Rounding Over Corners on Blocks (Mass Production)
Woodworkers brainstorm in search of a high-volume, high-accuracy production method for a repetitive task of rounding over corners on small hardwood blocks. September 15, 2011

Accuracy of Planers
A woodworker looking for the finest piece of steel he can buy sets off an extended discussion of top quality planers. March 10, 2008

Fine-Tuning a Small Moulder
Less expensive equipment may need more attention to perform up to snuff. Here are some detailed tips on "tweaking" the machinery. October 14, 2006

Getting to Know the Jointer
A beginner has trouble his first time out with a new jointer, and learns a few things from the experience. April 27, 2007

Capacitor Explodes on Bandsaw
A long story about failure and repair of a capacitor (note: capacitors can kill you with live electricity even when the machine is turned off or unplugged). March 28, 2012

Jointer Tolerances and Setup Techniques
A furnituremaker who wants super-fine tolerances gets advice on tuning and operating a jointer. May 2, 2011

Tuning Up an Out-of-Whack Jointer Bed
Pros ponder what could be causing a jointer to create a "belly" in every freshly jointed board. (In this case, turns out it was a misalignment of the infeed and outfeed tables.) April 27, 2007

Troubleshooting Feed Problems with a Four-Head Moulder
Woodworkers offer suggestions about what could be causing the feed system to stick on a four-head moulder. January 17, 2011


Shaper Cutter Choices, Alignment, and Balancing
In this interesting thread, a question about good cutterhead choices for occasional use in hardwood evolves into a conversation about setting up and balancing the shaper. August 19, 2013

Rx for Wood Machining Defects
Dr. Gene Wengert examines the causes for defects in solid lumber caused by machining. 1998.

Troubleshooting Out-of-Square Moulders
Follow the saga of a woodworker trying to solve the puzzle of not one, but two, out-of-square moulders on the shop floor. April 30, 2009

Increasing Shaper RPM for Use With Router Bits
A discussion of modifying a shaper to work effectively with router bits, versus shop-rigging a router table or integrating a router into a re-purposed shaper bed. February 14, 2010

Moulder Fence Adjustment Issues
Woodworkers troubleshoot a problem with wood drifting away from a moulder's fence during operation. February 10, 2009

Safety Aspects of Reversing a Shaper Motor
Modern shapers can be reversed safely, with appropriate precautions. August 3, 2009

Troubleshooting Chatter And Snipe
Is it a knife grinding issue or a moulder set-up problem? April 10, 2005

Gang Ripsaws, Movable Blades, and Optimizing Production
A question about buying a straight-line ripsaw with movable blades turns into a wide-ranging discussion about optimizing stock production on various kinds of ripsaws. January 17, 2011

Multiple Dowel Moulders
Dedicated machinery to make more than one dowel at a time is an unusual application. Here's a detailed thread on the ins and outs of it. July 3, 2008

Freeing a Welded (Spun) Head
Here's a long and detailed thread about the various approaches that may work when a cutterhead has been welded to a spindle. February 15, 2009

Double Spindle Shapers Explained
Double spindle shapers: how they work, what they're good for. February 15, 2009

Equipment for Cutting Knife Steel
Cutting with plasma versus grinding wheels. January 16, 2004

Troubleshooting a Noisy Moulder
Experts chip in to help diagnose a moulder that makes a growling sound for mysterious reasons. October 4, 2007

Spiral cutters vs. knife cutters
Which type of cutters is best for this special application? July 24, 2001

Moulder chatter
Moulder operators help troubleshoot the problem. January 16, 2002

Troubleshooting Moulder Tearout
Pros help a shop owner figure out the problem with his moulder. October 8, 2005

Straight Knife Planers with Grinders
Here's a good look at the hows and whys of grinding knives on the planer. October 19, 2013

Jointer Adjustment Problem
After replacing jointer knives, you sometimes need to re-set or adjust the outfeed table. May 28, 2006

Troubleshooting Wide-Belt Sander Chatter
Track down the cause of chatter marks in the wood before trying to fix the problem. Defects in the belts, the drums, or the drive are the usual suspects. April 30, 2006

Troubleshooting Jointer Chatter
A chatter problem in a new jointer sets off a discussion of knife types and maintenance issues. December 26, 2006

Axial Constant Grinding: Is It Worth It?
A discussion on the costs and benefits of switching to an axial constant system on moulder and shaper knives. August 18, 2009

Troubleshooting Maple Moulder Tear-Out
Too-dry lumber, dull knives, complicated grain patterns, or other maintenance and operational issues could be causing this tear-out problem with Maple wood. February 25, 2009

Tooling Up with Your First Moulder
A woodworker gets advice on accessories to go along with his first moulder purchase. October 4, 2007

Sleds and Fences for Cutting Stiles and Rails
Extensive advice on how to set up a shaper for accurate and consistent coping and profiling for door stiles and rails. April 27, 2007

Keeping cutterhead balance
Number of knives and other factors in cutterhead balance. (From WOODWEB's Solid Wood Machining Forum) March 5, 2003

Choosing a moulder
Jointed- vs. non-jointed-head moulders; choosing the right machine for a custom moulding business. November 21, 2000

Moulder Tweaks and Modifications
A post on stabilizing the open end of a moulder turns into a long thread on shop-rigged moulder modifications. April 30, 2009

Servo vs. stepper motors
What's the difference, and how does each work? April 17, 2002

Jointed Moulders Explained
Here's the rundown on what makes a jointed moulder different from a regular moulder, how it works, and what it's good for. October 4, 2007

Creating templates for moulder knives
Thoughts on producing templates for cutting moulder knives. June 14, 2000

Troubleshooting Finish Problems on the Through Feed Moulder
Checklist table of problems and solutions for moulder operators. December 1, 2006

Tenon Cut Quality Problems and Tooling Issues
Woodworkers trace bad cuts on tenons to defects in shaper knives. January 29, 2009

Electrical Problems with a Bandsaw
Most electrical problems are caused by loose connections, not bad parts. February 27, 2007

Tuning up a Jointer to Acceptable Tolerances
There's art as well as science in getting a jointer adjusted. January 8, 2010

Fine-Tuning a New Planer
Careful sharpening and adjustment will give better results, but sanding after planing may still be necessary. August 23, 2005

Rip-Saw and Moulder Maintenance
A moulding shop owner gets advice on rehab for some machines that have done some hard living. January 12, 2009

Troubleshooting Planer Chatter Marks
A pressure bar set too high may be the source of chatter marks on planed boards. May 28, 2006

Modifying a Moulder to Run a Deep Profile
Trying to push a moulder to perform outside the limits of its original design can result in serious injury. January 29, 2009

Choosing a Moulder
Big industrial iron will outwork smaller machinery, but you need dust and chip collection to match. February 15, 2009

Shop arrangement and setup
Shop owners describe the best and worst aspects of their workspaces. March 21, 2002

Feed speed and knife life
How the former affects the latter. January 15, 2003

Reversing a Shaper, Jam Nuts, and Lock Washers
For safety, make sure the shaper head is firmly attached and can't work loose. February 22, 2011

Setting up a Combination Gang-Ripsaw/Planer/Moulder
Detailed comments on how to get good use out of a combination machine that gang rips, planes, and makes mouldings. December 29, 2008

Glue Joint Ripping Capability on the Gang Rip Saw
Tim Brown of Mereen-Johnson Machine Company offers tips on stock prepping, equipment setup, maintenance, and operation that can allow you to achieve a joint suitable for edge gluing directly off the gang rip saw. August 6, 2010

Keeping Wood Tight to the Moulder Fence
Advice on moulder setup to keep wide stock from drifting away from the fence during operation. December 27, 2008

Open or Sealed Bearings?
A shop owner struggles with a decision about after-market bearings for an older Italian moulder. March 4, 2009

Jointer Chatter Marks
With help from the forum, a problem with a jointer is traced to the bearings. October 29, 2012

Older Moulder Spindle Alignment Problems
Expert advice on finding the reasons for a moulder spindle going out of alignment with the table. December 9, 2010

