Issue 806

DIY or DIE?

While not every DIYer is a woodworker, every woodworker I know is a DIYer — me included. But I might have to reconsider. Last weekend, I was faced with a pretty simple DIY project: replacing a leaky washer on my outdoor faucet (hose bib, spigot, hydrant…so many names). It’s not a difficult task — wrenches, pump pliers, elbow grease and a trip to the hardware store for a new washer. No problem.

Except in this case, it turned out that our lovely deck was built after the faucet was installed, so when I tried to remove the 12″-long stem, it bumped into the deck joist. Never fear, I grabbed a good-sized hole saw to bore a faucet-sized hole into the joist to give me clearance. But after crawling under the deck (crawlspace is 36″), I found that attached to the doubled-up stringer blocking the stem was another joist perfectly aligned with the faucet. Ding dang!

Don’t panic, I told myself. Surely, if I remove a hole from the 3″-thick stringer, that will give me enough room to get the faucet out. Nope. Hokey smokes!

So, after about three hours of nail removal, unscrewing about a thousand (just an estimate) deck screws, and crawling around in the mud, I was able to pull the stem out and fix the faucet. No worries!

Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal

Cabinet/Card Scrapers

These thin, flexible pieces of steel can come to your aid for a variety of smoothing and cleanup tasks that surpass a sander or hand plane. Sharpening them correctly is key.

Sealing Edges with Joint Compound

Aid your particleboard and MDF finishing with this reader’s tip for sealing the edges of your panels.

Premium Project: Cartographer’s Coffee Table

Figured maple and milk paint enhance this multi-drawer conversation piece.

Premium Project: Cherry Jewelry Box

If you’re looking for an easy-to-make jewelry box, this little project is perfect. It features a removable insert and capitalizes on the scroll saw’s ability to make internal cuts with ease.

From Our Sponsor

Sale prices expire 11/16/2023 unless otherwise listed. To get free shipping, simply place your order of $49 or more at Rockler.com by clicking any link above or entering the promotion code at the top of this email at checkout. Additional shipping charges will apply for select over-sized items, express orders, and orders to Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This offer does not apply to international customers. This offer cannot be combined with other offers, applied to previous orders. Some offers available only online. Not all items available at retail stores. Offer not valid at Rockler’s independent resellers. Rockler Woodworking and Hardware reserves the right to limit quantities, correct errors or omissions and modify or end this promotion at any time.