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The only need for tree stakes is when planting trees grafted on a dwarf root stock because the roots aren't big enough to hold the tree upright. For all other trees the use of stakes causes the tree to reply on them to hold firm. It is much better to grow the trees without stakes so they build...

My garden was blue clay where the soil bulldozed when making the road had been piled up then levelled after the houses were built. The topsoil was buried 3' under the new top level. This was either soggy in the winter or cracked in the summer. The top was roughly levelled and raked before...

Never used one. Practice, practice and more practice over a lifetime makes perfect cutting edges.

If these cheap cutters were dangerous they would not be allowed to sell them. Britain has a history of high prices compared with other countries which is a throw back to the days of empire when this was the richest country in the world and prices reflected that. All items are sold for what...

Trend make good quality bits. Sets are always cheaper than buying the same bits individually. If you think £35 for 15 is cheap you should see a set I bought at £4.99 for 12. At that price I bought a few sets. They are handy as backups if a better quality bit goes blunt.

You can always look closer to home with UKWorkshops which I use more than the Aussie one. Som eof the contributors are well known for their magazine appearances like Alan Holtham, Keith Smith (the woodsmith Q&A page in the woodworker), Philly. One law that applied earound the world - No matter...

6mm and 6.35mm (1/4") is a lot different, approx 14 thou. Fitting a 6mm shank bit in a 1/4" collet is asking for trouble with the bit flying out at 20,000rpm. Not my preferred method of singing soprano.

I wouldn't use raw linseed oil. It would never dry but remain greasy. Boiled linseed oil is the same but dries like danish oil.

Try making a chair out of balsa and see how long it lasts when you sit on it. The frying pan out of plastic was good reason but try making one out of lead and see it melt before the fat.

heights of chairs, desks, workbenches etc is pretty standard for the 'average' person but who is average? I have never found an armchair that is the correct height to prevent causing backache. Table 30", dining chair 18", armchair 15", workbench 36" I raised my armchair on blocks to bring it...

I may be a month late Naddie but why not try the Ubeaut forum in Aussieland? They know a lot more about aussie wood than we would.

I'd love to see someone try to fit clasp nails into a brad nailer Jason. roflmao

When I used to make all my furniture at home out of contiboard I would work out the boards I needed and make a cutting list then go to either homebase or B&Q who had a wall panel saw. B&Q would cut to the exact sizes I wanted while Homebase allowed 2 cuts per board and 25p a cut over the 2. I...

Why spend a fortune on marine ply when it is going to be covered in fabric? I agree about MDF. The only use I have for it is making jigs or templates for my router because it cleans up smoothly. If you really want a ply that wont come apart if it gets damp buy WBP (water-boil-proof) for a...

I was under the impression that the asteroid had a built in leyland cypress targetting scanner so nothing else would be damaged except the most invasive unneighbourly plant ever developed. It's no good for anything except growing to extreme heights that cannot be controlled properly.

Got a deisel engine? Get a plot of land and grow sunflowers then crush the seeds for the sunflower oil. 30 years ago I lived in South Africa where there were thousands of acres full of sunflowers for the seeds and oil for cooking and spreads. Those farmers kept 10% of the oil produced to run...

A bowling green is probably a 6" (150mm for youngsters) layer of good soil on top of loads of rubble, gravel and sand for drainage. Break up the concrete and ram it down with gravel on top then put a layer of good free draining soil on top. Sandy soil? add peat to retain moisture. Clay soil...

seeding spring or early autumn. Sow the seed now and it will have time to establish before the windows slows the growth and it will have the winter to buid up a root system instead of everything going into leaf.

The grass clippings are as good a compost starter as any shop bought stuff. A thick lot of grass will go mucky so you should use layers of grass with layers of other matter between them. If you Pee in a bucket and add that to a new compost bin it has the same effect. Its full of nitrogen...

Right BA I had to repair mine when British gas did some work and PULLED the gate that should have been Pushed to open. They pulled the hinges off the post then denied they had done it despite being the only ones to have opened the gate which was always locked but had been unlocked to allow...