| Subject | Date Asked |
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| mildrew above window trim | 9/9/2007 |
Q: In a bedroom upstairs there is mildrew above the window wood trim on 2 windows (same wall). We live ...
A: Teresa, This is an unusual occurrence for Florida. You may have a roof leak, or the window or ...
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| Wooden gate | 8/27/2007 |
Q: I have a garden gate made of rough wood which has been treated and only needed weathering before I ...
A: Shirley, From your description this sounds like a resin (sap) pocket (or multiple pockets). These ...
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| kitchen cabinet stain peeling | 8/24/2007 |
Q: We recently refaced our kitchen with new maple cabinet doors and drawers in a dark stain. Anytime a ...
A: Susan, This is not normal. For some reason the finish did not properly adhere to the wood. This ...
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| wood fence | 8/22/2007 |
Q: I will be putting up a wood fence and I was told non treated wood is ok to use. I want it to last ...
A: Jeff, The risk will be increased. Termites and certainly carpenter ants are common in your area, ...
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| wood fence | 8/21/2007 |
Q: I will be putting up a wood fence and I was told non treated wood is ok to use. I want it to last ...
A: Jeff, The success of this job will depend on the type of wood and how it is finished. Of course ...
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| water stains (from dog) on kitchen cabinets | 8/19/2007 |
Q: We were just outside in the rain. Our golden retriever (who is 12 years old & has never liked being ...
A: Ronda, If the stains haven't disappeared by now, try rubbing them with paste furniture wax, ...
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| Doing Natural Finish on Maple | 8/18/2007 |
Q: I have some natural finish maple kitchen cabinets. I just build a "built-in" desk to match but I am ...
A: Sam, Today nearly all "natural" maple furnishings are just that - hard or soft maple with a clear ...
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| leather couch cushions | 8/16/2007 |
Q: My leather couch cushions that have cloth on the underside as well as a cloth type material on the ...
A: Karen, Try a layer of non-slip rug pad. This is a very thin flexible mesh that is coated with a ...
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| wood darkening | 8/15/2007 |
Q: Helo, I have a table that had a water ring on it (potted plant, water over flow) The finish looks ...
A: partially, Once a finished surface is partially disturbed or changed, it is very difficult, or ...
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| beautiful pine coffee table | 8/13/2007 |
Q: i don't know if this is your field if not i do apologize, but i desperately need help! i have a ...
A: Samantha, Unfortunately this type of repair is very difficult. Even a wax-type repair (which you ...
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| refinishing ash cabinets | 8/10/2007 |
Q: I have 12 year old ash cabinets in my kitchen that have yellowed significantly as a result of marine ...
A: Cindy, Your best bet is to strip the finish with a chemical wood stripper. However, this is a ...
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| Woodwork,Cabinet | 8/10/2007 |
Q: Stephen, I have a nine year old house and had a problem with a plugged dryer vent and condensation ...
A: Greg, Mold will generally grow on the surface of woodwork if it is caused by excess indoor ...
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| Refininshing inside of cabinets | 8/10/2007 |
Q: My husband and I ordered $30,000 worth of Italian cabinets from a local dealer. The cabinets have a ...
A: Sara, If you can wait, the best option is to get what you ordered. A work-around such as adding a ...
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| finish on a poker table made out of plywood | 8/7/2007 |
Q: It will be out side in a pool area but covered from rain and ect. I would like the hardest and ...
A: Gary, Spar varnish is a good choice. It is very durable and builds nicely. Sand lightly between ...
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| Resending - no message with answer | 8/7/2007 |
Q: Stephen, I received a message saying you had answered a duplicate question - I never got the first ...
A: Nicci, It is likely that the crack opens and closes slightly in response to seasonal changes in ...
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| Gap/crack in top of cabinet | 8/6/2007 |
Q: The top of my wooden cabinet is made of 2 pieces of wood. On the one piece at the front of the ...
A: Nicci, It is likely that the crack opens and closes slightly in response to seasonal changes in ...
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| baby furniture | 8/6/2007 |
Q: How long must you wait to for a finish to cure before it is safe for baby? We made a cradle for our ...
A: Carrie, I would recommend a water-based polyurethane. This material emits low concentrations of ...
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| Kitchen Cabinet Damage | 8/2/2007 |
Q: I had a major water line break under my kitchen sink cabinet. I did not catch it in time to avoid ...
