Residue-Free Labels Latest in Tools and Supplies

Stroke Sanders and Wide-Belt Sanders
More thoughts on the choices in production sanding equipment. March 13, 2007

Saws
Basic descriptions of sliding table saws, miter saws, re-saws, and related saw equipment used in wood shops. November 13, 2008

Vertical Panel Saw and Sliding Table Saw Comparison
This discussion of the choice between vertical saws and sliders includes some thoughts on sliding table saw technique. November 21, 2006

Options for Machining Dadoes
Here's an extensive collection of methods and tips for cutting dadoes in panels. November 30, 2009

Dust Cut Procedures
Woodworkers describe how they make initial cuts on sheet goods to establish straight and square edges. July 27, 2008

Cutting Square on the Table Saw
The main pitfalls are that your stock is out of square from the factory, and that table saw fences move. Here are tips on squaring up panel cuts. December 11, 2006

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

Routing Dadoes with a Vertical Panel Saw
People who have relied on a vertical panel saw for dadoing panels say the idea is problematic at best. February 26, 2007


Cutting Veneered MDF on a Bevel
Tips on blade selection and table-saw technique for clean cuts on veneered panels. November 28, 2006

Left-Tilt Versus Right-Tilt Table Saws
In response to a question about which is better, here's a well-thought-out list of pros and cons. December 28, 2006

Vertical Panel Saws Versus Sliding Table Saws, Again
The perennial discussion, with a few new observations. March 3, 2009

Track Saws and Accessories
Advice on the choices in the track saw category. November 15, 2011

Double-Refined MDF
Double-refined MDF provides a cleaner, smoother machined edge. But there are also ways to improve the edge of standard MDF. November 5, 2007

Troubleshooting Curved Rips in Melamine
Cuts coming out curved when you rip melamine? It's probably due to stresses in the material, not a problem with the table saw. August 14, 2007

Drum Sander Sanding Marks
Drum sanders typically leave "washboard" contact marks, so that sanded pieces still require hand sanding with a random-orbit sander. March 13, 2007

Flipping Heavy Sheet Goods
Ideas for managing the weight of MDF and other heavy sheet goods when laminating sheets on both faces. September 15, 2011

MDF Bowing After Panel Saw Cutting
Panel moisture content can cause pieces to bow when cut. October 14, 2009

Edge Trimming on a Beam Saw
It's common practice to trim off the factory edge when cutting panels into parts on a beam saw. January 3, 2014

Budget Cross-Cutting Solutions
Suggestions on gearing up for wide panel cross-cuts without investing in an expensive sliding table saw. March 25, 2007

Preventing Blow-Out When Cutting Double-Sided Veneer Plywood
Advice on equipment, blades, and techniques to prevent a ragged edge on the underside of table-saw cuts. January 20, 2007

Are Two Motors Better than One on a Two-Head Sander?
Some two-head sanders drive both heads with a single motor. What difference does it make? February 6, 2007

Face-Frame Versus Frameless Cabinetry
Have we had that discussion yet on the relative merits of face-frame and frameless construction? August 15, 2006

Optimizing Materials Versus Speed when Cutting Parts on a Slider
Wasted time is pitted against wasted material. November 30, 2009

Methods of 32 mm system layout
Different interpretations on the 32mm system. (Cabinetmaking Forum) March 23, 2003

Nested-Based Routers Versus Beam Saw and Point-to-Point
Two different technologies, same product — why pick one or the other? January 14, 2008

Nested Base Versus Beam Saw and PTP
A closet system fabricator and installer describes his journey through various shop equipment situations. May 26, 2014

CNC tooling: What's the best?
Solving the problems of worn-out router bits and torn-out melamine. January 3, 2001

Going from handcrafted to CNC
Discussion of P2Ps, dedicated boring, edgebanders and other equipment, software and processes. August 29, 2001

One Man, One Kitchen, How Many Days?
Solo cabinetmakers compare notes on the time it takes them to complete a basic kitchen job. April 26, 2006

A Sliding Table Saw in a Small Work Space
Here's another long discussion of the value of sliding table saws, and the practical aspects of fitting one into a small shop footprint. July 29, 2012

What's your Favorite Machine?
Woodworkers chime in about the equipment they love. May 26, 2010

Value-added pricing: Why? -- Because you're worth it!
We all fear "those guys in their garages, doing work for cheap." But we really have nothing to fear at all.

