Carpentry-Filter: Can you help me identify this butcher block style wood, and figure out how to best cut, sand, and finish it for my project? Pics inside. [more inside]
posted by wfrgms on Jul 24, 2009 - 13 answers

Can anyone recommend a reliable, affordable handy(wo)man in Brooklyn / NYC? [more inside]
posted by Dr. Wu on Dec 8, 2008 - 2 answers

DIY Woodworking - The step for my kitchen door was totally rotted through, so I chiselled out all the bad wood. Now what? [more inside]
posted by boosh on Jun 23, 2008 - 14 answers

My daughter is beginning to learn to build furniture and has a particular interest in learning how to identify exotic and really any furniture-quality woods. She is a visual learner so pictures rather than wordy descriptions work best for her. [more inside]
posted by mumstheword on May 25, 2008 - 9 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 by sub-culture on Nov 20, 2007 - 15 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 by antipasta_explosion on Aug 10, 2007 - 19 answers

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

I want to learn some basic carpentry. Preferably through a class so I can get some hands on training. I know next to nothing about carpentry, never even had a shop class. Does anyone know of carpentry classes or schools in NY?
posted by bingwah on Jan 13, 2006 - 6 answers

Need furniture (wood) restoration tips I just made an unbelievable find in the trash on a sidewalk in manhattan (you wouldnt believe the things people throw out here). Its a solid wood restaurant butcher block table whch measures 24" X 24" X 10" thick! It weighs 85kilos / 190lbs !! I am really excited about restoring it. I have done some furniture restoration in the past but it always involved sanding the shit out of something until its bare again and refinishing it with a polyurethane or a stain of whatever flavor. In this case I think the butcher block has a lot of character (such as knife marks, dents and has also gotten a nice color from all the grease and oils it came into contact with) and I want to preserve that somehow. Its really dirty and kind of nasty at the moment. Can someone offer some suggestions about which solvents i can use to clean it thogroughly? I'm thinking denatured alcohol / mineral spirits but will that be tough enough to clean it?
posted by postergeist on Dec 28, 2005 - 11 answers