Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with wood

Will this even work?

boosh — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:18:06 -0800

DIY Woodworking - The step for my kitchen door was totally rotted through, so I chiselled out all the bad wood. Now what? The entire step had rotted, so it had to come out. Now I need to work out how to replace it without removing the surrounding brickwork. The main problems are:

- It's an old Victorian house, and there's not a straight line in the entire place.
- The step needs to join in to the existing woodwork (the rest of the wooden frame is sound).

These pics illustrate the current situation:

Overhead view | Straight on | Left side | Right side

Here's my rough plan:

- Use filler to get a reasonably flat finish on the concrete lintel.
- Paint well with bitumen paint to act as a damp proof course.
- Cut one piece of timber into three: two with projections that will slot into the brickwork on the left and right sides, and one rectangular piece to sit snugly in the middle.
- Treat all the wood, caulk the gaps between the pieces, sand down, paint.

The main thing I'm stuck on is how to securely attach the new wooden step to the concrete lintel. Long screws, or set pins into the lintel that slot into holes in the wood, or some kind of fancy glue? Or maybe the whole thing is a poor idea: I'd welcome any suggestions on the best way to proceed! It doesn't have to look flawless by any means, and I really don't want to start knocking bricks out.

Other info: south-east UK so no temperature extremes to worry about. Zero flood risk but it does have to withstand regular heavy rain.

A question about Ink Spots. Not the musical group, the stain.

rileyray3000 — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 22:41:42 -0800

I got black ink on a birch wood bookshelf from Ikea. Help me get it out. Cheap pen. Too much heat. light colored wood. Now I have a bunch of small stains all over my nice cabinet. Worst case scenario? I'll make it into the floor end for this thing as it's one of those cube deals that can be either side. But I'd rather get it out. Any suggestions for black ink on birch wood?

Resources to learn to identify furniture-quality woods.

mumstheword — Sun, 25 May 2008 00:23:44 -0800

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. She also wants to learn to mix woods in furniture pieces and loves to match wood grains, colors and textures. She already has a facility for this so needs something to help her build on her natural ability. Videos, books, websites would all be welcome.

To give context, she is in her twenties, creative, is ADD, and can totally immerse herself in something that really interests her. She hopes to make an avocation, or if possible a vocation of designing and creating furniture. She has a pretty good woodworking shop in our garage and other than working with a skilled mentor when they can get together (he's out of state), she is teaching herself. She's been at it for about 9 months.

How was that Gödel, Escher, Bach carving made, and how can I do it at home?

cog_nate — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:10:46 -0800

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? Would it even be feasible to do by hand or a jigsaw? I have access to a jigsaw, but I'm not fantastically crafty

Thanks in advance.

Food Safe Wood Treatment

RandlePatrickMcMurphy — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:33:34 -0800

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? I like the look of this, - its a fairly subtle poly, not the thick built up layers kind.

But would it be safe to use on a surface that might have occasional contact with food? I'm not planning to use it as a cutting surface, just a surface for cutting boards, plates etc.

What kind of tool am I looking for?

kbanas — Sun, 04 May 2008 12:02:39 -0800

Unfortunately (for both of us), my girlfriend has charged me with fixing the stair. What kind of tool am I looking for? So, we did the kitchen and the living room and entryway with that do-it-yourself Pergo flooring. From the entryway into the living room there's a rather substantial step down.

A friend of a friend made a step for us, and it's great, but it's... ugly - I'm not sure what the right term is, but it's... just lumber, it doesn't have a finish or anything.

I'm attempting to cover this with Pergo so that we have a nice looking step from one room to the next.

However, I need a tool (or combination thereof) and I have no problem with going out and getting what I need, but I don't know what that is. Help!

I have these planks of Pergo that are maybe 45 - 50 inches long and 8 - 10 wide. They're very thin, as Pergo tends to be. The problem I'm having is that I need to shave 4 inches or so off that width across the entire length of the board (So, I'm starting with a board that's 45 x 8 and I'm ending up with two that are 45 x 4). I'm not sure how I mark that line consistently across the length of the entire board, and I'm also not sure what kind of tool to use to cut it.

Do I just use a tape measure and a hand saw? That seems to time consuming and imprecise. I have one of those big awesome table saws, but it can only cut a piece of wood that is maybe 6 inches, maximum... not 45.

I know I sound clueless. I am clueless. Any help is appreciated.

I don't want to poison anyone.

thread_makimaki — Thu, 01 May 2008 06:47:40 -0800

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. Ideally I'd like to find a durable, food-safe plastic type material that I could model without industrial equipment, but so far I haven't been able to find anything of that nature. Polymer clay isn't food-safe for example I believe. Does such a material exist?

