioner for comfort anyway!)
While wood glue is incredibly strong when attaching two wood pieces, it starts to lose this advantage when bringing other materials in the mix, such as metals. If you are trying to make something such as a kitchen knife, it makes a lot more sense to use screws to secure the handle to the blade.
If you ever need to disassemble your project, you will have a much easier time doing so if you had used screws. While the glue is much better for reattaching broken wood, if you ever need to replace something or make adjustments, there will be less of a headache when you only need to unscrew using a drill.
This ties back into the glue, providing better aesthetics overall. While it is possible to hide screw heads by drilling deeper holes and using filler to cover them, that is an extra step, and it may backfire if you don’t do it right.
Glue is applied to all of the necessary surfaces for strong reinforcement. Screws, on the other hand, are only applied to small sections such as the edges or the middle. This arguably makes for less durable products overall.
It’s safe to say that glue wins when it comes to versatility. It’s invisible on a finished project, strong enough to bind wood, and can be used to put broken wood pieces back together.
The vast majority of woodworking projects can be done with just wood glue. Still, there are instances where screws would make sense, such as attaching materials other than wood or working on a project that might need to be disassembled later.
In reality, having both in your workshop is ideal, and using both on the same project can be beneficial depending on what you are doing. Screws can provide stronger joints, and whole clamping glue can hold the rest of it down.
Glue and screws can coexist in woodworking because they do some things better than the other. In reality, we need both to provide balance in woodworking and you can definitely use both on many projects to get the best of both worlds. Screws work best for holding together joints while glue is better for holding down the length of the board.
Wood carving is an excellent hobby with a rewarding high skill ceiling, but what if you want to do “conventional” woodworking with the cool power tools you see everyone using? Perhaps, you want to make chairs, TV stands, etc. In this case, you’ll have to spend a bit more, but not as much as you may think.
When discussing power tools and woodworking, we can talk about expenses that go all over the place. You can easily spend thousands of dollars on equipment if you want to, but this isn’t at all necessary.
For a “complete” set of power tools to get started, you’ll only need seven things:
Total cost: $760
This is just an approximation based on how much you’ll likely pay for budget equipment. Admittedly, $700+ isn’t cheap, but it is still fairly reasonable to get started from scratch. Remember that you don’t need to buy all of this at once; there are quite a few projects you can do with just a jigsaw and some wood glue. This is just a list to give you an idea of how much a complete budget setup will cost you.
These numbers can fluctuate depending on how much you want to spend on each one or buying used vs. new. Speaking of used equipment, we recommend looking around for used tools if you can because that way, you can oftentimes get better quality equipment for around the same or a lower price point than new budget tools.
If you want to get you in the door on a budget, consider looking into hand tools. Sure, they don’t appear to be as exciting as fancy power tools, but their simplicity gives you big savings, less space is taken up, and you might have an even easier time learning woodworking with them.
You’ll only need five tools + a workbench in this case:
Total cost: $400
As you can see, the hand tools are a lot cheaper overall; the highest cost to get started will be the workbench, but you could honestly just use an old, sturdy table if you have one lying around to start with.
Besides tools, you’ll also need to account for lumber. In this case, the pricing can differ depending on what type of wood you want to buy and how much of it you need.
Do be warned that your expenses are largely going towards purchasing wood for your projects. Lumber isn’t the cheapest thing in the world, and you’ll only have a finite amount of it to work with before you need to buy more, whether you mess up a project and have to start over or build your next masterpiece.
We recommend pine for beginners. It is easy to work with while also being affordable to buy compared to some other wood species. How much of it you’ll need depends on what kind of project you want to do. If you want to build a simple chair, you’ll need approximately $60+ worth of lumber, for example.
However, if you want to do smaller projects such as making a cutting board, you'll need about $30 worth of wood.
Now consider how often you want to do woodworking. If it’s every weekend, then you’ll need to plan your monthly lumber expense.
It’s generally not the tools that will be expensive, but the wood itself. Woodworkers know all too well how much money you can easily sink into buying lumber once you start to get into it. But in the end, it is all worth it if you love doing it!
Getting into woodworking can be surprisingly cheap, depending on what you want to do and what types of tools you want to buy. The hobby can be done with a few cheap tools at your side, or you can have an advanced workshop setup that costs thousands of dollars.
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Woodworking is becoming increasingly popular as the internet allows us to share the benefits of getting into the hobby and the various resources you can learn from. If you are thinking about getting into woodworking, one of the first things you likely thought to yourself is if woodworking is difficult.
Woodworking is not hard; more accurately, it is hard to master. Woodworking has a very high skill ceiling, but learning the ropes isn’t too difficult as long as you have the drive to understand it.
We will be talking about the learning curve of woodworking and provide some useful tips when getting started. Keep on reading if you’d like to learn more!
Woodworking describes anything created from wood, and various categories of wood-related creations fall under it, such as carpentry and wood artwork.
Most people envision someone working in a workshop with various power tools and heavy equipment. While that is a part of woodworking, in reality, it can be as basic as engraving a sign or using a chisel to smooth out wood material. Woodworking is what you want to make of it; if you want to build furniture, TV stands, etc., you can! If you want to create small trinkets, you can do that too.
Woodworking can also be a hobby or a source of revenue. It’s a skill that you can learn and apply how you see fit. If you just want to make things for the satisfaction of it and share your accomplishments with others, that is a good enough reason to start. But you might also want to consider it as a future source of income as you get better and learn how to sell your work.
But you have to start somewhere, and you are probably wondering if woodworking is difficult; it sure looks foreign and challenging on the outside, but what is it like?
The question of “is woodworking hard?” can yield different answers. If you were put into a workshop and instructed to build a small, basic table with no prior knowledge of woodworking, then you’d be hard-pressed to know where to even begin. Some people will tell you that woodworking is easy peasy while others will tell you that there is a rewarding challenge.
Both answers are right in their way. Woodworking will be hard if you don’t know what you are doing, and your skill will dictate the difficulty of it all. You could say this could apply to any hobby, but woodworking is one of those things where if you don’t know anything about it, then it is going to be very challenging to put something together; however, if you know the basics, which aren’t that hard to learn, then it isn’t going to seem so hard.
What we are trying to say is that woodworking has a relatively low barrier of entry. Almost anyone can get up to speed on the basics and begin to practice by doing simple projects. In that sense, woodworking isn’t hard. You can make cutting boards or other easier projects as a beginner and have a great time.
The challenging part of woodworking is that it has a very high skill ceiling. Intermediate and advanced level woodworking will take time, patience, and experience to get to. If you try to jump into the deep end, you will probably not have the best time.
In conclusion, woodworking isn’t something to be intimidated by; just start slow, and you’ll have a good time getting into it! But it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows; there are some frustrating aspects and things to be aware of before heading into it so that you aren’t surprised.
Despite entry-level woodworking not being too difficult to learn, woodworking, in general, isn’t a cakewalk like some people might claim. There are some hardships here and there that you will have to deal with, but that only makes the victories even sweeter.
The more complex the project, the more room for error there is, and every, and we mean every woodworker fails at some point and has to scrap a project that they are deep into, which is where the real challenge lies. Woodworking is an art that requires precision, and there isn’t a retry button like there is in computer 3D modeling.
But don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake. Even veteran woodworkers make errors that will have them scrapping a project or heavily modifying it around the mistake.
