Dan Shapiro's Blog

So I made some picture frames recently, and they had pretty mediocre corners. If you’ve tried to get a perfect 45 degree miter before, you know what a pain in the posterior this can be.

Sometimes you want to make something that can be chewed on, drooled over, or used as a serving implement. When that time comes, you want to steer clear of most commercial finishes.

I have to let go of the Green Machine, old faithful, the single instrument that is most responsible for me Not Severing Anything Yet.

I’ve been experimenting with methods of shellac application as I work on the legs for our dining room table.

This weblog is now available at the more mnemonically-friendly location of www.nothingseveredyet.com.

WD-40 takes off bumper stickers.

I was doing some research on table saws yesterday, and wanted to give you a quick report on the results. 1) Get a cabinet saw, not a contractor-style saw. Heavier trunions mean less vibration. Everything is bolted to the base instead of the table, stabilizing the works. Everything is enclosed (make sure it comes with…

Go buy yourself some mineral oil. Now, if you happen to have the simultaneous personality defects of being easily embarrased and constantly feeling like you have to explain yourself to total strangers, this may be a bit tricky.

My friends know that I’m apolitical, and I hate to argue with people about issues like this. So if you’re a supporter of the current administration, please regard this as an homage to our president. If not, please regard this as the scariest jack-o-lantern I could come up with.

As our brighter readers will have already gleaned, the whole purpose of a humidor is to be humid. And as any reader paying even the slightest bit of attention will now realize, humidity and wood are a trecherous combination.