If not plastic, what would be best - wood (what kind?), metal, ceramic, other? I'm willing to take classes and/or invest in some equipment within reason. I'm mostly interested in making very small things like picks and forks, so it would ideally have to be durable but easy to work in detail. I'm also interested in food-safe colors or paints if using something like wood.

Cute Chair Needs Some Love

Bunglegirl — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:09:02 -0800

How do I take care of my (possibly antique) Ethiopian wood chair? How do I take care of my chair so it doesn't crack or warp? I'm in Chicago (dry winters, humid summers) and have noticed a few cracks in the wood. I assume those cracks were there before but didn't notice them at the time. I have no experience with cleaning/sealing/attending to nice wood furniture. How do I take care of it?

I bought the chair in Ethiopia about a year ago and shipped it home. The person I bought it from told me it was carved from a single tree (it is indeed one solid piece) native to Southern Ethiopia. My research on endemic Ethiopian trees only really turn up African Blackwood (ebony) which this is not. I bought it because I love the style so I don't mind that it's not in perfect condition.

It has a slightly "waxy" feel when I touch it and I'm not sure if it has been treated with something or varnished. The finish is worn in some areas and has some strange patterns like something was spilled on it or, if it was varnished, it was poorly done.

Because I bought it from a local shop, not an antique dealer or high end gallery I wasn't able to get many details and have no way of contacting the seller for more information.

Photos of the chair in question:
Entire chair
Detail of back stain
Detail of side stain
Detail of crack on back
Detail of crack on seat

I take showers every day! Really!

Skyanth — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:43:46 -0800

How does one get body grease off a wooden table? Instead of a desk I have a rough old wooden table. It looks very cool. I'm behind my laptop quite a lot, and after two years you can very clearly see where I usually rest my arms on this table. Not so cool.

How do I clean off the grease? I've thought about sanding and I might do that, but I'm afraid I might ruin the old ruggedness of the table.

Please bear in mind that I live in the Netherlands and that American product names might mean nothing to me, or that the products could well be unavailable here - if you have a great tip, I would appreciate it if you could use a more generic description, if at all possible. Thanks!

Cats Vs Wood Floors: Cats Win

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:50:46 -0800

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) I'm trying to help a friend clean up a bad situation with cats and wood floors; we are cleaning up in a house where the cats have been using the floor at a litter tray. I have the following questions;

- What's the quickest way to clean up dried-up cat crap? The floors are sealed, but getting down and scrubbing them is taking too long.

- Of the areas we've cleared so far, there are dark stains in the seal or the wood (we aren't sure which) in some areas. Is there any way to clean these, or are the floors damaged for good?

- Other areas of the floor are just plain dirty. Is there a machine we can buy/hire that will make cleaning these easier than a mop and bucket?

- Any other suggestions for quickly cleaning up wood floors? We are against a tight deadline.

Where shall I buy some wood?

Plug Dub In — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:37:31 -0800

Where might one find dimensioned hardwood lumber in Chicago? I'm looking for some maple and mahogany, and maybe some spruce and walnut later. I don't have access to a planer or thickness sander, so it has to be the right thickness. If I can get the other dimensions right, that's great too.

I've ordered a board or two online from Rockler before, and was happy with what they sent, but they don't seem to have the sizes I need. I'd like to buy locally if possible, anyway.

Thank y'!

Bundle or burn?

Toekneesan — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 06:47:47 -0800

Which makes more sense environmentally, heating with our waste paper or recycling it? We heat primarily with wood, and usually put junk mail, packaging, cardboard, etc. into the wood stove in the winter, rather than recycling it. I know that things using color inks can sometimes have heavy metals, so we do avoid heavily printed materials, or paper or board that has been coated. But does is it create more pollution/waste/carbon by burning this material than it would should we recycle it? I know particulate matter is another concern but other than burning efficiently, anything else we should consider to minimize the particulates we're creating?

Wood floor refinishing woes

kimdog — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:41:21 -0800

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? The wood flooring area is small, about 162 sq ft. It's 4" plank white pine, probably original to this building which was built in the 20's. The floor was a light yellowish color (just poly over the wood), and that's what I wanted to keep. But there were large areas where the finish had been scraped off by a desk chair, and lots of paint and scratches from renovations. This is a rental, and the I am doing this at my own expense with the landlords' okay. The guy I hired has been in the biz for 20 years, and was recommended by a co-worker. Friday he sanded, and Saturday he put on a coat of poly.

But... it looks horrible. He told me over the phone that it had dried darker in some places because of the moisture content in the wood (my apartment is on the ground floor and directly over the basement). When I went to check it out today, it was worse than I expected. The floor is much darker and reddish in tone in the middle of the floor, and gets lighter toward the edges. And very uneven throughout. After discussing the options, the floor suggested that he try to darken the lighter areas with diluted stain, to at least get a more even coloration. I asked him about just going with a darker stain throughout, but he thinks that it will still be uneven.

