“I know I was going to fix that, but the sound of the floor reminds me of my youth in Mexico. All the houses there sound like this,” Juan said moving around the room to pick up the floor squawk. The standard Canadian floor, he claimed, was too quiet.

Juan then got into other differences between Mexico and Canada.

“Why have a floor if you can’t walk on it? Leave your shoes on.” he said. ” I get it: if it’s winter and you don’t want to make a mess, yes, take off the boots. But for the rest of the time, who cares? Floors are supposed to have scratches on them.”

And he does practice what he preaches. He hasn’t bothered to cover this floors when trades have been in and out of his place doing work. While his refinished second floor has a fresh coat of stain, it still has a distressed look. There’s still character in those boards.

Now, I must come clean. I fall on the opposite end of the spectrum from Juan. I have laminate floors and I do my best to keep them looking like new. I do appreciate Juan’s laid back approach, though. It’s probably more practical too. But, there’s something in me that keeps me from being so laissez-faire.

What do you think? Do you walk on your new or old floors with shoes on? Or do you try to keep the floors pristine? As this post goes up, the debate is spilt 50/50 on our Facebook page: it’s Canadian to take your shoes off at the door and it’s Canadian to leave them on (after wiping on a mat, of course).

First off, the  design is collapsible. When the garden turns barren in winter, just loosen a couple of bolts, swivel a couple of parts and the trellis’s bent slats come together for compact storage. Another great feature is the optional base holster. The copper pipes make it easy for you to drive the holster into the soil, then slide the trellis in place. You can then easily move it whenever you want. The holster also extends the wooden base of the trellis up and away from the rot-promoting damp soil. I also added a bit of Victorian flair to the crosspieces by giving them a unique profile.

The instructor saw me cringing and showed me his fingers. After 30 years of using tablesaw, they were all there. He assured me I’d get more comfortable around the machine, and that safety was an essential part of feeling comfortable.

There are many tips, tricks and safety procedures for operating a tablesaw. Below are some of the things in the forefront of my mind as I’ve begun to use the machine for the first time. However, the list is not exhaustive.

• Wear eye protection. (Duh!)
• Make sure the power is off before you make any adjustments to the saw (e.g. change blades, change blade height or tilt, etc.)
• If there is an offcut sitting next to a spinning blade and the wood is in no danger of getting kicked back, leave it until the blade has come to a complete stop. If you need to move the offcut to make your next cut, clear it with a scrap piece of wood.
• Never reach over the blade. Plan your movements so that you don’t reach over the saw blade.
• Use the riving knife or splitter to prevent wood from binding behind the blade and kicking back.
• Unless you are using a jig that doesn’t allow for the use of the blade guard, anti-kickback pawls and riving knife, use these safety features always.
• Never stand in line with the cutting blade. Usually, you stand to the side opposite the fence.
• No freehand cuts. Use the fence for ripping and the mitre gauge for cross cutting.
• When ripping, concentrate on keeping the workpiece against the fence.
• Always finish your cut by pushing past the blade.

Thanks to yesterday’s discussion on Facebook, I must add the following:

• Use pushsticks.
• To add to point No. 2 from the first list, make sure the blade has also come to a complete stop before making any adjustments.
• Keep your workspace clean and free of tripping hazards.

Thanks for that discussion guys. Any more tips to add?

Jeff Dundas is our resident newbie woodworker. He’ll be sharing his insights and discoveries here on the Shop Hack blog as he learns to make sawdust.

If you search for picnic table plans, you’ll find the possibilities are endless. I believe the classic design you see in backyards and parks everywhere has some real advantages—it’s a classic for good reason. The construction is naturally stable, and easily lends itself to modification. I decided to stick with tradition, making a version fit for a kid.

Check out the articles below for roofing options, finding out what’s right for you, and even some installation tips for the roofing pro.