Furniture & Woodworking — an online community of helpful woodworkers « Furniture & Woodworking

How To: Faux Ebonise Wood

If you have some worn scuffed wood and want to give it a little bit of life. These steps might help you to ebonise, taking half the time!!

How To: Cut mitered half-lap joints

There are many ways to attach pieces of wood. You can use screws or nails to keep them nice and secure or another option can be wood glue. But when making certain items, it's a good idea to use joints when connecting pieces of wood. In this tutorial they talk about how to make mitered half-lap joints. The best time to use these joints is when you're using one to two inch stock. Items like desks and dressers usually have half lap joints. It adds studiness to the internal structure without need...

How To: Treat your furniture for bed bugs

Nothing is worse than bed bugs, right? Those pesky little creatures can make you seriously uncomfortable and cost you tons of money replacing furniture. But you can treat your furniture without spending money or having to throw it out. You will need to inspect everything thoroughly and make sure to to follow every step properly. This video will show you how to treat furniture for bed bugs.

How To: Build a beautiful cedar log bench using a chainsaw

For the normal woodworker at home, the table saw, router and lathe are the prime tools used for making fine furniture, but when you hit the outdoors, the backwoodsman's tool of trade is the chainsaw. Mastering furniture-making with a chainsaw is the key to being a great woodworker, and in this three-part video, you'll learn the techniques to chainsawing your way to a beautiful log bench.

How To: Make a beautiful wood rainstick

If you ever wanted to make your own rainstick from scratch, you've clicked the right video. In this tutorial, you'll be taken step-by-step on what supplies you'll need to make this cool looking trinket. It can take up to a day or less depending on your level of handiness in the garage, so check out the video, take notes, and enjoy!

How To: Make your very own Connect-Four game with wood

In this next woodworking tutorial, you'll find out how to make a favorite game using, of course, wood!

How To: Undercut the door casing

This video demonstrates the proper technique for undercutting the door casing or the molding around the door. You will need to do this when you are laying a laminate floor, otherwise the laminate flooring will not seat underneath the door casing correctly. The first step is to figure out how much you will need to cut out of the door casing. This can be accomplished by measuring the thickness of the laminate flooring plus any underlay you may be using. The presenter demonstrates this with a po...

How To: Begin chip carving mahogany wood

In this three-part carving tutorial, Valerie Jones demonstrates her chip-carving techniques on Mahogany wood. Using an X-acto knife, she carves the wood by hand & describes how to carve German-style, geometric patterns into the wood after stenciling the pattern on the outer wood surface. Later, Valerie talks about her methods when chip carving wood: how to hold the knife, how to guide the blade, finishing the final product, how to follow a stencil pattern & goes over more useful information.

How To: Build an Outfeed Table for a Table Saw

An outfeed table is a device to catch the workpiece after it's been machined. This how to video shows you how you can build an outfeed table for your tablesaw.

News: This High Voltage Furniture Technique Burns Lightning Designs into Wood

Lightning is scary and powerful, yet when harnessed correctly, it can become a beautiful pattern for hand-crafted wooden furniture. Muchd like Zeus in ancient mythology, Canadian Woodworks is harnessing the power and beauty of lightning, but they're doing it for aesthetic purposes.

How To: Build a Passive Solar Garage Door and Keep Your Garage Warm During Winter

I hate being cold. That's why I live in Los Angeles. But, there are plenty of folks who are experiencing some pretty chilly temperatures this year, despite global warming, and one of the worst places affected is the garage. C'mon, who has a freakin' heater in their garage?

How To: Build a steamer trunk

The Wood Whisperer thinks you have what it takes to be a great woodworker. In this 4-part series, the Wood Whisperer is building a steamer trunk for a friend. He takes you through the process of building a steamer trunk, from beginning to end. Check out more tutorials on woodworking by searching for woodworking on WonderHowTo.