Flattening Lumber with a Power Feeder On the Jointer
Thoughts about jointer and moulder set-up and feeding technique for flattening lumber. August 31, 2009

Setting Jointer Blade Height
Experienced hands go over the fine points of setting up a jointer for snipe-free operation. June 23, 2005

Sticky Nut Problems with Spindle Changes
Lock nuts on shaper spindles can be stubborn and awkward when it's time to change the spindle. Here's how some machine owners tackle the problem. April 29, 2012

Tooling Up for High-Volume Crosscuts
Jump saw, radial arm saw, miter saw — what kind of equipment would be cost-effective investment for work requiring thousands of cross-cuts on short pieces of solid lumber? April 27, 2011

Equipment to Rip Flooring Blanks
What's best, a straight-line or gang saw? Gang comes out ahead in this long discussion. October 2, 2005

Troubleshooting Snipe on a Jointer
An introduction to the wonderful world of jointer knife and table adjustment. October 15, 2010

Cutting M2 Knife Steel
Is burning the steel while cutting a concern? January 16, 2004

M42 high speed steel
Information on M42 and jointer knives. April 2, 2002

Replacing Worn Bearings on a Planer
Changing out ball bearings may be a job for a specialist. Even so, here's a detailed description of how it's done. November 28, 2006

Wood getting stuck in planer
Some possible causes and solutions to the problem of wet wood getting stuck in a planer. June 14, 2000

How Much Over-Width Should Stock Be Ripped?
A discussion of ripping precision, straight-line ripsaw performance, and how much extra width to allow in order to compensate for wood movement. January 8, 2010

Troubleshooting Moulder Head Movement
Pros help figure out the problem with a moulder's top head. September 28, 2006

Troubleshooting Planer Performance with a New Helical Head
After you install a new helical insert cutterhead, you typically need to make other adjustments to the machinery before it will run properly. February 15, 2015

Modifying a Shaper to Run in Reverse
A question about setting up a second-hand shaper leads to an informative discussion about the fine points of running machinery in both forward and reverse directions. September 18, 2014

Shaper Spindle Replacements in Different Diameters
Customizing the spindle on your shaper could be a good investment. April 15, 2012

Slowing Planer Feed Rate
Advice and cautions on ways to slow down the feed rate of a planer. November 27, 2007

Removing Rust from a Table Saw
Advice on getting rust off machinery, from simple scrubbing to high-tech electrolysis. October 29, 2012

Shaper Outfeed Fence with Power Feeder
Advice on customizing the outfeed fence of a shaper so that milled stock runs straight as it feeds out. January 25, 2010

Machining crown moulding
What's the best way to run crown moulding? May 2, 2001

Hogging Blades on Gang Rip Saws
Equipping a rip saw with a hogging blade can have advantages. October 4, 2007

Leveling a Jointer Bed
Clear instruction on how to tweak the infeed and outfeed tables on a Delta DJ-20 jointer. May 28, 2008

Suspending a Power Feeder from the Shop Ceiling
Pros and cons of mounting a stock feeder on the shop ceiling to be shared by multiple machines, plus advice from someone who has done it.November 28, 2014

Zero Clearance Table Saw Inserts
Buy 'em, or make your own? June 28, 2005

Setup Tips for a Small Moulder
Tips on depth of cut, and on supporting the open side of the moulder to reduce chatter. September 30, 2010

Mounting a Power Feeder to the Shaper
Drilling and tapping the shaper table, rigging a stand-alone mount, and other fine points of setting up a power feeder for the shaper. August 15, 2006

Straight Line Rip Saws for Glue-Up
A good straight line rip saw makes rips you can glue up with no further processing. Here's advice on choosing and maintaining your machine. July 28, 2008

Sharing One Power Feeder Between Two Shapers
Photos and description of a swing-arm-mounted stock feeder that serves two different shapers. July 28, 2006

Infeed Systems for Moulders
A moulding manufacturer wants to set up a continuous infeed system for one of his machines. He gets tips and advice on what works and what doesn't. July 13, 2005

Truing Up a Jointer Outfeed Table
Gib screws on the back of some jointers allow fine adjustment of the infeed and outfeed table positions. May 14, 2006

Troubleshooting a Bandsaw Motor
Woodworkers swap tips on how to diagnose problems with a shop motor that won't turn. July 15, 2012

Finding Spindles for an Old Shaper
This thread about locating parts for an old Whitney shaper has some interesting info on the way the old iron was built. June 30, 2014

Troubleshooting Planer Setup and Tearout
Tips on setting up a planer to avoid tearout. January 2, 2012

Using jointing attachment on moulder
Proper methods for jointing knives on a moulder, and myths concerning their sharpening. February 28, 2001

Floor Structure and Moulder Chatter
An understrength floor system beneath a piece of heavy woodworking equipment is a recipe for trouble. February 4, 2011

Minimizing Tearout on an Old Crescent Planer
Advice on tuning and sharpening tweaks to reduce tearout on an older crescent planer. March 13, 2009

Snipe Problems on a Through Feed Moulder 3: Left Side Snipes
A troubleshooting checklist table for moulder operators. December 1, 2006

Troubleshooting a "Wandering" Problem when Shaping Door Panels
A look at power feeder, fence, and cutter issues to address snipe at the trailing end of door panels being shaped. January 25, 2010

Troubleshooting Cross-Grain Scratches from a Wide-Belt Sander
A better quality of belt or a platen adjustment might solve the problem. January 29, 2009

Tuning Up a Re-Saw Bandsaw
Belt tension, blade selection, and sharpening can make a big difference. May 16, 2008

Fix for a Slipping Planer Table
A shop-expedient modification locks down the table on a rebuilt old planer. December 1, 2005

Rx For Planer Splits
The five main causes for splits in lumber during roughmill planing. 1998.

Running Small Raised Panels on the Shaper
Advice on accessories, methods, and jigs to safely machine small pieces on a powerful shaper. March 26, 2010

Snipe Problems on a Through Feed Moulder 2: Top Snipes
Checklist table of problems and solutions for moulder operators. December 1, 2006

Four-Head Moulder Setup
Setting up a 4-head moulder to run flooring and mouldings. October 2, 2010

Moulder Feed Problems 1: Caused by Machine
A problem-solution checklist chart for correcting moulder feed problems. November 27, 2006

Troubleshooting Sinusoidal Waves in Planed Lumber
We just like saying "sinusoidal." Seriously, here's a look at some issues that can affect planer performance. April 30, 2009

Dressing a Widebelt Drum with Sandpaper
A detailed discussion of using sandpaper glued to a wood platen to return a widebelt sander's drum to useable condition. July 29, 2012

Cutterheads 101
Basic considerations for knife selection and machine adjustment and operation. February 14, 2007

Troubleshooting Planer Snipe
An unattached snap ring left a chip breaker free to bounce around. January 12, 2015

Snipe Problems on a Through Feed Moulder 1: Bottom Snipes
Checklist table of problems and solutions for moulder operators. December 1, 2006

Troubleshooting Uneven Pitch Marks from a Jointer
Pros suggest possible fixes for a jointer that's creating uneven pitch marks on lumber. May 18, 2010

Auxiliary Shaper Fences
Aftermarket and shop-rigged solutions for add-on outboard fences for a shaper. October 29, 2008

Sharpening a circular sawmill blade
Hand sharpeners vs. automatic sharpeners--their pros and cons. July 3, 2001

Troubleshooting a Hard Start on a Table Saw
A woodworker searches for a way to solve a "hard start" problem on an otherwise great table saw. June 18, 2009

Lubricating and Protecting Shaper and Moulder Beds
Product choices to reduce friction and rust in a moulder or planer. July 12, 2013

Straight Line Rip Saw Problems 1: Erratic Cuts
Maintenance and troubleshooting checklist to ensure consistent, good-quality cuts from your straight line rip saw. January 4, 2007

Improving the Vacuum in a Planer
A woodworker solves a chip crushing situation in his planer by drilling new holes for vacuum flow — and it works. April 18, 2010