This is something we see a lot of people do, and it will only ruin your journey. There will always be someone better than you, and there will always be someone better than that person. If you made something that you are proud of, then be proud of it.
Woodworking is a hobby that is all about striving for accomplishments and improving yourself one project at a time. If you successfully made a stool, don’t think it had to be as good as the person who has been woodworking for 12 years.
Before we sign off, we wanted to throw in a very brief beginners guide, so you know where to start.
Many beginners face one challenge before they can even begin learning is worrying about how much money the tools will cost them. Woodworking looks like an incredibly expensive hobby on the outside, and it can be if you want it to be, but it can also be relatively affordable if you shop right.
First off, you can do woodworking with just a chisel set such as this REXBETI 10pc Chisel Set, which is typically $50 or less. You can do plenty of projects with just chisels and your choice of finish, so don’t think you need to dive into spending money on power tools immediately.
But if you do want to do the type of woodworking that is more commonly associated with the hobby, then you only need seven basic power tools to get started:
Some will say you need even less than this, but for versatility’s sake, these are the tools most people will want to start with. You also need to account for expenses such as glue, sandpaper, nails, etc., but we want to get the point across that you don’t need to spend $5,000 to get started.
We recommend trying shopping for these tools since you can get quality gear at excellent prices this way. Many woodworkers like to upgrade their tools routinely, and so it should be easy to find this gear for a good price.
Next, you’ll need to know how to put these tools to use; after becoming familiar with your tools, you’ll want to start with simple projects such as making a shelf. Follow a reputable tutorial online that is easy to understand and just go for it. But don’t forget safety!
Woodworking isn’t hard to learn, but it is hard to master. As a beginner, you should focus on simple projects that allow you to become familiar with basic tools and become familiar with working with wood in general. We think you’ll have a great experience if you take it one project at a time!
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Choosing the right sander for your woodworking job is critical. If you opt for the wrong one, you could spend way more time sanding than you would prefer, or you could choose a machine that is a bit too powerful. When looking at an orbital vs. belt sander, what are the differences?
An orbital sander is ideal for smaller projects that require precision, angles, or need rounding/shaping. They leave behind orbital rings, so they work best on projects you plan to paint or finish. Belt sanders are far more powerful and work well on large, flat surfaces providing a deeper strip.
If you are struggling to choose between an orbital or belt sander, you are not alone. However, it is imperative that you determine the intended use of your sander before deciding which one to bring into your woodworking shop or home. Since they are used for vastly different projects, they can complement each other well when used for their unique purposes and specialties. Let’s take a closer look to see how orbital and belt sanders compare.
As you head to the local hardware store to select the right sander for your next project, you need to know what different types of sanders are capable of. There are a few different sander variations on the market, but two of the most common are orbital and belt sanders. So, what is the difference between the two?
Orbital and belt sanders vary in terms of power, speed, precision, type of sandpaper, uses, ease of use, dust collection, and markings. Typically, orbital sanders provide more precision for smaller projects while belt sanders can provide a quick sanding job on a large, highly ridged surface.
Still, if you want to find a sander that is right for a large project that still requires precision, or a small project that still needs a lot of sanding to get through tough ridges and unevenness, it can be tough to decide which type of sander to use. The major differences in orbital and belt sanders can help you to determine which type of sander is right for your project.
That said, let’s dive deeper into the differences between an orbital and a belt sander.
Understanding the power differentials between orbital and belt sanders can tell you a lot about the two types of tools. However, it is important to remember that the difference in the power behind an orbital and a belt sander does not make either of these tools inherently better than the other. On the contrary, it simply gives the tools different purposes and functions in the woodworking and tool world.
That said, a belt sander is going to definitely be the more powerful sander compared to an orbital sander. Unsurprisingly, this is what gives the belt sander its purpose. The belt sander can operate at a highly powerful level creating an ability to sand highly rigid surfaces rather quickly.
If you are working in the same direction as the natural wood grain, this is perfect for a belt sander to be able to handle. It can quickly and effectively pass over the ridges and sand them down to a smooth surface. However, this power is something that has to be used carefully with a belt sander. Because it is so powerful, there are very few take-backs when it comes to using this type of tool.
Once you pass over the surface of your wood (or metal) with a belt sander, there is very little room for error and the sanding will occur instantaneously. Consequently, this is one of the main reasons why the belt sander is perfect for jobs that require a bit more power but not so much for jobs that require higher levels of precision.
Still, orbital sanders can provide a high-quality sanding job even though they operate on a slightly less powerful level. This is not to say that orbital sanders do not have a good amount of power behind them, as many orbital sanders have a considerable torque and high amp ratings.
Even so, orbital sanders are not used to move quite as quickly on large, flat surfaces like belt sanders are. Instead, you can use a more moderate level of sanding power with an orbital sander as you pass over smaller surfaces, angled corners, stairs, or any type of project that you are simply rounding or shaping.
All in all, the orbital sander is not as powerful as the belt sander. But, remember, this does not make the belt sander inherently better- it simply makes it more appropriate for larger tasks that need a quicker, deeper sanding job done well. So, if you are working on your home’s hardwood floors, a belt sander can be a great option to sand down the ridges. But, once you get to the stairs, it is time to take out the orbital sander.
Speed is another area that orbital and belt sanders differ. However, they are measured a bit differently. While the orbital sander’s speed is measured by Orbits Per Minute (or how many times the circular sandpaper rotates in orbit per minute), the belt sander is measured in feet per minute determined by how quickly the belt of sandpaper can travel.
Because the two are measured in differing units, it can be a bit difficult to try to compare the two pieces of equipment. However, this can come back to the power behind them and how quickly they are able to complete a sanding job. For example, if you are working on your hardwood floors, you are probably going to be spending quite a bit of time by using an orbital sander- even one with a high Orbits Per Minute rating. Contrarily, using a belt sander for this task will be accomplished much more quickly.
This comes back to the speed at which these pieces of equipment can be used on the wood (or another type of surface) that you are applying them to and how quickly you plan to move across this surface. Because the belt sander is highly powerful, it can move at a high rate across very rigid areas where an orbital sander would take quite a bit more time.
Interestingly, this ends up affecting the precision of the two types of sanders. So, if you are looking to complete a large sanding job quickly, and you do not have tight curves that you will be hugging with your sander, then you can opt for the belt sander. But, if your project requires a bit of a slower pace so that you can round the edges, hit unique angles, or pay more special attention to detail, then you should opt for the orbital sander.
As mentioned above, the speed and power largely play into the precision of an orbital sander vs a belt sander. For this reason, you will want to pay special attention if you plan on using your sander for a project that requires more accuracy. For example, if you are working on a smaller project that has round angles, requires you to shape it, or needs sanding in a very tight angle, then using an orbital sander will be what you are looking for.
However, if you are just looking for a sander to plow through a large sanding job, one that does not require quite as much precision in the angels that you are going for, then a belting sander can do so quickly and effectively.
On this note, it is important to consider the natural wood grain and if you plan on going along with it or if you will be sanding without regard to the natural wood grain. When using a belt sander, for example, you should always attempt to go in the direction of the natural wood grain. Since you will more powerfully be smoothing over ridges, this will allow a slightly decreased amount of pressure to be applied.
On the opposite end, if you are sanding down the finer details on your woodworking craft using an orbital sander, you might not have the same ability to go with the natural wood grain direction. Sure, you can try to stay with it as much as possible, but if you are working in the grooves of your piece, the sanding motion might not be as one-directional. Instead, you will work with the piece and the orbital sander to reach the particular area.
