Woodworking Tip of the Day: Edge-Gluing a Panel: Board Layout, Clamp Spacing and Squeeze-Out

Here's one every shop gets wrong at least once….. you glue up a nice wide panel, pull the clamps the next morning, and it's bowed like a potato chip, or there's a starved seam you can see from across the room. The dory needs a couple of solid-wood panels for the seat tops and a hatch, so I went back to the glue maker's own numbers and Fine Woodworking's clamping advice and wrote down how to do it right the first time.

Why it matters: A good edge joint with today's glues is stronger than the wood around it. But the glue only does its job if the edges meet tight, the pressure is even all along the seam, and the panel stays flat while it cures. Most bad panels come from the setup, not the glue.

Materials

• Boards milled to the same thickness, a little long and a little wide
• Wood glue: Titebond II for most shop work and anything that sees weather, Titebond II Extend when you need more time
• Packing tape or wax paper for the cauls
• A bowl of water and a Scotch-Brite pad, or a putty knife, for squeeze-out

Tools

• Jointer or a sharp hand plane (jointer plane or a No. 5)
• Bar or pipe clamps, enough to put one every 12" or so, top and bottom
• A couple of straight, stiff cauls (2x stock, jointed)
• Straightedge, pencil, glue roller or brush

Steps

1. Lay out the boards for looks first. Shuffle them till the color and figure flow across the panel, then make sure the grain runs the same direction on every board so you can plane or scrape the whole panel one way without tearout.
2. Mark a big triangle across all the boards. That cabinetmaker's triangle tells you the order and which face is up, so nothing gets flipped when the glue's on.
3. Joint every edge square to the face. Dry-fit the panel with light clamp pressure. You shouldn't see light through any seam, and the faces should sit flush.
4. Do a full dry run with the clamps. Set every clamp to length now. Alternate them, one on top, the next one underneath. A single clamp pulls the panel toward its bar, so alternating cancels out the bow.
5. Space the clamps right. Clamp pressure spreads out at roughly 45° from each clamp head, so it reaches as far sideways as the clamp is from the glue line. On 6" boards that's about a 12" spread at the joint, so clamps about 12" apart. Narrow boards or edging need the clamps closer, or a stiff caul to spread the load first.
6. Glue both edges and watch the clock. Titebond's own sheets list 3 to 5 minutes of open time for Titebond II Premium at 70°F, and 15 minutes for Titebond II Extend. On a big panel, that's the difference between a calm glue-up and a panic.
7. Snug, check, then tighten. Bring the clamps up snug from the middle out, tap the boards flush, check flat with a straightedge, then finish tightening. Titebond says to use just enough pressure to bring the joint tight: generally 100 to 150 psi for softwoods, 125 to 175 for medium woods and 175 to 250 for hardwoods.
8. Read the squeeze-out. A small, even bead all along each seam means you used the right amount of glue. None means a starved spot. Then either lift it right away with a damp, wrung-out Scotch-Brite pad using short rolling strokes, or wait until it goes rubbery (putty-like, roughly 10 to 20 minutes) and pop it off with a putty knife.
9. Leave it alone. Titebond says 30 to 60 minutes in the clamps for an unstressed joint, and don't stress the new joint for 24 hours. I leave a panel overnight before I plane it.

How much pressure is that, really? A 3/4" by 36" edge is 27 square inches of glue line. At 150 psi that's about 4,000 pounds of total clamping force. That's why one pipe clamp in the middle won't cut it, and why a couple of extra clamps never hurt.

MOAM's shop note: Don't crank the clamps down until the glue runs off the bench. Over-tightening slides the boards out of flush and bows the panel, and a wet rag smeared across a seam just works watered-down glue into the pores, where it shows up as a blotch the minute stain or varnish goes on. Snug, even beads, and a light touch on the cleanup.

Sources: Titebond product sheets and FAQ (titebond.com), Fine Woodworking, "How to Glue-Up Joints: Positioning the Clamps," Rockler, "Clamping Tips for Edge Gluing Panels," and Popular Woodworking on Titebond's squeeze-out advice.

MOAM Out.

New Real Estate Listings on the North Shore Today – Friday, October 30

New Listings Today – North Shore 29 Towns

Friday on the North Shore, and the MOAM's been scanning the fresh listings with his morning coffee….. 28 new listings hit the market in the last 24 hours, with Gloucester and Peabody tied at the top.

Top towns: Gloucester and Peabody with 4 each, then Marblehead and Rockport with 3 apiece. Lynn, Saugus, Beverly, Salem and Newburyport added 2 each, and Newbury, Hamilton, Lynnfield and Groveland chipped in 1 each.

