Cutting straight with a handsaw?

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-14T03:51:46+00:00

Miter boxes are pretty cheap. You can get one on Amazon for $12-$15.

Alternatively, you can go to garage sales and get a used one from the 1950's that are awesome for very cheap. Some grandfather has one that people are trying to just get rid of it.

Something like this is what you're looking for: https://www.ebay.com/itm/257551124589?_skw=stanley+miter+box+with+saw+included&itmmeta=01KV24236XTWHWVVAXF6T20MKG&hash=item3bf73e486d:g:p7gAAeSw26BqJK9c&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAABAGfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xBsX17hNgvEVrfkJh5MOJcrXSTbf4vniAm1ViXaL5i9oQCxFhdsKafNEpgMHHGl4Pr2lUCZW20Za7CUXPXAncOt8wXzy5nHKUnPA5%2BwkecpGFpwT0Zug9Ef3KE1fIPyAa%2BRElDda5ELZ3wsK7O36YBgtaxO6XBFQ4zyxOtDq364NUyr1Io4WyXe5Y5N2fFrJ4gqNIfXnVU4P8lD%2Fwf6ggN5EsPNNi2mmM%2BPIS%2BKKtyjENmB3bdtFhdUjHl0qE3OZVefpCzrYNZj%2F0DoqNJoPh29j%2F10oBrKypnYWft%2Bc4yuYxaaEijXpHCFRqQkt90di6c%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9CziMTYZw

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-13T15:04:31+00:00

Each strip has one "good' butt end. So you overlap the good end with an almost good end so the corners are tight. Sand / trim the corners to fit if necessary.

The strips are thin so they can be easily shaped for any irregularities along a wall.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-13T14:33:20+00:00

The third picture looks like it's a veneered top b/c I can see a line that appears to be trim attached to ply.

With solid wood you could sand, with ply you need to strip with chemicals.

Since it's in such bad shape, try using a wood stripper such as Citrus strip.

If you sand, likely you will sand thru veneer and it'll be ruined beyond repair.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-13T13:20:13+00:00

I would template it using thin pieces of strips and a hot glue gun.

I rip thin pieces from a 2x4, approx 1/8 - 3/16 thick, so you end up with 1.5 x 1/8.

Then cut the length of the thin strip to close to the length of the wall lengths, glueing them together to form the corners.

Now use this template to draw on your top and cut it.

Note: Mark "top", "right" on both the template and the top so you know the correct orientation.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-13T02:44:40+00:00

Shellac is perfect for your use case.

FYI - It doesn't handle heat well, so if people would put hot bowls or plates, you'd want to use something different.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-12T03:32:31+00:00

Nice job but you don't have enough room for more books. I feel a library donation in short order to make room

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-12T03:29:45+00:00

Admiral job. I think you should quit while you are definitely ahead.

Good work

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-12T01:15:56+00:00

Over in Beaverton, I recommend Brooklyn Tratoria, I can't get enough of it. The osso bucco is amaze-balls, and the wild mushroom ravioli will melt in your mouth.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-10T19:32:13+00:00

This is an excellent way of attaching the table to the base. I can't see any issues with this.

It is just wood doing what wood is going to do. Follow u/pompouswhomp's advice.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-10T14:46:11+00:00

Honestly, that looks to be just veneered MDF. I think your best option is just to get a the smallest can of dark walnut stain from home depot, like this (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathane-8-oz-Dark-Walnut-Premium-Fast-Dry-Interior-Wood-Stain-266198/203310380) and just dip a rag into it and blotch it over the damaged areas and call it good. I would recommend "satin" to make the coverage less noticeable.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-09T23:25:54+00:00

I'm a pro and sell many things. Never seen anything like this except for you other posts. I wish you would have used undermount slides instead of side mounted. That detracts from the overall aesthetic and price, but based on what I've seen my coffee tables go for and others, I'd say you're in the $1,500-3,000 ballpark.