Another example is when sanding stairs or cabinets. Since these are more precise angles, and since they are likely to be painted or finished, you can use an orbital sander to smooth over the edges without having to worry if the sandpaper will take too much off. Using a belt sander on this type of piece, however, could leave you with too much of the wood smoothed down because of the power and speed at which the belt sander is capable of working.
The type of sandpaper that an orbital sander versus a belt sander uses can help to distinguish the distinct purposes of these two tools. While you can adjust the coarseness of the grit in sandpaper on each type (to have a more thorough or less harsh sanding application), the ways that the sandpaper is used varies.
Primarily, on an orbital sander, you will attach circular pieces of sandpaper that can come in a variety of sizes and varying levels of grit. For smaller projects, you can attach (stick on) a smaller-sized piece of sandpaper. From there, you can adjust the necessary size based on your specific sanding project.
As an example, if you were working to sand a woodworking piece that you can hold in your hands, or something that had a more ornate design, you might choose to use a smaller piece of sandpaper on an orbital sander. However, if you were using an orbital sander on a larger surface, you might opt for a larger piece of sandpaper. Regardless, the ability to adjust the size is a major benefit of working with an orbital sander.
Contrarily, a belt sander does not use pieces of sandpaper attached in the same way. Rather, it uses a sheet of sandpaper that circles through (hence, the belt). For this reason, belt sanders often use more coarse pieces of sandpaper from the start.
However, if you are using a stationary belt sander, you will be moving the piece of wood through the sandpaper and will adjust the piece rather than the sander. On the other hand, if you are using a non-stationary belt sander, you will need to ensure an appropriately-sized belt for the project you are working on. Some woodworkers have even used 18” or more belts to operate in a similar manner as a planer, but this can get quite expensive.
Regardless, it is important to note that the size variations really point back to the appropriate projects for these two types of machines. While smaller, more precise sanding tasks can be accomplished with an orbital sander, leave the larger, flatter, and less precise sanding projects for the belt sander.
Many of the uses for an orbital sander versus a belt sander have already been mentioned, but this is the primary difference between the two devices. While both are capable of providing a sufficient sanding job, they are to be used for very different purposes. Otherwise, you end up working for the tool instead of the other way around.
With that said, here are a few of the main ways that an orbital sander can be used:
On the other hand, a few of the main ways that a belt sander can be used:
As you can see, these unique uses change the perspective on which type of sander you should use for your woodworking projects. As referenced, an orbital sander can be used for smaller, more detailed sanding projects compared with a belt sander that can provide an efficient sanding job on a larger, more rough (but flat) surface.
Another way that orbital sanders and belt sanders differ is their general ease of use. However, these are not overly complicated for either, and they often come down to personal preference. And, of course, as mentioned several times above, this comes back to the question of “Are you using the right sander for the task?”
With that said, many find that an orbital sander is overall pretty simple to use. There are a few different models of orbital sanders, but many are designed with a comfort grip when they are handheld or palm grip handles. Other options include jug grip and pistol grip handles which are for more controlled sanding projects like getting at a peculiar angle or working to apply pointed pressure.
On the other hand, belt sanders come with stationary or nonstationary options. Both are relatively simple to use, but you will notice that a belt sander has more torque aka power, so controlling it might require a bit more pressure on your end, physically. That said, a stationary belt sander will require you to move the wood (or another type of material) through it whereas a nonstationary belt sander will move over the material.
Ultimately, this comes back to the type of project you plan to be using these sanders for. If you are looking for a more precise sanding job that requires a bit of manual pressure added to the machine, the palm grip orbital sander will likely be the right fit. But, if you are wanting to send a large piece of flat wood through a sander (similar to using it as a planer), then you can opt for a stationary or tabletop belt sander.
Interestingly, the dust collection methods of both orbital sanders and belt sanders are relatively similar, although they might show up a bit different looking on the machines. Still, although these are similar methods, it is important to note these in this list considering the importance of this part included on your sander.
Dust collection is quite obvious in its function (removal of sawdust stirred up by the sanding process), but it is often overlooked in its importance. However, using a sander with dust collection is imperative for clean, safe, and effective sanding.
On your orbital or belt sander, you will either find an active dust collection system like a vacuum that sucks up the dust, or you will find a passive dust collection system like a dust collection bag. Either should work fine as long as the dust is removed. Along with this, most orbital and belt sanders will have filters to prevent the dust from entering into the sander itself.
Regardless of which type of dust collection method that your sander provides, it is incredibly important that some type of system is put in place. Maintaining a clean and safe workspace and workshop will help you to reach your woodworking and crafting dreams for long term success.
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Believe it or not, there are 23 different types of chisels. They can range from small handheld chisels for fine detail work to large tools that can remove big chunks of wood. That means you will probably need more than one type of sharpening stone for your chisels.
The type of sharpening stone you need for chisels depends on your chisels. Because there are so many types of chisels, you may need more than one type of sharpening stone. But the most common include these three:
Each of these types of sharpening stones has its own important features, so you may need more than one if you have a large selection of chisels. Keep reading to learn about the types of chisels and sharpening stones to choose from and determine which is right for your needs.
Depending on how much woodworking and what kind of woodworking you do, you may have a whole toolbox of chisels. Or you may just have one or two chisels that you use all the time.
When woodworking, you will most often start with a large tool and work your way down to a small one.
The type of chisel you have impacts what type of edge it has – and what type of edge you want to preserve and sharpen up.
Firmer Chisel | This is one of the oldest and most reliable basic chisels. It is mostly used for heavy woodworking jobs and has a cross-sectional pattern on the blade. These chisels are good for creating sharp 90-degree corners. |
Bevel Edge Chisel | The bevel edge is the most common carpentry chisel. There is a beveled edge on one side and a flat or straight edge on the other. This is so you can make dovetail joints. |
Bench Chisel | A bench chisel has a short five-inch blade with a short handle to match. They are often used in joinery, paring, trimming, and chopping, as you would do in cabinet and furniture making. |
Mortise Chisel | When you need a heavy-duty chisel to make mortise joints, this is your go-to tool. The blade is thick, and it has a strong hardwood handle with a metal cap to withstand heavy mallet pounding. |
Paring Chisel | Sort of like a paring knife, the paring chisel is used for small detail work. They are long and thin with beveled sides. The blade is sharpened to 20 degrees for a smooth cut when fitting joints. |
Butt Chisel | With a thick and short blade, the butt chisel comes in both a bevel- and straight-edged type. These strong chisels are used for installing hinges and making butts. |
Dovetail Chisel | Used for making dovetail joints, these have a long and beveled blade that is sharpened to about 25 degrees. This one is perfect for sharpening the parts of a dovetail joint with its long thin blade. |
Corner Chisel | This one has a V-shaped blade, so it can be used to make deep corners in cabinetry and clean out square corners. The blade is about eight inches long and is popular with carpenters who design cabinets. |
Skew Chisel | One of the most needed chisels is the skew chisel. The long blade is beveled with an angled tip. The point (toe) is sharp and used for digging in wood. These are also used for smoothing, beading, tapering, and v-cuts. |
Carving Chisel | Whether you need a curved blade with a straight gouge or vice versa, the carving chisel comes in both types. They are used for detailed and complicated woodworking. |
Once you identify the type of chisel you’ve got, you can determine what type of sharpening stone is best used for each one.
