We were running low on firewood so we made a trip to the mountains on Friday. Now we have a full cache and it's time to go to work...for my kids haha. (Yes, they split all of it so they can sell it locally as firewood) 😁 How's your weekend been so far?

How to Make a Table Rigid Now we'll review three different ways to add more stability to your table. Method #1: Adding an Apron or Stretcher Like in the picture below, you can add an apron or stretcher which are horizontal pieces that connect your table legs together to make your table more structurally stable. Our dining room table uses a box apron, which ties all four legs together into a sturdy frame. This design not only strengthens the table but also gives you more solid spots to attach braces and other hardware. ✅ Pros - Stabilizes your table by creating a frame between all four legs. - Ties all parts together so the base acts as one solid piece ⚠️ Cons - May not fully prevent wobbling over time. - If your table isn’t very tall, adding an apron can reduce legroom and make the table feel shorter or make your table look weird from the side.

We've built our table top. We've built our legs and Apron. Now let's talk about the best way to attach the two to each other! The attached photos show one awesome way to attach the two together. It's incredibly simple too! You need to allow your table top to grow and shrink with the moisture in the air. The best way to do this is to allow the table top to "float" on top of the legs. We need to attach our 2" tall apron to our table legs to make a solid platform. Before we attached them, we need to cut a small groove close to the top. This groove is called a dado and it will receive these small steel clips. The dado is small enough you can do it with a table saw or circular saw. If you have a router, that's a good option as well, but you'll need a really thin bit and a guide. 👀 What You’re Looking At: The dado is a small groove cut into the backside of the table apron. The fasteners slide into this groove and secure the tabletop to the base but still allows the table top to "float" which means it can naturally shrink and swell with humidity without damaging the base. How to Use the Clips (Step-by-Step) 1. Cut a shallow dado along the inside of the apron. 2. Slide one end of the fastener clip into the dado. 3. Screw the other end of the clip into the underside of the tabletop. - ⚠️ Important: Use short screws so they don’t poke through the tabletop. Thanks for joining us today. We'll discuss more tomorrow!

Mine has a few but it’s something I’ve loved ever since we did it. We had our house built new 13 years ago. Back then, it had three 40 watt light bulbs which offered dismal lighting. These lights were also powered by an On/Off Switch. Pretty lame and it made working in my garage at night impossible. I also didn’t like how dark our garage was when we pulled our cars in it in the early mornings or night time. First we upgraded our lights to be bigger and more of them. Now I could work in the garage when it was dark outside. This cost a couple hundred dollars. Second we added a motion sensor to our switch. Now whenever the garage opens, all of the lights turn on. Super great! We also don’t have to worry about turning them off when we have our hands full with kids or groceries. This cost $15-$20 because I wired it myself. Third after 10 years I switched out our big incandescent bulbs for LEDs. Honestly, not sure this was the best upgrade because it’s harder to film in my garage now as my camera doesn’t record well with LEDs but the one thing it did allow me to do was take some of our lights off of the motion sensor and use pull chains to turn them On/Off. There have been times while working at my bench where. The motion sensor couldn’t see me and all the lights turned off…right as I was sanding or cutting something haha. Not super safe. So I fixed that. It’s not a perfect system but it’s been great nonetheless. What are some upgrades you’ve done to your residence you’re very proud of?

How to V-Fold a Table Leg I know, this term may sound completely foreign to you. This is my favorite way to make square table legs because it looks like one solid piece of lumber but has a much smaller chance of warping. Let's get into it! With this method, you're basically making a picture frame with the longer sides of your boards to make a box. Think of it like your folding a Kit Kat candy bar into a square 😁 🪚 Step 1: Cut Your Boards to Width Start by cutting your boards to the final width you need. - Example: We cut ours at 4” wide. 🪚 Step 2: Cut the Miters Next, cut a 45° miter along the edges of your boards. - Lay the boards out on your work surface after cutting to check the fit. It should look kind of like a kit kat bar 😁 - 👉 Beginner takeaway: A 45° miter lets the boards join neatly at the edges. - 🪚 Step 3: Tape the Edges - Add clear packaging tape along the edges of your boards. - The tape will hold the pieces together during assembly. - It also prevents glue from seeping out. - Press down firmly so the tape sticks evenly across the entire surface. 👉 Beginner takeaway: Tape keeps boards tight and stops glue from making a mess. 🪚 Step 4: Glue and Assemble Add wood glue to each joint. - Carefully apply an even bead of glue along the mitered edges. - Once all edges are glued, “roll” the boards up to form a box shape. 👉 Beginner takeaway: Glue the edges, then fold the boards together like wrapping a box. 🪚 Step 5: Tape as a Clamp Use your packaging tape again, this time wrap it tightly around the box. - Run strips of tape all the way around to act as a clamp. - We only show three strips in the picture, but you’ll likely need more for even pressure. - Pull the tape tight enough that it stretches slightly — that’s how you know it’s applying good pressure. 👉 Beginner takeaway: Tape can double as a clamp — just pull it tight so it holds the box firmly. 🪚 Step 6: Let It Dry Leave your box clamped with tape until the glue fully dries.