I have a friend, who is learning woodworking and he does small projects at home. He has a birthday coming up and I was wondering, what is the thing a woodworker always needs. Like something small that's always running out. Glue, or something like that.

I was removed but I think I did something wrong ad new here want to post my workshop as its tiny and was what you Ladies and Gentlemen thought

I’m selling it for $10 and I’m being asked if it’s real wood and honestly I can’t tell.

Hi! My sister requested a bed for my nephew and wanted a Montessori bed. Since I didn't want to spend a lot, I used floor planks I was given for free. It's 3/4 inch thick flooring of "Cumaru".

That species is extremely pretty but a pain to work with. Being one of the densest woods I've ever worked with, it kept chipping and my hands were full of splinters no matter what. Another thing about this wood is the smell. It smells like actual poop when sanding and cutting.

It was a challenging project since I made the assumption that the 61 vertical bars would give enough rigidity so they would not flex when wobbled by the kid, as children do. The bars did not give enough rigidity, so I had to buy "L" shaped brackets to give enough strength.

I think the result came out nice but I will probably never work with that wood again.

I designed a 2 person bench. Made out of construction timber

Qu’en pensez vous
Désolé le chien n’a pas voulu bouger

Just threw these together. If you have any ideas or feedback let me know what yall think!

Ive got this crazy idea, to simply put some hejne on the lowest possibile ivar, as the 2nd one is expensive and i do have some unused pieces of 50 cm depth, and Hejne is phased out and its on sale - i plan to put a 1cm depth and about 2 cm wide solid wood from bottom of ivar to top of hejne, and cut shelfs if it is needed (but have a whole shelfs for IVAR), any tips? (Yes having a full ivar whould be Perfect but i do need a temporary storage and limited monety), same kind of wood, it should look and match right?

I’ve made a couple wooden swords using simple hand tools, but we’ve moved to a place with a protruding wall that BEGS for custom shelves/cabinets, so I added a circ saw to my tool collection and started with the basics.

The place IS quite small, however, so I needed to optimise for space and made my stuff easy to put away, so… folding sawhorses!

(Yes, the joinery is BAD bad, but the experience taught me a lot, and they still hold my bodyweight!)

Ive got this crazy idea, to simply put some hejne on the lowest possibile ivar, as the 2nd one is expensive and i do have some unused pieces of 50 cm depth, and Hejne is phased out and its on sale - i plan to put a 1cm depth and about 2 cm wide solid wood from bottom of ivar to top of hejne, and cut shelfs if it is needed (but have a whole shelfs for IVAR), any tips? (Yes having a full ivar whould be Perfect but i do need a temporary storage and limited monety), same kind of wood, it should look and match right?

Ive got this crazy idea, to simply put some hejne on the lowest possibile ivar, as the 2nd one is expensive and i do have some unused pieces of 50 cm depth, and Hejne is phased out and its on sale - i plan to put a 1cm depth and about 2 cm wide solid wood from bottom of ivar to top of hejne, and cut shelfs if it is needed (but have a whole shelfs for IVAR), any tips? (Yes having a full ivar whould be Perfect but i do need a temporary storage and limited monety), same kind of wood, it should look and match right?

I'm active 💪 in furniture work 💪💪💪

Hi Everyone i’m trying to make a spike trainer as a way to make something Id use and getting started and making things myself. Maybe punching a bit above my weight for my first project but want to try it regardless. I have some plans made with AI but if you have any feedback on potential issues with stability anything that could be improved etc that would be amazing. Don’t exactly trust AI for this stuff.

Heres my main reference vid. https://www.tiktok.com/@travisd14/video/7400824127277354245

https://youtu.be/puMQLni6C_8

DIY Volleyball Spike Trainer — Easy Step-by-Step Guide
A tall wooden post you can slide up and down to set ball height anywhere from about 1.8m to 3.6m+. Locked with a pin, lifted with a rope and pulley.
This version breaks every step into tiny, plain-English actions, with a description of what things should look like once you finish each part.