While some can be sharpened with any of the different stones, there are a few that have specific needs.
Each type of sharpening stone has its pros and cons as well. You have to make the decision on how much money you want to spend on your sharpening stone first. If you are a professional carpenter, you probably want to get the best your money can buy since it pays for itself in the long run.
Water stones sharpen quickly due to their softness. And they typically come in courser grits than others. These are good for both flattening and sharpening a bevel. But they have to be soaked in water before using. Those chisels that need a more precise point can also be sharpened with a water stone.
You can sharpen all of the different types of chisels with water stones.
However, they should not be used as often for heavy-duty chisels due to their softness. The best chisels to sharpen with water stones are:
When working on the heavier chisels, you will have to flatten your water stone more often.
Oilstones are available in both natural and manmade versions and have all different grits to choose from. Manmade oilstones are aluminum oxide or silicon carbide, while the natural oilstone is made from novaculite. Natural stones have a finer grit than manmade stones.
Some benefits to using oilstones:
Just as the name implies, you have to use oil when sharpening your chisel with an oilstone.
Diamond stones are typically used when flattening your chisels, but they can be used for details, bevels, and polishing as well. In fact, you can also use diamond stone to flatten your other stones.
The best thing about diamond stones is that they stay flat, so you do not have to worry about flattening out any gouges made by sharpening your chisels.
These stones start at 220 grit, which is good for flattening the back of your chisels. Any chisel with a flat back can be sharpened with a diamond stone, but they are also excellent to use on all types of chisels.
The most common drawback of diamond stones is their cost. They are significantly more expensive than the other two types of sharpening stones. But they do pay for themselves in the long run if you use your chisels often for work or as a hobby.
The best way to sharpen your chisel is to use the entire stone. This is especially important when using a water stone or an oilstone. Otherwise, you are going to end up with a huge dip in the middle of your stone that you will have to use your diamond stone to flatten.
A bench grinder, also known as a grinding wheel, is used for fixing nicks or other imperfections in your heavy-duty chisels like the mortise or firmer chisel. There are two main steps in sharpening a chisel on a grinder.
After using the bench grinder, you’ll want to hone the chisel with a honing stone or sandpaper with a high grit count for the finishing touch.
Choose your sharpening stone based on what type of chisel you have and what stones work best for what you are trying to achieve. Oftentimes, you may need to use more than one type of stone- and sometimes, a bench grinder may come into play.
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Chisels are commonly used in woodworking and choosing the right chisel for the job you have to complete is extremely important. If you find yourself making mortise cuts often, you will want to add a set of mortise chisels to your toolbox. These chisels come in a variety of sizes but narrowing down your search can make choosing the chisel you need easier.
Choosing the mortise chisel size needed relies quite heavily on the type of woodwork that a carpenter must complete. The most commonly used mortise chisels are 1/4” and 3/8” but there are several sizes available today. Often the best choice is to purchase a set, which will have several sizes available.
Often, as important as the size is the quality of the chisel, which will ensure you have years of proper use. Comparing brands is a great way to ensure you get a chisel that fits your needs. Of course, keep reading to see our top choice of mortise chisels that are available today.
As mentioned, mortise chisels are not necessarily something you need hundreds of. Some who make few mortise style cuts find that adding these to their collection is pointless when they can use a bench chisel in a pinch. However, if you do a lot of woodworking (specifically cabinetry), they can be very beneficial.
This leads us into the idea of who exactly needs a mortise chisel, and which should be added to your toolbox. Some things to keep in mind when considering mortise chisels are:
Always keep in mind that the chisel size is determined by the mortise stock and not the tenon stock. This is commonly confused and can lead to mistakes when purchasing.
There are truly countless types of chisels available in the world today, but mortise chisels are some of the most important to woodwork.
The classic way to use mortising is by using a mallet to chisel into wood and then levering it out. This will help remove waste and works far better than traditional bench chisels which are not thick enough to withstand this levering process.
There are a couple of types of mortise chisels, with the original being the Western mortise chisels. Mortise chisels are known for being heavy and thicker than they are wide. The handles to the chisels have to be made from strong materials to withstand hitting. It is common to have only one or two mortise chisels, but there are a variety of sizes available today.
Of course, there are times when you may find mortise chisels at your local hardware store. You do not want to choose just any chisel and rather do your best to get an option that fits your woodworking needs. A few things you should keep in mind when choosing a mortise chisel are:
Speaking of brand, let’s talk about some of the best brands you can buy chisels from today!
Finding a quality mortise chisel can be difficult if you do not know where to start. While we will further dive into what to look for in these chisels if you are out and want to purchase, we will also discuss some of the best brands available today. You can find these chisels sold in sets or individually, but some of the best options are:
If you want a variety of sizes, this is the choice for you and comes at a price that is more affordable than most mortise chisel sets. There are four chisels inside and each is extremely high quality. The chisel is made from a beech wood grip that has been stained and waxed, the blades are made from Cr-Mn steel.
Narex is a well-known brand and have been built to last for years to come. The set itself comes with a 4mm, 6mm, 10mm, and 12mm sized chisel. These are a great, affordable option for those who want several chisels that will last through years of woodworking.
While most of the chisels you find today are Western style or English style as some websites call them, there are also Japanese style mortise chisels.
This specific chisel is a Japanese style and has been hand hammered from Yasuki blue steel. This is one of the hardest steel options used in blades today, and it’s guaranteed to last forever and hold on to a good sharpening for a long time.
Mortise chisels are most often seen in a traditional chisel shape, but they can also come in this swan style shape. This features a hook that resembles a swan neck, hence the name. While this style of chisel is not necessary for many woodworkers, it is great for those who want to create clean notches.
The Two Cherries brand is very popular and created using German-engineering. The chisel comes in a few sizes, including 6mm, 10mm, 12mm. This is one of the better made on our list while also being one of the more job specific options.
This is a great choice and commonly used amongst many woodworkers. This is one of the most durable on our list and can be used for years and years. Even with daily use, this chisel can withstand routine hammering due to the big ferrule on top of the handle.
The Sorby brand is one of the most popular mortise chisel makers you will find today. The brand is known for their extremely hard and durable chisel blades. Of the many on our list, this is definitely a top contender for the best mortise chisel available today.
If you complete woodworking projects often, having mortise chisels at your disposal can be very beneficial. Often the best place to start is by purchasing a set or a couple of commonly used sizes and adding to your toolbox as you see fit. It is important to always purchase quality mortise chisels as these will last longer and yield better results.
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Chisels, just like all of your equipment, need to be maintained. The biggest part of maintaining chisels is the sharpening routing. There are several sharpening methods to choose from, this article focuses mainly on how often they need to be sharpened.
Sharpen your chisel whenever it starts to dull, but make sure to give it the occasional maintenance sharpening as well. As long as you maintain them and don’t let them remain dull for a long period, your chisels should remain as good as new.
A good chisel is essential to good woodwork. This article has all you need to know about chisels and more. From what to look for when choosing a chisel to what are the best techniques to use to maintain it. Keep reading not only sharpen your chisel but also your mind.
If you ask anyone who has been in woodworking for a few years, they will tell you that your best friend is a sharp chisel. A sharp chisel is the first step in the direction of becoming an expert in woodwork. In an ideal world, chisels would never dull, but that is not the case.
