Issue 806

Issue 806

DIY or DIE?

Rob Johnstone Photo

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

Set of three different types of cabinet scraper
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

Painting MDF edge after sealing with drywall paste
Aid your particleboard and MDF finishing with this reader’s tip for sealing the edges of your panels.

Premium Project: Cartographer’s Coffee Table

Cartographer's Coffee Table project
Figured maple and milk paint enhance this multi-drawer conversation piece.

Premium Project: Cherry Jewelry Box

Simple cherry 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.

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