Dennis Bauman 
The term “jointer” is used to describe a tool that makes lumber, usually boards, flat so that they can fit together to form a larger, solid piece of material. A jointer machine is a large table designed to create flat surfaces on wood. A jointer plane is a handheld tool; a long, more robust version …
Picking up wood from the hardware store or lumber depot for a project can often cause disappointment. Unless you are paying extra for wood that has already been milled, you are bound to come home with wood that is slightly (or sometimes even extremely) bent, twisted, cupped, or otherwise warped. The short answer to the …
Old, rusty bolts and over-tightened automotive parts can be extremely difficult, and in some cases, impossible to remove with a hand wrench. On the other side of the coin, some fasteners where only a small pilot hole is used can be very hard to screw into hard wood. In these cases where you need a …
When presented with a situation where you need more force and torque than you can get from a standard wrench, an impact wrench is a good alternative. This power tool is especially useful in removing bolts that are too hard to remove with a hand wrench. How does an impact wrench work? Knowing this can …
It is a scary moment when you are drilling a hole into a piece of wood or metal and the drill bit breaks in the middle of the drilling process. There are a few different method of how to remove a broken drill bit, but the important part is to make sure that the material …
A step drill bit is an interesting type of bit that is intended to start a small hole, and then expand it into a larger hole. It is important to learn when and how to use a step drill bit when considering cutting into different types of metal fabrication and some harder woods. The perfect …
There are many times where it may be necessary to make a hole in glass for a home project. The main thing often keeping DIY practitioners from doing it themselves is the fear of breaking the glass. Knowing how to drill a hole into glass without breaking it can expand the amount of tasks you …
Since the mid 1980’s, granite has been a very popular stone for countertops, especially in the United States. Granite’s popularity has exploded over the last 20 years or so as cutting processes have improved, supply from other countries has increased, and the shipping process has been streamlined. With many homes in the US boasting granite …
I often find myself in situations where my tools aren’t in tip-top shape. Whether it’s from overuse, poor storage, or accidental drops, sometimes my tools don’t perform as well as they should. Dull saw blades are a perfect example of that. When a circular saw blade doesn’t cut in the same way as it used …
Glossy finishes are typical in many products and fixtures. As a professional carpenter or a DIY buff, there’ll come a time when you’ll want to change that glossy shine for a more matte finish. Knowing how to dull a glossy finish is going to come in handy. You could be looking to give your grandmother’s …
Acrylic sheet can be cut with many different tools, but using a Dremel with the appropriate attachments can make the process fairly simple. Because of the flexible nature of acrylic sheeting, light hand tools like the Dremel can be a better option than heavier power tools. Today we will show you how to cut acrylic sheet with Dremel tools.
Common saws sporting a rotary blade are the table saw and circular saw, but have you ever used a track saw? This specialty saw bridges the gap between the two and in many cases even surpasses them. You could say a track saw is a portable table saw. The track saw is also called a …