Rick 
Laser engraved water bottles was one of the first things I did when I got my laser. I wanted to learn how to use the rotary accessory and I had some old water bottles and tumblers I didn’t mind sacrificing in the name of my laser education. Maybe I’ll share that experience in a different … Read more
When I generated my first invoice, my accounting software (Zoho Books) prompted me to collect sales tax. Honestly, I hadn’t thought of it until just then! That prompted me to dive into a lot of research. I want to share the story because all small business owners have to grapple with this issue, but here’s … Read more
If you’ve ever looked at a piece of cabinet trim that is cut to fit perfectly around something – it could be an ornate baseboard or the edge of a countertop – you’ve seen the benefit of a scribing tool! Why I bought a scribing tool One of my earliest projects was to build some … Read more
The finish on the table is called Sample 73. It is … fantastic! About the table I originally built this table in 2017. We wanted a table that would better accommodate our extended family and didn’t like the available options at our local furniture stores. It was a simple build and this post is more … Read more
A random orbital sander is an essential item in every woodworking shop. Sure, you can get by with sanding blocks. Or you can go to the other end of the spectrum with Festool and Mirka. But the average woodworker is going be satisfied with a mid-tier brand. Why I bought a new orbital sander I … Read more
I bought an air filtration system after I had an asthma attack. I had done some sanding earlier in the day and I was wearing a mask, but I took the mask off after I was done sanding. There was some residual dust in the air and I think it was enough to cause my … Read more
The product title says, “hose for shop vacuums,” but that’s not quite accurate. There’s nothing about the hose that is unique to a shop vacuum. In fact, standard shop vacuums use a 2-1/2″ hose while this one is 1-1/4″. It does, however, come with an adapter that makes it easy to connect to a shop … Read more
I made a ton of mistakes when building my first drawer cabinet. I thought it would be easy because I’d watched a lot of how-to videos on YouTube. In retrospect, the videos focused more on what to do than what not to do. That and I’ve still got a lot to learn about cabinetry. So … Read more
Under-mount drawer slides are superior to side-mount drawer slides, in my experience. Side-mount slides are prone to breaking under heavy use. Sometimes they pull out too far because the plastic stop tab broke, or the wheel jumps off the slide, or the screws into the side of the cabinet strip out. I was eager to … Read more
Early on, I used my shop vacuum as a portable, multi-purpose vacuum. I would roll it around the garage as needed, carry it to the deck to clean out cabinets, and haul it downstairs to clean the basement. Then I learned about the value of a cyclone and added the Oneida Dust Deputy. It performed … Read more
