Sawing a Log into Salvaged Holly Lumber
Having lived in our house for over three years now, we’ve had to make some difficult decisions about our trees. Unfortunately, we had to fell a few trees upon moving in, including some sick [...]
Low-Cost Straightedge
Whenever I have to cut down a sheet of plywood, I reach for one of my trusty metal stud straightedges. Metal studs are available in different thicknesses for different applications. For example, [...]
Milling Lumber with a Chainsaw Mill
When it comes to milling lumber, chainsaw mills offer a low cost of entry, with some big capacities. The more and more I get wrapped up in the milling, logging, and lumber industry, the more and [...]
Circular-Saw Depth Gauge
Setting the depth-of-cut on my circular saw was awkward at best before I made this handy gauge. It’s just a thick block of wood with 1/4″ wide slots cut at precise, incremental depths. I [...]
Baby Steps Into the 2020 Pandemic
These are difficult times for so many people. As residents of the state of New York, we are at the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak. Until almost three weeks ago I was still teaching in our [...]
The Way Wood Works
by Nick Engler Wood is a cantankerous substance; there’s no two ways about it. Its virtues, of course, are legendary. It’s attractive, abundant and easy to work. Pound for pound, it’s stronger [...]