Merry Christmas everyone, another year is quickly coming to an end. I fell a cedar a few years back and didn’t want it to be added to the firewood pile so I made a table and benches. A couple mortise and tenon joints on both benches with a water based poly finish on the table top and oil based poly on the benches. I’m not a master in woodworking but I’ve been in the trades my entire life. My goal is to learn more joints and the appropriate time to use them. I have a decent back log of completed projects and will try to be as active as possible, feel free to reach out and teach me something. Enjoy the rest of your day.

Merry Christmas everyone. Looking for some help. I had some nice walnut cutoffs that I made into a trivet for my wife. Now I’m looking for a heat resistant finish. I want the grain and colors to pop, but don’t want to darken the wood too much. Suggestions? And, no, this is not her Christmas present. Thanks

This was my first attempt to build “nice” furniture suitable for a living room. My daughter asked me to make her a pair of nested end tables. All I had for a design was a picture she downloaded off of the internet. I wanted to use some oak I had on hand that was rough cut at 1” thick and 8” wide. I milled it to about 3/4” thick and 7” wide. Then I doubled it up to get the desired thickness and joined 3 boards abreast to get the dimensions I needed. As a result each side and top consisted of 6 boards. I cut a mitered butt joint to bring all the pieces together. X 4. I finished with a stain and polyurethane to protect the wood from her young children. The result were 2 beautiful sets of nested end tables.

Every woodworker has that one habit in the shop that’s tough to shake. Maybe you skip dust collection, leave tools out a little too long, or put off sharpening until it’s absolutely necessary. What’s the habit you’re trying to break (or have already kicked)? Share it in the comments! No judgment here, just honest shop talk from folks who get it! 🏆 Prize: $100 Sawinery Gift Card (for treating yourself after breaking that habit 💪) 📅 Winner announced on November 17! 📍 Open to U.S. customers only (for now). We’re working on making them available in more locations soon!

Every woodworker started somewhere — and for most beginners, there’s that one tool that makes everything click. Maybe it’s a good set of chisels that taught you precision, a sturdy workbench that changed your workflow, or a random orbital sander that made finishing feel effortless. What’s the one tool you think every beginner should have in their shop? Tell us in the comments (and feel free to share why it’s a must-have)! 🏆 Prize: $100 Sawinery Gift Card (perfect for picking up your next favorite tool 😉) 📅 Winner announced on October 27!