Issue 603 Archives - Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/weekly-issue/issue-603/ America's Leading Woodworking Authority Thu, 02 Jan 2020 19:47:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0.7 How to Deal with Pitchy Pine https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/how-to-deal-with-pitchy-pine/ Fri, 08 Nov 2019 16:00:45 +0000 https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/?p=55556 Is there a way to not get sappy when working with resinous pine? Our expert finisher weighs in.

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]]> I have a 3″-thick slab of pine (I think) that came from Canada, I’m told. It was milled at least 15 years ago and has been in my workshop for the past 10 years. I’m sanding it to prepare to use it for a coffee tabletop. It is still oozing what appears to be a little sap. I’ve scraped off all that I can, and when I sand the sappy area you can see it turn dark on the slab and it builds up on the sandpaper. What would you recommend as a sealer before finish is applied? I plan to use spar urethane as a finish.

– Granville Jones

Trying to seal liquid sap is an exercise in futility. Spar urethane (a misnomer, by the way) is probably exterior urethane, and while it would undoubtedly cure over the sap pockets, do you really want active, oozing sap under your cured finish? That can’t end well.

The traditional material for sealing sappy knots is called “knotting” and is made of thick shellac. It works moderately well for a little while but ultimately fails. I’ve seen sap make its way through just about every clear wood finish, thick paint and even through vinyl “contact paper” drawer liner material. There is a way to “set” the sap by heating the wood past the point where sap crystallizes, but it’s probably not practical on your thick pine slab. Personally, I would consider using something else for a coffee tabletop. After all, even the best finish has its limitations.

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]]> VIDEO: Six Features to Check Before Buying a Jointer https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/video-six-features-to-check-before-buying-a-jointer/ Wed, 30 Oct 2019 15:09:18 +0000 https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/?p=55493 If you want to work with rough-sawn lumber, then a jointer is an important tool to have in your workshop.

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]]> A woodworking jointer is rarely the first tool purchased by a woodworker and many woodworkers can get by without one. But if you want to work with rough-sawn lumber, then a jointer is an important tool to have in your workshop.

What should you consider when you’re shopping for a woodworking jointer? Your budget is an obvious consideration, but there are also six features or options that are important to consider, including the board capacity, the cutterhead style, the fence, the type of infeed and outfeed table lifts, if it has casters or a mobile base, and the drive belt tensioning system. In this video, Chris Marshall goes over the pros and cons of different options available.

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