CNC Router Versus Vertical Panel Saw
Which to invest in? It all depends on the shop's needs and the business plan. January 8, 2007

Drawers and the Utilization of Space
Why slide-integrated drawer systems are less costly to produce and provide greater space efficiency than traditional drawer construction. 1998.

32mm manual vs NBM setups
Will any efficiency be gained by adding high-tech equipment to a small shop? July 24, 2002

Why Does Plywood Warp?
An extended technical and practical discussion of dimensional instability in plywood panels. January 20, 2010

Machinery Choices for Slab Door Production
A discussion of which machinery will best optimize productivity: a beam saw, a panel saw, or a CNC? May 15, 2014

Chinese Plywood
Cabinetmakers complain about the quality of hardwood plywood imported from China. April 13, 2012

Sliding Table Saw Versus Vertical Panel Saw
Another take on a common topic: whether to buy a panel saw or a slider (or both). September 26, 2009

Expanding Table Saw Capacity
Woodworkers discuss choosing a second table saw, building on an outfeed table, using a "shoot board," and other ways to expand panel ripping and crosscutting capacity. August 3, 2009

Widebelt Sander Adjustment and Scratch Patterns
A close look at widebelt sander head adjustment and its effect on the quality of the results. April 29, 2010

Marketing High-End Cabinets
Cabinetmakers share ideas for attracting big-ticket clients. February 10, 2004

Components--Not Cabinets
A longtime adherent of the system process of cabinet manufacturing makes his case for componentizing. 1998.

Fastening dado joints
Fast techniques for assembling dadoed cabinet boxes. June 24, 2002

Value of a Sliding Table Saw
Cabinetmakers discuss whether, and why, a sliding table saw is worth having around when other tools can do (sort of) the same thing.April 29, 2012

Shopping for a Panel Saw
Advice on how to get your money's worth for a panel saw, and thoughts on choosing a slider or a track-guided circular saw instead. May 28, 2010

Are Tracksaws Under-Powered?
A tracksaw is handy when you need one, but it's no straight-line rip saw. February 27, 2015

Sliding Table Saw Versus Conventional Cabinet Saw
Input for a shop class student on the academic comparison between a sliding table saw and a traditional table saw. April 18, 2011

To nest or not to nest?
Is nesting appropriate for all shops? June 4, 2003

Do Edgebanders Provide Perfect Output?
Few, if any edgebanders will consistently produce panels that can pass your thumb's feel test — and none will without continual tending by a good operator. December 27, 2006

Accurately Squaring Cabinet Boxes
Methods foraccurately squaring frameless cabinet carcasses. October 16, 2003

Sliding Table Saw: Manual or Digital?
Cabinetmakers consider how to assess the productivity benefits of a digital or computer-controlled slider. November 15, 2010

Think before you take the CNC plunge
WOODWEB technical advisor Brian Personett offers some food for thought to those thinking about purchasing CNC equipment. November 15, 2000

Track Saws for Breaking Down Panels
A tracked circular saw is no substitute for a panel saw or sliding table saw, but it's a productive tool that's worth the investment. October 13, 2010

Slider, Panel Saw, or Festool?
"All three" is the easy answer; but here are some thoughts for the cabinetmaker who is forced to choose. April 29, 2012

CNC Versus Panel Saw Accuracy
CNC equipment has a reputation for superior accuracy. Here, cabinetmakers discuss the reasons it may be so. March 25, 2007

Raised panel wainscot
Making wainscot onsite. November 24, 2002

Construction Boring Machines and Confirmat Screws
Tips on how to bore, countersink, and align cabinet parts for assembling with Confirmat screws. July 21, 2006

Cabinetmaking Forum -- 32mm: Imperial Versus Metric
Frameless cab systems use metric measurement. Your crew will make the transition with ease, but you'll still need to talk feet and inches to most customers. August 29, 2006

Inset-door cabinets
A cabinetmaker goes from frameless to face frame and seeks advice. September 19, 2001

Machining Scallops or Flutes into MDF Panels
With CNC equipment, you can machine any kind of regular or irregular scallops, waves, or flutes into MDF — but it can be pricey, and makes a lot of dust. January 26, 2008

