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Like most of you I expect, I had an email from Axminster announcing their new improved Trade Series tools. Amongst the hype was this gem: ' Steel also has a natural frequency of oscillation and therefore reduces any potential vibration.' They may be fine machines, but this sort of half-baked...

Thanks chaps, glue it is then. Robin.

I'm making a picnic bench out of whitewood. I'd like to counterbore/plug screwholes, to which end I've bought a Veritas taper plug cutter, which works well. Not having done this before I looked around and found a promo video for the Trend equivalent in which it is claimed that there is no need...

Thanks both, have bought Cuprinol clear. I'm probably worrying too much about this bench, I went to the pub tonight and sat in the garden where they have a dozen of the things, presumably 'professionally' made, in various states of decay but still fit for purpose. Robin.

Turns out it's a three week lead time to get the plaque, so maybe space to apply wood preservative before staining. Can you be more specific about a 'decent' product Phil.p or others? I am looking at Ronseal clear, but I have to say that I've not been impressed by Ronseal products in the past...

Thanks, have got the Sikkens in - I guess one has to jump in somewhere rather than spending hours googling for the ideal solution which probably doesn't exist. I'll report back in five years! Or fewer. Phil.p - sadly time/money constraints don't allow pickling in preservative, but I'm...

Thanks Doug, I've had a look and it seems good stuff. Should be at the price! I'll get some in. They say 'use only non-ferrous fasteners' - I was planning to use A2 stainless screws, any idea if that would be a problem? Robin

I've got permission to install a picnic bench on the High Peak Trail in memory of a recently deceased friend. I'm making this myself out of untreated 6x2 C24. The guy I spoke to said it had to be 'dark brown', which is OK, I can stain the timber, but he also said it shouldn't be varnished...

A metalworking rule of thumb is that you can remove about 1 cubic inch of mild steel per horsepower per minute, or about three times that in ali. Cutting a 75mm (~3") slit in 25mm (~1") stock with a 0.05" kerf say involves removing 3x1x0.05 = 0.15 cubic inches. So cutting that slit in ali with...

I use my Record 350S on the 'slow' pulleys for cutting ali - took a slice off a 40mm square bar today, 14TPI (I think) blade from Tuffsaws. Not super quick, but faster and more accurate than a hacksaw in my hands at least. No sign of the motor bogging down. Weighs under 80kg IIRC, cost about...

The aluminium-cutting router bits sunnybob links to are single flute - personally I'd worry about using that geometry for slot cutting. As Pete says, a slot drill should work fine - if you're OK with 1/4" then an imperial slot drills with 1/4" shanks are readily available, so would fit a...

Excellent, thanks, I'll give it a go. I don't think my skills are up to making an accurate butt joint. Rob.

How did you make that Chas? Looks very neat. I'm assuming you've attached an extension to a standard bit. I was thinking about doing something similar, using a round mortise and tenon type joint for alignment then silver solder, but worried that the heat would destroy the temper of the drill...

Just to wind this up (in case someone Googles Multico K1 in years to come, lights on this thread, and wonders what happened...) It took longer than I thought (as most things do) but after some unpleasantness involving buckets of paraffin , big spanners, a blowtorch, a hammer and Scotchbrite I...

Personally I have rarely found it neccessary to use 1st or 2nd taps - perhaps that's because most of the time I tap with the work in the same machine I drilled the hole with, so no alignment isues. Plug (aka bottoming) taps seem to work fine for both blind and through holes. The thing about...

Thanks Doug, I'll beef it up a bit then - though perhaps not as heavy as yours. The original gates failed through rot rather than structural design faults - but if I can replace with a sounder structural design that would be good. I expect I'll ask about durable exterior finishes next... Robin.

Thanks for further tips on squaring up - the twisted rope idea is nice, but I can lash up some long clamps which will give me the option of using the skewed clamping method. I was going to make a direct copy of the old gates, but I can see the sense of having single braces running corner to...

Thanks. It seems that I am being over anxious perhaps - I'll just get stuck in and see what happens. Best way to learn I guess, I'm just nervous because I've not done anything on this scale before. MIkeG - your thirst for photographic evidence will have to be satisfied with a 'before' pic for...

Mike, if you're looking for a set of quality bits for metal I'd be surprised if you'd be satisfied with the 'bargain' (under 7 quid) offerings at UKDrills. I have bought sets at a similar price point and they're pretty much useless for drilling steel, though OKish for brass provided you're not...

This is a real beginner's question! I'm planning to make some gates, each about 2 metres high by 1.5 metres wide. My plan is to use M&T joins and I thought 'Aha, I can use this project to have a go at that drawbore M&T method I've been reading about." Then it struck that if I did that I would be...