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One of the ways of telling a genuine old piece is what got used for backs, drawer bottoms etc. Modern pieces are often made to a far higher standard, some beautiful pieces have packing crates nailed on the back, dovetail cuts that extend miles past the scribe line that are then covered in lining...

There are lots of ways to make batteries last longer, ad hoc use and long storage periods are not usually amongst the methods. However, you will probably consume more of your life trying to revive old technology than if you just went and bought something modern. There’s a reason most things...

Yikes! That’s the flip side of very hard steel that will keep a sharp edge, it’s more brittle. Age doesn’t necessarily mean degradation, or that they were of any particular quality to start with Aidan

You can wax MDF, but when you get some thick polythene bags as packaging cutting them open as bench protectors is something I wished I’d done years ago Aidan

Why is that chair on castors? I’m surprised that’s the only bit that’s broken, it looks very susceptible and castors will put dynamic loads that it may well struggle with. I’d go for cutting them all off and if it’s too low, adding feet back on tennons. Aidan

6mm on 12mm MDF works, but it’s a very heavy step, I prefer 3mm on 15mm. But making proper panels is just about as easy Aidan

A bit of copper pipe works too, stops on the drill chuck face Aidan

Fitter! the engineer is the one who can calculate the bolt stress based on your tightening torque and thread coefficients. does seem to be 20 posts too many for a basic question I agree

Yes it will, that’s one of the failure modes for threaded inserts. Using a nut means you don’t have to have a screw just the right length Aidan

Depends on what you value I guess. If you have plenty of time but less cash, go one route. If you live your life fighting to join a few seconds together to make a coffee, you may have the cash but not the time get it wrong even once. Aidan

Superglue the size thread screw into it that it should take, let it cure then unscrew the assembly

Magnets sewn into the corners means they stay put too

That’s a good one!

Can you bolt the sash clamps together? Or get ratchet straps Or make up a clamp extender (looks like a bench hook)

I have an un-heated garage, drafty as you like. I wax the beds and cover with goretex sheets, no major rust problems over the last decade on any cast iron beds I wouldn’t put absorbent cloth over them, it’ll hold moisture right where you don’t want it. Aidan

Well, one didn’t want to say that ;)

Some cheap softwood (eg 2x1) with a 19mm wide trench down the length, gives you about 9mm to cut into and you just sit them on top of the ply beams with a slight friction fit Aidan

You’re absolutely right, power tools allow one to make a mess much faster than by hand. But they also cut wonky grain very cleanly if you get it right Aidan

Bearing guided rebate cutter then :)

50 shekels if you can do a 4-way match in solid ;)