So, at present, I am really bummed and not sure what to do. Does this guy really know what he's doing? Should I be calling someone else? Suggestions?

wood fire outdoor stove

frizelli — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:53:43 -0800

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.

Home Mechanics

matthelm — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:53:13 -0800

Where can I find a site dedicated to modern or classic home mechanisms... I am looking for mechanisms built in the home that basically use no electricity. Buttons that open doors and cabinets, rotating devices, etc. Having hard time explaining....Before technology took over the kitchen there were systems built with wood pieces and springs to make such things as kitchens more "high tech"...press a button here and a drawer would open from under your cabinets etc. I am looking to remodel my condo and want to find such mechanisms and see if I can incorporate them into my design....any help in the right direction would help...

Where does all the wood live?

stormygrey — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:33:38 -0800

Help me retain my sanity. Those of you who have a workshop in your house, please help me find a system. We have forgone some less healthy habits ,for of all things, woodworking. I have taken my dining room table apart so now all that wood lives in the dining room. And the kitchen, and the sunroom, and my office, and my living room. Oh my God! It is awful.

What is a good method for storage? We have tall pieces, wide pieces, little bitty pieces, how do you decide what to keep and what to toss?

Any general advice on workshop storage in general would be appreciated.

Help me choose a hot/cold smoker.

charlesv — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:19:37 -0800

Need a smoker for both salmon and pork shoulder. I'm looking for a smoker.

I've already seen this post on stovetop smoking and this one on cardoboard box smokers. I've also trolled all over the interwebs reading up on hot vs. cold smokers and all sorts of advice, tips and tricks.

Problem is, none of them provide what I am looking for - a recommendation for one that I can buy that meets the following requirements:
1. Commercially available
2. Cost no more than $250 USD
3. Be capable of both hot and cold smoking, enablling me to:
a. smoke already-cured gravlax
b. smoke raw pork shoulder

I will consider both electric and charcoal models, though I would prefer an electric. If an electric is a dumb idea, maybe someone could offer their opinion as to why. If such a smoker doesn't exist, that's fine too - just let me know how I should adjust my expectations.

I am originally from Memphis, and as such crave chopped pork bbq sandwiches whenever I can get my hands on them. More specifically, I have an obsession with Payne's, which some old-school Memphians consider to be the best in town, if not in the world.

I need to clean a lot really fast, where is Heloise when you need her?

stormygrey — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:28:56 -0800

My dogs destroyed the house while I was shopping, how long do I have for damage control? Football filter of all things. I was out shopping and my newly handy boyfriend left a couple of cans of stain opened on the kitchen counter. Our dogs managed to knock over two cans of wood stain and their are little foot prints all over the sheets, the laundry, the couch, the floor, etc.

He is at the Clemson/Auburn game and it looks like the Fourth Quarter just started. There is officially 14:18 on the clock. How long does an average quarter like this take?

Bonus question: How does one get wood stain out of laundry?

Help me make a hard wood poster.

Effigy2000 — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:05:53 -0800

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?

How can I straighten/flatten a large slice of burled redwood?

sub-culture — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 08:53:02 -0800

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? Problem is, when I bought the piece it had been varnished on one side and left unfinished on the other. As a result, the entire piece is warped. So far I've used varnish remover to remove most of the varnish on the finished side. The bark is a bit torn up so I plan to saw the bark off and round the edges. Should I cut the bark off before flattening it? And what's the best method for flattening it?

I asked someone at a lumber yard and he recommended putting it outside in the sun for a day or so with a heavy object on top to do the major work and then sand it. Since it's winter, this option isn't gonna work. Is there any other method I can use on my own? At my disposal are a hand sander, jig saw and hand tools. Thanks!

You thought pickles and ice cream was weird?

Shoeburyness — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:06:47 -0800

Is there any danger to chewing on popsicle sticks, as long as I don't ingest any of the wood? I am heavily (38 weeks) pregnant, and the last month or so, I have a compulsion to chew popsicle sticks. Previously I had cravings to smell lumber. I do not actually ingest any of the wood, since having splinters in one's GI tract sounds like no kind of a good idea. I don't really feel compelled to swallow the wood, anyway, just to chew it. I don't feel compelled to chew anything that isn't plain wood (like pencils-- all that paint, yuck!) I don't have the urge to eat or chew any other sort of non-food items. Would this be considered pica even though I don't actually eat the wood?