By property type: Residential 15 · Residential Lease (rentals) 7 · Residential Income (multi-family) 4 · Commercial Sale 1 · Business Opportunity 1.

The MOAM's take: Cape Ann had a busy day, with Gloucester and Rockport putting up 7 between them, and Marblehead added 3 of its own.

Contact Nanepashemet to view these.
Nanepashemet Real Estate Services
Call or text 781-727-6516
jnestor@nanepashemet.com

MOAM Out.

Listing data courtesy of MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN); listings shown are held by various brokerages. Nanepashemet Real Estate Services, MA Broker Lic. 136995-RE-B.

Boston Sports Morning Report — Friday, Oct. 30

Not for nuthin'…. But….. that one in St. Louis stung a little. The Bruins jumped out early on a James Hagens goal and then the Blues ran off four straight, 4-1 final. Second loss in a row on the road trip after an eight-game point streak. Still, the B's are sitting on top of the Atlantic, so nobody panic. Pour the coffee, here's the Friday board.

Short version: the Celts host the Bulls tonight at 7:30, the B's are home for a Halloween matinee Saturday at 1, the Pats are in Miami Sunday at 4:25, and the Sox are in hot-stove mode.

Boston Celtics

• Yesterday: No game (last game: W 125-124 (OT) vs Brooklyn on Tue., Oct. 27)
• Today: Fri., Oct. 30, 7:30 PM ET, vs Chicago Bulls (home, NBA Cup group play)
• Next: Sun., Nov. 1, 3:30 PM ET, @ Orlando Magic
• Standings: 3-1, tied for 2nd in the Atlantic with Toronto (3-1), a half game behind Philadelphia (4-1), No. 3 in the East

They handled the Bulls by 35 at the Garden on Monday, and Chicago comes in 1-4. Take care of business, keep the Cup run rolling, then it's off to Orlando.

Boston Bruins

• Yesterday: L 4-1 @ St. Louis Blues (Hagens scored; Swayman made 14 saves)
• Today: No game
• Next: Sat., Oct. 31, 1:00 PM ET, vs Chicago Blackhawks (home, NESN)
• Standings: 9-4-1, 19 points, 1st in the Atlantic (1 point up on Montreal), No. 2 in the East, 5 points behind Carolina (11-2-2, 24 points)

Two power-play goals against will get you beat. Good news is they're back on Causeway Street tomorrow afternoon. Hagens now has five career goals, tying Phil Kessel as the fastest Boston teenager in 20 years to get there. The kid can play.

New England Patriots

• Yesterday / Today: No games (last game: L 30-24 @ Chicago on Thu., Oct. 22)
• Next: Sun., Nov. 1, 4:25 PM ET, @ Miami Dolphins (CBS)
• Standings: 4-3, 2nd in the AFC East, 1.5 games behind Buffalo (5-1), No. 8 in the AFC

Miami is 1-5. That's a must-have if you want to be in the mix come January. And don't forget, clocks fall back Sunday morning.

Boston Red Sox

• Yesterday / Today: No games, offseason
• Next: 2027 Opening Day is Thu., March 25, @ Seattle Mariners (time TBA); home opener Thu., April 1, vs Cincinnati
• Final standings: 87-75, 3rd in the AL East, swept by the Yankees in the AL Wild Card round

Nothing on the field till spring. Now we wait and see what the front office does this winter.

That's the Friday board. Celts tonight, B's tomorrow, Pats Sunday. Happy Halloween weekend, everybody.

MOAM Out.

Boston Paid for the History. Now Let the Public Read It.

This is catching the MOAM's attention today... Boston paid for a history lesson, and now the people in charge of it are talking about keeping it in a drawer.

Here's what happened. When the city passed an ordinance four years ago to study possible reparations, it paid two separate research teams $500,000 combined to research 400 years of slavery and racism in Boston. Each team got a different stretch of the city's history.

A Northeastern University team, with experts in public policy, history and law, wrote the report on discrimination against Black Bostonians from 1940 to 2020. City officials said that report was turned in months ago and would be released to the public this fall.

The other report, led by Tufts University researchers, was supposed to cover slavery and its legacy in Boston from the early 1600s to the mid-1900s. It was due by the end of June. The city says it was never completed. It came under question in July after allegations from other scholars about errors in a 2022 book by one of its lead researchers. She no longer works at Tufts.