The gradual dulling of the chisel is brought on by several different factors, such as:
With the presence of so many variables, it is difficult to give a definitive answer as to the frequency with which you should sharpen your chisels. Some blades are made of a softer metal and dull faster than chisels made from harder metals.
While material is a determining factor when it comes to how often a chisel needs to be sharpened, it is not the only one. Other factors such as the density of the wood may affect how often the chisels need to be sharpened.
Experts say it is best to sharpen chisels whenever they become noticeably dull or when needed along with regular maintenance.
A sharp chisel can be the first step in the right direction when you want to improve your woodworking technique, as you’ll only learn bad habits with a dull blade. With a sharper blade, you will not need to make as much effort in pushing and can focus on keeping your hand steady.
Although this mainly applies to beginners, a sharp chisel is also an asset to the expert. Experienced woodworkers know that a sharp blade is a good way to protect the layer of wood beneath the blade. Similarly, it allows for more control which can be distinguished by nice, clean cuts.
Other than that, it makes things easier for you if you have a sharp chisel, such as:
Speaking of skills, sharpening is one of the indispensable skills any woodworker can have. No matter how expensive or sharp your chisel may be, it will dull over time. Let’s talk about exactly how you should keep your chisels in good shape.
Sharpening methods and techniques vary from person to person. However, the general idea is the same. The first thing you’ll need for sharpening is the proper tools. There is an array of choices from stones, to honing guides and grit paper. The process itself is fairly simple, but it is sure to leave you with a sharp blade every time.
For this process, you will need both sharpening stones and a honer:
Sharpening is easy to learn, but hard to master. Just remember that by sharpening, you are actually removing material from the chisel, so it’s best to start with a light touch while learning. Sharpening too aggressively with the wrong technique will only shorten your chisel’s lifespan!
Chisels, if properly cared for, can last up to years and work as if it was fresh off the production line. Just like everything else, chisels deteriorate over time and become useless. However, with the proper maintenance, you can delay this process significantly.
The main part of maintenance for chisels is directly correlated to how often is sharpened and how the sharpening is done. Although sharp chisels are preferred, for most projects, if the blade is sharp enough to complete the task most people don’t bother to do so. This is the suggested way to go about it.
Only sharpening when necessary, protects the blade from being over-sharpened and avoid wasting alloys. However, the blade will be sharpened often enough to prevent corrosion and damage. For this reason, experts advise having a regular maintenance routine.
This routine doesn’t have to be anything fancy; it can be as simple as sharpening your equipment monthly and honing it every two. These ensure that there are regular cleaning and maintenance and will prevent the tools from going into a state of decay, or slow it down at the very least.
The price varies from place to place, but in most places, you can get your chisels professionally sharpened for less than ten dollars per chisel. Some places charge as low as three dollars while others can reach up to eight.
Look for spots that sharpen and compare the costs to see which works best for you. Locations that offer sharpening services are usually found in hardware stores such as:
Sharpening is not for everyone, but you can save a lot of money by doing most of the sharpening at home and have it professionally done once a month. That way, you will practice a skill, save money and still take good care of your tools.
When it comes to chisel maintenance, the answer is not set in stone because of all the possible variations. Some chisels are made of stronger stuff and can last longer before losing their edge. While that same chisel might turn dull after one interaction with maple wood.
The most successful method of yet has been to sharpen wood chisels as needed and have monthly or scheduled maintenance to protect the blade. There is a lot of debate about the word sharp, but the most accurate one is the one that says sharp is related to the situation.
If you stick to this process and use the proper materials to sharpen and hone your blades, your blades will last you several years. There is something beautiful about sharpening a blade, it is shaving off the old and depleted tool and preparing it once again for battle.
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Choosing the right product to use for your project can sometimes be an easy feat, but other times, it can take a bit more research into your decision. If you are contemplating using wood glue vs. liquid nails, you will want to know the pros and cons of each and when one option would be preferable over the other.
Wood glue and liquid nails are both designed to create a bond between two surfaces. Both can be used on surfaces other than wood, although liquid nails will hold a stronger bond. Wood glue is for smaller projects, safer, and easier to use and clean up than its industrial-strength counterpart.
Still, both of these products definitely have their advantages depending on the type of project you are working on. While some do-it-yourself project amateurs would argue that wood glue and liquid nails are interchangeable, the pros would tell you that these two products, while serving the same general purpose, have differences that make them unique. To help you in your decision-making process, we have created a list of pros and cons to wood glue and liquid nails. Let’s take a closer look.
Truly, it is important to discover the various ways that using wood glue versus liquid nails will impact the final results of your project- whatever that might be. Knowing some of the pros and cons of each of these types of structural adhesives can help you to make the right choice in which product to go with for your project.
Wood glue and liquid nails can be compared in their variety of uses, drying time, the strength of the bond, safety (for use and removal), ease of use, and cleanup. Specifically, you will find that wood glue is not quite as strong as liquid nails, but it is much easier, quicker, and safer to use on most projects.
Still, if you are wanting to use the industrial-strength that liquid nails can offer you, and you are prepared to use this product safely (and given the appropriate drying time), it can make quite a difference in the lasting impact on your final project. With that said, let’s look at some of the main differences (and pros and cons) between using wood glue vs. liquid nails to see how they compare.
When it comes to comparing wood glue versus liquid nails, their variety of uses is a great place to start. Particularly, you can look at how each of these products can be used on a variety of surfaces (not just wood, interestingly), and then you can also determine how these products can best serve a specific purpose depending on the goal of your project.
When it comes to wood glue, there are a few key factors to consider in terms of its variety of uses. First, you should know that wood glue can be used on more than just wood. In fact, it can be used to bind a variety of surfaces together including wood to metal, plastic, and other types of surfaces. Of course, it is most commonly used as a wood adhesive, but this is not the only way that it can be used.
This is helpful to know if you are looking to work on your woodworking project but are not actually hoping to bind wood to wood in your project. If you are looking to bind the wood to a piece of decorative metal, for example, wood glue can still be an option for the type of adhesive that will work best.
Of course, the strength of the bond will vary depending on the type of surface as well as the amount of the product that you use, but we will dive more into the strength of the bond later. For now, it is important to note that you can use this as an adhesive when attempting to get two slabs or pieces of wood to stick together or when attempting to adhere to other surfaces.
It is also important to recognize that wood glue can be used from small to large scale projects depending on the end result that you desire. Wood glue does not have as strong of an adhesive bond as liquid nails, but this does not mean that it cannot be applied to longer slabs of wood. If you are attempting to use wood glue for a large scale project, just be sure that you allow it to dry correctly and apply a generous amount.
Pros: Wood glue can work as an adhesive on a variety of surfaces including wood, metal, plastic, and more.
Cons: Wood glue may require a more generous portion to be applied for use on large scale projects.
When it comes to liquid nails, there is a considerable variety of uses with this product as well, but you will want to make sure to use these with much more caution than when using wood glue. We will get more into the safety precautions to take when using this product later on, but it should be noted that liquid nails should not be used on every project- even though they can provide a strong adhesive bond.
Still, liquid nails can provide an industrial-grade adhesive to just about any surface including wood, metal, plastic, and more. If you are working on a larger scale woodworking project, liquid nails will be able to provide the structural stability that you might be looking for- the type that comes from real nails.
Many crafters also use small amounts of liquid nails when performing adhesive tasks on smaller projects, too. So, using liquid nails is not only reserved for industrial-sized projects, even though the bond that this product can provide is quite strong. With this in mind, it is important to use caution and to only use the amount of liquid nails that you need. A generous application of this product is not typically required to achieve your desired results.
