Dan Shapiro's Blog

Reader Question: I’m looking for a good, strong, clear sealant. My requirements are that it stay clear for as long as possible (no yellowing), strong enough to handle some “gentle” slamming of dominoes (which usually have a metal ‘lump’ so that they spin), spilled drinks, etc…

Now go here and buy the set of four Two Cherries chisels for under $60.

It’s hard to find super-high-grit sandpaper.

Well, I got faked out. I was generating HUGE quantities of sawdust, so I figured I must be making progress.

You don’t need it, but you know you want it anyway.

I added something new to the right hand side… basically, I took the most expensive, yet ineffective items from Amazon’s tool store, and recommended them to you.

When I was finishing my coffee table, I had all sorts of problems with the cloth I was using to apply shellac. I tried old T-shirts, socks, just about everything, but kept having problems with lint and pilling, which would show up in the finish.

I divide tool brands into two categories. These are, roughly, “cheap and crappy” and “good and expensive”.

In an old post, I let you know about the decline of Ridgid. Specifically, how they slashed their warranty and outsourced tool production to the far east. Well, “someone” anonymously took issue with that, so I updated the article.

I got one of the Oldham Viper bits that was recommended there–a nice fat 3/4 straight bit. Used it to trim some 5/4 walnut, put rabbets in maple, and a few other tasks. The bad boy makes sawdust like a woodchuck.