On Thursday, the Boston Reparations Task Force met for the first time in more than a year. It didn't take a formal vote, but according to the Boston Globe, most members signaled support for withholding the Northeastern report from the public. One member put it this way: "Why release part 2 when you haven't seen one yet." The idea is to wait and hand the community "a complete package."

I understand the instinct. But the Tufts half has to start over with a new request for proposals, covering roughly 320 years of history. That could take a long time. The original deadline was the end of 2023, and it has been pushed back over and over. Meanwhile, a finished report the public paid for sits on a shelf.

It's not even clear the task force has the power to hold it back, or whether Mayor Wu's office would go along. The mayor's office didn't immediately respond to the Globe.

History belongs out in the open

I've spent a lot of years digging through old deeds, town records and colonial accounts. That's how I ended up writing the first Wikipedia entry on Nanepashemet, the sachem whose name I put on my business. Here's what that work taught me. History only gets better when people can read the sources, check the footnotes and argue about them.

That's exactly what this situation shows. The Tufts project ran into trouble because other scholars questioned a researcher's published work. Scrutiny did its job. That's an argument for putting the Northeastern report in front of the public, not keeping it out of sight.

You don't have to support reparations to want this report released. You don't have to oppose them either. Whatever you think of the policy question, the research is a public record bought with public money. Taxpayers, historians, supporters and skeptics should all get to read it and decide for themselves whether it holds up.

Holding a finished report until some future "complete package" arrives doesn't build trust. It's the kind of thing that has drawn criticism of this task force all along: a slow pace, few public meetings, and not much explanation for the delays.

Release it. Let people read it. Then argue about it in the open, the way history is supposed to be argued about.

What do you think? Should a finished report paid for with public money be released now, or held until both halves are done?

MOAM Out.

---

Sources

• Boston Globe, "In first meeting since nixing overdue Tufts report on slavery, Boston reparations task force considers withholding a 2nd report," Oct. 29, 2026: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/10/29/metro/boston-reparations-task-force/

New England This Morning — October 30, 2026

Not for nuthin'…. But….. Friday is a tale of two New Englands. Down here the sky lit up pink and orange over the harbor and we're headed for 66 and sunny. Up on the Rockpile it's hurricane-force wind, rain turning to snow, and a camera lens that looks like a shower door. Somewhere in between, Bartlett Forest is just standing there under a soft blue sky minding its own business. Here's how three corners of New England looked around 7:30 this morning.

Marblehead Harbor (BYC Oceanfront) — A pink-and-tangerine band of sunrise along the far shore under a lavender-gray sky, the water calm and pewter, a few sailboats still riding the moorings and one little skiff tied up at the float. Sunny today with a high near 66 and a west wind gusting into the 20s. Last day of October-ish weather worth grabbing.

Mount Washington, NH (Observatory North View) — Nothing but fog and water drops beading on the glass. The summit is inside a cloud, with a chance of rain showers turning to snow showers, temperatures falling to around 28 this afternoon, and a northwest wind of 65 to 75 mph with gusts as high as 95. Tonight the gusts could hit 120. Stay off the Rockpile.

Bartlett Experimental Forest, NH — From the top of the NEON tower, the hardwoods are bare silver-gray, the pines and hemlocks are holding the green, and the mountains roll off in browns and dusky purples under a mostly blue sky with puffy clouds. Mostly sunny with a high near 58, cooling into the 40s by afternoon.

The Mad River Valley covered bridge cam sat this one out again.

Webcam views courtesy of the Boston Yacht Club, the Mount Washington Observatory and NEON/PhenoCam.

MOAM Out.

Woodworking Tip of the Day: Wetting Out Fiberglass Cloth: No Dry Spots, No Floating, No Bubbles

This is catching the MOAM's attention today….. how many good wooden boats get a fiberglass skin that's half stuck, half floating and full of little white dry spots. The Chamberlain Marblehead gunning dory is going to get cloth on her bottom, so before I mix a drop I went back to the people who make the stuff and wrote down how they say to do it. Here it is, the way I'll do it in my shop.

Why it matters: Glass cloth over wood is there for abrasion and impact, and to keep the wood under it sealed. It only does that job if every thread is soaked and the cloth is pressed tight to the wood. Too little epoxy and you get dry, white weave that's weak and wicks water. Too much and the cloth floats up off the wood on a puddle of resin, which is heavy, brittle and a pain to fair. Work it too hard and you whip in tiny air bubbles that show up forever under a clear finish.

