The right robust lathe depends less on maximum swing than on the size of work you actually turn: choose the Scout for limited space and occasional spindle work, the Sweet 16 for a versatile home-shop machine, and the American Beauty when large bowls, heavy blanks, and long-term capacity justify its Read more
Best Wood Lathe Accessories for Safer, More Accurate Turning The best wood lathe accessories are a quality four-prong drive center, live center, chuck with several jaw sets, sharp tools, a reliable measuring system, and dust and face protection matched to your lathe’s size and spindle thread. Buying accessories for a Read more
The best lathe stand is a rigid, adjustable steel stand sized for your lathe, with a working load comfortably above the machine’s weight and enough storage to keep tools from becoming trip hazards; for most home shops, a heavy-duty two-leg stand with leveling feet and a lower shelf is the Read more
For most woodworking sanding, a 3M dust mask like the 3M Aura 9205+ or 3M 8511 will handle fine wood dust if it fits well, but any work that creates very fine dust for hours, involves MDF, exotic woods, or finishes and solvents requires a reusable elastomeric respirator with replaceable Read more
For most projects, choose Minwax Stainable Wood Filler for small to medium indoor repairs you plan to stain, choose Minwax High Performance Wood Filler for large, structural or outdoor repairs you plan to paint, and use Minwax Wood Putty only for final cosmetic touch-ups on already-finished wood. Minwax makes several Read more
Bondo wood filler is a strong choice for larger, rigid repairs that need to be shaped and painted, but its short working window and hard, inflexible cure make it a poor fit for joints or wood that moves. It is a two-part polyester filler, typically mixed with a small amount Read more
The best plastic wood filler depends on how deep the damage is, whether the repair will face moisture, and what finish you plan to apply: use a water-based filler for small indoor flaws, a solvent-based product for many routine repairs, and a two-part epoxy filler for deeper or more demanding Read more
Famowood Wood Filler is best for small to medium stainable repairs like nail holes, shallow cracks, and grain defects where you need a hard, sandable fill that takes stain and finish like real wood, but it is not the right choice for deep structural repairs, flexible exterior joints, or large Read more
Bondo Wood Filler requires mixing a golf-ball-sized amount of filler (about 2 to 3 inches in diameter) with a 1-inch line of cream hardener, gives you 3 to 4 minutes of working time at 77°F, and cures hard enough to sand in 15 to 30 minutes. When mixed correctly it Read more
Best Epoxy Wood Fillers for Rot, Cracks, and Deep Repairs For rotten wood or a deep structural repair, choose a two-part consolidant and epoxy filler system; for shallow cracks and dents, a ready-to-use or mixable wood-repair epoxy is easier to shape and finish. Abatron LiquidWood and WoodEpox are a strong Read more