A: Becky, I would remove the entire bottom and replace it with cabinet grade plywood or melamine ...
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| Dresser Stain | 8/1/2007 |
Q: I recently bought an old dresser and redid the dresser top. however, while staining it i seem to ...
A: Firdaus, If the top is too dark, I recommend stripping (with a chemical stripper) followed by ...
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| darkening stain on cabinets | 7/14/2007 |
Q: I have custom built kitchen cabinets that are about 20 years old. They have the original poly ...
A: Lesli, Stripping is the best option for a really nice finish. If you don't strip, anything you ...
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| table won't open to put leaves in | 7/14/2007 |
Q: My 50 year old teak table is stuck in the smallest size. I would like to easily open it to put the ...
A: Julie, The best way to open the table is to invert it on a carpet or rug, then apply pressure ...
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| Daybed knobs | 7/13/2007 |
Q: Right now it has brass knobs on it and I want to replace it with pretty proclean ones. Can anyone ...
A: Debbie, You are better off going to a large online hardware retailer. Try the following: ...
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| Wood Used for Cabinets | 7/11/2007 |
Q: I am in the process of building a house through a well-known national builder. I have recently seen ...
A: Diane, These cabinets are definitely cherry (Prunus serotina). The color and grain figure is very ...
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| drawer slides for antique flush drawers | 7/8/2007 |
Q: I'm wondering if you could steer me to a type of metal drawer slides that I could add to our antique ...
A: Melanie, Look at Accuride 3132 or 1029. Both of these mount under the drawer and don't require ...
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| Wood Fillers | 7/7/2007 |
Q: Stephen, I want to fill in a gap in some soft wood. The main criterion is that the wood filler ...
A: Ray, Most wood fillers can be sanded and some can even be routed, but I believe that hitting them ...
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| refinishing kitchen chairs | 7/6/2007 |
Q: I have some solid oak kitchen chairs that I would like to paint. I am planning on sanding the clear ...
A: Dawn, The trick to good paint durability is to use a primer that has high adhesion. If you can ...
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| FURNITURE QUESTION | 7/4/2007 |
Q: I BUILD BEDS BUT MY RAIL SYSTEM ISNT STRONG AS ID LIKE, WHERE CAN I FIND THE HOOK RAIL HARDWARE ...
A: Larry, I build beds too. They are a satisfying challenge. Find the slot-type hooks here: ...
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| Refinishing an ash dinette table | 7/4/2007 |
Q: I have sanded down to the bare wood and am ready to apply a finish.. My wife would like to keep the ...
A: Chris, If your chosen brand of waterborne poly has a compatible sanding sealer, then you could. ...
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| Refinishing an ash dinette table | 7/4/2007 |
Q: I have sanded down to the bare wood and am ready to apply a finish.. My wife would like to keep the ...
A: Chris, Today's waterborne polyurethanes are less susceptible to yellowing - I would recommend this ...
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| garment display rack | 7/3/2007 |
Q: I'm going to make a 6'H garment display rack (t-stand)for my retail clothing store using a 4x4 post ...
A: Terry, There is not a rule of thumb that I have ever come across. And it isn't just size that ...
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| Restaining of Birch Base Cabinet | 7/2/2007 |
Q: I am purchasing a used Base Cabinet from somebody. It is an IKEA product, "Varde" Base Cabinet. ...
A: Fred, Most IKEA stuff is of fairly good quality. This piece is nicely designed and seems ...
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| Cotton Batting | 6/28/2007 |
Q: I'm restoring a Duncan Phyfe style dining set. I was told that the set was made between ...
A: NTT, (1) Cotton batting is still widely available, and is preferred for a number of uses such as ...
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| cabinet hinges | 6/27/2007 |
Q: what are the best and most durable hinges for cabinet doors. my doors are coming off in my hands. ...
A: Octavia, The choice of hinge is partly determined by the way the cabinets are built. If the cutout ...
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| 80s golden oak cabinets staining and grain filler solution? | 6/26/2007 |
Q: Our golden oak kitchen cabinets from the 80s have yellowed considerably. I'd like to update them and ...
A: Cindy, Using a stain-varnish product will darken the cabinets, and you will lose much of the wood ...
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| Maple Kitchen Cabinets & Bare Wood Window Trim | 6/23/2007 |
Q: Sorry to bundle two questions into one but here goes: We have a 1950s era home with maple kitchen ...