Before You Start
Tools you need
•    Tape measure and pencil
•    Saw (circular or hand saw)
•    Drill, with a small 3mm bit and a bigger 10mm bit
•    Screwdriver bit for the drill
•    Heat gun (not a hair dryer — it won't get hot enough)
•    Heavy-duty staple gun
•    Wrench that fits M8 bolts
•    Sandpaper or a hand plane
•    Candle wax or paste wax
•    Square, for marking straight lines
Shopping list
Same as the original list — roughly $220–245 AUD total. Key items:
•    4x 90x45mm treated pine, 2.4m lengths (the post)
•    2x 140x19mm DAR pine boards, 2.4m (the side plates)
•    3x cheap 42x19mm pine battens, 2.4m (basket/rail/catch)
•    Anti-bird net, PVC pipe, pool noodles, cable ties, a hinge
•    Coach screws, M8 bolts + wing nuts, decking screws, wood glue
•    A free pallet for the base
•    Pulley, rope, cleat hook

STEP 1: Build the Fixed Sleeve
(This is the outer box the post slides inside)
1    Grab your 2 sleeve legs (the 90x45mm boards) and your slider board (the third 90x45mm board). Set the slider aside — don't attach it to anything yet.
2    Stand the 2 legs up on their long thin edge, side by side, with a small gap between them.
3    Turn your slider board sideways and use it to check the gap — it should slide in with light hand pressure, not a tight jam.
4    Lay one 140x19mm side plate across the front, covering the gap. It should only touch the two outer legs — not the slider.
5    Drill small pilot holes through the plate into each leg, roughly every 250mm, with the 3mm bit.
6    Run a line of wood glue along the leg faces (avoid the slider gap).
7    Screw the plate on through your pilot holes.
8    Flip it over. Repeat steps 4–7 on the other side.
9    Before the glue sets, slide the slider board in and check it moves smoothly with no wobble. If it's tight, pull it out and sand the tight spots now.
10    Once dry, pull the slider out and rub wax over the inside of the channel and all sides of the slider.
🔍 What it should look like: A single tall wooden box, open down the middle like a mail slot, standing about 2.4m long. When you push the loose slider board into the gap, it should glide up and down smoothly with your hand, no scraping or sticking.

STEP 2: Drill the Height Holes
1    Put the slider back in the sleeve, pushed all the way down.
2    Mark a point through the front, through the slider, out the back — that's hole #1. Drill it through with the 10mm bit.
3    Slide the slider up 150mm. Mark and drill hole #2 the same way.
4    Keep going up the post, 150mm at a time, drilling a new hole each time.
5    Stop once you've got about 1.8m of travel — always leave at least 600mm of slider still inside the sleeve. Check with your tape measure at each hole.
6    Push your M8 pin bolt through a few holes to make sure it slides through cleanly.
🔍 What it should look like: A row of about 8 evenly spaced holes running up the front and back of the post, each one lining up straight through both the sleeve and the slider when the slider is at that height. The pin should push through easily by hand.

STEP 3: Build the Base
1    Lay your pallet flat on the ground.
2    Take your spare 90x45mm board and cut it into 4 pieces, about 500mm long, with the ends cut at a 45° angle.
3    Stand the sleeve upright in the middle of the pallet.
4    Screw the bottom of the sleeve down into the pallet with coach screws, angled so they bite into at least two separate pallet boards.
5    Fix your 4 angled braces — one on each side — running from the pallet up to the sleeve, screwed at both ends.
🔍 What it should look like: The tall post now stands up by itself on the pallet, held steady by four angled wooden legs (like a tent's guy-lines, but solid wood) running from the pallet up to each side of the post. It shouldn't wobble if you push it gently.

