Archive for January, 2007
ObjectThis is from the interesting gift file – Wrench Utensils
Need to find a unique gift for an avid home improvement person? Definitely something they do not already have and will not break the bank to purchase.
Wrenchware (www.wrenchwareinc.com) makes flatware that is half flatware and half tool. Here are some of the utensils they offer with the corresponding tool.
10 Ways to Save Money When Purchasing Lumber (part 2)
This is the second installment of tips to save money when buying your lumber.
6. Use proper board storage.
When lumber is stored properly it reduces the risk of warping and splitting. This will let you hold on to the discount lumber purchases for a long time. The proper way to store lumber is on [...]
10 Ways to Save Money When Purchasing Lumber (part 1)
Who doesn’t want to save some money when purchasing wood? Here are ten tips to help reduce the cost of purchasing lumber without reducing the quality of your wood working project.
1. Build less visible parts from lower cost woods.
Hidden parts of the project do not need to be built out of the same wood [...]
What is a board foot?
The basic definition of a board foot is a measurement of the volume of wood, sort of. In its simplest form one board foot equals 144 cubic inches. Or a board that is twelve inches wide by twelve inches long and one inch thick. That is the simple definition.
How to Extend Lithium Battery Packs
Cordless tool manufactures have embraced Lithium ion battery technology for their cordless tool battery packs. Most of the 14.4 volt and up battery packs use Lithium ion batteries.
There are several advantages to Lithium battery chemistry.
Lithium batteries do not suffer from ‘memory effect’ like NiCad and to a lesser [...]
How do I prevent marks on wood when cutting on a table saw?
Do you have problems with your table saw rusting? Or are you getting black marks on the wood stock when cutting it on the table saw? Here is a simple solution to stop a cast iron table saw top from rusting and stop an aluminum top from marking the wood when being pushed [...]
Drill press review: Ryobi 10″ Benchtop Drill Press DP100
Out of the box the Ryobi drill press requires some assembly. The motor and drill head are preassembled. What needs to be assembled is the base and drill table. Attach the support column to the base. Attach the table and table adjustment to the support column. Finally mount the drill [...]
Bamboo Furniture: Make furniture out of grass?
Can you actually build furniture out of a grass? Yes, you can with bamboo. Bamboo is actually a grass not tree. Because it’s hollowed out stem does not contain any woody material. However, its hollowed out stem is being dried, cut and glued into plywood sheets. These plywood sheets look and behave like any other plywood sheets.
Staining wood: Using multiple stains
I came across an interesting article on staining wood from WoodSmith magazine. The article includes a link to downloadable pdf. They mixed their own stain color by blending off of the shelf stains, the recipes are included in the pdf. What caught my eye is that they did a two tone stain finish. It looks [...]
Aligning cross cut fence: How do I align the Ryobi BT3000 / BT3100 cross cut fence? Part 5
This is the fifth post in a series of Ryobi table saw alignment articles.
The sliding miter table comes with a large cross cut fence which is much larger than the stock miter gauge of a comparable table saws. This makes it easier to cut larger stock on the table saw without having to purchase [...]
Burial Flag folded display case plan
With the passing of my wife’s grandfather, he was 85, and a World War II veteran. Got me thinking about a display case to store the triangle folded flag. The design is a simple triangle case whose inside dimensions are the same as the folded flag. The edging of the case walls will be a [...]
DeWalt 18 volt Cordless Drill DC759 and light DC527
Are you looking to upgrade or replace a lower powered cordless drill? In my case I have a 14 volt Skill drill. The drill has a fair amount of power; however, the battery pack has developed the dreaded ‘memory effect’. The battery pack does not hold a charge any more. Fortunately [...]
Freud Diablo 5/8” stacked Dado DD208
The DD208 is a Home Depot exclusive item. It is the same as the SD208 which comes without the perma shield coating. The perma shield coating reduces the friction between the blade side and the wood, reduces the pitch buildup and is supposed to help dissipate the heat from cutting. The reduced friction helps on [...]