Tools and Tips
Mastering the Craft: Essential Woodworking Tools and Pro Tips for Precision and Perfection
Embark on your woodworking journey equipped with essential tools and expert tips. Whether you’re a seasoned craftsman or just starting, having the right tools at your disposal can make all the difference. From precision hand tools to power equipment, each instrument plays a vital role in bringing your woodworking visions to life. Combine these tools with time-tested tips on joinery, finishing, and design, and you’ll be well on your way to creating masterpieces.
How to Determine What Lumber Size You Need
Gain confidence in your ability to track down the lumber sizes and amount of materials needed for your next DIY project with these pointers.
How to Properly Hit the Nail on the Head
by Martha Retallick, WIR Contributor Want to do great work with Southern Yellow Pine? A hammer will be an essential part of your toolkit. In this post, you’ll learn the fine art of hitting the nail right on the head. While the concept of hitting…
How to Know It’s Southern Yellow Pine: INFOGRAPHIC
Choosing wood with all of the options at the lumber aisle or yard can be a bit daunting. When you know you want to use Southern Yellow Pine for your building project, there are a few things you can see on the label stamped on every piece of SYP….
How to Actually Choose a Pressure Treated 4×4
Not all pressure-treated wood is equally decay-resistant. Different parts of the tree absorb treatment differently. Learn how to spot the best quality 4×4 posts by checking the growth rings.
INFOGRAPHIC: Reasons to Build with SYP
Trying to decide what type of material you’re going to use for your next project? Let’s help you make the case for SYP with four reasons why it’s awesome. If you have a hard time seeing this infographic, click…
Five Everyday Carpenter Tools
Michael Connolly, WIR Contributor Hunched over a large sheet of plywood with a tape measure in hand, you check the measurements once more. The mark is made; a pencil line is pulled across the wood. The saw starts. The shredding sound pierces the…
SYP Survival Tip #435: Navigation
When lost, it is possible to use trees to assist you in navigation. Find a tree that has been cut down, you can observe the rings of the tree to discover which direction north is. In the northern hemisphere, the rings of growth in a tree trunk…
Woodworking: How to Be Safe
Michael J. Connelly, WIR Contributor Looks like you are ready to start your project. The blueprints are in hand, the wood is ready, and the tools are waiting. But before you begin, let’s go over a few things to make sure you work in a safe…
The Lumber Aisle = Not Overwhelming. Promise.
Real wood elicits a rugged earthiness: the signature smell, handmade sturdiness, simple elegance. In the age of Pinterest and Houzz, wood isn’t just for contractors anymore. With more and more projects readily available online, everyone is…