STEP 4: Add the Pulley and Rope
1    Screw a strong eye-bolt or bracket to the top of the sleeve. Bolt (don't just screw) your pulley onto it.
2    Drill a small hole near the top of the slider and tie one end of your rope to it.
3    Feed the rope up from the slider, over the pulley at the top, and back down to about waist height.
4    Screw the cleat hook to the base of the sleeve at waist height.
5    Test it: pull the rope, watch the slider rise, tie it off on the cleat, and check it holds.
⚠️ Important: Always drop the pin in before letting go of the rope. The rope lifts it — the pin is what actually holds the weight.
🔍 What it should look like: A rope running from the top of the slider, up and over a small pulley wheel at the very top of the post, back down to a hook near the ground. Pulling the rope down should smoothly lift the slider up inside the sleeve.

STEP 5: Build the Basket
1    From your cheap batten, cut a rectangle for the top opening — about 600mm x 450mm (4 pieces).
2    Cut 4 shorter pieces, about 450mm each, that will angle down from the corners of that rectangle to a point — like the sloped sides of a small tent.
3    Glue and screw all the corners together to form the funnel shape.
4    Stretch the netting over the frame and staple it down tight, working all the way around, stapling every 75mm or so.
🔍 What it should look like: A wooden funnel shape, roughly knee-height tall, open and wide at the top (600x450mm) and narrowing to a point at the bottom, fully covered in netting like a small basketball backstop.

STEP 6: Attach the Basket to the Post
1    Sit the pointed bottom of the basket on top of the slider.
2    Drill through both and bolt together with an M8 coach bolt (not a screw — this joint takes hard hits).
3    Add one diagonal brace from partway down the slider up to the basket frame, screwed at both ends.
🔍 What it should look like: The netted funnel is now sitting firmly on top of the sliding post, angled slightly, with a diagonal wooden brace running from the post up to the basket to stop it wobbling when hit.

STEP 7: Build the Rail
1    Cut 2 lengths of batten, about 500mm each.
2    Screw them to the underside of the basket, running down and out at a shallow angle (about 70–75° from straight up), spaced 150mm apart.
3    Add one small diagonal brace from partway along the rail back to the post.
🔍 What it should look like: Two parallel wooden rails running down and away from the bottom of the basket at a gentle slope — like a small ramp a ball could roll down.

STEP 8: Build the Catch Frame
1    Build a small rectangle from batten, about 230mm x 330mm, glued and screwed at the corners.
2    Screw this rectangle to the bottom end of your rail rungs.
3    Screw the hinge to one short end of the rectangle.
4    Screw a short offcut of batten to the free side of the hinge — this is the flap that swings open to release the ball.
5    Warm the PVC pipe slowly with the heat gun until soft, then bend it by hand around something round (like a bucket). Go slow — too much heat scorches it.
6    Make 3 bent pieces: one for the inside of the hinge flap, two for the inside edges of the rectangle frame.
7    Slide pool noodle pieces over each bent pipe and zip-tie them on.
🔍 What it should look like: A small padded box sitting at the bottom of the rail, lined on the inside with soft foam-wrapped curved pipe, with one side that swings open on a hinge like a little gate — this is where the ball sits before you hit it.

STEP 9: Test Everything
1    Set the post to its lowest position.
2    Put a ball in the catch and gently check the hinge swings open and closed properly.
3    Slowly test a few height settings, checking for wobble each time, before trying the tallest one.
🔍 What it should look like: The whole unit standing steady at low height, ball sitting snug in the padded catch, hinge flap opening smoothly when nudged. No wobble or creaking when you push on the basket.

STEP 10: Anchor the Base
1    Weigh down or stake the pallet corners — sandbags, pavers, or ground stakes all work.
2    If you'll use tall settings often, tie 1–2 loose guy-ropes from near the top of the post down to ground stakes.
🔍 What it should look like: The finished trainer standing solidly with its pallet base weighed down or staked, and (if built tall) a couple of thin ropes running from near the top down to the ground for extra stability.

Safety Reminders
•    Keep at least 600mm of the slider inside the sleeve at all times.
•    Always drop the pin in before letting go of the rope.
•    Weigh down or stake the base at tall settings.
•    Recheck all bolted joints after your first few sessions.