Setting Planer and Jointer Knives
Shop owners discuss instruments, jigs, and shop methods for measuring and setting knife heights. October 28, 2005

Rip saw and moulder methods
Using a ripsaw and moulder to machine solid wood panels. July 24, 2001

Optimal feed rates for CNC machining
What are the best feed rates for CNC work? October 31, 2000

Troubleshooting Table-Saw Motor Vibration
Could be the pulleys, the belt, or the motor itself. September 17, 2008

Leveling the Feed Beam on a Moulder
Detailed discussion of some maintenance and adjustment issues with a nine-inch moulder. April 4, 2011

Getting Your Waterstone Back in Shape
If your waterstone isn’t flat, it can’t deliver a proper edge to your tools. Here's how to fix that. December 18, 2013

Jigs for a Moulder
Examples of jigs and rigs that can help you run custom crown moulding on your moulder. April 21, 2011

Adjusting a Jointer
Here are tips on truing a jointer to prevent snipe at the beginning and end of the cut. October 26, 2011

Setting up a powerfeeder
The care and use of powerfeeders. November 7, 2000

Changing Heads on an Eighteen-Inch Planer
A woodworker who is swapping out straight knives for an S-helix head for his new Powermatic planer gets advice on the task.October 19, 2013

Shaper Fence for Raised Panels
A cleverly made auxiliary fence for the shaper makes it easier to accurately machine raised panels for cabinet doors. February 29, 2012

Shaper Setups for Raised Panels
Tips on knife and fence setups for making raised panels on a shaper. April 24, 2006

Tuning Up a Small Moulder
Advice on getting the best finish possible from a small moulder. May 21, 2009

Router/Lathe Combinations
Thoughts on coupling a router and a lathe for complex wood turning. October 3, 2009

First-Time Shaper Set-Up
A woodworker gets tips on setting up his first shaper. October 26, 2007

Tuning a Cabinet Saw
Description of a method for accurately re-calibrating a tilting table saw. February 19, 2006

Setting up a new moulder operation
Thoughts on setting up a moulding operation in an established architectural millwork shop. June 14, 2000

Tensioning Gang Ripsaw Blades
After proper adjustment, gang ripsaw blades should cut straight and true. May 23, 2007

Off-Grid Power for an Antique Lathe
Here's an unusual problem: powering an old piece of equipment (formerly steam-driven) in a building with no existing electrical service. January 27, 2008

Operating European-Made Motors on U.S. Current
A discussion of the effect of United States alternating current voltage and cycle frequency on shop machinery wired for European electric power supplies. December 6, 2009

Shopping for a Power Feeder
Advice on choosing a power feeder for a shaper. March 26, 2010

Adjusting a Shaper Spindle
A bent spindle, bad bushings, or worn spacers could cause a shaper to wobble and make sloppy cuts. Here's advice on making precise adjustments or repairs. January 2, 2012

Oil Mist Lubrication Versus Sealed Greased Bearings
Woodworkers discuss lubrication systems and the pros and cons of machine modifications. June 28, 2013

Knives 101
Technical tips on choosing, adjusting, maintaining cutterhead knives. February 14, 2007

Moulding maple versus oak
Why such problematic tearout on one and not the other? September 23, 2003

Moulder set-up
Basic guidelines for setting controls. October 24, 2001

Chip-out from a year-old moulder
The moulder had worked perfectly for a year when all of a sudden, chip-out reared its ugly face. June 14, 2000

Jointing with a Shaper
Thoughts on setting up a shaper to joint (or edge-dress) lumber. November 14, 2009

Jointing knives of a side-head planer
Choosing and using the proper stone when jointing knives used in a side-head planer. November 7, 2000

Reducing Tearout in Fir
A handful of expert tips on reducing tearout on problematic wood in a moulder or shaper. January 28, 2014

Wide-Belt Sander Shutting Down
Troubleshooting a wide-belt sander that cuts out intermittently for no apparent reason. May 23, 2007

Motor Change-Out for a Shaper
Does it make more sense to change from a 3-phase to a 1-phase motor, or to invest in a rotary phase converter? Alternatives are pondered in this thread from the Solid Wood Machining forum. November 13, 2005

Troubleshooting Chain-Drive Problems on a Bench-Top Planer
Cleaning and re-lubricating the drive chain on a small portable planer could be the solution to a slipping chain. January 17, 2011

New Power Feeder, or Phase Converter?
Advice on how to run an old 3-phase power feeder when moving to a location without 3-phase power. May 18, 2010

Troubleshooting Snipe when Running Flooring
Experts advise on causes and cures of moulder snipe. November 26, 2008

Troubleshooting Wavy Lines with a Widebelt Sander
Oscillation or chatter marks can be reduced with adjustments, but could be caused by a defective belt. September 5, 2011

Snipe Problems on a Through Feed Moulder 4: Right Side Snipes
A troubleshooting checklist table for moulder operators. December 1, 2006

Router Arbor to Accept Shaper Cutters?
To solve a one-time problem, a woodworker looks for a way to mount a shaper cutter on a router. February 14, 2010

Troubleshooting Drive Belt Alignment
A woodworker gets help with the belt tracking on a drum sander. January 8, 2010

Tear-Out Problems with Cherry
Tips on tuning up machinery to minimize tear-out when making end-matched wood strip flooring. May 16, 2008

Troubleshooting Widebelt Ripples
Experts suggest possible reasons for imperfect performance by a widebelt sander. February 1, 2015

Troubleshooting Surface Ripples with a Drum Sander
Wise advice helps a woodworker get better results from his drum sander. September 5, 2011

Troubleshooting a Blown Transformer
Help with a woodworking machinery problem (repeated failures in a transformer that steps down 480 volts to 120 for a control panel). November 15, 2011

Spindle Release Tool for a Vintage Shaper
Vintage SCM shapers came with a special toothed pipe tool for removing the spindle attachment collar. March 16, 2015

Smooth-back moulding head set-up
Ideas for setting up an older, smooth-back type moulding head. June 14, 2000

Straightening a Jointer Fence
A discussion of high-tech, low-tech, and caveman-tech methods for making a bowed cast-iron jointer fence straight again. September 27, 2008

Mounting a Ripsaw Blade on a Four-Head Moulder
Some moulders are set up to allow ripping, but there are safety issues to consider. March 31, 2008

Gang vs. straight line rip saws
Cutting straight blanks efficiently. January 16, 2001

Troubleshooting Noisy Startup on a 12-Inch Jointer
Could be a failing magnetic switch. November 16, 2010

Number of Knives and Planing Quality
More knives is not always better, and RPMs also play a role. Here are tips on obtaining good cut quality at various feed rates and RPM settings. May 28, 2006

Troubleshooting Carbide Insert Cutter Breakage
In this case, someone probably hit a nail. But the discussion includes a useful list of possible causes to investigate. February 9, 2008

Keeping Straight-Line Rip Saws Ripping Straight
Several odd tuning issues may cause your SLR saw to stray from the straight and narrow. June 28, 2006

Static Versus Rotary Phase Convertors
A big rotary phase converter will give you room to grow as you add more equipment. February 13, 2009

Shaper Setup for Tongue-and-Groove Flooring
Tips on setting up to mill hardwood flooring. September 28, 2006

How to Smooth and Flatten a Tablesaw Table
A palm sander will do a decent job of removing scratches, but you can also have the thing professionally ground flat. April 27, 2007

Streak Marks After Rotating Spiral Cutterhead Bits
It's common for spiral cutterheads to start leaving streaks after the bits are rotated. Prevention is laborious and time-consuming. October 3, 2009

Five-Head Moulder Setup
Detailed advice on calibrating and aligning the chipbreaker, pressure shoe, and other key components of a five-head moulder. April 21, 2011

Aftermarket Drive Belts for Machinery
Woodshop owners discuss the difficulties of finding right-sized belts and pulleys for their equipment. November 8, 2007

Knife-Setting and Grinding Tolerances
Given that nothing's perfect, how close is close enough? August 8, 2008