A: Mary, Deciding on what work items should be done for resale is difficult. It depends on so many ...
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| maple table stain | 6/22/2007 |
Q: I built a beautiful 6/4 solid maple table. I wanted to finish it clear but I was overruled. I know ...
A: Kaare, The only thing I can suggest is that some oil from your compressor (or even from the new ...
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| Block plane for cabinet refacing | 6/21/2007 |
Q: I was wondering if there is a special type of block plane that can used on inside corners. Most ...
A: Robert, This is called a bullnose plane. They are made in various sizes such as mini, rabbet, and ...
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| Re-staining new cabinets | 6/20/2007 |
Q: Are new cabinets comprimised when they have to be restained because the firm got the color wrong? ...
A: Don, Finishing systems vary, but the original finish likely consisted of a penetrating stain ...
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| Old Hardwood Floors | 6/13/2007 |
Q: I recently bought a house built in 1937 with hardwood floor under the carpet. Some of the boards ...
A: Miranda, This type of flooring was popular in the early to mid 20th century, but is hard to find ...
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| chair reapholstering | 6/11/2007 |
Q: how do you remove a wooden button, or plug from furniture to get at the screw beneath?
A: Marla, If it is a button, the head will protrude above the surface of the wood. You can try to tap ...
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| Kitchen cabinet side panel | 6/7/2007 |
Q: I need to install kitchen cabinet side panel on existing kitchen cabinet and stain with nutmeg color ...
A: Gene, I would definitely recommend plywood in this application. It is more stable (won't shrink in ...
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| Refinishing Front Door | 6/7/2007 |
Q: I have a beautiful wood front door with stain glass panels. The door is in need of refinishing. It ...
A: Patty, If your door has an adhered finish on it now, you will need to fully remove it in order for ...
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| Wood joins on a TV cabinet | 6/6/2007 |
Q: Hi im making a TV cabinet for a 14" TV and possibly future TVs and i was wondering what would be the ...
A: Jamie, The choice of joint depends on the design of the cabinet. You didn't describe what the ...
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| cabinets | 6/6/2007 |
Q: I have some old metal kitchen cabinet that I likes but they are getting rusty. I would like to redo ...
A: Deborah, I would recommend removing all handles, knobs, etc., sanding away any rust, lightly ...
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| staining maple cabinets | 5/27/2007 |
Q: My husband and I are nearly finished applying maple veneer/quarter inch maple plywood to our kitchen ...
A: Laurie, There are a number of wood species that take stain unevenly. White pine, birch, poplar, ...
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| Refinishing butcher block (maple) to another stain | 5/26/2007 |
Q: I have a butcher block table with great legs. Just had a granite (grey,black,white) table top made. ...
A: Helene, Feet/shoes can do quite a bit of damage to a trestle table, so I would recommend deep ...
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| stripping & staining oak bedroom furniture | 5/26/2007 |
Q: Have solid oak furniture that needs to be stripped & re stained. It is a medium brown now and want ...
A: Chris, The most reliable route is to use a chemical stripper such as "Stryp-eze" or similar. These ...
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| refinishing maple cabints | 5/23/2007 |
Q: our home is 12 years old. We have maple cabinetry throughout. In the Bath and kitchen there are ...
A: Brenda, This depends on the type of water marks. If water has gotten into the wood and discolored ...
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| Refinishing Kitchen Cabinets | 5/21/2007 |
Q: My husband and I have just purchased a contemporary home that was built in 1997. The kitchen ...
A: Karen, It is possible to strip and refinish the cabinets. If you do, in fact, have two different ...
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| Wet-staining process | 5/17/2007 |
Q: Years ago a carpenter friend helped me make a desk. Under his direction, I applied the stain ... I ...
A: Nan, Thanks for your nice comments. I know my answer was complex, but it is not as hard as it ...
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| Exterior Window Repair | 5/16/2007 |
Q: I have a some old wooden window frames and I noticed that one (1) window sill has rotten wood on the ...
A: Veronica, A good carpenter can do this repair, in most cases. The level of difficulty depends on ...
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| euroean hinge holes | 5/16/2007 |
Q: I want to make my own kitchen cabinet doors as a diy project. How do you line up[accurately] and ...
A: Brian, The very best way to do this quickly, accurately, and painlessly is with a drill press. I ...
