I've always been fascinated by this book cover for Gödel, Escher, Bach. Anybody know how the woodcarving was designed, how it was made and how I could perhaps make one myself? [more inside]
posted on May 16, 2008 - 5 answers

I'm planning to use bamboo plywood for a section of kitchen countertop. How should I treat it to make it both water and stain resistant and food-safe? [more inside]
posted on May 7, 2008 - 8 answers

Unfortunately (for both of us), my girlfriend has charged me with fixing the stair. What kind of tool am I looking for? [more inside]
posted on May 4, 2008 - 15 answers

I'm thinking about designing and making my own eating utensils, because I am that food obsessed. But I'm unsure of what materials to use. [more inside]
posted on May 1, 2008 - 6 answers

How do I take care of my (possibly antique) Ethiopian wood chair? [more inside]
posted on Apr 24, 2008 - 4 answers

How does one get body grease off a wooden table? [more inside]
posted on Apr 20, 2008 - 11 answers

I'm trying to help a friend clean up a bad situation with cats and wood floors; I'm looking for suggestions (Icky cat-related stuff inside) [more inside]
posted on Apr 15, 2008 - 7 answers

Where might one find dimensioned hardwood lumber in Chicago? [more inside]
posted on Feb 27, 2008 - 3 answers

Which makes more sense environmentally, heating with our waste paper or recycling it? [more inside]
posted on Feb 24, 2008 - 20 answers

Any wood floor refinishing experts in the house? I am in the midst of having the floors of a studio apartment refinished. And right now? I am not happy. Does the guy I hired know what he's doing? [more inside]
posted on Feb 11, 2008 - 30 answers

I would like to build an outdoor wood fired oven similar to the one Jamie Oliver uses on his cooking shows. Can anyone suggest how/where I could find plans for this sort of structure? I know there are safety concerns involved and want to be aware of all the issues before I go ahead.
posted on Feb 4, 2008 - 9 answers

Where can I find a site dedicated to modern or classic home mechanisms... [more inside]
posted on Jan 23, 2008 - 9 answers

Help me retain my sanity. Those of you who have a workshop in your house, please help me find a system. [more inside]
posted on Jan 21, 2008 - 7 answers

Need a smoker for both salmon and pork shoulder. [more inside]
posted on Jan 13, 2008 - 6 answers

My dogs destroyed the house while I was shopping, how long do I have for damage control? Football filter of all things. [more inside]
posted on Dec 31, 2007 - 9 answers

With the joyous event of the election of a Rudd Labor Government here in Australia, I'm thinking of commemorating the win by taking the front page of a few newspapers and turning them into one of those hard wood posters you can buy from some music stores and poster shops. I am reliably informed that this process is called 'poster boarding' and from the few places I've looked at who do it professionally, this is going to set me back anywhere between $100 to $300 per poster. So I'm wondering if this is something I could do myself. If so, what do I need to buy, what do I need to do (a step by step process would be nice) and, importantly, how easy/hard will this be for a first-timer to do?
posted on Nov 25, 2007 - 7 answers

At a flea market a while back I bought a pretty big (about 2'x4'x1.5") slice of burled redwood with the bark still attached. I'd like to turn this into a coffee table top, but it's warped. How do I straighten it? [more inside]
posted on Nov 20, 2007 - 15 answers

Is there any danger to chewing on popsicle sticks, as long as I don't ingest any of the wood? [more inside]
posted on Oct 12, 2007 - 12 answers

woodworkers and/or adhesive experts: Is there some way to "seal" a thin piece of cedar wood so that it won't split? [more inside]
posted on Oct 8, 2007 - 15 answers

Experiences with kirei board? [more inside]
posted on Oct 5, 2007 - 4 answers

Constructing a floor to ceiling desk/bookcase/close/organizer thing, but I don't have a good idea and need some help. [more inside]
posted on Oct 4, 2007 - 5 answers

I need to remove and replace 3/4" hardwood stair nosing that has been attached to the subfloor with some sort of adhesive. [more inside]
posted on Oct 2, 2007 - 8 answers

What's the best way to stain unfinished pine? [more inside]
posted on Oct 1, 2007 - 9 answers

What precautions are needed for sanding pressure treated wood? This is Thomsonite brand pressure treated that is not the same as the older arsenic treated wood. I will be doing this outdoors over a tarpaulin. Will a regular face mask be OK or should I wear a full mask? If my mask is need, what class of filter should be used?
posted on Sep 1, 2007 - 2 answers

What is the best way to mount paper to wood? [more inside]
posted on Aug 16, 2007 - 12 answers

Carpentry puzzle: Imagine that you have a wood-framed window opening (example). Exterior sheathing completely covers the frame. How exactly do you cut through the sheathing? [more inside]
posted on Aug 10, 2007 - 19 answers

How do I get rid of "old-lady smell"? [more inside]
posted on Aug 10, 2007 - 17 answers

