Continuing on from the part one of this article this article will review the cabinet and hybrid table saws. Why are cabinet table saws so heavily used in commercial wood working shops? What is a hybrid table saw and would it better suit my table saw needs in the wood shop? (more…)

There are many tools that are useful, but not essential to wood working, depending on what you are building. A dedicated mortising machine makes quick work of cutting mortises, but if you don’t build a lot of furniture that employs the mortis and tenon joinery do you really need it? However, there are some tools that are must haves if you want to build any significant projects.

A table saw is one of these tools. Try ripping a four by eight sheet of plywood down and get a nice straight line using a hand held circular saw. Not that easy. Table saws are great at cutting straight lines in to things. (more…)

Hand tools are not art they are tools designed for a specific function to meet a required need. A 20 ounce framing hammer is designed to drive 16d nails into big 2 x stock. A spring clamp is designed to apply clamping pressure to hold pieces of wood in a certain way so that you can permanently fasten them. Tools aren’t art. Are they? (more…)

There are several different types of chemical strippers available on the market that will remove paint, varnish, shellac, tongue oil and other finishes from wood.  The problem is determining which product is the right one for your task.  (more…)