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Some advice please. I'm thinking about coming back to turning after 15 years away - mainly for bowls, boxes etc. Naturally, I don't want to spend too much up front. I'm looking at Ebay, for second hand kit, but as I live in France, I'd probably have to drive over to the UK to collect it. So...

As it says.... I have acquired several books (paperbacks) which are taller than normal, so don't fit my bookcase. There is plenty of space between the top/bottom edges of the book and the text, so I was thinking that I could cut maybe 1cm off the top and the bottom of the book.... I've tried...

Hi, I need some advice, please I've just made some very simple jewellery boxes, two in walnut and two in ash. I'd like a finish that brings out the colour and grain of the wood. Normally, I seal wood with some thin coats of diluted varnish, then apply a couple of coats of home-made wax polish...

Guys, hope you can help. I'm looking for some small, plain brass knobs for, eg jewellery box drawers * Plain as possible * Globe-like (but possibly flatter or oval) * About 10mm diameter (but could accept slightly larger) * No escutcheon (but could accept with) Not too expensive, of course...

Hi, I've never used the stuff before, but it might help me out. I'm still making end-grain coasters, by taking slices off a log (at the moment, spalted hornbeam) and cutting them square. I want the finished article to be slim (say, 0.7cm), so I'm cutting slices at 1cm and sanding them down. The...

Following the recommendation of Cornucopia, I got some Woodoc 10, and it's good stuff. I've made some sets of coasters out of spalted elm (found a small log among this year's firewood) and some with off-cuts of end-grain walnut/ash, and Woodoc has sealed them all - no more rings! But I'm being...

I've been making some end-grain chopping boards from walnut and ash, recently. I finish them with many coats of mineral (paraffin) oil, and they look OK. Out of some scraps, I also made some coasters/beermats, also finished with mineral oil. Then I found out that's not proof against the wet...

If I wanted to make a table top out of, say, oak planks glued together, and running longways, I'm told I have to allow for this "slab" to expand sideways, otherwise there's a risk it'll buckle. If I want to screw it to the carcass of the table, the screws have to be in slots. Does this mean I...

If I can ask for some advice... I have to cut holes into the side of 45mm ply (3 x 15mm pieces, glued together). The holes are to be 32mm diameter, and around 50mm deep. They're blind holes, because I'm cutting into waste which is later cut away on the bandsaw, so there's no problem with...

Can anybody who has one of these tell me what the dimensions of the stand are, at ground level? I've acquired a second-hand one, but before it arrives, I need to cast a slab in the floor of my workshop (a barn). I want to make sure it's the right size. Thanks

Gents, you've given me good advice in the past, let me ask you another question. I'm going to make a headboard for our bed, and I want to use some reclaimed oak boards I have - they're about 100mm x 20mm, and about 1200mm long, nice graining. I'm not confident of my ability to edge joint them...

I should know this, having used varnish for many years, but I've always taken the lazy way out and bought tins of silk/satin or matt, as needed. But I read that satin is just gloss with additives. So, I want to use pure (gloss) varnish only, and control the final sheen myself. I know it's done...

I have a side table which has been badly scratched in the move here. I think the wood is mahogany, and I'm guessing the finish is french polish. I'd like to try repairing it myself if possible, but on an old piece like this, I'm not sure where to start. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks

Guys, I'd appreciate your advice on this. I've found some lengths of wood in my barn. There's about 30-40 of them, each around 1200mm x 120mm x 40mm. They are oak, old and dirty. Very worn/pitted, too, along the grain. Could be the remains of an old floor, maybe, well scrubbed over the years...

I could buy the official replacement pack which contains, among other things, the screw, but at £7.76 plus VAT plus P&P to (France), it's expensive. If I can identify the thread, though, I reckon I could get someone in the UK to buy me something similar, and post it out. I estimate it's 1/4...

Guys, if I can pick your brains.... Up till now, I've been working with PAR oak from my local sawmill, making things like window sills, book shelves etc. There's a lot more needed in this house, so I decided to do more of the processing myself. The first step was to buy a table saw and learn to...

I've just bought a second-hand table saw - a Metabo 315C. It's not a proper workshop saw, but all I want it for is ripping pieces to a different width/thickness - eg, cutting a 100 x 20 board down to 75 x 20. I've just spent the afternoon setting it up, and I'm disappointed with the result. It...

I bought two worktops laminated from strips of oak. Nicely made - 38mm thick, very smooth finish. Sanded them first, finishiing with 180 grit, then treated top and bottom with two coats of danish oil. (Blackfriar, from SF). Rubbed it in well with a cloth, left for 20 mins, then wiped off the...

Guys, if I can pick your brains....? We recently bought a refurbished kitchen table from a nearby furniture restorer. I don't know what the wood is - could be oak (a lot of it about in France) - but he has finished it with water-based stain to darken it, then a wax polish. It's not an antique...

Gentlemen, may I ask your advice - it may stop me making a silly decision. I'm going to install a new L-shaped kitchen, with wooden worktops. I shouldn't have problems with fitting the units - I've installed several kitchens in my time. The problem lies with joining the two lengths of worktop...