Blast gates is necessary to block outlets and/or sections of the dust collector ducts. These cheap plastic ones are good, except when they clog up with dust so they can’t be closed. Let’s fix the problem!
Fixing plastic blast gates
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Category Archives: Tips, tricks and Techniques
The knife wall
Sometimes you come across a new-to-you technique and suddenly the floor is soaking wet – an eureka! moment worthy of Arkimedes just happened. Are you sick and tired of tearout? Come here, my friend…
How to: wood movement
Wood moves, and you can’t do much to prevent it. Try, and thou shalt fail! but if you account for it, you will avoid issues. Try orienting things to the south! It seems easier, according to our friendly Ent.
How to: Calipers? Call who?
Calipers seems to be simple enough, but it might be more to them than one would think. I’ve gotten a few eureka moments over the years, so let’s look into a few that measured very small.
The chain saw mill
When you have access to a bit of forest, lumber grows on trees. You just have to cut away the firewood first. Adding a bit of “le quincaillerie” to the humble chain saw is one way to go about doing just that.
Ebonizing oak
Paul and Stevie hollered on about the piano keys living in perfect harmony. Since ebony is VERY expensive, let’s make a cheaper wood very black using the ebonizing technique.
The vise royal flush
Should the vise be mounted flush with the apron, or with a spacer? This is a topic that are discussed from time to time, so I’ll give my stack of dimes on the subject.
I saw the light!
I have often struggled with starting my saw cuts, but an “off to the side” comment in a video completed the circuitry. The choir sang the aaaaah and the fireworks lit up the sky in my darkened mind…
It’s slaburday!
Here are my tips for making your own fancy kindling blanks. Remember – nobody has nicer firewood than woodworkers!
The spring joint
All of a sudden I’m kind of hungry… Spring rolls and “flied lice”, baby! But for now, I’m building a birdhouse with my daughter. I had to glue up some wider boards, and soon I found myself on a roll. So to speak…