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Routers can and do vary in quality. I have a Trend T4 ( bought in impulse at a show ) and it vibrates so badly with a heavy bit that it is unusable. For the kind of job you describe you will need a fence or a wheeled bracket to run along the edge. It should also be a plunge router and a plunge...

Whatever wood you choose it will consume more than you first thought . I would get a set of plans and add up the sq footage. Personally I like Baltic Ply for these projects and of course a sheet is 32 sq feet. They are an efficient use of space and I'm planning to build one with double doors on...

You could make three oval holes in the lid and circular holes in the handle for dowels which would allow the lid to expand and contract. the danger of using a thin solid wood lid like this is warping - it is probably inevitable leading to a jammed lid. Using a quarter sawn piece for the lid (...

Looks like it's actually made with unfinished MRMDF. The two side units are straightforward - I would use 18 mm for the carcass and 6 mm for the panel doors. The seat could be made with a 2.5 x 1 inch softwood frame and faced on front with MRMDF ( I assume it's going to be painted. ) To attach...

Nothing beats a plug of matching wood. It's worth investing in a Veritas tapering plug cutter as they give an almost invisible line around the plug. The trick is to find a piece of oak with an exactly matching grain pattern and stain it before using the Osmo.

Looks like all that horrible pink plywood the big chains sell. It's got to be Lauan/Meranti/ Philippines Mahogany which is hard but light. It will find a use somewhere - just can't think of one at the moment .:rolleyes:

You don't say what shape the table top will be. For rectangular tables a ' butterfly fold ' in the middle works quite well. I would avoid oval ends as the end diner sits about a meter away from everybody else and feels isolated. Expanding circular tables are another world and can be as difficult...

Have a look at those plastic wrapped shelves in B+Q etc. Not the cheapest but they are sanded and knot free.

Beware there are different grades of translucent panels.The light duty type only last about 30 years before giving up. I know from bitter experience because one blew off my shed roof and water poured down on my most expensive machine, a Woodmaster drum sander. Shop around is the best advice.

Yes, draw boring was used for centuries before clamps were invented. It might be a challenge to the OP who is a novice but certainly very satisfying to do.

It's a piece of furniture but would you put it in your living room. ? We all start out with fairly simple pieces made with softwood but they either fall apart or begin to look crude as the years go on. Look on it as a learning experience and not a piece to be bodged into existence. With a few...

The problem is trying to match the finish of the hinges and the lock. It comes down to using brass or gold plating. I've started to use www.woodcraft.com who do a very reasonable gold plated hinge and lock. Postage and custom charges apply of course but the prices are good - cheaper than the UK...

Sapele probably. Another candidate would be Bubinga but that would have been very expensive for a stairs. The grain is a little too coarse for mahogany.

Drawer runners were originally conceived for kitchen cabinets and ( like nails ) have no place in fine cabinetmaking, Far better to mill a groove about 2/3 the way up the side of the drawers ( to lower the center of gravity ) to accept a runner mounted on the sides of the carcass. With a little...

I think units with symmetry look better than random shelves. For thinner material up to 25 mm I tend to make them as 400mm ( 16 " ) cubes x 400 mm deep. The verticals stop the books from falling over. If I have to span anything wider than that I use the flush door method assuming they will be...

No, I'm afraid you will never get a totally non deflecting shelf of 20 mm over a 1100 span. ( I'm amused to see all those TV experts with groaning bookshelves behind their laptops ). The trouble with sheet goods is that they all need to be edged with something - preferably solid wood. You could...

Just for fun I used the Sagulator to calculate the sag using a 30 kg load and you will get a 17 mm sag in the middle. I'm afraid MDF has little structural strength and you would would need to glue on something like 40 x 40 mm wood battens under the front and back edges. The 18 mm back would also...

I have an old Axminster 10" disc sander. It's invaluable for small scale trimming and saving your fingers from blades. It's a velcro attachment - are they even available anymore. ? Dust extraction is vital or your shed will soon be a sandstorm in the Sahara. Now I'm saving for a Hammer...

If you have a grinder it's not too difficult to make your own. I made one 18 mm wide as I could only find a commercial version in Japan ! Buy a 10 mm flat bit , nip off the point ( beware the steel is very hard ) and grind the end flat. I turned a handle and inserted the tang with some epoxy...

It's worth changing the fuse plug and checking the connections if it's not a moulded plug. Very little can go wrong with induction motors so the capacitor might be blown. They are pricey to replace unfortunately.