How To Cut PVC Pipe In A Trench

By Robert Robillard

Using Twine To Cut PVC Pipe   My friend and fellow carpenter, George Gussler, showed me this trick the other day. There are times when you need to cut a pvc pipe but it is inaccessible to cut with a saw. If a pipe is against an obstruction or a wall, in a corner or…

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Table Saw Blade Height

By Robert Robillard

What is the correct table saw blade height? The old school of thought was to keep the blade as low as possible for the cutting operation. I was taught this table saw blade height method in shop class. Since then I have always tried to keep the saw blade set approximately 1/8 to 1/4″ above…

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Drilling Pilot Holes

By Robert Robillard

Pilot Holes A pilot hole is a smaller hole drilled into any surface prior to and to assist in the installation of a screw, nail or other fastener. Pilot holes help to: 1. Prevent wood from splitting from large screws or when near the end or edge of the board. 2. Make installing the screw…

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How to Keep Roof Runoff off a Walkway

By Robert Robillard

Roof Drainage –  Keeping Roof Rain Off A Walkway Recently I was asked to replace a rotted wood gutter above this entryway with a new gutter. the goal was to  keep roof rain runoff off the walkway.  In the colder months water runoff on this walk way would freeze, making this path treacherous. A Slippery…

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Fastening Cedar Siding

By Robert Robillard

Choosing The Best Fastener For Exterior Wood Stainless steel nails are the best choice when fastening Cedar siding, especially if the siding is to be finished with transparent or semitransparent stain. Grades of Stainless Steel Many people are not aware the stainless steel fasteners come in different grades. No. 304 stainless for general siding applications…

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How to Choose Sandpaper

By Robert Robillard

Using The Right Sandpaper Image: Source Using the right sandpaper is the key to a successful project   To me, sanding is a necessary evil. I don’t know anyone who enjoys sanding.  My carpenter friend George always reminds me to use good sandpaper and change it often, he says, “sandpaper is cheap, labor is expensive.” …

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Dust Filtration System

By Robert Robillard

Photo: Me cutting cedar. Dust filter can be seen in upper right of photo. Wood Shop Air Filtration System For many do-it-yourselfers, hobbyists and homeowners with small wood shops, buying a dust collector and dust filtration system falls pretty low on the “must have” list of tool priorities. I’ve written before on the importance work…

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How To Build A Diagonal Door

By Robert Robillard

Build A Diagonal Tongue And Groove Shed Door   This shed was designed by Sandra Stout from Creative Designs. One of the details that Sandra specified was for the tongue and groove doors to be set at a diagonal. After figuring out the door opening sizes I went back to the shop to build the…

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