Surface Prep

Q&A: Sanding to 500 grit

June 4, 2020

One reader asks Chris Becksvoort if sanding too fine will interfere with finishing.
Tips and techniques for taming tearout

May 18, 2020

Don't let gnarly grain stand in your way. Gary Rogowski outlines his strategies for handplaning woods that are prone to tearout.
Workshop Tip: Align sander disks faster

April 16, 2020

Dowels make it easier to line up disks perfectly and quickly.
Watch This: How to stop tearout

March 26, 2020

Gary Rogowski helps you understand every woodworker's enemy, tearout.
Workshop Tip: Capture the Right Sawdust for Repairs

January 6, 2020

Keep bags of dust organized by wood species so you can fill gaps and make repairs.
Tool Review: Sanding Nets by Festool

December 31, 2019

Regardless of what Adam Godet threw at Festool’s new Granat Net abrasives, they were more durable, cleaner, and clogged less than conventional sanding disks.
Foolproof Surface Prep

November 4, 2019

Working systematically, Bob Van Dyke demonstrates how to remove mill marks and tearout with a scraper, break sharp edges and corners with a block plane, and sand to an even finish with sandpaper.
How To Flatten and Sand a Chest of Drawers

August 28, 2019

For Chris Becksvoort, the belt sander is a workhorse for smoothing drawer sides and for flattening the fronts of drawers to cases
Great Results With A Belt Sander

August 14, 2019

It may be noisy. It may be dusty. But in a pro shop like Chris Becksvoort's, where time is money, it's hard to beat the belt sander for producing great results quickly.
Workshop Tip: Pipe-Clamp Cradle Holds Long Boards for Planing

May 8, 2019

It’s difficult to control long boards when face planing. Benchdogs don’t always work, and a simple end stop doesn’t control long boards well, especially when you skew the plane. This…

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