Pros: Liquid nails can work on a variety of surfaces including wood, metal, plastic, and more. A small bit of liquid nails can go a long way for a strong adhesive bond.
Cons: Liquid nails are an industrial-grade adhesive, so it can require more cautious use.
Knowing that you can use wood glue and liquid nails for a variety of projects can be a great place to start. After all, if you did not even know that this was possible, then you might choose one product over the other by default rather than as an informed decision. With that said, there are many other factors that will set wood glue and liquid nails apart. Drying time (the time required in order for the product to achieve its full bonding potential) varies drastically with wood glue versus liquid nails.
When it comes to wood glue and its drying time, this is going to be substantially shorter than using liquid nails. Of course, the adhesive bond that the product is creating is not going to be quite as strong, but it still requires time to dry, seal, and ensure a proper adhesion between the two surfaces to which it is applied.
Specifically, wood glue can be applied between two surfaces and begin to set in within 15-20 minutes. However, while the product will begin to dry in this little bit of time, it is recommended to wait up to 24-hours before applying any pressure (be it a test or not) to the product that you have applied the wood glue to.
You can also add clamps or some type of pressure to press the two pieces that you are using together, but this is not required when using wood glue. Of course, if you are working on a larger project, then adding pressure will help to ensure that the wood glue adheres evenly and consistently throughout the entire project.
Still, you should be able to test this out within 24-hours of applying the wood glue in the first place. So, if you are repairing those older dining room chairs and want to make sure that they are ready to go before your company arrives on the weekend, then you can start this process with wood glue about a day or two before your guests arrive, and you should be in the clear.
Pros: Wood glue is quick-drying and begins to adhere within 15-20 minutes of application. The total drying time for wood glue is roughly 24-hours.
Cons: The strength of the quicker drying wood glue will not be quite as strong as liquid nails (that take longer to dry and cure).
When it comes to drying time for liquid nails, this is going to be substantially longer than when using wood glue- but for good reason. Liquid nails work to create an industrial-strength bond that requires more time for drying and curing.
Specifically, when using liquid nails, you will need to use some type of clamp or device that can add evenly distributed pressure to the surface of the pieces you are wishing to adhere. This is not a mere suggestion with this type of product, but liquid nails require clamping or another form of evenly distributed pressure to form the secure bond that it can provide.
More so, you will need to apply the brace or clamp for a minimum of a 24-hour period when using liquid nails. Then, you should avoid adding pressure or testing out the bond of the adhesive for up to one week from the time of application. This is to ensure that the liquid nails have had a chance to fully harden and cure, providing the industrial-grade adhesive for your project.
As you can see, the drying time with liquid nails is going to be remarkably higher than the drying time associated with wood glue. However, the consequential bond that is created by the two products is in direct correlation with the amount of drying and curing time needed.
Pros: Liquid nails require a high drying time and added pressure to create an industrial-grade adhesive bond.
Cons: It will take a more diligent process for the complete curation of liquid nails compared to an easier setup and lessened drying time with wood glue.
The strength of the bond of the two types of adhesives- wood glue and liquid nails- is something that has come up quite a bit in this article already. And, for good reason. The strength of the bond that is applied when using these two types of products can be the primary reason that you would choose one product over the other (or vice versa). Knowing how much pressure one can uphold compared to the other can be a complete decision-making game changer.
The strength of the adhesive bond with wood glue is not industrial-grade like you will find with liquid nails, but it is still structurally sound. With this in mind, it is important to reiterate that wood glue can be used as an adhesive on a variety of surfaces- not just wood. Still, it is designed to work best with wood, and using high-quality wood glue should leave you satisfied with the adhesive results at the end of your project.
Specifically, many people find that when using the appropriate instructions (especially giving wood glue long enough to fully dry and cure before applying any pressure), they are able to rely on the construction-like quality of adhesion that wood glue can provide.
Even so, wood glue can be used on smaller projects (such as if someone clumsily knocks over a decorative wooden piece in your home and you need to piece it back together), or it can be used on larger projects, too. Of course, if you are wanting to make sure that it truly sticks to last, then you will apply evenly distributed pressure to the piece after you have placed the wood glue on. This will help to create a tight bond between the two pieces of your structure.
Pros: Wood glue can create a strong bond between a variety of surfaces, not just wood.
Cons: Sometimes, evenly distributed pressure is needed to provide a strong bond between the pieces to which the wood glue is applied.
When it comes to the strength of the bond of liquid nails, you can rest assured that once you apply this product, your project will not be coming apart any time soon. This is because liquid nails are able to provide an industrial-grade adhesion on your project- on a variety of surfaces, at that. This means that using this product will be like using the real deal when it comes to nails- you just will not see the nail marks or holes left behind on the opposite side.
Of course, the strong bond that liquid nails are able to provide for your project will entirely depend on your ability to appropriately apply the product. This means that even though the drying time for liquid nails is much higher than that of wood glue, you must not fall into the temptation to test out the strength of the bond until the allotted time has passed (up to a week of drying time).
If you were to test out the bond before the liquid nails have fully dried and cured, then you may find that it pulls apart the adhesive product, and the cure is not able to fully take place as intended. When this occurs, even if you were to place back the pressure on your project, the drying process would have been disrupted, the liquid nails would have been adjusted in terms of even application, and the strength of the bond could diminish.
Almost like a layer of velcro or a band-aid that has been ripped off, liquid nails that have been disrupted in their drying and curing will have a diminished adhesive capacity. So, you will want to allow liquid nails to have the appropriate drying and curing time, but if you are sure to apply this product correctly, you can rest assured that your project will not be able to be pulled apart- especially at the points where the liquid nails were applied.
Pros: Liquid nails provide an industrial-grade adhesive bond and are unlikely to come apart.
Cons: You must ensure proper application, drying, and curing time to allow for the strong bond of the liquid nails to completely set in.
When it comes to safety between the two products (wood glue and liquid nails), there are a few areas that need to be more closely examined. First, you need to consider the safety of using the product in terms of fumes or potential toxic inhalation. Second, you need to consider if you were to place some of this product (by accident) on an unintended location- such as your skin or on an adjacent structure near the project you are working on.
Taking a closer look at safety with wood glue, there are very few concerns when working with this product. Of course, you will want to follow all safety precautions listed on the specific product that you are using, but the safety standards are relatively common sense (such as “do not consume” the product).
Even more, wood glue is not known for having toxic fumes or strong inhalants that you will need to be concerned about when using it. For this reason, unless specifically instructed based on the product description, you will not need to wear a mask or other protective gear. Of course, you can wear rubber gloves if you believe that you might be more prone to getting this product on your skin, but it is not required.
Even at that, if you were to accidentally get wood glue on your skin or place it on a structure adjacent to the project you were working on, wood glue (before it has dried and cured) can typically be removed with soap and water. Of course, once the wood glue has had a chance to fully dry and cure, you will have to be a little more cautious in how you remove it (depending on what you are removing it from), but it still should not be difficult to remove from your skin.
Pros: Wood glue is safe to use with minimal protective gear needed, and it is easy to remove from your skin.
Cons: You will need to ensure removal as quickly as possible to avoid removal after the wood glue has had a chance to cure.