Frameless Cabinet Fastening
Attaching lower cabinet sides to deck. August 7, 2004

Whether to Keep the Slider
Does a sliding table saw earn its keep when there's also a CNC in the shop?February 1, 2011

Assembling Frameless Casework
Dowel, dado, or confirmat screw? August 9, 2005

Stripes in Fir Plywood
A cabinetmaker's finisher notices a strange defect in some Fir plywood, probably caused by grain compression that happened at the plywood mill. October 13, 2012

Widebelt Sander Belt Tracking
Advice on how to get your belt running straight. January 20, 2010

Rolling A-Frames for Moving Plywood
Ideas for a low-cost shop-built plywood-handling rack on wheels. July 10, 2007

CNC vs P2P
Defining the difference between P2P and CNC. June 13, 2001

Stable spoilboard material
Choosing spoilboard material that won't shrink, grow or warp. January 3, 2001

Wood-Core MDF Panels
A quick look at the pros and cons of panels with plywood cores and MDF skins. April 22, 2014

Line-boring for adjustable shelves
The full range of options for getting shelf holes in place is reviewed. 1998.

Foreign Material in Sheet Stock
People have found nuts, bolts, wrenches, nail sets, and sheet rock knives embedded in sheets of MDF or plywood. September 3, 2011

Cleaning Melamine Blades
Solvent cleaning will give you a little more mileage between blade re-sharpenings. March 9, 2008

Sliding Table Saw Crosscut Fence Safety
The crosscut fence on a slider is positioned for managing large panel cuts. April 10, 2008

12-Inch Versus 14-Inch Table-Saw Blade Performance
Twelve-inch blades seem to cut straighter and smoother. September 8, 2007

Sources for Panel Handling Carts
Several companies make competing hand carts for moving and lifting panels in the shop. December 2, 2010

Plunge Cut Circular Saw Versus Table Saw
For a part-time shop, can a high-quality circular saw and guide setup take the place of a table saw for panel cutting on small jobs? June 3, 2009

Budget Alternatives to a Sliding Table Saw
If a slider's not in the budget, what are the alternatives? Cabinetmakers discuss table saw attachments, vertical panel saws, and track saw packages. April 6, 2011

Point-to-Point and Beam Saw Versus Nested-Base
A short dialogue on a much-discussed topic about alternatives in cabinet-shop automation. April 17, 2009

Panel Processing Time with and without CNC
A CNC shop and a cabinetmaker using conventional equipment compare the labor time used to cut up and bore an entire kitchen. January 1, 2012

Plywood Cupping and Moisture Content
Check panel moisture content when you receive it, advises the Wood Doctor. April 16, 2009

Baltic Birch Plywood Dimensions and Waste
Thoughts on how to get value out of a 5-foot by 5-foot plywood panel. June 16, 2010

PTP vs. CNC: What's the difference?
Technical differences and applications of point-to-point and CNC routers. December 12, 2000

Panel Router Versus Slider for Dadoing
Cabinetmakers discuss the choice of equipment for routine dado work in panels. February 1, 2015

How to Saw Curved Panels
Advice on cutting up bowed panel stock for making curved cabinet doors. February 13, 2009

Face frame versus frameless
December 28, 2002

Cost of running a CNC router
Choosing the right CNC machine based on projected capabilities and costs. November 29, 2000

Sliding Table Saw Safety
Here's an extensive set of tips and cautions for working safely with a sliding table saw. December 2, 2010

Installing Rollout Shelves
Keeping rollouts clear of the hinges. March 14, 2004

Troubleshooting "Banana Cut" Problems with Melamine
Humidity issues cause some panels to curve or bow when cut. Here, CNC operators discuss possible solutions. December 6, 2006

Troubleshooting Melamine Chipping on a Panel Saw
Advice on blade selection, sharpening, and saw operation to avoid chipping out melamine when cutting with a panel saw.March 13, 2014

Is CNC Equipment Practical for a One-Man Shop?
A long and thorough analysis of the value of an investment in CNC equipment for the small shop, this thread should be read by anyone considering the upgrade to CNC. August 23, 2006

Curing 32mm hole alignment problems
Improving results achieved with a single-hole line borer. January 24, 2001

Dowel drilling and use guidelines
A quick guide to dowel clearances and practices, including drilling depth, diameter-to-edge ratios, and dowel selection. 1998.

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