Table Saw Setup Tolerances
Be reasonable — we're milling wood here, not machine steel. September 28, 2006

Lubricating Moulder Cutterheads for Easy Removal
For easy on, easy off, a little dab (or spritz) of the right stuff will do you when installing and removing cutterheads. January 11, 2007

Replacing Felt on a Widebelt Sander Platen
Advice on removing old felt, cleaning the platen, and attaching new felt. February 17, 2014

Shaper Shutting Down by Itself
A woodworker gets help troubleshooting a shaper that cuts out for no obvious reason. July 29, 2012

Machine Top Protection
For protecting saw tables and similar machine surfaces between uses, a heavy coat of paste wax works. Other suggestions are also offered in this thread. November 13, 2005

Measuring Three-Phase 480-Volt Shop Voltage
Understanding how three-phase power works. January 24, 2006

Moulder Feed Problems 2: Caused by Material
A problem-solution checklist chart for correcting moulder feed problems. November 27, 2006

Correcting Snipe on a Planer
A few simple tips help a woodworker get his Woodmaster 718 planer into satisfactory shape. February 2, 2012

Hollow Chisel and Bit Maintenance
Careful setup and proper adjustment are the keys to long service life for your mortiser's hollow chisels and bits. February 14, 2007

Repairing Wear on a Planer's Feed Belt
Advise on re-dressing and tuning up the belt drive system on an Extrema or Cantek heavy-duty planer. October 19, 2014

Running Dowels on a Moulder
A discussion of moulder set-up for dowel machining, and on improving the tolerances of the finished product. December 6, 2009

Setting up a new planer
Pointers and tolerances for setting up a new 20-inch planer. June 14, 2000

Mill Marks Versus Chatter
Any rotary cutter will leave mill marks, but chatter represents a maintenance issue. November 13, 2005

Tool Wear and Resawing Teak
Teak dulls blades and loads up sandpaper. Here's advice on the tooling required to process it. February 17, 2014

Reducing Shaper RPMs
Advice on stepping down a shaper's drive motor to accommodate a sanding wheel. March 27, 2012

Moulder Spindle Runout Tolerances
Some advice on acceptable precision in a moulder spindle. April 18, 2015

Getting clean cuts on dimensioned parts
Tips to reduce chips and tear-out when shaping dimensioned parts. June 14, 2000

ATS Measuring Stand Repair
Tips on repairing or replacing the caliper device on a moulder'smachining, accuracy, set-up, milling, cutting, shaping, joints, joinery, cutters, heads, knives, sharpening, automatic tool-setting stand. May 13, 2005

Roller Durability on a Williams and Hussey Moulder
The yellow rollers last longer than the green ones. October 19, 2013

Gang rip yields
Determining the factors which influence optimal yields. June 13, 2001

Ensuring Accurate Thickness Settings on a Planer
Tips and tricks for getting consistent thickness settings from your planer, with a minimum of fuss and bother. April 20, 2008

Direct-Drive Versus Belt-Drive Ripsaws
A brief discussion of the pros and cons of ripsaw drive systems. October 19, 2014

Shop-Made Dial Indicator Holder
With brass U-channel, you can fabricate your own dial indicator holder for setting planer knives. May 11, 2006

Jointer Ways: Parallelogram Versus Dovetail
A discussion of jointer table mounting methods and the maintenance characteristics of different types. May 23, 2007

Dressing a Wide-Belt Sander Conveyor Belt
How to touch up an old, stiff, hard conveyor belt on a wide-belt sander. May 18, 2010

Stacking Shaper Cutters
Small, low-horsepower shapers struggle with large-radius tooling or stacked cutters. July 15, 2012

Sharpening Equipment
A basic description of tool sharpening equipment and its use. November 13, 2008

Straight Line Rip Saw Problems 4: Troubleshooting Wedges
Checklist for identifying and correcting problems that can cause a straight line rip saw to cut out of parallel. January 4, 2007

Straight Line Rip Saw Problems 3: Edges Not Square
Troubleshooting checklist to identify and fix maintenance issues that cause out-of-square rips. January 4, 2007

Will I Lose Power with a Phase Converter?
Rotary phase converters can supply full power current. Static converters lose about 30 percent. December 6, 2006

Chipload Charts and Cutting Data
Here's some useful data on machine settings to achieve the desired chipload for good performance of moulders and jointers with various types of wood and sheet goods. September 26, 2010

Troubleshooting Side Tear-Out on a Five-Head Moulder
Tips on preventing tear-out in a moulder. January 2, 2012

Aligning the Laser on a Straight-Line Rip Saw
Zeroing the laser guide for a straight-line rip saw is a trial and error process, however you do it. March 25, 2008

Moulder Feed Problems 3: Caused by Tooling
A problem-solution checklist chart for correcting moulder feed problems. November 27, 2006

Is Moulder Knife Steel Sharp from the Factory?
Moulder knife blanks need to be sharpened and balanced before use. February 1, 2015

Tenoning Jig for a Sliding Table Saw
Rigging up a slider to cut tenons on the ends of boards. October 3, 2009

Setting Up a Six-Head Moulder with a Jointer-Style Infeed
Setup tips for proper flattening results with a six-head moulder with jointed infeed. June 9, 2007

Lifting a Widebelt Sander
Advice on locating the lifting points for heavy machinery. August 11, 2009

Adding a Fence to a Sliding Table Saw Sled
A quick tip for augmenting a sliding table saw with an adustable fence on the sled. November 28, 2014

Modifying the Pressure Shoes for a Five-Head Moulder
Suggested modifications to give your moulder's hold-down shoe more versatility. September 17, 2008

Feed Roller Pressure and Chip Dents
A review of factory specs helped a woodworker eliminate some quality problems with a 15-inch planer. September 5, 2011

Are Cryogenic Tool Treatments for Real?
Ultra-cold treatments make claims for improving tool hardness and increasing life, but this thread provides no testimonials. December 1, 2005

Lubricating Odd-Sized Fittings
Special grease-gun needle tips exist for lubricating fittings when you can't find the right-sized greasegun. February 25, 2009

Techniques for making tapered rips
Various machine and jig options for producing large quantities of tapered parts are offered . January 9, 2001

Jigs for setting planer knives
Accessories for setting planer knives in the cutterhead. June 14, 2000

Refurbishing an Old Tenoner
Tips on tuning up (and souping up) a high-quality vintage machine. December 11, 2006

Table Wax Choices
Woodworkers discuss products they use to keep their table surfaces friction-free. March 16, 2015

Knife Griding for Cross-Grain Cuts
A quick tip on tuning up cutterheads for clean machining on cross-grain cuts. March 26, 2013

Reducing Bandsaw Speed
Changing pulley size, using an inverter to slow the motor speed, or switching to a blade rated for higher speeds are all options. October 30, 2005

Sourcing a Flat Belt Flywheel Pulley for a Shaper
Info about shaper pulleys that allow the belt to travel along the pulley cylinder. January 3, 2014

Inspecting a Used Straight-Line Rip Saw
Advice on how to size up a used straight line rip saw. October 14, 2008

3-phase to single phase
Is it possible to convert 3-phase equipment to single-phase power? March 20, 2001

Troubleshooting Paper "Creep" on a Drum Sander
Quick tips on keeping the sandpaper tight on a drum sander. June 18, 2010

Removing Planer Knives
Once you understand it, pulling the knives out of a planer is easy. January 14, 2009

Mounting a Power Feeder
Quick tips on attaching a power feeder to a table saw. November 27, 2007

Roller Hardness Decisions
Which moulder rollers to get — hard or soft? Interesting info here on alternative sources for rollers. February 9, 2008

Constant profiler recalibrating : Common?
The owner of a new Profilmat wonders if his need to constantly recalibrate it is common. June 14, 2000

Slippery Plastic for Machinery
Ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene can be used to make wood glide smoothly over wear surfaces. July 3, 2008

Damping a Noisy Saw Blade
Explanations of why a saw blade might emit a high-pitched, screechy whine in service, and suggestions on damping or stopping the noise. May 23, 2007