How To: Make wood roof shingles by hand

In this video, we learn how to make wood roof shingles by hand. Start off with round oak wood, then split it with a splitting axe. Then, use a mallet to split them out further. Make sure to use clean and straight grained oak to do this. Now, remove the bark from the wood and split into thin sheets. Then, place into a cleaver brake and use a mallet to split down the different wood shingles. From each piece of wood, you should get 4-5 different shingles. When finished, you can hammer these toge...

How To: Install the moisture barrier over concrete subfloor

This video describes the process of installing a moisture barrier over a concrete subfloor. The presenter is using 6 mil thick poly barrier. The barrier comes in rolls about twenty-four inches wide. When rolling out the moisture barrier you want to go from wall to wall and cover the entire floor. For optimal moisture control you will want to overlap the poly barrier by at least six inches. The barrier plastic does not need to be taped or secured to the floor at all, it simply lays on top of t...

How To: Install the last row without a pull bar

When you end your last row, there are occasions where you can't use a pull bar. The alternative to using a pull bar is to modify the groove side of the plank that's on the floor. Shave the groove and remove the debris, making sure that there's none in the track. Next, take a small bead of glue and run it down the groove side of your plank. Engage the next plank as close as you can get. Set the plank in place with the pull bar. Finally, tape the plank to its neighbor to secure it until the glu...

How To: Remove finish nails from wood without damaging it

Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, demonstrates three easy ways to remove nails from pieces of wood, like trim or baseboards, so they can be reused in future home projects.

How To: Bend Plywood Strips with Glue and Clamps for a Curved Look

You may know how to cut and sand plywood, but bending it is a totally different skill set you need to master, but this woodworking how-to will show you the right moves in seven easy steps. In the video, a bend is being applied to plywood for a curved chair leg, but this method could be used for any kind of plywood bends.

How To: Make a wood slit drum with woodworking tools

Looking for your next woodworking project? Why not a wood slit drum? It's easy! So easy, in fact, that this DIY guide can present a complete overview of the process in about minutes. For all of the details, and to get started making your own one-of-a-kind slit drum, take a look.

How To: Make a traditional trug

The trugs are made from finished birch and lamium (sp)birch plywood. 1 inch wide and 4 millimeters thick plywood in three thickness. Laminate three pieces together to make a handle. Make a rim in the same way. It is made in two halves, put in a drying rack overnight and then trimmed and pinned together at the side with solid brass pins which won't rust. They are placed in a former where the boards are plced into the trug. The boards are 1 1/2 millimeter aircraft ply. The handle and rim are so...

How To: Build a retaining wall to flatten a sloped lawn

In this video you will learn how to build a retaining wall to flatten a sloped lawn. He says that if someone wants to garden but their yard is sloped and they know they can't do it, they should know that this is a lot of work. So be prepared to dedicate a lot of time and effort. You start by getting a building permit. If you're looking to build a low retaining wall you start by digging a trench a little wider then the stones and a few inches deep (the higher the wall the deeper the trench). F...

How To: Apply a tung oil topcoat over an oil-based wood stain

Prefer a clear, hand-rubbed, "antique" finish to the shiny or satin sheen of varnishes? Then you will want to use a tung oil-based topcoat applied over an oil-based stain when you are staining or refinishing your special piece of furniture.

How To: Make a box seat

Downing drinks while perched on the bed, the floor, and the arms of the couch is totally awesome!!! (If you're a college freshman.) Otherwise it sucks. Don't get us wrong; living small doesn't mean you can't party like a rock star, it just requires a little creativity. This project offers dual functionality: wall art on quiet evenings, and extra seating and side tables on nights when friends roll in to bring down the house.

How To: Make a wood picture easel using hand tools

In this clip, we learn how to make a wood picture easel using only hand tools. It's easy! So easy, in fact, that this video woodworking lesson can present a complete overview of the build in just over eight minutes. For all of the details, and to get started making your own wooden picture easels, take a a look!

How To: Make wooden gears for complex woodworking projects

Most people think of gears as big pieces of metal, but for a long time gears were mostly wooden affairs. In this video you'll learn how to make small wooden gears that you can use in all sorts of complicated machinery oriented woodworking projects.

