In the last half century, drywall (also known as Sheetrock, wallboard or plaster board) has replaced plaster/lath as the material used for interior walls. First developed over a century ago,1 drywall consists of gypsum sandwiched between two external layers of paper. The ease of use and installation of drywall didn’t catch on right away, however, … Read more
Ways to Fill Gaps Fine woodworking requires considerable accuracy and finesse, often as much as that which is produced by a machinist. Yet the woodworker, especially the do-it-yourself woodworker, works with equipment which doesn’t have the inherent accuracy of the metalworking mills and lathes the machinist works with. Rather, the woodworker has to bring that … Read more
Abrasion and Dilution In general, the first step in removing unwanted marks or blemishes from wood surfaces such as a table top, will be determine by the kind of mark and surface. When speaking about marks we are not, for the moment, including scratches. There are two basic ways to remove unwanted substances from anything, … Read more
Plywood is used in a lot of situations where strength is required. Generally speaking, if the strength of the plywood is not required, then other engineered materials are used. However, there are times when plywood alone isn’t strong enough, or, although it might be strong enough, it isn’t stiff enough to meet the need. In … Read more
Like all wood products, plywood is subject to decay. This decay is usually caused by wood-eating fungi, which are activated by water. Wood can also rot due to wood-eating insects getting inside the walls of a home. Regardless of the cause, the rotting weakens the structure and must be repaired as soon as you become … Read more