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| Natural Maple Cabinets | 5/16/2007 |
Q: We have Aristokraft Natural Maple Cabinets in our Kitchen. Only 5 years old. I hate the natural ...
A: Diane, Adding glaze does require some skill and patience. Woodcraft has some inexpensive products ...
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| REFINISHING CABINETS | 5/14/2007 |
Q: MY CABINETS IN MY KITCHEN IS WHITE. WE WANT TO RESTAIN THEM A CHERRY WOOD COLOR. WHAT DO WE NEED ...
A: Tracy, You have a couple of options. One is to strip the white finish off of the cabinets. You ...
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| saw dust | 5/10/2007 |
Q: do you know of anyone who buys saw dust
A: Rey, It depends on where you live, but farmers or others who keep livestock often use sawdust for ...
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| drawers with slider | 5/10/2007 |
Q: I hope you can help direct me. My question is not a "do it yourself", type of question. I've been ...
A: Cynthia, From your description and your fairly specific needs it sounds as if you may be better off ...
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| Mounting an apron sink onto a base cabinet | 5/9/2007 |
Q: We're renovating our kitchen and have purchased a 36" apron sink. I know these sinks are ...
A: Brian, If new, your sink should come with detailed installation instructions. If not, then the ...
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| Glass insert | 5/5/2007 |
Q: I like the look of glass on cabinets. I currently have white painted cabintes with a little detail ...
A: Jason, Something like this is certainly possible. The exact process and price depends on the ...
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| "warming up" honey oak stained cabinetry | 5/5/2007 |
Q: I have these typical Lowe's cabinets with honey oak stain and am not really fond of them. I like an ...
A: Dara, Unfortunately, making the cabinet doors and drawer fronts look good and authentic will ...
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| outsourcing cabinetry | 5/4/2007 |
Q: i own a closet company in south florida and we purchased a beam saw a few months ago we are ...
A: Rey, First off, your question is not only for cabinet people, it is also about how to start and ...
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| Hinges for hanging mirror over hidden cabinet | 5/1/2007 |
Q: I have been looking for concealed hinges for a 2.5" overlay but have been unable to find them. ...
A: John, The first thing that comes to mind is the Blum "Compact 33" face frame cup hinge coupled with ...
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| Refinish woodwork around windows | 5/1/2007 |
Q: I have an 11 year old home and would like to refinish woodwork around windows, especially next to ...
A: Barb, Getting the dark stain out of oak can be difficult. It is caused by the reaction of the ...
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| What to do about these cabinets | 4/29/2007 |
Q: We are remodeling the basement on a bit of a budget. The previous owners made cabinets to enclose ...
A: Brian, First off, a picture is worth a thousand words. I can give you a great answer if you can ...
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| Pickleing or glazeing finished oak cabinets | 4/29/2007 |
Q: I have just bought a home. In the kitchen, there are dark stained oak cabinets. I think these are ...
A: Rachel, Glazes are meant to be applied over sealed surfaces, so you don't need to strip the ...
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| Refinishing Oak Stairs | 4/29/2007 |
Q: Any advice on the best way to refinish the skirt boards and risers? The pro's doing the steps don't ...
A: Kelly, Skirt boards and risers can be very difficult to get a power sander into. Chemical ...
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| laminate | 4/28/2007 |
Q: ..My question is...can new laminate be put over existing laminate? I have done laminate jobs from ...
A: Ken, You can certainly do this. Fully sand the existing laminate, 100 grit or so. Use a random ...
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| wood cabinets | 4/27/2007 |
Q: We have red oak wood cabinets, they are 16 years old How do we clean dried milk spots off of them ...
A: Darlene, I'll give you a quick primer on wood and cleaning. There are a lot of misconceptions out ...
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| Best paint, technique for new birch bathroom cabinet | 4/25/2007 |
Q: Steve, I just read your 4/4/07 response to the fellow who had "just built birch plywood bookcases" ...
A: Chas, Unfortunately, good oil primers are becoming harder and harder to find, with the new VOC ...
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| Oak entertainment center re-staining | 4/23/2007 |
Q: I have an oak entertainment center that's about 20 years old that has some plant "rings" on top and ...
A: Dave, I have used many different strippers. Look for a paste-type (won't run on vertical surfaces) ...
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| Oak entertainment center re-staining | 4/22/2007 |
Q: I have an oak entertainment center that's about 20 years old that has some plant "rings" on top and ...
