Q&A Archive

How do you square up and maintain the accuracy of a power jointer?—Kit Gurwell

I don’t have any wall space left in my shop to hang my bandsaw blades, which are 150" long (for 18" wheels). The manufacturers do not advise any more than three loops, and anything other than a nice round shape for storing. They would prefer you open the blade fully up and hang it on the wall. I am looking for some innovative ways of storing these blades. Any ideas other than wall or box storage?—Joyce Hanna 

How long can I store shellac flakes in an air tight container before they go bad?—Sal Morgani

I hear that the color in lilac will not last long. What type of finish do you use to protect highly colored wood?—Syd Lorandeau

Christopher Schwartz says that the iron of the Stanley (fore plane I think) should take a thick shaving when hogging off waste with an 8" radius iron. I think that both the Stanley and the Bedrock 605, which I have should adjust the same. The mouth should be adjusted for a large opening. Even with the frog all the way back in my plane I can’t get the mouth open enough because when advancing the iron it bottoms out on the inside of the sole and looks like it is set for a very thin shaving. Half the adjustment toward the rear isn’t useable for the same reason? I have inserted just the iron into the mouth and seen where it bottoms out on the sole. Is this a case of operator error, inexperience or worse.—Charlie Matteson

I do not have a garage, so I would like to build a spray booth in my basement large enough to accommodate pieces of furniture that I build. Does anyone have experience building a basement spray booth and do you know of construction plans? Also, can you recommend a source for the explosion proof fan I will need?—Gregg Pollack

Can you sharpen a bandsaw blade by hand and if so, how?—Anon

When I apply a polyurethane top coat to a project, I always get brush streaks even when I use a foam brush and when I thin the material. It helps when I rag the wet finish but I’m just wiping off material I just put on. The only solution I have found is to wet sand after dry. What am I doing wrong?—Jim Seroskie

Bowls can be turned from a round log cut to length or from a log split down the middle. What are the advantages or issues with each approach.—Anon

Turners on the Seacoast are turning cane shafts for disabled veterans in coordination with local carvers. What would you recommend for finishes? The canes, and cane shafts in particular, need to be weather resistant and likely exposed to a full range of precipitation?—Annamarie Pennucci