Floorboards become cracked or split for a variety of reasons, the most common of which are shrinkage and expansion because of exposure to water. When wet, the boards expand against their joints. As they dry, they return to their former size, causing cracks to appear either between the joints or along the grain of the board. New floors laid with green or wet wood also produce cracks.
Years ago, dark, heavily stained finishes on furniture were popular. Since that time, the natural aging process has served to make those old finishes turn even darker. Some now look nearly black. But fashion changed, and here we stand today, surrounded by all this old, dark woodwork, furniture and paneling, wishing for something lighter in color and more natural. Nearly everyone wants the faded ”driftwoody” English country look.
The Mortise and tenon is one of the strongest ways to join two pieces of wood at right angles. Trouble is, despite its apparent simplicity, it’s actually a difficult joint to make.
Every homeowner needs some kind of workbench where he or she can work on projects, make repairs, pot plants or groom the family dog. The trouble is, not every homeowner has enough space for such a bench. If you are one of those people, here are some ideas that might solve the problem:
Plywood is a wonderful material for the do-it-yourselfer. It’s strong and stable. It comes in big 4-by-8-foot sheets, and in a variety of thicknesses that suit it perfectly to jobs of any scale. Over the years I’ve used it for everything from paneling, desks, cabinets, boats, water skis and vases. For most of those years, like most people, I used ordinary fir plywood. It was cheap and readily available. I really didn’t know any better. Besides, it was the only plywood my local lumber yard carried.