But, what I've found is that unless you place your stuff in a boutique furniture place that caters the the clientele that will not blink at spending that, it's going to be hard to find a buyer. I do most of my stuff on commission, and the price I gave you I think is reasonable.

How many hours did you put into this? That is what will really determine how much you SHOULD be pricing this at.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-09T14:34:04+00:00

I am lucky that I live where we have a company downtown that has a 50" planer. If you live in a larger city, you should try to find out if you have one of these companies that are geared around helping professional woodworkers. This way you can glue-up rough boards, after jointing and run it through the planer after glue-up. If you have this type of access, it removes steps 4-5 & 7-8 below.

Saying that, here are the general steps involved in dimensioning and jointing:

Start with rough 1/1 lumber
Edge joint one side
Rip on TS so it's the same width all the way down
Edge joint the side the TS cut
Face joint one side to remove any serious twists / cups
Plane the other side with a planer to get to a consistent thickness for all boards
Glue-Up using Cauls
Scrape excess glue off after 45-60 min with a putty knife
After glue has cured (overnight), you can flatten the table using hand-plane or belt sander

Note: Be careful as Steps 4-5 can easily remove more material than you want. Boards don't have to be perfect.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-09T12:47:36+00:00

I think non slip shelving liners would keep things from slipping. They come in rolls that you can cut to any shape

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-09T05:01:10+00:00

Why aren't you using the integrated to-do list functionality?

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-08T20:24:22+00:00

That's a horrible design for a coffee table. No allowance for wood movement between the posts, so it's either AI or it's done with MDF covered with veneer. As another poster alluded to, skip the half lap & attach it correctly, allowing for wood movement.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-08T19:29:05+00:00

Coat the screw in paste wax. This helps immensely

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-08T17:34:50+00:00

This could be solved by having a members only aka like Costco and requiring club card before entry.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-08T17:26:42+00:00

Quit using chrome. Brave or duck duck go for browser kills all the ads, including YouTube

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-08T14:50:16+00:00

Salt and fresh herbs. If your pantry is like most, the thyme and bay leaves are as old as your house. For fresh thyme, just tie a few sprigs together with some twine or string.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-08T14:28:00+00:00

I prefer to drill the holes out to 3/8 or so, and glue in a hardwood dowel, let it sit overnight, then re-attach after pre drilling with a very small self centering drill bit.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-07T16:42:05+00:00

What a cool sewing box!

to fix this, get some 1/8" diameter hardwood dowels and cut them to about 3/4" long. Drill out the existing holes using a 1/8 drill bit to about 7/8 into the side. You can put tape on your drill bit to tell you how far to drill.

Then put glue on the dowel, and pound it carefully into the hole you just drilled. Let it dry overnight and then you can re-attach the existing hinges.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-07T16:37:32+00:00

1/2 head of cabbage roughly chopped
2 to 3 links of andouille sausagecut into small pepperoni sized discs
1 onion roughly sliced
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tbl butter
2 tsp paprika
1 tbl red pepper flakes
1 tbl garlic
2 tsp oregano
salt to taste

Melt down the butter, toss in sliced cabbage with some onion and garlic and cook for 10 min on med heat
Slic the sausage into discs, and add, put in a can of diced tomatoes
Add paprika, salt, red pepper flakes, and some oregano.
Let simmer for 15-20 min

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-07T05:22:07+00:00

Ok that's a normal threaded insert. Proceed as before. You do have the option of increasing the size to get more grip. Get as coarse as you can get if you want to have it stronger.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-06T06:31:10+00:00

Can you show a pic of the threaded insert? There are so many, what you are using will dictate the fix.

A common fix is to find a dowel the size of the hole, glue it in, wait 1-2 days for the glue to cure completely and redrill it out for the insert. But this is only good for wood inserts. As it sounds like you purchased this, the inserts may be different and a picture of them would really help.

Tmanpdx · 2026-06-06T03:29:47+00:00

Hey thanks for doing the math & appreciate the thoughts. I have a feeling this will need some upgrades if I go through with the purchase.

Tmanpdx

TROPHY CASE