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This article was inspired by a question from Chris. He writes: I have a couple of questions on making panels. Is there a rule of thumb as to how many pieces you should make your panel from for tabletops and the like? Also, some woodworkers say it is not necessary to alternate the cup of the wood...
There is nothing worse then when you have an absolutely beautiful board that is nice and wide and you realize it won’t fit on your jointer. So you have no choice but to rip it in half, joint each piece separately, and then glue the pieces back together. Wouldn’t it be so much nicer if w...
I starting my first real project. It is a mission style sofa table of my design constructed with semi rough cut oak. I am very pleased with the results so far. The wood is turning out great, the mortise and tenons are good (room for improvement here), and the overall look is just what I want. I...
You have probably heard me say in the past that I love wide boards. Despite the fact that there may be an increased risk of cupping, I think its a chance worth taking for the sake of beautiful continuous grain. And I know many of you agree with me on this point. Well, this morning, I pulled out the...
This week’s question comes from Ron. He writes: O Reverend Spagnuolo, I am getting conflicting reports on a warping issue I am having with African Mahogany so as a last resort I figured I would ask the master! I purchased one piece of African Mahogany approximately 1″x11″x8′...
This article was inspired by a question from Rick. He writes: Egos aside, how wide do you really need your planer to be? If I have an 8″ jointer, do I really need a 20″ planer to flatten the other side of the board? Yes, I could glue two 8″ boards together and plane them togeth...
The traditional method for flattening a workbench is to use hand planes and winding sticks. While some folks truly relish this labor of love, others prefer to delegate this grunt work to power tools. The power tool method is very similar to the action of a CNC machine. A router is placed inside a s...
This week’s question comes from Pat who asks: “Marc, sorry for writing a book here. I am shopping for a blade for my used TS-3650 I just bought and will be buying a Dado blade also. I’m on a budget but good blades and safety are a must. Any light you can shed will be appreciate...
A few weeks ago, I added the Incra TSIII Fence System to my tablesaw. Unfortunately, my old outfeed table didn’t really work with the new system. So its time to build a new one. This isn’t your average outfeed table though. Its a full-size work table with a full shelf of storage. P...
Again?!?! Every time Woodworker’s Safety Week rolls around, I can count on at least a few folks saying, “Haven’t we covered everything already?!” Yeah, I’m talking about you Shannon. Ha! Honestly though, it is a valid question. After all, how many times can we talk abo...
This question comes from Zach who asks: Hey Marc, I’m a new woodworker and I’m having trouble trying to figure out how much lumber I need for each project. I know how to calculate the amount of board feet needed, but that doesn’t factor in how much material is lost from saw blades...
This workbench is the first step in my shop reorganization. I have been using my old bench for the past 9 or so years. It was made from 2X4s that were left behind by the previous owner of the house. The top was some 3/4″ maple veneer chip board. Everything was put together with screws. It w...