Have a woodworking or carpentry question?

Thanks for the woodworking question. You did not elaborate on how you are doing your glue-ups now, so I will just run down the basics and you can go from there.

Layout, in my opinion is the most important factor. Alternate the grain on each of your work pieces as in this illustration.

The use of dominoes or biscuits for stability is optional. Properly glued panels are very strong.

The Gluing process: Use an applicator or apply the glue in a bead and then smooth it out to get 100% coverage. Use a popcicle stick or your finger. Join the pieces and move them in a light rubbing motion — and then separate them. Let the glue tack up for a couple of minutes. Join again, and clamp.

Clamping: Use plenty of clamps and don’t over tighten – just clamp-down enough to see the glue ooze out. Using cauls is very good way to clamp your panel. A caul is simply a soild piece of wood which is used to apply even pressure on a work piece. So let’s say a 2×4 laid on top of the panel and then clamped on both sides — applying even pressure down through the base the panel is resting.

In summary, with proper layout, a good glue job and smart clamping, you should have good solid, flat panels.

The mortise and tenon joint is widely considered the overall strongest and most reliable joint in woodworking, especially for structural and load-bearing applications like chair and table frames. For pull-apart resistance in boxes and drawers, the dovetail joint is unmatched.

It is called a torsion box.

There are several of videos on the web demonstrating this lightweight and very strong construction technique.

Two keys to success: They are best used with a drill press — but you can still use a hand drill. You must “pump” the bit. Drill a little than bring the bit back up the hole, then back down to drilling position. This action is necessary to clear the wood chips from the hole. You’ll need to blow the chips away as well so that they don’t slip back into the hole.

There are many types of plywood and they are rarely uniform. The first letter is the face veneer (visible side), and the second letter is the back veneer (hidden side).

Here are basic types (2 letter stamp decoded) that you’ll find at the lumber yard/big box stores:

• AC: This features an A-grade front that is sanded perfectly smooth for paint or stain. The C-grade back has visible, unfilled knots. Carpenters use this for shelving, shop cabinets, or built-ins where only one side is seen. It is the DIY Workhorse.
• BC: This is a step down from AC. The face is smooth enough to work with after some light sanding, but it has football-shaped wooden patches filling old knots. It is highly valued for sturdy workbench tops, heavy-duty shelving, and garage storage. Consider it the the sanded utility plywood.
• CDX – this is the construction standard): This uses C and D lowest-grade veneers full of open knots and rough textures. The “X” stands for Exposure 1 glue, meaning it can survive temporary rain during construction. It is reserved strictly for roof sheathing and subfloors.

To ensure a tight joint on cut lumber, make you cut slightly outside or on your marked lines, do a careful dry fit and then and gradually refine the fit with hand tools like a chisel – a process commonly referred to as sneaking up on the joint. When you are comfortable with the fit, then assemble using glue.

• Always square your edges: Make sure your stock is flat and edges are 90 degrees to the face.
• Make your markings sharp. Use a marking knife instead of a pencil to sever wood fibers for a clean cut

edge.

• Always dry fit a joint without glue to check for gaps and binding before the final glue-up

For exterior woodwork, I like their a marine-grade Urethane. First thing is remove the old coating (shellac, lacquer or varnish). After you have the door cleaned-up and sanded (the grain was raised during the stripping process) apply multiple coats if a Boiled Linseed finish — see the container for ‘cutting’ instruction. You could stop at this point but you’d be reapplying the oil frequently. Adding a urethane topcoat will seal the wood and protect it from UV light.
 

• Let the oil dry per manufacturer’s instructions.
• Lightly scuff sand the door with 220-grit sandpaper.
• Remove sanding dust using a soft, lint-free cloth dampened with pure mineral spirits. Let mineral spirits evaporate then vacuum and wipe down with fresh tack cloth.
• Apply 1-3 thin coats of urethane following the label instructions

Notes:

1. Assume the old finish contains lead. Use appropriate safety measures.
2. It will take about 30 days for the urethane to fully cure to a hard finish.

Cypress is always a good choice for outdoor projects – it offers good stability and excellent decay resistance. It’s also reasonably easy to work with although it tends to be quite “knotty” (It is even referred to as Gopher Wood). You will need to take extra care when sawing, jointing, or routing to prevent chip-out on end-grain.
 
No special glue is required. Basic rule of thumb – outdoor use requires exterior grade glue. I prefer polyurethane glues for exterior work.
 
“Titebond” also makes a less expensive wood glue and is great for all uses. It is their Titebond™ III Ultimate Wood Glue.
 
Tip: Take care when gluing — try not to get it on areas that are to be finished, Cypress does “show” glue stains more than some other varieties wood. Sometimes I even treat glue just like paint and mask off areas that I don’t want the glue.

Setting the blades is more hazardous than difficult, since the blades can slice your fingers while handling them. And that’s where a jig comes into play. You must set all blades the same height – roughly 1/8″ . The actual height is not as important as getting them all the same – some planers are 1/8″, a few are e 3/16″. You could fabricate a jig yourself. The purpose of the jig is to set the blade height at 1/8″ and hold the blade in place (without cutting your fingers off) until you can tighten the set screws down. The best option however is to buy a jig. They are magnetic blocks that set the blade height and hold the blade in position. For a 12″ planer, use a mini Planer Pal and for larger planers — standard size jig.

When cutting a board for a six-sided hexagonal frame, set your miter saw to a 30-degree angle. Because each of the six corners turns at a 60-degree angle, splitting that joint in half requires a 30-degree cut on the end of each matching board piece. How did I calculate the angle? Everything is based on a circle (compass). Divide the circle which has 360 degrees 6 (the number of sides) to get 60 degrees. Now, we split the angle: Divide that 60 degrees by 2 so that there are two mating pieces at each corner, leaving a 30-degree miter cut.

Without looking over your shoulder it’s hard to tell. That said, the most common reasons that come to mind are: a dull blade trying to make too tight of a turn, too quickly trying to cut green or wet wood, incorrect blade for the cut or material to be cut, improper tension set on the blade, or trying to cut faster that the wood will allow. When all else fails, read the owner’s manual that came with your saw.