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. (more…)

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 a lumber rack horizontally. Stack the boards carefully on strong horizontal supports that form a flat shelf.

7. Buy rough cut lumber.

If you have a bench top planer and don’t mind planning up the boards this is a great way to save some money. Having access to a 6 inch wide joiner will really help in producing clean, square edges.

What to do with all of the planer shavings? They make great mulch and also compost well in the compost bin. (more…)

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 as the visible parts. For example, drawer bodies, drawer supports, spaces, and shelves can be built out of less expensive wood such as poplar or plywood.

2. Buy shorter boards.

Many hardwood dealers specialize in ‘first and seconds’ and ‘select’ grades of lumber. To meet this requirement boards must be six or eight feet long. The short boards are typically of the same or better grade as the higher grades. They usually sell for 30 percent less than the ‘first and seconds’ price.

Recalculate your materials list to take advantage of shorter boards or boards that have imperfections such as rough grain or knots. (more…)

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.

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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 degree Metal Hydride batteries do.
• The recharge time is considerably less. DeWalt’s 18 volt and up batteries recharge in 1 hour. Try that with NiCad battery pack.
• Lithium batteries doe not need to be deep cycled. Deep cycling can actually shorten the lifespan of the of the battery pack.
• Provides more power for the same density of material. (more…)

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 over it. As a side benefit this solution makes the wood slide easier over the table saw top.

Apply a coat of paste floor wax to the table top. What brand should you use? I have used Johnson floor wax. Follow the instructions on the can and apply a coat to the table top, wait the prescribed amount of time and wipe off with a clean cotton towel, sock or underwear.

Won’t the floor wax soak into the wood and mess up the finishing?

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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 head to the support column. All of the machined parts, drill press table, support column, drill press table gear are coated in machine shop oil. It is a good idea to have a cotton rag handy to wipe off the excess machine oil from the parts and your hands. It took about twenty minutes to assemble the drill. (more…)

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.

So, how well does bamboo plywood compare to good old red oak plywood?

Bamboo has a similar in density to red oak, about forty pounds per cubit foot. A bamboo plywood sheet will be a little heavier than a red oak plywood sheet because the filler wood in the bamboo sheet is bamboo and in red oak plywood it some other wood. It is a cost savings thing for the manufacture; however, we still pay the full price. (more…)