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I would decide on a good hardwood that suits the theme of the rest of your furniture. Making heirloom furniture with a cheap softwood never works - it just depreciates after a few years. Also ,Its nice to get away from that bleached 'far eastern' look that everybody buys nowadays. Absolutely...

If was was running perfectly for the previous owner then I suspect you need a 16 amp ELCB . I had to put in a dedicated 16 amp circuit for my two Scheppach P/Ts. Worth checking.

The best sander I ever used is the Mirka Ceros 125 mmm with the separate transformer. Low centre of gravity, lightweight, dust extraction and a brushless motor are all essential in my view. ROS sanders are finishing sanders only - I often sand veneered surfaces with 400 grit with a light touch...

They were used by the British Army in India and therefore were made from a variety of tropical hardwoods. I suspect a lot of them made their way home in soldiers trunks.

The original clubs were made from Rosewood and occasionally come up at auction. Using rosewood is not an option now unless you won the lottery. :rolleyes: I would imagine a heavy hardwood like beech would be good - they have to be heavy to work. Didn't the great Alan Peters make bookends more...

Blow the dust off it for a start. For the oil stain, pour on some meths and set it alight. Don't worry, only the meths will burn as well as the oil. Repeat until happy.

The Wealden plugs are TCT tipped and they have a set designed to match their counterbore bits. They are odd sizes - in metric anyway - but the point is that you will always have a matching set if you use their bits. The TCT is well worth paying for - I have a set over 20 years old still going...

I try at all costs to flatten boards but sometimes you don't want to lose even a mm. Using cauls will work but its tricky. I invested in some long reach 24" welders clamps which will reach into the centre of most slabs and align the edges. Another tip is to use hard plastic - preferably...

Ha Ha. Stick to shops that sell brass screws in cardboard boxes. :)

It would be prudent to bring the wood into the house for about a month to bring down the moisture levels. No need to over complicate the joint - simple dowels will be more that strong enough ( adding a back would also help ) As for wood movement its crucial that the grain of the side pieces is...

If the oak is finished to 25 mm you have enough depth to use dowels. The great James Krenov used dowels for his display cabinets. A simple dowel jig or even dowel pops will help. The only downside is that the endgrain of the top and bottom will be on show. I wouldn't practice dovetails on what...

I see commercial workshop companies offering insulation in metal sheds up to 100mm. What in your view is the optimal thickness and is it different in walls and ceilings. ?

I'd bandsaw off the bark to allow better drying. You will be surprised at how little wood you get unless you are happy to cut it down to 1" thickness while wet. Despite it's abundance in history it was rarely used for fine furniture due to it's pronounced grain which was difficult to finish...

I use a standard 3 tpi from Tuffsaw and never had a breakage. Is that 1.5 mm an extra thin blade as in a butcher's bandsaw ?

Cherry, Possibly European ?

the Nobex range of folding squares are beautifully made and totally accurate. They go up to a 400 mm blade and have a metric scale on both edges - why doesn't every maker do this ! Otherwise I use aluminium drafting triangles which are so much more satisfying to use than the plastic variety. For...

Beech is used by the big German and Swedish toy makers as it is hard and does not splinter. Resistance to knocks and dings is also a factor if you want to make heirloom toys. If toys are to be painted then I would imagine poplar is a good alternative - it would be easier to cut on a scroll saw...

I have a Makita having transitioned from a cheap Hitachi. I must say having the option to put a dust bag on the left or right is a real bonus. These machines throw dust all over the place.:rolleyes:

I was an early adapter of the Kreg system having seen one at a show in the 1980's Having dismantled some of the early stuff I made I noted that the screws had rusted badly, especially in MDF. Kreg have moved on from steel screws and all their range are now coated in some form of zinc or tin...

I have a gadget that mounts on the lathe and does a perfect job with a flat scraper. Pretty sure I bought it from Turners Retreat. In general spheres look better if you can turn a base to lift them up a bit as in the famous Versailles planters. All the planter boxes I see in garden centres have...