Pilot Holes
A comment about drilling pilot holes for brass screws elicited a comment and a question. – Editor
“My favorite tool for this purpose is the Japanese gimlet, or mitsume-kiri. It is a very sharp-pointed triangular metal drill bit in a round wooden handle that is spun between the user’s palms. The sharp pointed tip makes it very easy to start it exactly where you want it and, because it is tapered, its hole is a good fit for wood screws. The edges are very sharp, so it only takes a few spins to make the required hole.” – Milford Brown
“Do you know where a person could get a decimal chart for all the drill bits available standard and metric?” – Gary Belich
Caulk it Up to Experience
One of our experts suggested caulk for filling gaps when fitting crown molding. From his answer, it seemed to us that he was talking about molding that was already finished, but this reader raised a valuable warning about painting caulk. – Editor
“Make sure the caulk you use is 100 percent pure latex, as any latex paint will peel off if the caulk has any silicone in it at all. Been there; done that.” – Carmine Ferrari
There are some paintable non-latex caulks, but Carmine makes a good point about making sure you choose paintable caulk if you plan to paint it. – Editor
Grammar Police Make Local Arrest. Film at 11
“In the feedback section, your grammar checker must be on the fritz. The sentence, ‘If anyone can validate a finishing answer, it is him.’ should have read ‘If anyone can validate a finishing answer, it is he.’ Keep up the good work.” – Dave Rukavina
Dave is right, of course, but now we wonder what he meant by “keep up the good work” after pointing out our bad grammar. – Editor
The Pressure is On
“I just read about the Wagner sprayer in your eZine. It said it can vary pressure between 1,000 and 2,800 psi. At that pressure, wouldn’t you push the paint right through the wood?” – Don Dziubakowski
That’s the pressure at the tip. Once the drops of finish emerge from the tip, that energy is quickly dissipated and the pressure drops dramatically. By the time the finish hits the wood, it is nowhere near that. However, you most certainly do not want to press that gun tip against flesh and pull the trigger, as that will force finish through your skin. – Editor
Quiz Questions
“I just took the current woodworking quiz and now I am wondering what the distribution looks like. Specifically, what are the mean and standard deviation of the number of correctly answered questions by those of us who have subscribed? Also, how many have subscribed?” – Gene A. Tagliarini
We will have more comparative data for the quiz takers available in the future, so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, enjoy taking the quiz. – Editor
“The quiz portion of the Premium eZine is a lot of fun. Do you have enough time to present a short explanation of each correct answer? I would find such a feature even more educational than the quiz as it is today.” – John Yane
That’s a good suggestion and yes, it is something we will be incorporating in the future. – Editor
Typo Corner
Sometimes typos can be downright puzzling. – Editor
“The solid oak door was stained and schaled.”
It’s just a guess, but we suspect he meant “sealed,” though we are open to other suggestions. – Editor
