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I do not envy you your position and admire the way you are looking at ways to go forward. Folk are happy to pay £100+ an hour to have the car serviced but baulk at the hourly rate you charge for your skilled work. When I did bespoke work I always started a visit by stating if you could buy what...

Two options spring to mind. When I first starting making panel work I cut lengths of 3/4" wide steel that I pre-drilled with 1/4" holes to make jigs for dowel joints. I screwed these into the sheet material and drilled away. Then I discovered the biscuit jointer and this has been my chosen...

Well the Draper from Yandles has arrived. I've wiped the carbon off the cast iron table from when it was machined, applied machine wax, popped on one of the bobbins and turned it on. I must say I am impressed with the feel of the machine and it runs smoothly. For £125 it is a bargain. Colin

If you can go the paintable route then do so. If not, look at the Dow Corning silicon range, they are the best. Colin

As mentioned above, talc may well do the job, but it is not generally used much now as thought bad for babies. I buy the cheap rubber palmed fabric back gloves from the likes of Toolstation. Super Grip Gloves Medium | Toolstation Such gloves are excellent for handling timber, giving good grip...

I would not be surprised if building regs specified 2 layers of plasterboard over the steelwork instead of fire resistant paint. It would be a good idea to check as this may effect how you look at the ceiling details. Colin

I've just ordered the one from Yandles. If anybody is interested, they only have a couple left and expect them to be gone by end of the weekend. Colin

I'm guessing you are going to board between the joists, plasterboard or T&G, then paint all out in emulsion. You need a [oil based] blocking primer so nothing bleeds through before you apply your chosen final finish. Colin

I'd be trying to find either 6 or 9 polycarbonate, clear and impact resistance as used in visors, OR Trespa. Imagine the top 1/2mm thickness of a Formica type covered kitchen worksurface. Trespa is the same stuff but in thicknesses of 3mm up to about 20mm. I used it for my 1000 x 600 router...

At this point I'd like to point out that 3/4" clamps actually take a bar a tad over 1" diameter, whilst the 1/2" clamps take a bar about 3/4" diameter The size relates to the bore of the pipe [the i/d = internal diameter] Colin

All I would say is persist in finding a source that you can afford. I swapped to them 15 years or so back after cheap T bar clamps, some expensive ones then Record/Marples 130 heads that go on timber bars. I have 10 x Axminster own and picked up 10 x Pony from Tilgear when they were clearing...

A and B can only be hung off the one edge, so two versions of each would need to be stocked. C is a halfway house towards doing the job correctly, as it can be hung on either side so only one version needs to be stocked and hence costs should be lower. Colin

I got part way through ordering one and was asked for the one off security key for the credit card payment. I couldn't carry on as this one off key goes to my wife's mobile phone. I back tracked and cancelled the order but have been given an order number. I've now checked our two credit cards...

I would not attempt that in one hit. I'd treat the glue up like when I laid an engineered oak flor in an irregular room. Glue up the central 3 x runs of board into a blank and then leave 24 hours. Next glue up boards onto each edge of your central blank. This should give you less of a headache...

And now for something at the other end of the spectrum, a composting area made from pallets. My lovely wife is happy and so am I as all timber was free, including the long lengths that tie everything together. They came from a pallet that a 3m oak work surface was delivered on. I took some...

Larger Tesco stock some, whilst Staples and Rymans also do them. I think I had to order in at them though. Colin

A curve ball for you. I'm thinking back to a chance meeting some 10/15 years ago on a French campsite. We met somebody from Ireland who owned and ran a tool shop. As the owner he had his choice of what machinery he would sell. When I asked him he said there was only one, Scheppach. He believed...

Do you have a Mitre Square. I came across these about 10 years ago Shinwa Mitre Square I'm guessing as an engineer you also have a good range of steel rules, but what about some self adhesive types, or something more rubust you can put fix into or onto bench edges. Colin

I went a different direction. I used to have the boxes on shelves in a cupboard. I haven't got that luxury now so have some 12L and 18L ? plastic "Really Useful Boxes" with clip lids. If a screw box starts to split I run some tape inside and outside of the box and then store the screwbox in the...

I want to de-nib the internal doors following the builders last coat of varnish. From reading the above I take it I need to buy the grey Scotchbrite. Am I correct? Ideally I do not want to follow up with a light wax but appreciate I may need to. Colin