Tool Lube for Resinous Wood
A dry spray-applied wax for cutterheads can keep tools moving freely and minimize resin build-up in resinous woods such as Ipe. January 14, 2009

Density of Felt for a Wide Belt Sander Plenum
Understanding hardness grades for industrial felt. December 31, 2012

Bearing Life and Scheduled Equipment Maintenance
Replacing worn-out bearings is a non-routine task, but routine maintenance can keep you from having to do it often — or ever. Here's a detailed discussion of maintenance planning and bearing repair. May 15, 2012

Problem with Insert Tooling Teeth Breaking
A shop owner tries to figure out why teeth in his helical insert planer heads keep breaking (which leads to further problems and headaches). October 19, 2013

Planer Selection, Maintenance, and Performance
Better (and more expensive) equipment can provide better results, but setup and maintenance make a difference with high-end as well as low-end machinery. December 29, 2008

Proper Grinding and Maintenance -- Will Increase Moulder Tool Life
Good grinding and maintenance help increase moulder life. February 23, 2001

Power Feeder on a Jointer
A power feeder can't make the judgment calls of a hand operator for straightening the first face of a board, but it can boost productivity and improve safety. July 3, 2008

Preventing Rust When Milling Wet Material
A discussion of lubricants and cleaners for preventing rust on machinery. August 14, 2007

Phase Converter, Transformer, and Controller Issues with a Big Moulder
Troubleshooting power conversion and startup problems with a complicated electrical arrangement. January 25, 2010

Bandsaw Tuneup
Advice on maintaining, repairing, and upgrading a 1990's-era bandsaw to improve adjustability and precision. November 16, 2010

Buying a Used Straight-Line Rip Saw
Tips on inspecting an old straight-line rip saw for serviceability before plunking down your cash. May 16, 2008

Preventing Tearout on the Shaper
Climb cutting and taking multiple passes are suggestions, but a good power feeder setup is safer and more cost-effective.August 27, 2012

Buying a Used Straight Line Rip Saw
Maintenance, wear and tear, and other factors to consider when purchasing a second-hand straight line rip saw. November 14, 2014

Breaking Loose a Stuck Shaper Spindle
Sometimes that sucker just doesn't want to come out. Here are a handful of proven ways to persuade it. September 10, 2007

Power Requirements for a Planer
Make sure the wiring and breaker are beefy enough to satisfy the voltage and amperage requirements of the equipment you plug in. June 18, 2009

Bandmill blade guide pressure
Proper set-up techniques for blade guides on bandsaw mills. November 29, 2000

Balancing moulder heads
A discussion about out-of-balance knives in a moulder/planer. June 13, 2001

Powermaster 160 Infeed Roller Wear
Advice on getting a second-hand Powermaster planer into working shape. October 19, 2013

Planer Infeed Roller Marks
Advice on how to back off the pressure on a planer infeed roller in order to prevent marking of the wood. July 22, 2013

Power Feeders for Router Tables
Power feeders offer better control and safety, but they can overmatch the router — so consider a shaper instead.October 15, 2012

Pads for Moulder Pressure Shoes
Felt pads can prevent shine marks on your mouldings. Details here. July 3, 2008

Planing "Dimples" in Soft Lumber
Planer blades can drive chips into the surface of a board when dust collection isn't perfect. Here's a good example with photos. May 21, 2009

Planer is tearing-out -- on white oak, but not red
What could be the culprit when a planer is tearing out on one type of oak, but not another? June 14, 2000

Pulling a Shaper Spindle
Advice on removing a stuck spindle from a shaper. July 23, 2014

Belt Tension on Moulder
Pros troubleshoot a belt-slippage problem during a new moulder's break-in period. August 31, 2005

Belt Sander Feedbelt Replacement
Tips on replacing the feed belt for a 70's vintage widebelt sander. December 9, 2010

Planer Wear and Tear-Out Problems
Wear on the knives and the chip breaker could lead to tear-out problems when the knives are replaced. July 15, 2012

Black streaks in birch
Searching for clues to the cause of black streaks, showing up in birch dowels during manufacturing. 1998.

Planer vs. spiral insert heads -- for planers
Which provides the best finish--a planer type or a spiral insert knife head? January 16, 2001

Busting Off a Siezed-Up Nut
Can't budge that nut? Better to cut it. October 26, 2007

Planer Segmented Infeed Roller Problems
Troubleshooting alignment and feed issues on a planer. September 6, 2010

Planer Chipping, Flaking, Tearout
Possible causes - and solutions - for a poor surfacing result with ash. February 27, 2005

Power Feed Roller Life
Softer rollers grip better, but don't last as long. Here are tips on stretching the lifetime of a feed roller. May 28, 2006

Blade hammering
What is the purpose of hammering a blade for a circular mill? June 5, 2001

Power Requirements for a Three-Phase Sander
Advice on power adapting equipment to power a three-phase sander from a single-phase circuit. February 24, 2008

Power Voltage Destroying Jointer Motor?
Three-phase power supplies rated as 220 volts may actually supply on 208 volts, and cook motors wired for single-phase 230 volt power. October 2, 2010

Troubleshooting Accuracy Problems on a Tenoner
Here's a long story of a woodworking shop's difficulties in getting a tenoner set up with split tooling to work to the desired level of precision, accuracy, and repeatability. October 26, 2011

Cutterhead balance
Solving the problem of a vibrating planer/moulder. January 16, 2002

Troubleshooting Moulder Head Vibration
Many things could potentially throw a moulder head out of balance. Here, pros discuss the possible causes of excessive vibration. August 23, 2005

Tuning Up a Bandsaw
Bandsaws for resawing lumber need some careful attention to get and stay in tune. July 3, 2008

Tablesaw Techniques for Very Narrow Rips
Advice on push blocks, jigs, and other solutions for making very thin rips for laminating. November 28, 2014

Custom pressure shoes for moulders
A discussion of home-made and custom-ordered pressure shoes for special profiles. August 12, 2001

Quick-Release Mounting Rigs for Power Feeders
Ideas for attaching power feeders to machines so that the power feeders can be quickly mounted and dismounted. January 29, 2009

Shop-Built Adjustable Shaper Fence
Here's an example of a sliding-gib shaper fence capable of fine adjustments for close-tolerance woodworking. October 3, 2009

Down-Sizing the Motor on a Used Sander
A shop owner can get a great deal on a used wide-belt, but he doesn't think his shop has the amps to run it. What are his options for matching his power to the machine? September 17, 2008

Moulder Maintenance in a Dusty Shop
Advice on a lubrication and cleaning routine for a moulder in a shop with inadequate dust collection. January 29, 2009

Table Saw Blade Alignment 101
Advice on how to keep wood from binding up and burning in a table saw. February 27, 2007

Gauging Moulder Belt Tension
Tips on how to set and maintain proper belt tension. October 30, 2005

Adjusting a DJ-15/DJ-20 Jointer
Instructions for aligning the infeed and outfeed tables on an older Delta jointer. October 3, 2009

Cleaning Pitch off Cutterheads
Advice on fluids that will quickly dissolve accumulated pitch and gum off jointer and planer knives. October 3, 2009

Bandsaw Belt Slipping
Poor alignment between the belt and the pulley is the likeliest explanation for a bandsaw drive belt slipping off its pulley. October 19, 2014

"Chip Dent" in Planed Lumber
Here's a long, detailed examination of the problem of denting in planed wood, caused by knives pressing chips into the wood surface. Unfortunately, no solutions. October 15, 2009

Spiral Heads on Old Equipment
Re-tooling an old, heavy piece of iron with a new helical cutterhead can be the ideal value solution for some shops. August 18, 2009

Equipment needed for one-man startup
Advice on budgeting and buying machinery for a new custom cabinet shop. December 12, 2000

Radial Arm Saw Setup
Acheiving square, accurate cuts on a consistent basis. May 10, 2005

Slot Mortising Machine Tips and Tricks
Advice on bit choice and other operating tips for a slot mortiser. January 25, 2010

