Sam Hubbard
Professional Carpenter
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Co-authored Articles (41)
How to
Connect Wood to Concrete
Connecting wood to concrete can seem intimidating but, with the right tools, even an amateur craftsman can do it. You can fasten wood to concrete using 3 different methods, depending on your preference. Hammer-set concre...
How to
Join Two Pieces of Wood
From edge joints to complex dovetails, there are dozens of techniques for joining wood. If you need to join boards side-by-side to make a larger plane, an edge joint is your best bet. Arrange the boards so they’re visu...
How to
Use a Wood Lathe
Wood lathes can be used to create functional furniture components, beautiful decorative wood projects such as candlesticks and bowls, or even toys such as tops and yo yos. These machines range in size from hobby models ...
How to
Increase the Height of Dining Chairs
Simple solutions to raise and level dining chairs in your homeNo furniture problem is quite as frustrating as a table that's too high for its dining chairs. If you want to raise your chair's height, however, you can do s...
How to
Identify Petrified Wood
Everything you need to know about petrified wood identificationIf you've ever been hiking and discovered a unique gemstone that looks like wood and feels like a rock, you've probably stumbled upon petrified wood! These f...
How to Adjust a Miter Saw
Ah, the good ole miter saw. It’s always there when you need it, but if it’s cutting crooked, you may need to make some adjustments to keep it cutting properly and accurately. Fortunately, it’s actually a lot more s...
How to
Build a Wall Bed
A wall bed, also called a Murphy bed, is a bed that folds up into a cabinet to make more space in a room. Pre-made wall beds are expensive—they can cost several thousand dollars. Building your own, however, costs a fra...
How to
Plane a Door
Over time, the doors in your home may begin to stick and bind. Sometimes simply tightening the hinge screws will solve the problem, but occasionally it is necessary to resize the door. One of the best ways to resize a wo...
How to
Make a Pilot Hole
Learning how to drill pilot holes properly is an essential part of working with wood. A pilot hole is a small hole drilled before driving a screw into a piece of wood. The hole helps in multiple ways: it prevents the scr...
How to
Make a Boomerang
Everybody knows boomerangs - that Australian toy that comes back to you when thrown. But is it really possible to create one of these marvels and have it work? Sure is. Choose your material and let's get started.
How to Measure and Determine the Cost of a Cord of Wood
Everything you need to know about measuring and purchasing wood Wood is sold to consumers by the cord, but if you've never purchased wood before, you might be wondering what a cord of wood actually is. Moreover, since fi...
How to
Use Oil‐Based Polyurethane over Water‐Based Polyurethane
Oil and water are famous for repelling one another and not mixing. Luckily, you can still apply an oil-based polyurethane over a water-based one. If you already laid down a water-based finish and decided to go for an oil...
How to
Make Wood Pellets
Wood pellets can be used for a variety of purposes, including making fuel, acting as tinder for a fire, and creating bedding for animals. Most pellets are made in bulk by industrial pellet mills, but homeowners and small...
How to
Sharpen a Hand Saw
Is your trusty hand saw not cutting like it used to? Hand saws, like most other tools, get dull with time, so it’s important to sharpen them to keep them in tip top shape. In this article, we’ll tell you how to sharp...
How to
Make a Wooden Bucket
Nothing adds a little rustic touch to a room like a homemade wooden bucket with the classic copper fittings. Crafting an original bucket out of wood is kind of tricky since it’s hard to make a bucket shape using flat m...
How to
Polish Polyurethane
Finishing a coffee table, handrail, or other wooden surface with polyurethane? We can help! Polyurethane can help make your wood surfaces look smooth and glassy, but it may feel a bit bumpy or uneven at first. To create ...
How to
Build a Cajon
A cajon is a six-sided Peruvian drum that's a popular DIY instrument project. It's a versatile and exciting instrument that can be played with your hands and feet simultaneously, producing a wide variety of tones and rhy...
How to
Cut Circles in Wood
There are a wide variety of reasons you may need to cut a circle in wood. Perhaps you need to run a pipe through a piece of plywood or you need a circle of wood to make a piece of art you are envisioning. Whatever the re...
How to
Cure Wood
Freshly cut and milled wood must be cured before it can be used in construction, crafts, carvings, and even in a stove or fireplace. Throughout the curing process, the moisture content of the green wood, or freshly cut w...
How to
Cut Wood Slices
Wood slices are great for crafting, but purchasing them from your local hobby store can get pricey. If you are comfortable using a bandsaw or miter saw and you have access to fallen tree branches, you can cut your own wo...
