FDMC Red Book April 2020

What you need to know to optimize your solid wood machining operation.

Naturally sensitive to moisture, wood shrinks when moisture is lost, which can result in warping and twisting. The amount of shrinkage depends on the wood species and also on the pattern of the year rings or growth rings.

Seven tips for table saw safety.

Dependable vacuum hold-down capability is crucial to all jobs, but especially those that involve CNC routing of smaller parts.

The following are some of the possible problems and causes that can occur during the edgebanding process.

Correct tooling use can optimize your ROI.

There are many theories in the industry on the best way to prolong fingerjoint cutting knives to have them produce a better chip load. There are just as many ways in practice that don’t follow the recommended guidelines too, like fewer teeth that can add life, but may also reduce output quality. Another approach is to compare the three types of fingerjoint cutting knives available for your wood production need: HSS, carbide and PCD (polycrystalline diamond). Beyond the investment for a 25x or up to 500x run rate, are there other advantages to consider that could be a reason to switch?

When choosing a blade, here are a few things to consider: 1 Diameter: This is measured from the furthest edge of one tip to the furthest edge of the tip directly opposite. Use the saw diameter the machine was designed for. Even if the material being cut doesn’t require the depth of cut you will get from the proper size blade, you want the rim speed attained by a full diameter blade.

Pressroom temperature and more best practices for quality pressing.

Decorative surfaces can be broadly separated into two groups – overlays and coatings – and are applied by various techniques to panel products like particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF) and hardboard. Provided by the Composite Panel Assn., a brief overview of the different types of overlays is presented below.

Veneer is easy to define but can be challenging to use for woodworkers.

Some common problems that can affect finish quality.

Often referred to as scratch marks, needle stripes are elevated stripes on a panel. There are two possible causes of needle stripes.

The following terms define the overall color and aesthetic appeal of the wood finish: • Hue defines the characteristic of the color i.e. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. There is no such thing as a pure white or black color.  Whites will tend to be on the yellow, blue, or red side of the hue.  Blacks are a blue black, (jet-black), or a red black (not jet-black). • Lightness describes the light reflection of the color.  White is highly reflective of light (bright) and black is non-reflective. 

Flammable liquids may be used in finishing and other operations in the shop. Know how to mitigate the risks before using these materials.

Here’s what you need to do to grow your business.

Closet designers are constantly trying to stay ahead of fashion, lifestyle, and technology trends as clients demand the latest in colors and patterns, add ever more activities into their lives, and yearn for the latest technologies to make their lives easier. Among other trends clients are demanding: •    More flexibility •    More options in finishes •    More options for storage •    Better lighting and accessibility •    More personalization

Q. When we nail near the end of a piece, or nail or screw in the side edge, we often see a small split created by the fastener. Why is this and what can we do? With MDF, the fastener in an edge seems to create a bump in the surface of the board and also create a separation in the wood around the fastener.

Excess dust creates the potential for fires and explosions.

Does it feel like your workers just don’t get it? That no matter what you say or do, the mistakes and remakes just keep happening—or get worse? If you’re only providing text traveler instructions, it could be they’re not getting the picture – because you’re not giving them pictures. Two-thirds of the population are visual learners. Images can be the difference between understanding and getting it. And that difference can substantially reduce remake costs and order delays while improving efficiency. Getting your workers there can be simpler than you think.