A: Dave, The best way to do this is to remove the existing finish with chemical stripper. Follow mfr. ...
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| refinishing a coffee table top | 4/21/2007 |
Q: I accidentally knocked a candle over on my coffee table, and it melted some plastic onto the finish. ...
A: Pete, You can strip the furniture with a chemical stripper (available at most home improvement or ...
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| Furniture Repair | 4/21/2007 |
Q: I have a piece of furniture (walnut I think - dark brown wood) that has a gouge in it. I'm wanting ...
A: Clay, Visit this site: http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Wood_Chip_Repair.htm This is a U.K. ...
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| Restaining cabinets | 4/21/2007 |
Q: Our cabinets are only about 8 years old and are typical builder grade natural maple flat panel. We ...
A: Tammy, The best way is to use a chemical stripper to remove all of the finish, then refinish with a ...
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| polethylene tee molding | 4/21/2007 |
Q: Do you know where I could get 1/2" maple /baige tee molding? I looked google and founded some places ...
A: Ziggy, Unfortunately, 250 feet is the industry norm. Rockler (rockler.com) has 12' lengths, but ...
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| Pickled woodwork/cabinets | 4/18/2007 |
Q: I was just wondering if you know if pickled wood can be actually painted - I know restaining can't ...
A: Patti, Pickling is a broad term, and it often refers to a lightening or whitewashing, sometimes ...
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| Restaining my cabinets | 4/18/2007 |
Q: We are going to be remodling our kitchen. My cabinets are in fairly good shape, but they need to be ...
A: Lesa, I really need some more information to answer this correctly. Are the cabinets light or ...
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| Cabinet hardware | 4/16/2007 |
Q: I am attempting to update my kitchen cabinet and would like to exchange the existing cabinet ...
A: Tina, The holes are pretty large, but can be filled with a product called "Color Putty" available ...
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| red oak kitchen cabinets | 4/16/2007 |
Q: I would like to refinish my kitchen cabinets. My floors are hand scraped maple with a medium ...
A: Laurie, Two-part bleaching will remove the wood's color and may allow a more even staining. Try it ...
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| finishing new wood | 4/13/2007 |
Q: I,Ave made a dining room table out of a butternut tree.The logs were cut about a year ago, but the ...
A: Henry, You can eventually use a more durable finish like varnish or polyurethane. If the table has ...
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| finishing a wood dining room table | 4/12/2007 |
Q: I am using a combined Danish oil and Spar marine varnish at a ratio of 3 to 1 as I have been told ...
A: Glenn, For wet sanding, I fold a 9x12 sheet of wet-or-dry into quarters and dip it into a container ...
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| finishing a wood dining room table | 4/12/2007 |
Q: I am using a combined Danish oil and Spar marine varnish at a ratio of 3 to 1 as I have been told ...
A: A couple of tips: I would skip the Danish oil portion and lay on (brush) two coats of satin spar ...
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| Hanging bookshelves | 4/8/2007 |
Q: I have constructed bookshelf cabinets and am about to hang them onto the wall. I would like ...
A: John, It's difficult for me to recommend a hanging method without knowing more about how your ...
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| Painting bookcases | 4/4/2007 |
Q: I just built birch plywood bookcases that I am going to paint. They are located in my basement (I ...
A: I'm an upstate NY resident too. I have build many many paint-grade birch plywood cabinets over the ...
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| Roll Top Desk | 4/4/2007 |
Q: I have a roll top that's about 20 years old - so, not an antique. The roll down feature is stuck - ...
A: Linda, Sorry to hear of your "catch 22." You need to lubricate and/or free an obstruction but you ...
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| refacing kitchen cabinets | 4/3/2007 |
Q: Most cabinet refacers said that I couldn't get a painted , glazed "old world - tuscany look" as a ...
A: Gail, If the boxes do in fact complement the new doors then you are fine to go that way. This is a ...
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| resurfacing MDF cabinets | 3/27/2007 |
Q: The carcasses of our kitchen cabinets are MDF or particleboard, which is covered with a white paper ...
A: Ted, Your cabinet boxes are indeed melamine, with PVC edge banding on the leading edges. These ...
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| Kitchen hutch | 3/24/2007 |
Q: I have hutch that is 70" H x 38" W x 14" D and has two doors with glass panels on top two drawers in ...
A: Joseph, I have seen this style of cabinet. I can't say much about your piece without more ...
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