Shopping for a Bandsaw
The perennial question: an economical import, or some second-hand American-made iron? April 13, 2010

Rigging a Lathe and Router for Cutoff Operations
Woodworkers discuss a novel arrangement of lathe, router, and saw blade for an unusual machining and cutting situation. November 3, 2010

Slowing a Feed Motor with Variable Frequency Drive
Motor speeds can be adjusted with electronic add-ons, but there are complications. October 4, 2007

Aligning an Older-Model 4-Head Push Through Moulder
It's hard to eliminate snipe on some older moulders. Here, experts supply some tips. April 19, 2006

Phase Converters and Variable Frequency Drives
50 hertz, 60 hertz ... single-phase, three-phase ... here's some info on the gizmos you need to run motors on a different kind of power. February 4, 2011

Fitting a Router Base to a Router Table
Tips on tapping new holes for mounting a router onto a table when the existing holes don't line up. November 28, 2006

Reground Planer Knives Trapping Chips
Woodworkers help figure out why chips won't clear out from the workpiece after a set of planer knives comes back from the grinder. March 14, 2006

Couteaux de rabotage affûtés récupérant les copeaux
Des menuisiers tentent de comprendre pourquoi les copeaux ne s'échappent pas de la pièce après le retour d'un jeu de fers de rabotage de la meuleuse. 14 mars 2006

Moulures architecturales sur routeurs CNC
Discussion sur les tenants et aboutissants de la production de moulures architecturales sur des routeurs CNC. 14 juin 2000

Architectural mouldings on CNC routers
A discussion of the ins and outs of producing architectural mouldings on CNC routers. June 14, 2000

Wide Belt Sander Platen and Drum Issues
Understanding how the platen and the drum interact can help you get the best performance from a widebelt sander. July 15, 2012

Problèmes de plateau et de tambour de ponceuse à large bande
Comprendre l'interaction entre le plateau et le tambour peut vous aider à optimiser les performances d'une ponceuse à large bande. 15 juillet 2012

Shaper Chatter Marks
A shop owner tries all the usual troubleshooting tactics — but it takes a brand new machine to solve the problem this time. December 14, 2009

Setting and Adjusting Knives in an Old Planer
1920's-era iron is rock solid, but it can be finicky. Here are some detailed pro tips for aligning the knives in an old-school machine. January 28, 2014

Blade sharpeners for band mills
Experiences with different brands of blade sharpeners are shared. January 3, 2001

Planer Choices for Planing Rough-Sawn Lumber
Pros discuss equipment choices, set-up, and techniques. October 30, 2005

Sawing square timbers
Producing square timbers on the sawmill. November 15, 2000

Table Saw Top Maintenance
Pros share tips for cleaning and waxing the working surface. June 17, 2005

Sawdust buildup in discharge chute
How to remedy pine-tar buildup leading to clogged discharge chutes during sawing. July 26, 2000

Modifications Cure Woodmaster 718 Chatter
Pictures, descriptions, and accounts of changes resulting in a finish as smooth as a baby's... well, you know. February 27, 2005

Tweaking a Segmented Infeed Roller on a Wide Planer
A woodshop owner considers whether he can modify his infeed roller so it won't leave marks on the lumber. June 18, 2009

Bandsaw Blade Speeds and Pulley Ratios
Figuring out how to adapt a motor to an old bandsaw. December 9, 2010

Vitesses de la lame de scie à ruban et rapports de poulie
Comment adapter un moteur à une vieille scie à ruban. 9 décembre 2010

Rust Protectant and Rust Remover Options
Advice on how to prevent rusting of machinery placed in unheated storage. October 3, 2009

Horizontal Boring Machine Accuracy and Quality Control
Here's a long, detailed thread with photos about how to ensure accurate drilling and doweling in door manufacture with a simple horizontal boring machine. November 3, 2010

Contrôle de la précision et de la qualité de l'aléseuse horizontale
Voici un long fil de discussion détaillé avec des photos sur la façon d'assurer un perçage et un chevillage précis lors de la fabrication de portes avec une simple aléseuse horizontale. 3 novembre 2010

Le bois reste coincé dans la raboteuse
Quelques causes et solutions possibles au problème du bois mouillé coincé dans une raboteuse. 14 juin 2000

Des stries noires sur le bouleau
À la recherche d'indices sur la cause des traces noires apparaissant sur les chevilles de bouleau lors de la fabrication. 1998.

Finish and Feed Rates
Setup and operation tips for moulder operators. June 22, 2007

Setting Up Excalibur Slider
Tips and photos for accurate alignment. March 14, 2004

Flattening boards with a planer
Methods for planing warped wood flat. September 25, 2002

Troubleshooting Moulder Tear-Out
Tweaks to the knives, the feed rate, the drive belt set-up, or the bed board may help eliminate moulder chatter and tear-out. August 29, 2005

Nesting Bleeder Board Material
CNC users dissect the options. January 24, 2005

Feed rates and spindle speeds
Programming CNC machines at the proper feed rates. August 13, 2002

Fence Adjustment Issues with Cope and Stick Cutting
A discussion of jigs and methods that make cope-and-stick setup efficient and simple. September 27, 2009

Shop-Built Custom Shapers
Advice on motor and pulley sizing for a dedicated-purpose shop-built shaper, plus a discussion of the alternatives to making a special-purpose tool. March 3, 2009

Fabricating Radius and Curved Mouldings
Here's a detailed discussion comparing two approaches to creating curved and arched mouldings: the CNC route, or the dedicated moulder and shaper setup (which may involve templates). July 13, 2010

Troubleshooting problems when moulding MDF
A detailed discussion of challenges in getting a smooth finish when putting profiles on MDF material. February 13, 2001

Straight-line vs. gang rip
Which is better suited to this moderate operation? June 24, 2002

Entry Level Equipment for Making Mouldings
A woodworker ponders what to buy for a first foray into producing small runs of custom mouldings. February 10, 2009

Vertical panel saws
A comparison of speed and efficiency of vertical panel saws as opposed to sliding table saws. July 24, 2001

Router Table Add-ons
With a router lift, precision fence, and some customizing, a router table can "kinda-sorta" stand in as a poor man's shaper. November 26, 2006

Chip Removal and Planer Finish Defects
A classic defect with a well-known cause: chips recirculating around the cutter head and being pounded into the wood. But how to fix it? May 15, 2012

Figuring Out Woodshop Power Requirements
Amps, volts, watts, horsepower, and all that jazz: here's an instructive thread on how to figure out if a building's power supply will support your plans for shop equipment. July 9, 2007

Setting Up a Six-Head Moulder for Machining Tall Baseboard
Here's a detailed discussion of how to arrange the top knives for cutting of the flat and the profiled part of tall, highly detailed baseboard mouldings. March 31, 2008

Converting power to three-phase
Things to consider when converting power from single-phase to three. June 24, 2001

Setting Up and Using a Dual-Drum Sander
Some useful tips on drum-sander operation. January 11, 2007

Acceptable Runout Tolerances for a Shaper Spindle
High-quality machinery has minimal runout. Excessive runout is a safety risk and a source of trouble. December 20, 2005

Moving and Unloading Machinery
Practical advice for getting a large, heavy, and expensive piece of industrial equipment off the truck and into place in the shop. October 12, 2007

Troubleshooting Shaper Tearout
Solutions for a tearout problem include slower feed speeds, climb cutting, and larger-diameter tooling. April 5, 2007

Vacuum Clamping -- Save Time, Save Money!
March 19, 2002

Repeatability at the Shaper
Advice on ways to set up shapers to consistently produce mouldings that are identical to a previous run. June 16, 2010

Tablesaw Lubricating Advice
Tips on lubricating a sticky mechanism for raising and lowering the blade on a cabinet shop table saw. April 18, 2010

Sizing a Phase Converter for the Load
Advice on matching the capacity of a rotary phase converter to the demands of the equipment it serves. May 28, 2010