Protecting a hex sign, help! [more inside]
posted on Aug 9, 2007 - 5 answers

Why won't the paint strip off my hardwood floor in one particular area? Before - After [more inside]
posted on Jul 26, 2007 - 15 answers

I cut my foot pretty severely on a broken glass, and now it looks like someone slaughtered a pig on my hardwood floor. How do I get the blood stains out? [more inside]
posted on Jul 22, 2007 - 10 answers

My dad is a wood craftsman. He has a maker's mark that he's been using since before I was born. After 30+ years of use, it's not making its mark so well anymore, and I'd like to get him a new one. But from where? [more inside]
posted on Jul 11, 2007 - 5 answers

Bending a piece of wood... how? [more inside]
posted on Jul 9, 2007 - 11 answers

Calling all woodworkers! Can you help a noob build a very unbalanced but sturdy piece of furniture? Googling about joinery has proved fruitless and my woodworking skill is lacking. Feel free to also tell me to give up and recommend custom furniture makers in the Atlanta area! [more inside]
posted on Jun 26, 2007 - 21 answers

I just bought an old danish-midcentury modern type dining set. Its wood with a finish (lacquer or shellac, I don't know). It has a couple of nasty scratches. I live in San Francisco....know of any businesses/individuals that do wood furniture repair? [more inside]
posted on Jun 15, 2007 - 5 answers

CarpentryFilter: What solutions, traditional or otherwise, might I use to fix a problem exposed points of wood screws? [more inside]
posted on May 29, 2007 - 13 answers

I have a bunch of wooden casing moldings around the interior doors of our Washington, DC home, and over the past 75 to 100 years, they've taken quite a beating. I'd love to slowly replace the worst of them with identical moldings, but despite a pretty exhaustive search on my own, I can't find anyone who still carries anything with the same profile. Does anyone have any tips for molding manufacturers/sellers that have good variety, especially of moldings that are accurate to the turn-of-the-century period? [more inside]
posted on Apr 13, 2007 - 12 answers

We've got a wooden shelf in the bathroom in our (rented) apartment. We've been here two years now and it's gone very pale, and is stained a funny colour where water has landed on it. What should we do to return it to its former glory? (pretty much cleaning/DIY noobs, to be honest...)
posted on Apr 11, 2007 - 12 answers

We heat with wood and our neighbor has offered a bunch of fallen Willow on his property. We would have to cut and haul it about a tenth of a mile. It's free but I hear it gunks the flue and burns on contact. Is it worth it? Anyone with experience burning Wilow?
posted on Apr 7, 2007 - 5 answers

How should I stack my firewood so that termites don't become a problem? Is it worth the effort? I also have some pre-infested sections of tree that I'm not sure what to do with. [more inside]
posted on Apr 4, 2007 - 9 answers

How can I sound-insulate my rental apartment's hollow metal door and bare entrance hallway? They're amplifying the already loud noises in the common hallway outside. [more inside]
posted on Mar 31, 2007 - 10 answers

I need help fixing my retro dinette chairs. I can't reattach the chair backs because the screw holes are too big to hold the screws. [more inside]
posted on Mar 21, 2007 - 5 answers

Sources for antique wood from old construction, like old crossbeams, etc? Or used/abused antique tables? [more inside]
posted on Mar 21, 2007 - 10 answers

Crafty MeFites: What can I do with a sturdy wooden box? [more inside]
posted on Mar 15, 2007 - 19 answers

I'm moving out of my San Francisco apartment, after renting it for almost 4 years. My wood floors have taken a beating. Any ideas what I can do to make them look their very best for my final inspection? Is there a definition of normal wear and tear? [more inside]
posted on Mar 8, 2007 - 15 answers

Jute rug damaged my floor! My wife and I are moving out of our apartment, and when we rolled up the jute rugs, there seems to be damage to floors underneath as though the actual rug wore into the floor. [more inside]
posted on Mar 8, 2007 - 8 answers

Where can I buy wood online? [more inside]
posted on Feb 24, 2007 - 10 answers

We have some wooden curtain poles on which the wooden rings move really smoothly, but also have a couple where the curtains "judder" and sometimes stick quite badly when pulling them open or closed. How can I get the non-compliant curtains to move smoothly?
posted on Jan 19, 2007 - 8 answers

Trying to remember the name of good French knife and also looking for suggestions for a good whittling knife. [more inside]
posted on Dec 10, 2006 - 5 answers

Wood as a kitchen counter top - pros and cons? [more inside]
posted on Nov 28, 2006 - 23 answers

I saw a book once on the various types of woods, and included in the book (bound in) were thin samples of each wood so you got to see the wood itself rather than a photo. But I can't recall the name of the book and numerous searches have turned up nothing. FWIW, I saw the book in a bookstore in Berkeley that specializes in architectural/building books. Any ideas of the title and/or source for the book? Thanks.
posted on Nov 18, 2006 - 13 answers