A reader recently wrote to me asking for advice on what router bit to use for surfacing wood. He has been using standard straight bits that have been effective at levelling the Douglas fir end grain but left some tearout which required a significant amount of extra work to remove. What determines quality of cut?When … Continue reading What Router Bit to Surface a Slab?
One of the most common questions I am asked is how I flatten the large pieces of wood I often use in my work. This table top, for example, is approximately 45 inches wide and 96 inches long. Machinery is Not the Answer Perhaps one of the quickest ways to surface a board is to … Continue reading Flattening Big Pieces of Wood
One of the questions I am frequently asked is how I achieve such smooth, even surfaces. Planing and sanding are two methods of removing material and smoothing surfaces. Each technique is completely valid and has its advantages and disadvantages. When deciding which to use, consider the following. Plane when: you want to achieve a flat … Continue reading Sanding vs. Planing
On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working. That got me yearning to build a trestle table. I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could … Continue reading Maple Trestle Table, Session 8 – Make Your Tools Work for You and Flattening the Top
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 