Professionals and Amateurs Together

Q&A first ran in The Old Saw newsletter in late 2004 and has continued in The Journal. Questions from members are sent to a panel of experienced woodworkers. The “experts” do not always agree but you will find this collection to be a wonderful resource.

294 Questions
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Burning Shavings & Saw Dust in Wood Stove

Has anybody found a way to burn their wood shavings and saw dust in their wood stove safely? My shop is heated by woo...
Tags: Wood

Allergenic Local Woods

What local woods are allergenic?— Earle Rich
Tags: Wood

Making Softwoods Stronger

What can be done to pine, redwood or any softwood to make the fibers stronger and resistant to denting? Can it be don...
Tags: Wood

Source of Information on Wood

Can you recommend a source of information on the identification of various woods and their characteristics?—Bill McGo...
Tags: Wood

Sawdust

What do you do with your sawdust?—Hal Liberty
Tags: Dust Collection, Wood

Bandsaw Blades

Do the benefits of a carbide tooth bandsaw blade outweigh the costs of purchasing several good standard blades? I’ll ...
Tags: Bandsaw

Flattening Old Oilstones

I have a couple of oil stones that need flattening. I started doing one with 90 grit silicon carbide but the grit wou...

Dull Saw Blade

How do you tell if a tablesaw blade is dull?— George Adams
Tags: Sharpening, Tablesaw, Tools

Spiral Cutter Heads

I want to buy a jointer and thickness planer. Are the spiral cutter heads worth the extra money?— Anonymous
Tags: Jointer, Tools

Sharpening Stones

I am looking to buy a sharpening stone(s) to sharpen my chisels, plane irons, etc. What do you suggest?— Anonymous
Tags: Sharpening

Wax application on Waterlox

What is the proper wax application on top of Waterlox?—Bob Wyatt
Tags: Finishing

Starter Carving Tool Set

What would be a good starter carving tool set if someone has some interest in just trying their hand at carving?—Bill...
Tags: Tools, Woodcarving