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The illustration shows a balustrade and newel posts,I assume that these are not part of your staircase! If the whole flight is between walls then the normal method would be to fit the strings to the walls and then fit the treads and risers in situ . The exceptions being the bottom riser and...

My limited experience with water based paint has been very disappointing , it doesn't seem to have any ability to sooth out brush marks to give a decent gloss. If you over brush it matters become worse and the coarse brush marks remain and give a corrugated finish. I have only used one brand of...

I think you should be able to buy ready made dowel in that length from a timber yard or DIY outlet. If you need it in a specific hardwood then you need to find someone with a spindle moulder. Euro cutters number 119 will give a 26mm diameter dowel in two passes. Cutters for other diameters are...

You are right in that any shrinkage will not be so obvious in a short scribed joint , this method is more popular with tradesmen when hand worked corner joints are needed, although the amount of work involved in both methods is about the same.

Also check that the gap between the springs and the tension bolts is not packed with chippings, it took thirty years of use for my MB machine to fill up and cause problems. The answer was to remove the two nuts beneath the springs and drop out the chippings.

I suggest you have a look at the Appleby Woodturning site, they are very competative on TCT inserts. The ones I buy are half the price of the Axminster version.

Just on the off chance that you are not aware, it's normal when using a short hand scribe, to mitre the inside corner of the shoulder of the tenon rail using a mitre guide block and use the shape given to cut the scribe. It's only necessary to cut the depth of the mould plus a few mm. As Jacob...

You did say you were happy with the look of the untreated wood so perhaps a wax finish or Danish oil would suit you. It would be handy if you could try the effect on the underside before taking the plunge.

Hi Phil I think you may be right, I've heard it called African Teak and Poor Mans Teak, it's also known by a variety of what I assume are African names. Milicia excelsa is its posh name l think. I first heard it called African Mahogany about five years ago when one of my boating customers told...

I have no experience of pre stain conditioners so can't comment on that. Is the varnish you are using oil based or one of the water based types. My experience of water based varnishes has not been totally happy. It seems to be much more difficult to use on large items like table tops, over...

Since the timber is old it may have been subjected to a great deal of exposure to sunlight which may affect the colour and absorbency of the surface. Varnish tends to sit on the surface of Iroko rather than being absorbed very far. You are perhaps doing the best thing by sanding back the surface...

African Mahogany was a name used for Iroko some years back, the end grain shot looks very much like Iroko to me. Any problems finishing this are usually related to its oily nature. The only problem I have had is the slow drying of varnish, this is a result of the oil content of the wood...

Thanks anyway it was worth a try, it obviously works well for you. Mike.

Has anyone tried repairing the headband on one of the Airshields.

Thanks but that is the air cap by another name. It may be that it's been improved but it was pretty poor in its original form having been originally sold to give protection to pigeon fanciers against disease. Mike.

Anyone have any suggestions for a replacement for the Trend airshield pro. I've just had the second headband break at the same point as the last one! It's obviously a design fault, at £50 quid a throw its one I can't afford. I always keep the device in its box when not in use and treat it with...

I see no reason why normal tradesmen's public liability and product liability should cost more than £100 per year. Some of the more beaurocratic organisations get really carried away with liability insurance. Some years back I wanted to attend a boaters rally with a few items of joinery and a...

They certainly look like a lot of machine for the money. I have owned a 2hp sedgewick SM3 for over twenty years and have never experienced any problems running steel blocks up to speed. I frequently run a 125 X 50 steel rebate block together with an alloy limiter block to cut a rebate and mould...

MDF is ideal for panels, both faces are suitable for painting. Birch plywood also has two fair faces but will cost a little more. I am assuming that the unit is for inside use .

MDF is ideal for panels, both faces are suitable for painting. Birch plywood also has two fair faces but will cost a little more.