Troubleshooting Nicks in Moulder Knives
Newly ground knives can be damaged right away by hard mineral deposits within some hardwoods. Here's advice on knife material choices that could help avoid the problem. June 11, 2010

Steps for processing cabinets
Cabinetmakers share the methods they use for processing doors and cabinet parts. July 3, 2001

Troubleshooting the Air Tracking on a Widebelt Sander
A cabinetmaker gets help with the analog control mechanism on his widebelt sander. March 12, 2015

Jigs and Rigs for Cutting Tenons
Thoughts on how to set up for cutting tenons on a table saw or other equipment. January 20, 2010

Running Tight Radius Trim on a Moulder
Short-radius curved mouldings are tricky to run on a moulder (a CNC or lathe works better). It can be done, though — here are photos and advice. May 17, 2011

Table Saw Cutting Out of Square when Set on the Bevel
A little help with the problem of a table saw that cuts out of square, but only when the blade is tilted over to 45 degrees. November 16, 2010

Determining Square for Machine Setup and Q.C.
Here's advice on shopping for reliable squares, checking for square on machines or cut parts, and setting up machinery to be true and square. April 6, 2011

Jigs for Elliptical Moulder Work
Aftermarket jigs let you do complex curved work on the moulder, especially if given additional shop modifications. May 21, 2007

Table-Saw Power-Feeder Tips
Detailed advice on setting up and using a power feeder with a table saw. July 9, 2007

Single Knife and Counterweight Setup on a Moulder
Using just one knife rarely gives the best results. November 19, 2006

Drum versus belt sander
Pros and cons of two approaches to surface sanding. October 9, 2002

Straightline Rip Saw Kickback Concerns
A discussion of prudent safety precautions to take with a straight-line rip saw. July 18, 2008

Static charge on wood
Troubleshooting and resolving static problems on freshly planed boards. October 9, 2002

Inverter Cooling and Ventilation
Inverter power supply electronics generates heat, and the units should be adequately cooled and ventilated for good performance and long life.October 26, 2011

Upgrading a Shaper Motor
Should a woodworker beef up the motor on his shaper when the original one breaks down? It's a questionable call. May 5, 2007

Clogged Dust Collector Lines on a 5-Head Moulder
When dust collection lines plug up, the problem could be vacuum, wood moisture content, or other factors. April 10, 2007

Rigging an Outboard Fence for a Shaper
A discussion of the best way to make a shop-built back fence for a shaper. July 11, 2013

To Nest or not to Nest?
A spirited discussion on which is more productive: nest-cutting parts with a CNC router, or using a beam saw and point-to-point machining center. June 30, 2005

Chip Clearing and Dents in Mouldings
Dents that occur when chips are pressed back into the wood by cutter ends are related to problems with the dust collector's suction. July 18, 2008

Outfeed Table Plan
Construction ideas for an outfeed table with mounted router. March 14, 2004

Watts, Volts, Amps, and Step-Up Transformers for the Shop
Here's a discussion of using power transformers to supply machines that need higher voltage. July 31, 2009

Machine Design For Complex Carving
It's hard to do, and might not pay off. April 10, 2005

Setting Up a Shaper for Door Parts
Advice on fences, cutters, and more for door production with a shaper. December 19, 2009

Dressing a Wide-Belt Sander Drum
Here's a quick, full explanation of how to re-dress a worn drum on a wide-belt sander. January 18, 2012

Ripping Stock Straight
Shop machinery and techniques for ripping straight stock with glue-joint quality edges. April 16, 2010

Setting Up for Lock-Miter Joints
Setting up machines for efficient production using lock-miter joinery. March 27, 2012

Old Jointer Accident Story
Jointers can send fragments of metal blades flying like shrapnel. You're lucky if all you get is a good scare. March 27, 2012

Extension Table Advice
Tips on setting up and using an Aigner adjustable extension table with multiple machines. April 2, 2015

Squaring Up a Cross-Cut Sled
Getting a cross-cut table-saw sled jig squared up just right is a finicky and time-consuming process. June 30, 2007

Using a Router Table for Cope and Stick Joinery
Here's a nice example of a shop-built sliding table for a router, set up to machine complex door parts on a budget, with a reasonable degree of accuracy and efficiency. June 18, 2009

Is It Necessary to Sand Mouldings?
Sanding equipment for your moulding operation shouldn't be needed if knives are sharp and well balanced and the machine is well set up. September 5, 2006

Whether to Reverse Planer Blades
Short answer: Don't do it. Long answer: Take a look at spiral cutterheads or a widebelt sander. July 10, 2009

Moulder Motor Upgrade Options
Advice on swapping up to a higher-horsepower motor, and other modifications to add muscle to your moulder. May 24, 2010

Tooth Marks from an Upcut Saw
A cabinetmaker troubleshoots a cut quality issue with an upcut saw. April 2, 2015

Troubleshooting a Slippery Widebelt Feed Belt
Here's how to dress a slippery feedbelt on a new widebelt sander. July 13, 2010

Troubleshooting an Out-of-Whack Jointer
Woodworkers discuss what could make a jointer create taper on boards. January 10, 2006

Troubleshooting A Drilling Inconsistency
Professionals diagnose a case of inaccurate drilling. April 10, 2005

Setting Up a Dovetail Machine
Tips on the tricky parts of dialing in an OMEC dovetail machine. October 15, 2010

Throat Plate Tweak for Laser-Guided Sliding Table Saw
Advice on a shop-rigged throat plate for a sliding table saw to augment the laser guide, and tips on zeroing in the laser for accuracy. June 18, 2010

Choosing a Power Feeder
Advice on matching power-feeder horsepower to the intended use. July 27, 2008

Avoiding router tear-out
Eliminating tear-out when routing the edges of stiles. February 13, 2001

Setting Up for Finger Jointing and End Gluing
Practical advice on tooling up to make long boards out of shorter lengths using a finger-jointed glued end joint.May 15, 2012

Locating Radiant Tubing Within a Slab
How do you find those tubes so you won't puncture them when you're anchoring down equipment? March 26, 2008

Troubleshooting Tearout With Maple Flooring
Check sharpening, settings, feed rates, and more. April 10, 2005

Soft-Starting a Compressor
A properly located buffer tank in the air line can keep a compressor from stalling or tripping the breaker on start-up. June 13, 2011

Tweaking the Feed Rollers on a Moulder
Woodworkers suggest reasons wood might get stuck going through the moulder, and suggest ways to fix the problem. December 6, 2006

Waxing Equipment Surfaces
Using butcher's wax to make wood move easily across machine tables. April 18, 2004

Leather and Rubber Belts for Old Machinery
A little info about drive belt technology for olden-days equipment. May 18, 2010

Working with hickory
How to get around the difficult machining characteristics of hickory. July 24, 2001

Grinding a Warped Cast-Iron Table Saw Top Flat
It's not unusual for machinery tables to get deformed out of their proper flat shape, but the problem is correctable. March 25, 2007

De-Glazing a Widebelt Conveyor
The standard method is to sand the conveyor with the wide belt, but you can just use a random orbital hand sander instead. October 15, 2012

Cleaning Sander Belts
Shop owners share their methods for cleaning wide-belt sander belts. November 14, 2009

Troubleshooting Split-Fence Accuracy
A split fence on the shaper allows for quick setup, but it takes time to learn how to set the fences accurately. August 29, 2006

Woodworker Tests iPhone Angle Finder
... it seems to work surprisingly well. June 18, 2010

Tooling Up for Efficient Custom Wood Window Production
Advice on tooling and construction methods for speeding up the process of setting up to build custom windows in small quantities. July 15, 2012

Resawing Reclaimed Heart Pine Timbers
February 27, 2005

Setting Up a Power Feeder
A cabinetmaker gets advice on adjusting a power feeder he bought second-hand with no manual. November 13, 2009

Dedicated vs. power-fed tablesaw ripping
Increasing productivity by upgrading to a straight-line, dedicated saw. August 29, 2001

Fire Sprinkler Damage to Machinery
Thoughts about the insurance claim issues and the practicality of repair or restoration of equipment after a small fire sets off the fire sprinklers in a shop. February 26, 2012