I have tried taking additional iron supplements, but this didn't help. (My OB just tested my iron level, anyway, and it was apparently fine.) Neither did eating woody-textured foods like broccoli stems or almonds. Is there some sort of nutrient in wood that my body is craving? Is there anything dangerous in the wood that might be leaching out as I chew it? If I just get myself a bunch of popsicle sticks to chew, should I stick to ones sold for use with food, or is there any difference between those and ones marketed strictly for crafts? Will this go away once I deliver?

make her bigger basket better

amtho — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:01:36 -0800

woodworkers and/or adhesive experts: Is there some way to "seal" a thin piece of cedar wood so that it won't split? I'm making my own bicycle baskets (after giving up on finding my ideal for sale). I've already finished one, and it's awesome. Basically, it's made of a top and bottom cedar frame connected by three dowels and a bunch of cane (cane as is found in chair seats).

The top and bottom frames are made by cutting roughly-rectangular shapes from a 3/4" cedar board, then cutting out the center of the shapes, so that what's left is about 3/4" wide edge. I drill holes in this to take the dowels and the cane.

It works pretty well, though, as I expected I did get some splitting. With the holes I'm making, the wood is pretty thin, and cedar seems pretty grainy in general. I was able to glue the splits I got successfully with wood glue, but it made me wonder if I could just apply a substance to the entire frame (soaking it?) to make the whole thing less likely to split.

I did stain the frames, and seal them, but this seems more designed to prevent moisture penetrating than to augment the existing bonds between the wood fibers -- I think this latter is what I really want.

I should add that I also thought of wrapping the whole thing with cane or something similar, but as this is for a bike, I want to keep things light, if possible. And the cane I have doesn't seem that well-suited to that use.

Soaking the whole thing in wood glue occurred to me, but I'm not sure it would work, I worry about warpage, and I'm pretty sure I'd like something waterproof. Bonus if it won't interfere with staining.

I chose cedar on the advice of a wood sculptor friend; it is nice and light -- I wouldn't want anything heavier -- and the first basket is reasonably successful. I'd just like to avoid future splitting, and it would be great if I could make the frame even lighter. I'm not using the traditional thin-slice-of-wood-looped-around approach because I wanted some small degree of structural support in case of the bike falling over (with, for instance, a laptop inside). It won't protect from a major collision, but I think it's the right degree of rigidity.

I tried a Google search for [seal wood split] without success.

[Also, if there's some great way to glue the cane ends to their terminal holes, I'd love to know about that too.]

Using Kirei Board

RandlePatrickMcMurphy — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 07:36:16 -0800

Experiences with kirei board? I'm considering making extensive use of kirei board in remodeling my kitchen. For example, I'd like to cover the existing Ikea cabinet doors and and drawer fronts with it, and even use it as a countertop. My one (known) concern is how to handle the board edges - which feel untreated and I'm concerned will even if sealed absorb moisture over time.

I've read what I can (some links below) and have played with a few sample tiles, but before I start does anyone in the meta-world have actual experiences using kirei or know of any downsides not mentioned in the generally positive links or otherwise point me to non-obvious sources of information or experience?

http://www.kireiusa.com/
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/01/robin_reigi_ker.php
http://www.phoenixorganics.com/index.asp?cat=164156
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirei_board

help me plan the ultimate 'me' office/work space!

stormygrey — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:09:43 -0800

Constructing a floor to ceiling desk/bookcase/close/organizer thing, but I don't have a good idea and need some help. My office is renovating and i got hold of lots of great solid wood paneling. Have you seen the shot of the hallway in House? That is it. It is all solid wood that is 1 inch thick. I have about 12 pieces of 25 inch square pieces, 4 25 inch by 50 inch pieces, and one piece that is 10 feet long. The room in question is 11 x 11, with only one unadultrated wall.

One wall has a window in the middle, one has a door at the outer edge, and one has a small built in bookcase that is in the corner next to the door.

so what am I looking for, well for one a shift key that works, but other than that, some good inspiration galleries, first hand experiences, and perhaps some free software that will help me plan this all out. Actually, we have a deck and a shed in our future, so buying software as long as it is relatively useable would be fine too.

thanks!

How best to remove glued-on stair nosing?

oncogenesis — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:01:46 -0800

I need to remove and replace 3/4" hardwood stair nosing that has been attached to the subfloor with some sort of adhesive. (The subfloor is plywood. The nosing was glued because it is the end of the floor -- there's nowhere other than the board face in which to put a nail.)

I've started cutting and chiseling away at one of the boards, but there are two problems: First, much of the adhesive is staying behind on the subfloor. I'll need to remove it before I install the replacement nosing. Second, I can't reach the strip of nosing that lies beneath the tongue of the next floor board. Chiseling under the tongue is sure to destroy it.

So is there a way to cleanly remove the nosing and the adhesive? And should I remove the next board as well (presumably nailed down, not glued), in order to give myself some extra space for the adhesive removal and a cleaner overall repair? I'm pretty sure that next board is just nailed in, and we have plenty of extra floor boards for the repair.