Make the job easier and prevent splitting the wood. Drill a pilot hole, and apply liquid soap to the screw. The screw will go in as 'greased' and the soap will dry to help prevent it from coming loose in the future (a drop or two on the screw is sufficient).
I'm trying to pick out the right wood for a staircase. I have already stained the floor, southern yellow pine, to a dark coffee color. The problem I'm having is identifying the species of wood that would be the best match for the hand rail and newel posts.
Can someone tell me how to refinish a large mahogany dining room table? The varnish is very badly marked. It has huge cloudy sections caused by warm food bowls, plates, and occasionally spilled liquids.
I used a off white throw rug and dyed it 3 different colors. I did strips in blue, brown and green. While doing this, I used a piece of wood that was natural to make my lines. I found out that the brown dye worked well for staining the wood.
Cut a piece of sandpaper to fit on the end of a tongue depressor or popsicle stick and glue it on. Then trim off any excess sandpaper. Let the glue dry and you have a handy little sander for sanding hard-to-reach places.
When sanding a piece of wood you can use an old nylon to check the smoothness of the wood. Slip the nylon over you hand and slide your hand over the piece of wood. Anywhere that the nylon snags needs more sanding.
Just because a sandpaper has become flat doesn't necessarily mean it's worn out. The sandpaper may just be clogged with sawdust. Try removing the sawdust with a soft bristled brush.
When the nail head breaks off a nail, it can be tough to get the claw of the hammer to grip the nail. To remove the nail, slip the claw of the hammer over the remainder of the nail and then pull the nail out by moving the hammer sideways instead of straight out.