Using liquid nails is not quite as easy in terms of safety as using wood glue is, and this has much to do with its industrial purposes. Specifically, because it is such a strong product that offers a construction level adhesion, you will need to be much more cautious when using this product compared with using wood glue.
In terms of fumes and toxic inhalants, you will need to wear a mask when using liquid nails, especially if you will be using a large amount of the product or will be exposed to the product for a prolonged period. Liquid nails are incredibly strong, and their fumes are strong as well. This means, of course, that you will want to take caution not to breathe in these fumes, and these implications can be even more severe for people with health concerns.
Even more, because liquid nails form such a strong bond, they can be incredibly difficult to remove from the surfaces they are applied to. This includes if you were to accidentally get liquid nails on your skin or if you were to drip some of the product on a portion of your project you did not intend to. With this in mind, be sure to have a strong type of removal product available just in case, and be sure to remove the product as quickly and safely as possible before it cures.
Pros: Liquid nails form an incredibly strong bond and take a longer time to cure, but you will still need to act quickly and cautiously when removing this product from the skin.
Cons: Liquid nails require more safety precautions due to fumes, toxic inhalants, and the potential to damage the skin if it comes into contact with it.
Finally, when comparing the two products wood glue and liquid nails, it is important to take a look at how easy the products are to use including the initial application as well as the cleanup process. Some of this is tied into the safety precautions necessary when working with the products, and some of this is more directly related to the distribution of the product itself.
When it comes to wood glue, this product is pretty easy to use. There is minimal setup required before using wood glue, and there are minimal safety precautions that you will need to adhere to when using the product. For example, if you were working with a small decorative piece that had a broken portion, you could go to your cabinet, grab out the wood glue, begin applying it, and leave it to dry for just 24-hours max.
There are very few precautions that you would need to take because the wood glue is so easy and safe to work with. And, because there are so few precautions, this can make the overall application a bit easier to work with, too. Since you will not be as worried about getting this on your skin, for example, you can even touch up a project with the tip of your finger if need be, and although this is not strongly desired, it would not be difficult to remove the product from your skin.
With that, you can more accurately apply this product or even use a very small, precise paintbrush to be able to apply the product with greater precision. And, since it does not require clamping and has a shorter drying time, you can set the project aside once you have applied the wood glue and wait a much shorter time for the end result to be achieved. Then, if you notice any areas that need to be cleaned up, you can typically do this quickly with soap and water before the wood glue has hardened.
Pros: Wood glue is very easy to use and clean up and requires very few precautions.
Cons: You might need more product application with wood glue to achieve a strong bond.
When it comes to the ease of use with liquid nails, this is a bit different. Liquid nails are not overly difficult to apply and distribute, but they do require a significant increase in safety precautions needed before you can begin applying the product.
For example, if you were to be working with the same decorative project as described above, but were using liquid nails instead of wood glue, you would need to take a few safety precautions first before applying the product. Specifically, you would need a mask to prevent fume inhalation, and you would want to wear protective gloves or clothing when possible.
You would also want to be much more cautious when applying liquid nails so that you would not have to remove it from your skin (as this can be much more difficult and unsafe) or have to attempt to clean this up from a surface that it was not meant to be applied to. So, using the product and applying it to the surfaces that you are intending will not be too difficult, but you will need to take a few more precautions (as well as using clamping or pressure-adding devices once you have applied the liquid nails), which can make the entire process a bit longer.
Pros: Liquid nails are not difficult to distribute to various surfaces.
Cons: More precautions will need to be taken for the safe use of this product, and clamping the two surfaces together is required for the bond adherence with liquid nails.
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A chisel is one of the oldest tools around. The firmer and mortise chisels are two different styles, with a thick blade designed to be used in combination with a mallet.
The difference between a firmer and a mortise chisel is the cutting edge angle, among other details. In addition, each tool is designed to be used in a certain way. Therefore, the biggest difference in a firmer or mortise chisel is how you will use it.
So, what is the difference between a firmer and a mortise chisel? Let's take a look at each tool and its features.
A firmer chisel is probably the first type of chisel. Originally it was used to roughly form pieces of wood into useful objects and thus was a “former” chisel. Over the years, this sturdy, reliable chisel’s name developed into the current “firmer”.
The firmer chisel is a sturdy tool with a somewhat thick handle. The blade itself has a flat rectangular design with straight sides. It does not have beveled edges, nor does it taper to a point. This makes it less than ideal for fine detailed work and such normal cuts such as a dovetail joint.
While it may be a little more work to use, a firmer chisel has been in use for thousands of years and is a great general-use tool for both lightweight as well as heavy work. The downside is that while you can use a firmer chisel for most basic woodworking, it may take more patience, and the result may not be as good as if another, more modern type chisel was used.
A mortise chisel is almost as old as a firmer chisel. It also is used in a large number of applications.
A mortise chisel has three main features that differentiate it from the firmer chisel.
A Mortise Chisel has a Thicker Blade Than a Firmer Chisel
The thick blade of a mortise chisel means it can take some abuse. A mortise chisel is made to be used with a mallet. The handle design of a mortise chisel usually has a cap or a hoop around the end of the handle to help provide strength.
The best technique to work a mortise with a mortise chisel is to gradually pound it in at increasing angles. This gives you increased accuracy and the ability to keep the cut clean as you go.
A Mortise Chisel has an Extended, Trapezoidal Blade
This blade design allows for more control of the cut than a firmer chisel provides. The blade of a mortise chisel is anywhere from a 35-40 degree angle. This means you can get a straighter, more precise cut. This is essential when you are cutting a mortise, and you need that tight fit.
The design of the mortise chisel additionally allows you to use it to flick out the bits and pieces of wood that accumulate in the mortise as you cut. Using the blade as a sort of pry bar against the bevel of the cut allows you to get a cleaner, more exact cut. Again, this is essential when you need a tight-fitting joint.
The mortise chisel is used to create one of half of one of the most common woodworking methods: the mortise and tenon joint.
This type of joint combines two pieces of wood that fit tightly together without glue or adhesive. This explains why it has been used for ancient woodworking as far back as the Neolithic period. You can find examples of this ancient technique in Leipzig, Germany, home of the world’s oldest intact wooden architecture. Mortise and tenon joints have also been found in the Khufu ship buried near the Giza pyramid in Egypt.
The word mortise may come from the Old French word meaning hole or groove. It may also have come from the Arabic word "murtazz," meaning "fastened". Either origin works to describe a mortise.
While Mortise chisels and firmer chisels may be the oldest known chisels, they are by no means the only ones. The type of chisel you need depends on the type of project you are working on.
Type of Chisel | Description |
Firmer Chisel | A firmer chisel is general used to form or shape out a design. The blade is not quite a thick as a mortise chisel, and it does not have a beveled edge. |
Butt Chisel | A butt chisel is a firmer chisel that can be used in small, compact spaces. A butt chisel has the same square blade design as a traditional firmer chisel, but the blade itself is shorter and broader. This makes it perfect for when you need to remove or waste out a large area. A butt chisel is used for the mortises in a butt hinge. |
Mortise Chisel | A mortise chisel is made to be used with a mallet. It has a thicker, sturdy design that some find clunky and hard to maneuver. This is a good general purpose chisel for the right project. |
Sash Mortise Chisel | A sash mortise chisel is a lighter, thinner version of a traditional mortise chisel. This more lightweight version is designed to get into the nooks and crannies of the wood surrounding windows. |
Japanese or "Nomi" Chisel | This type of chisel is slightly thicker than a beveled edge chisel. It has a very sharp cutting edge made of tough carbon steel. The middle of the chisel is made of a second type of metal, usually slightly softer. Their sharp edge makes keeps softwood from crumbling. |
Beveled Edge Chisel | A beveled edge chisel is the most common type of chisel. A versatile tool that is not too short nor too long, you can find this chisel in almost any woodworker’s toolbox. |
Paring Chisel | A paring chisel is longer and thinner. They are more flexible than most chisels and never used with a mallet. Their primary use is shaving off very thin slices of wood to make a joint fit that much tighter. |
Whether you are a seasoned pro or just starting, having the right tools makes a difference in the success of your project.