Widebelt Sander Kickback
Cabinetmakers discuss why a widebelt sander kicked some boards out against the feeder belt. October 11, 2012

Troubleshooting a Wide Belt Sander Oscillation Problem
Info on dealing with electric eye issues and sander belt tracking. June 12, 2014

Mounting a Table-Saw Power Feeder
Ideas for attaching a power feeder to a table saw. October 2, 2007

Replacing Electronics for Big Iron
Here's a tip: shop around for parts or components before you buy a whole new touch screen, display, controller, or similar electronic element for shop machinery. You could save a bundle. January 2, 2012

Wide Belt Sander Tracking Marks
Troubleshooting wavy, snakelike sanding marks left by a wide belt sander. December 21, 2010

Tear-out on raised panel corners
Eliminating corner tear-out on raised panel cabinet doors when using CNC equipment. November 7, 2000

Scheduling machinery maintenance
Creating an equipment maintenance schedule to ensure that machines provide peak proformance. January 16, 2002

Regulating generator voltage
Dealing with voltage control and wiring for generators. January 31, 2001

Grinding Moulder Knives with a CNC
Good info on the advantages and limitations of CNC-based knife-grinding setups. October 3, 2009

Machinery setup: Squaring up your saw
How to make sure your saw is cutting square. February 12, 2001

Multi-Profile Knives and Heads
Shop owner gets advice on finding appropriate cutter heads for a set of nice knives (manufacturer unknown). Included are some set-up tips. July 13, 2005

Roughing Up a Wide-Belt Feed Mat
Tips on how to roughen the surface of the feed mat on a 2-head widebelt sander to keep parts from slipping as they're fed in. February 12, 2010

Scheduling Routine Machine Maintenence
Ideas that can help you stay on top of regular shop machine maintenance tasks. July 23, 2007

Re-Roughening Power Feeder Tires
Aftermarket replacement tires give the best grip. But here are tips for sanding old tires to improve their surface friction. December 27, 2008

Feeder Wheel Hardness
A shop owner asks about products to soften old power feed wheels. Instead, he gets advice about re-covering the wheels or switching to a replaceable tire system. October 13, 2005

Getting Straight Table-Saw Rips
Tips on tuning a table saw for straight ripping. May 23, 2007

Dressing the Rollers on a Wide-Belt Sander
Tips on getting the sander drum true again by running it over flat sandpaper. July 29, 2011

Keeping the Spoilboard Down
Plastic screws work, and surfacing both sides might help. March 17, 2005

Waxing Machine Tops
Keep it simple. March 25, 2007

Troubleshooting Wide-Belt Sander Tracking Issues
Some wide-belt sander sanding belts don't reflect light properly to the automatic tracking sensor. Here's a fix. May 15, 2014

Machinery maintenance schedules
How to develop a system of regular equipment upkeep in your shop. March 16, 2001

CNC maintenance
How can a small shop deal with CNC equipment breakdown, maintenance and repair? January 31, 2001

Troubleshooting Widebelt Sander Tracking Problems
You have to keep the tracking sensor clean. May 6, 2014

Dressing Power Feeder Tires
Old power feeder rollers that have gotten too glazed to grip can be restored to softness by cleaning, sanding, or re-covering. October 27, 2011

Loosening Frozen Nuts
June 17, 2012

Adjusting a Wide-Belt Sander
Tips for fine-tuning a belt sander for smooth operation and good control. February 6, 2007

Renewing rusted table saw tops
How to fix a badly rusted table saw top in a few easy steps. February 7, 2001

Cleaning Wide-Belt Sander Belts
Tips for getting the gum and dust out of a wide-belt sander belt. April 14, 2010

Wide belt sanders for moulding
Can the same finish quality be attained with a wide belt sander as with a random orbit sander? April 25, 2001

Calibrating a Contractor's Table Saw
Loosen three nuts and nudge it (hint: replace the washers with better ones). March 14, 2006

Improving Rough Mill Yield at the Moulder
Attention to the typical causes of material loss in the moulder can improve the moulding producer's bottom line. June 21, 2007

Better moulder finish quality
Eliminating snipe on mouldings. August 13, 2002

Home-built band blade sharpener
Plans and pictures. February 18, 2003

How to make a tenon
Accurately sized tenons without a tenoner. September 25, 2002

Powering a Slider with a Rotary Phase Converter
Assessing whether a phase converter has the capacity to power a piece of equipment, and avoiding damage to the electronic controls of the machine. March 27, 2012

Power Feed Roller Hardness
Shop owners and experts discuss the ins and outs of maintaining, resurfacing, or replacing roller wheels for power feeders. October 1, 2005

Hand-held Router Accuracy
Routers are not perfectly centered from the factory, and require tuning. You'll notice it on fine-tolerance work such as dovetail joinery.October 4, 2011

Boosting voltage with a transformer
Guidelines for increasing voltage through the use of a transformer. January 31, 2001

Platen Hardness and Wide-Belt Sander Performance
Different platens combined with different belt grits can help you fine-tune your sanding results. August 8, 2008

Are Small Moulders Practical for Small Runs?
Here's an extensive and informative run on the hows and whys of buying and using a small moulder to make short runs of custom profiles. October 19, 2013

Home-built moulder
Advice on the construction of a moulder, and encouragement to follow an easier path. November 18, 2002

Table Saw Blade Height Above Material
Here's a long, thoughtful discussion of the practical and safety aspects of setting blade height when working with a table saw. November 13, 2009

Increasing production flow
Presenting to a boss the numbers that prove production flow could be improved. (Business Forum) May 17, 2003

Power Saving Effect of an Inverter on a Resaw
Here's an interesting discussion of the power savings you can get by using an inverter to start a large electric motor, and of the possible complications involved in doing so. November 5, 2013

Chip Dents, Cutter Choices, and Dust Extraction
Dents made by chips being pressed into the wood by the planer or jointer knives are a common problem. Here's a thorough discussion of causes and remedies.April 15, 2013

Shop-Built Beaded Face Frame Notching Machine
A Woodweb member displays the machine he invented and built to automate the notch cuts for beaded face-frame joinery. June 15, 2009

Choosing Table Saw Blades
Thoughts on table saw blade selection for cutting plywood and for ripping hardwood. March 26, 2010

Pocket Screw Machine Slow Operation
Maintenance and cleaning tips that may restore a multi-head pneumatic pocket screw machine to its former quickness. August 15, 2011

Router Table and Lift
Designs and ideas for a smoothly functioning router workstation. December 9, 2004

Almost Cut My Thumb Off
A close call with the table saw sparks a conversation about safe equipment and careful practices. January 11, 2008

Mounting a Digital Scale on a Sliding Tablesaw
Advice on the purchase, installation, and use of a digital scale on a sliding table saw. March 22, 2013

Best Router for Dovetails?
A discussion focused on woodworkers' favorite routers for cutting half-blind dovetails.

Square-trimming face frame stock
Woodworkers share their secrets for getting dead-square cuts on the ends of face frame members.

Holding Down The Spoilboard With Nylon Screws
Drill and countersink the screw holes. April 10, 2005

Maintenir le panneau de spoiler avec des vis en nylon
Percer et fraiser les trous de vis. 10 avril 2005

Machine Setup for Lock Miters
Lock miter setup requires a lot of fiddling, so a permanent dedicated machine can be most efficient. April 6, 2011

Dépannage d'une incohérence de forage
Des professionnels diagnostiquent un cas de forage imprécis. 10 avril 2005

Changing Wood-Mizer from gas to electric
Process and parts involved in converting an engine. February 19, 2002

Smooth-tracking sawmill
Keeping the track rollers on your sawmill running with ease. July 3, 2001

Friction Between Wood and Jointer
Waxing helps wood slide more easily, but the outfeed table may also need adjusting. February 6, 2007

Choisir des lames de scie circulaire à table
Réflexions sur le choix d'une lame de scie circulaire pour couper du contreplaqué et pour refendre du bois dur. 26 mars 2010

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