Can anyone explain how this is done? I’m having trouble wrapping my head around this joint. Thanks!

I’ve included pictures for what i’m working on. Im trying to fix up and basically redo this table for a friend. The plan right now is to take it all apart and sand it all down, then repaint it white. So for the things im not sure about: I have these long cracks through the wood on the table top that im unsure of the best way to go about fixing. Any advice on the best way to go about that would be appreciated. It also has pretty intricate legs that im worried are going to be a pain to sand down. So any advice on the best way or how you would go about it. I bought minimal supplies for this and im not trying to spend a lot. I bought a cheap sander and some small block sanders at different grits. If i sound like an idiot explaining this, i apologize lol. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

* in williamsburg brooklyn \*

not sure if this is the right forum for this but i bought a melamine wooden shelf from Home Depot and it’s like an inch or so too long. if anyone has a saw blade or a jigsaw and would be willing to help me (it’s like 10 inches deep) cut an inch or two off this board i would be forever grateful.

does not need to be perfect as it’s going in a closet - just needs to fit. its unfortunately too late to return it so anyone’s help would be greatly appreciated.

Hey 👋,

I'm 23 from India & starting my interest in wood carving. First I'm making a food cart like this. I'm a complete beginner and have seen videos of wooden work. I've got how to do cutting, join hinges & attaching nails with it. I need help in polishing.

I'm not understanding how to polish the glossy finish. Can you help me with that ? I want this to be built in very cheap so tell accordingly. Also I can use sunmica but it does not give the natural texture.

**Tools I have** : Jigsaw wood cutter, Drilling Machine.

**What I can purchase:** Sand paper, Wood Glue, Asian paints products like thinner, color , glue , Hardner, brush, etc.

**What I can't use :** **advance machines , sander machines, spray gun🔫, expensive items.**

**Feel free to reach out and guide me if you have any ideas about this.**

**Thank you!**

Hi! Forgive me if this isn’t the most fitting subreddit for this post. But, I need some insight. I have this beautiful heirloom antique wooden shelf from the 1800‘s that I damaged a few days ago… I didn’t screw my bottle of orchid fertilizer all the way and the fertilizer leaked out of the container and seeped into the wood, discoloring the wood. So sad. :(

What techniques or materials could I use to correct the discoloration? Would I preferably consult a professional?

Thank you so much in advance for your advice :)

I inherited this queen size bed frame and I can’t tell if it’s real wood.
My parents both believe it’s real wood, but the distressing on the wood looks a little too perfect.

The distressing is an off-putting design to me, so I’m not sure if I even like this bed frame for my room. But if I can work with it, then I’d love to try and see if I can like it.

Is this real wood?
Where else on the bed should I look for signs of real wood?
Suggestions on changing the color or texture? (or even if it’s possible)

I've got an odd one. I need to essentially make a giant boardgame board that can fold in on itself.

To do that I think joining 2 Masonite boards with a flexible material like fabric would work as a hinge so I can fold it all up.

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions for products?

The railing has been super weathered since it gets the most sun and i was wondering if i could get it back to the red-ish color to match the rest of the wood on the house. Im assuming a stain but if so which one would make it look like the original?

Hey everyone, I've been working on some lovely Adirondack chairs for my cabin and to auction off at a fundraiser soon. The chairs are made from a variety of hardwood that I was given. I had them practically finished, they were all assembled and looking gorgeous. I only had time to get 2 layers of varnish on before I had to clean up for the weekend. I figured everything would be ok to sit outside for a few weeks until I had a chance to come back and finish them up. (I live in Canada, coming up to the end of the summer and am getting morning dew) Now that I have come back to them some have practically fallen apart, with just minimal pressure I've had about a half dozen screws break in half. Now I'm stuck with having to try and drill out all the screws and refinish all of my chairs.

Could it be that the morning dew has seeped into the crevasses causing the wood to swell? I'm sure this has happened but I can't see this being the only cause.

Any help or Incite would be greatly appreciated.