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Bicarb will stain oak- it's alkaline and reacts with the tannic acid in the wood. I was told years ago to put a heap of talcum powder on an oil stain and leave for....a while! I have a very similar workbench which I heavily "restored" - some would say ruined! I changed the base for one which...

I would go for cherry or alder. Alder is quite like cherry to look at, but usually softer and weighs less.

It's Tulipwood or American poplar. Good for painting. Sadly, the greens and purples quickly become browns when exposed to light and air!

Hi Ian, it’s beech or maple with some areas of darker colour which makes it unattractive to the kinds of businesses which like very homogeneous materials which don’t require much skill in arranging them to get a harmonious product. If you like a bit of wildness in your timber, or if you are...

I used to use tulipwood but every time I had to make a tall (1.8m+) door I got problems with getting it straight. Every pass over the planer seemed to cause a little more bowing. I gave up on the tulip and now use colour no defect beech or maple, whichever is cheapest. Much better!

I do my face frames with dominoes (or tenons). The stiles are all tongued and glued to the cabinets, and the rails, which span multiple cabinets, are attached on site after the cabinets have been levelled and fixed. Using that method, you could leave them unglued I suppose, and tap them off when...

I agree with Ollie- get a bit of 6mm MDF to fit, then put it to the wall and use your long level to draw an upright line on it to line up with the front face of your cabinetry. You can then use it as a template with a following cutter in your router (if you have one) Having used Jacob's method...

It's fine. I do it all the time. Glue can be quite abrasive so it might dull the cutters after a while. I guess if you glue two bits with very different grain directions you might have some trouble but I can't recall any problems. I sometimes put ply through the spindle, for instance, and that's...

I am sure those are tool marks. Sadly, it takes a LOT of sanding to get out those kinds of mark in end grain (yes, I am the kind of wood turner who uses a lot of sandpaper!) If you've got one of those foam disc sanders to put in an electric drill, it will speed it up a lot.

I would never get someone else to fit one of my kitchens. I've just made a very simple tall bookcase to be fitted by someone else. The front face had to line up with a beam in the ceiling, so I put 15mm scribing on the backs of the carcass. I forgot to tell the fitter (my bad!). He just put it...

I agree with all the above. Square straight timber is essential to most cabinetmaking. just one thing- you need to factor in how you are going to cope with the dust and shavings!

I'm a self-employed furniture maker (in Cambridge, sorry!). I've taught a few people over the years. Mainly they were people who just turned up at the workshop and asked. I rarely charged, but instead swapped their labour for my knowledge and kit. I would say that they could come over for an...

As far as I know, teak has been over-exploited, and also gave very little benefit to Burma/Myanmar as it was mainly exported as raw timber. Several years ago the Burmese government put a ban on raw timber with the aim of encouraging local businesses to turn the wood into products for export. I...

The reason why you can't do it on a lathe is that the radius at the top of the leg is infinite, it being flat. I would suggest turning the bottom inch or so on the lathe, to get it circular and centred, and then doing the rest by eye with a hand plane.

Hi, I recently bought a couple of these from eBay. The idea is great but these particular ones are a disappointment as they slip under moderate weight. Has anyone got a recommendation for where to get good ones?

I used to work with someone who had previously worked in a place with square blocks. The spindle was so dangerous that they had built a mesh cage to surround it. Of course, the machinist had to stand in the cage....

I've used both types, and now use the Euro blocks 99% of the time. What Jacob says about what you do in your own workshop is your own affair is true... but if you have an accident using non safety blocks, I don't think any insurance would pay out- if you have any! Happy to be corrected on that...

I agree with a lot of what's been said. However, I have no free floorspace for a machine, especially one that takes up more space than the work you do on it. I am thinking about either the Shaper or the Yeti- or maybe neither! One job the Shaper could do which no other machine could, is working...

I haven't used one on ply endgrain but I have used one on oak endgrain. The answer is that any new and fairly large (18mm plus) will do. The really important thing is to take it very slowly and to go around the edges clockwise, and slowly, as going quick and anti may lead to bits being pinged...

I’ve made lots with a hole saw, and then finished them by chucking them in a drill and sanding on a linisher- if you have a belt sander you could maybe use that held upside down in a vice? This does require at least a half-hole. I think you’d have a lot of trouble trying to clean them up with...