Stanley Sweetheart Socket Chisel Set, 4 piece- Stanley is known for quality tools, and this set is no exception. High-carbon blades with sturdy socket handles mean this set will last you a long time. Worth the investment if you are serious about your woodworking projects.
Narex Woodworking Chisel Set- A favorite with woodworkers both new and experienced, this set is made by a small Czech company and has four different sizes with a 25-degree blade angle.
VonHaus 10 pc Premium Chisel Set for Woodworking – A versatile set, you should be able to complete most projects with this one set. Comes with a sharpening stone and a wooden storage case.
Chisels used today have progressed far beyond the firmer and mortise chisels used in the past to construct everything from furniture to roofing beams. These days it doesn't matter whether you are a hobbyist building a bookshelf in your garage or a professional carpenter making a cabinet in your company's shop; there is a wide selection of chisels to meet your need. Knowing the difference between a firmer and a mortise chisel is the first step to choosing the best tool to match your purpose.
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When you are sanding and making some of the best possible-looking things you can imagine, you will usually reach a point where the belt breaks. Understanding why the sanding belt has worked perfectly before suddenly breaks can help you make smooth and perfect finished work.
Your sanding belt breaks because you use one specific spot while sanding instead of using the whole belt. If the belt is tensioned too much or too loose, you can cause enough damage to the belt that it will snap as soon as you try to sand something even slightly hard. (Source: Wood Magazine)
These are just the most straightforward reasons that the belt on your belt sander may suddenly snap or break; however, the full range of reasons is a bit more complex. Each belt sander has its way of working, with many owners having to learn just why and how a belt broke with experience.
The reasons for your belt breaking are varied, it can be for something simple, or it can be because you have not done maintenance correctly. Understanding each reason and learning how to prevent them will help you to get more use out of all of your belts.
Each reason can cause a different kind of breaking, with some belt snapping as soon as tension is applied to them. To prevent your belts from being damaged, even when not used, you need to know each of the reasons they may be damaged and how to prevent them from snapping in the future.
(Source: Stack Exchange, Saw Mill Creek, Lumber Jocks, Own Experience)
Prevention is always better than simply looking for a way to fix things, with belt sanders and sanding belts usually working the best when adequately cared for. The knowledge to ensure that your sanding belts are always working correctly will enable you to save a lot of money.
Each issue with your sanding belts can be fixed with a few simple steps to ensure that they are always ready for you to use. We recommend applying each to ensure that you never have to grab a sanding belt and end up with something that spools wildly and out of control.
(Source: Stack Exchange, Saw Mill Creek, Lumber Jocks, Own Experience)
A belt sander does not work unless it moves, having the belt being turned by large wheels, which allows the belt sanding surface to move rapidly. When moving at full speed, the belt sander can rapidly eat through a material, easily smoothening the edges of the material. (Source: The Spruce Crafts)
If the belt sander is not moving, you cannot sand anything; if you try to use the machine to hold onto the sanding belt, you will not be successful either. The belt will simply more or bend away as you are trying to sand the material, causing you to damage the sander and the sanding belt.
If the belt sander is not moving even after turning it on, something else is wrong, and you will have to fix it. The fault is often over tensioning of the belt or a few loose bolts that are stopping the motion from the motor from turning the machine.
Belt sanders either work with a gravity tensioner arm or an adjustable tensioner arm, with the adjustable arm usually being installed onto smaller machines. Adjusting the tension with an adjustable arm requires turning the bolt, while gravity tensioner arms rely entirely on gravity.
The more complicated a belt sander is, the more adjustable it will become, with many machines allowing you to adjust each roller with a simple knob. Adjusting on each part of the system will allow you to comfortably loosen the tension, change the belt's position, and re-center everything.
Adjusting the tension of the sander will help to make your sanding belts last much longer, have the entire belt be more in the center, and allow you to sand at different angles. Many belt sanding machines allow you to sand at different degrees by adjusting the roller and the sanding platform.
As you are sanding in one spot, the sanding surface becomes worn down, eventually reaching the belt portion of the sanding belt. Once you have done this, it takes very little pressure to cut through the material with your workpiece, causing the entire belt to snap or become unthreaded. (Source: Fintech)
This happens most of the time when people with little to no experience with belt sanders use the machine. As they are not aware of the danger, they naturally focus so much on the material they are trying to sand, forgetting to look at how the machine they are using is reacting.
In a few select instances, the sanding belt splits down the middle, leaving a piece of perfectly usable sanding belt on the machine. While it is tempting to keep using this piece, there is a higher chance of getting snagged or the belt jumping off the wheel when it can no longer be centered.
Yes, sanding belts can quite easily be cleaned off from all the material that would cause it to no longer be as abrasive. A belt-cleaning stick will easily allow you to clean the sanding belt while it is running by brushing away all the clogged materials on the belt. (Source: Fintech)
This is only something that has recently gained widespread popularity as the technique and technology to do it has been refined. Before using cleaning sticks, people would usually wash the belts using specialized cleaners that would not save time but would drastically help to save money.
It should still be noted that while the sanding belt can be cleaned if there is a large piece of it missing or cracked, you need to put a new belt on. The cleaning techniques are meant to extend the life of a sanding belt slightly, but they will not make it last forever.
Sanding belts have unique backing materials that allow them to withstand the tension and speed provided by the machine. Further, the grit is slightly different, not needing to be wetted once you reach finer sanding levels to have the sanding still work at the same level.
While there are ways of turning normal sandpaper into something that can be used on a belt sander, these are not permanent solutions. If you have some waste sanding belts, it would be worth checking how thick they really are and how much they are different from normal sanding paper.
Fortunately, you can use scrap sanding belts for sanding to be cut up to be used with other projects. This is something that a lot of people should note, as even with the best belt sanding machines, you will need to use some elbow grease to get the perfect finish.
The most common cause is because the current belt you are using is quite old and worn out, while others may find that their belts are stored improperly. The burn can be from the machine being clogged with dust or that the belt is tensioned wrong, causing extra friction instead of turning. (Source: Fintech)
When replacing the sanding belt, you must clean out any of the machine parts that would usually not be exposed. This keeps the machine cool and stops it from burning and becoming a significant fire hazard that could cause many issues in the future.
If you suspect that the machine or the belt is starting to run hot, it will always be worth it to check on everything. The machine can catch fire, and the materials you have sanded off can also easily catch fire, which will cause months of headache and trouble.
Your belt sander and the belt running on it should last you quite a while, but you will find it breaking if you are not using or maintaining it properly. Many people have made the mistake of not properly caring for their machines and equipment causing sudden breaks while in use.
Whatever you do, please don't try to use the wrong side of the belt to sand something down; you'll only get headaches and sadness as the belt eats through the machine!
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