How To: Carve & sand tiki wood

In order to carve a Mexican Sand Palm, in order to make your own tiki, you will need the following: safety equipment, a sanding block, several different grits of sand paper, and electric sander.

How To: Build a chattahoochee chair using pressure treated southern pine

If you wish that you had a nice relaxing chair that you and others could enjoy, this tutorial is for you. In it, you'll find out what tools you'll need to make a chattahoochee chair from scratch. It's perfect for enjoying the outdoors and shouldn't cost you and arm and a leg. So if you're up to a little woodworking challenge, check out this awesome tutorial. Good luck and enjoy!

How To: Fix a cracked wood cutting board

If you have a cutting board that you made or purchased from the store, excessive exposure to water can be bad. Water can be sucked into the wood and damage the wood board, eventually leading to a crack. Instead of throwing it out, you may want to let it sit for a couple of weeks so that the water is able to dry out.

How To: Easily build a nantucket bench

Whether you live by yourself or with others, there's no harm in having an extra seat or two for guests. Buying one is simple and easy to do, but making your own can be much more satisfying and fun. In this video tutorial, you'll find out how to make a nantucket bench for you or others. It's an easy to build project that will result in a beautiful looking bench. So check it out and good luck! Easily build a nantucket bench.

How To: Apply a ceramic tile over an old countertop

Sometimes, it can be a pain to remove an countertops made of material such as wood and laminate. So an easy to do option would just let it be. If you're looking to add ceramic tile, you can easily do that over your existing countertops. This video will show you how for a quick to do and easy kitchen project. Enjoy! Apply a ceramic tile over an old countertop.

How To: Whittle a wooden bird

Whittling has been around for years and years and doesn't require a great amount of skill to perform. What it does require is patience, a steady hand, and a creative mind. This tutorial focuses on how to start of whittling a wooden bird. So sit back, pay attention, and enjoy!

How To: Apply a deep red mahogany finish to furniture

Add shimmer and color to your wood furniture with a Deep Red Mahogany Finish. Watch as The Wood Whisper's Marc Spagnuolo shows you how to apply this look to anything wood in your home. First Marc tells you about narrowing down whether or not you have to mask the wood or enhance the wood. After you figure that out you must choose how to color your wood. There are stains, oils, dyes and more! Marc chooses both a Merlot General Finishes Water Based Dye and Brown Mahogany General Finishes Gel Sta...

How To: Build a target shooting bench

A lot of the available shooting benches on the market today are well-made, but it's really hard to find one that you're completely comfortable with. That's why it's best to make your own custom shooting bench, made especially for you, how you want it.

How To: Build collapsible tables & stools with Readymade

Box Seats! Put the art back in party furniture with collapsible tables and stools.

How To: Build a pool table

Eagle Lake Woodworking, hosted by John Nixon, offers great do-it-yourself guides for building your own furniture, especially in the American Arts and Crafts style, and turning your garage into an amateur woodshop. Search Eagle Lake on WonderHowTo for more carpentry tutorial videos. From Eagle Lake Woodworking on this specific lesson:

How To: Carve a teeny wooden mouse

Whittling seems hard, but not with this video tutorial... watch to learn how to carve a teeny wooden mouse with a small knife, sander and drill.

How To: Carve a Celtic Irish toy chest

Celebrate your Irish heritage, or just bring some beauty to your home with this Celtic chest, that's great for storing anything from linens to toys. You will need to have the cedar chest already made, a carving tool, and a pattern. Watch this video woodworking tutorial and learn how to carve an Irish Celtic toy chest.

How To: Cut a scrolled round inlay box with a scrollsaw

In this tutorial from the Scrollsaw Workshop, Steve Good discusses inlays, and demonstrates one of the simplest inlay types, the bevel inlay. Watch as Steve guides you step-by-step through the cutting of his inlay box on the scrollsaw. As always, the pattern is available, free of charge, through Steve's blog, scrollsawworkshop.blogspot.com.