I was sure those little handheld sharpener doodads were scams. But after dulling my third $15 bit on a single maple run last month I figured why not try it. Ran my worn down flush trim bit through it 4 times and it cut like new on the next job. Has anyone else had luck with those or am I just getting lucky?
I was building a display case for a client in Portland and spent almost 4 hours trying to get a single miter joint to close up perfect on some walnut. Turns out my table saw blade was a little dirty and I didn't notice until I cleaned it halfway through. Anyone else have a dumb mistake eat up half a day like that?
Been building cabinets for about 2 years now and always dreaded shaker doors because of the router tearout on the inside corners. Finally tried a trick where I climb cut the last inch on each pass and it made such a huge difference. I used a Whiteside 3/8 inch bit and took light passes. Has anyone else found a better way to handle this?
After chasing tearout on my shaper for a solid two years, one sharpening guy in Portland showed me the right feed speed and now I'm actually proud of my numbers for once, anyone else have a random breakthrough that just clicked one day?
I mean I followed the can instructions exactly, 70 degrees in the shop, thin coats, and it still felt like flypaper, what am I missing with this stuff because I'm ready to toss the whole can.
I was visiting a custom shop in Portland last month and saw a guy use a piece of scrap plywood as a quick straightedge for routing hinge slots. He just clamped it down and ran the router against it, saved forever marking out lines. Anyone else got a go-to trick they stole from watching someone work?
He said it would help the PVA bond better and I laughed at him for years. Finally tried it on a tricky edge banding job last month and dang if that stuff didn't hold like iron. Has anyone else gotten a tip from an old timer that sounded ridiculous but actually worked out?
I been at this 20 years and still catch myself debating stuff I thought I had figured out. Last month I had a kitchen job over in Grand Rapids, lady wanted all solid maple doors and face frames. I went back and forth with myself for a week before starting, cause I know plywood boxes are more stable and cheaper but solid wood just feels right. I ended up going with plywood for the boxes and solid for the doors and drawer fronts, which is more or less what I always do. But now I'm wondering if I shoulda pushed her to do all solid, cause there's a tiny bit of cupping on one of the drawer fronts already. Has anyone else had a job where you wished you went the other way on a material choice?
Picked up an old tape measure from a garage sale last month and used it for a set of kitchen cabinets. Every single cut was off by 3/16 of an inch because it had stretched over time. Has anyone else had a tape measure just give up on them mid-project?
Had a guy bring back a cherry nightstand I made last spring because the drawers were sticking in humid weather. He pointed out I left zero room for wood movement in my joinery. I always thought tight dovetails meant quality work, but after that I started leaving a 1/32 gap on the pin sides. Has anyone else had to adjust their tolerances after getting feedback like this?
Bought it for a kitchen job in Austin last month thinking it would speed up my work. Thing is finicky to set up right and I spent more time fiddling than just using dowels. Anyone else find these things overrated for face frame work?
Last month at a backyard BBQ in Austin, a guy I barely know said I was ripping people off charging $200 per linear foot for shaker cabinets. He claimed his cousin builds the same thing for half the cost out of his garage. Has anyone else had to defend their pricing against people who don't understand what goes into quality work?
I built this shelf pin jig out of scrap plywood last Saturday thought it was square. Then I checked with my 24 inch Starrett square and it was off by a full 1/16 inch. So I had to redo the holes on three oak cabinets before the client came by on Tuesday. Anyone else ever trust a shop-made jig and get burned by it?
I spent 3 hours hand cutting dovetails for a single drawer last week and it looked beautiful, but my buddy down the street cranks out 6 drawers in that time with a router jig and I'm wondering if the handmade look is actually worth the extra time to clients or just something we tell ourselves to feel better about the craft?
Went to Johnson's Lumber over in Portland yesterday to grab some Baltic birch for a built-in. Guy at the counter swore their stuff was top grade, but when I opened the sheets in the shop, like 4 out of the 8 had voids the size of my thumb in the inner plys. Are you guys seeing this at your yards too? I'm about to start ordering everything wholesale just to avoid the headache.
He's been doing cabinets since before I was born, so I figured he knew what he was talking about. Tried it on a set of upper cabinets last spring, and three of the doors started sagging within a month. Ended up having to pull everything apart and redo it with proper pocket screws and glue. I'm still mad about the $80 in hardwood I wasted. Has anyone else gotten bad advice from an old timer that backfired?
I got a job last week for a set of shelves in a laundry room in Portland and decided to try using a heat gun instead of my usual iron for applying edge banding on the melamine. Figured it would be faster and give a cleaner bond since I could control the heat better. Big mistake. The banding bubbled up in about six spots and I couldn't get them to lay flat no matter how much I pressed or re-heated it. I think I got the glue too hot too fast and it lost its tack before it could set right. Ended up peeling the whole thing off and redoing it with my old iron, which took twice as long. Has anyone else messed around with heat guns for edge banding or is the old iron method just the way to go?
Was grabbing plywood last Friday and heard some dude telling his buddy he "only needs 4 clamps." I almost laughed out loud. Then I saw his work - it was a jewelry box with finger joints so tight you couldn't slide a receipt in. Made me wonder if I'm just buying clamps to feel better about bad joinery. Any of you guys rocking a minimal clamp setup that actually works?
I bought that Leigh jig 3 months ago thinking it'd speed up my drawer builds, but after watching 4 YouTube videos and ruining 12 practice boards, I'm back to cutting them by hand because at least my fingers know what they're doing has anyone else hit a wall with a jig that just collects dust?
Figured it was overpriced hype until I cut 30 mortises in 20 minutes perfectly square and now I'm trying to figure out how to tell my wife I need one, has anyone else caved after a test run?
I was working on a kitchen reno in a 1920s house last month and the countertops were off by almost 1/4 inch on one side. Tried everything to level it out with screws and brackets but nothing worked. Then an old timer at the lumberyard said just stack some tapered shims under the base cabinets before you mount anything. Did that and it came out perfect. Saved me from having to plane down the whole counter. Has anyone else used this trick for older homes? Feels like cheating but it worked.
I found this out the hard way last week when I was installing a kitchen in Arlington and had to shave 3 doors down because I didn't check my first box with a 4 foot level before screwing it down has anyone else had this mess up their whole day?