I’m often asked for suggestions on how to get a clear routed edge finish when routing an acrylic workpiece. This is usually an application for displays, awards, and advertising specialties where the edge of the product is exposed. Here's how to do it.

The heart of a CNC router is the tooling - where technology gets down to the business of cutting wood. Best practices for tool mounting and machining were covered in the recent webcast “How to Improve CNC Router Tooling Performance.” Available on-demand at WoodworkingNetwork.com/webcasts, the webcast features industry experts Mike Serwa, vice president of Vortex Tool, Mark Alster, regional sales manager of Leitz Tooling, and Scott Burton, tech sales manager of Royce//Ayr as they discuss the top considerations.

The eternal question for any manufacturer is whether to make versus buy, particularly when it comes to wood components. There are, however, a number of benefits for outsourcing components, chief among them inventory and cost control. In the webcast, “3 Keys to Outsourcing Wood Components,” these and other ways in which working with a components supplier can enhance quality productivity, design and product diversity for manufacturers are discussed.

Here's the first no-brainer: before investing in a CNC router, or any woodworking machinery, for that matter: visit an existing user and get a firsthand account of the machine from someone who has actually lived through using it. Try to visit on your own, without a salesman around. You'll hear pretty quickly how effective it has been for them, and get good insight into four more tips for first time CNC buyers.

On the new site, the navigation menu is concealed at the left:Click Menu to reveal the menu.

Here are three tips to improve your spraying operation when applying finish to wood products. Included are ways to eliminate distorted spray patterns and streaks.

Websites and phone numbers for advertisers in the April 2015 issue of Woodworking Network: Red Book Guide for Best Practices.

What are the key factors for selecting veneer species, grades, and patterns when ordering veneers? That information and more is presented in this recent webcast, which also gives insight into some of the new trends and applications.

As walnut ran short for a countertop project, Scott Wunder took the offcuts to create a thick profile edge. Here's how he made a thick-edged countertop out of thin wood.