The numbers, from the epoxy makers

• Cloth: System Three's guide says 6 oz cloth is enough for most surfaces, doubled in high-wear spots. That's what goes on most small wooden boats.
• Cut it oversize: WEST SYSTEM says to cut the cloth several inches larger than the surface on every side, and to overlap pieces about 2".
• Small batches: WEST says three or four pumps each of resin and hardener at a time. Small batches don't kick off in the cup while you're still spreading.
• How much epoxy: WEST's table puts 6 oz cloth plus two fill coats at about 1.61 fluid ounces of mixed epoxy per square foot, waste included. So 40 square feet of bottom is roughly 64 fluid ounces, half a gallon. Buy a little extra.
• Fill coats: two or three coats to fill the weave, so your final sanding doesn't cut into the cloth.
• Trim time: System Three says trim the overhang at the "green" stage, when it's pliable but not tacky unless you press hard. An Epoxyworks article puts the minimum time between coats at about 3 hours, or when you can trim the cloth without resin sticking to the knife, at room temperature. Cold shop, longer wait.

Materials

• 6 oz fiberglass cloth (plain weave), enough to cover with several inches spare all around
• Epoxy resin and hardener, with the maker's pumps
• Masking or duct tape, or staples, for sloped and vertical areas
• Mixing cups and sticks, nitrile gloves, and some paper towels

Tools

• Plastic squeegee (a flexible one, not a putty knife)
• Thin foam roller covers and a tray for vertical surfaces and fill coats
• Sharp scissors and a fresh utility or single-edge razor blade
• Metal straightedge for trimming overlaps
• Respirator for sanding later (see the 10/23 dust tip), and a fan or open door for ventilation

Steps: wetting out cloth the dry way

1. Prep the wood like it's a glue joint. Fair, sand, vacuum and wipe it clean. Any epoxy already on there that's cured gets washed for blush (see the 10/24 tip) and sanded dull.
2. Lay the cloth on dry. Unroll it, smooth it with your hands from the middle out, and let it hang several inches past every edge. Overlap pieces about 2". Tape or staple it on anything that slopes.
3. Mix a small batch. Three or four pumps each. Mix it well, scraping the sides and bottom of the cup.
4. Pour in the middle. Pour a small pool near the center of the cloth on a flat area. On vertical or steep spots, roll it on instead.
5. Spread it out, gently. Push the epoxy from the pool into the dry cloth with the squeegee. Let it soak in. Don't try to force it through. The cloth goes clear when it's wet out; white means dry, so add a little more there. Over bare wood, leave enough for the wood to soak up too.
6. Smooth wrinkles as you go. Work them out toward the edges. On a tight curve or corner, snip a dart with the scissors and lap it for now.
7. Squeegee off the extra before it gels. Hold the squeegee low, almost flat, and pull slow, even, overlapping strokes. Take off the shiny excess that would let the cloth float, but don't press so hard you make dry spots. What you want is evenly clear cloth with the weave texture still showing.
8. Keep going, batch by batch. Mix the next small batch and work into the wet edge of the last one.
9. Trim at the green stage. When it's pliable but not tacky unless you press hard, run a fresh blade along the edge of the panel. To trim an overlap into a flush butt joint, cut down the middle of it against a straightedge, peel out both scraps, and re-wet the edge. Or leave the overlap for strength and fair it in later.
10. Fill coats before full cure. Roll on thin fill coats as soon as the last one is tack-free. Two or three will fill the weave. If it sits past full cure, wash off the blush and sand before the next coat.
11. Sand the epoxy, not the cloth. When the weave is filled and cured, sand for paint or varnish. If you see white fibers, you've gone through the epoxy into the cloth. Stop and recoat there.

On the dory: Her bottom is the part that hits the beach, the rocks and the trailer, so that's where the cloth goes. I'll lay it on dry, tape it along the chines so it can't creep, and work from the middle of the bottom out to the edges in small batches. It's going to be painted, so a few micro-bubbles won't show, but I'll still keep the squeegee work to a minimum. And I'll do it on a warm afternoon with the shop heater running, because a cold October shop in Marblehead slows the cure way down.

MOAM's shop note: The mistake I see most is the guy who dumps a big puddle and chases it all over the hull with the squeegee, back and forth, back and forth. Now the cloth's floating in one place, dry in another, and the whole thing is foamy. Small batches, pour it, spread it, let it soak, one or two passes with the squeegee held flat, and walk away. If it's clear and the weave still shows, you're done with that section.

The numbers here come from WEST SYSTEM's instructions and coverage table, System Three's fiberglassing guide, and an Epoxyworks article on glassing a hull. The 40-square-foot example is my own arithmetic from WEST's table. Your epoxy's own instructions win if they say something different, especially on cure times.

Sources: WEST SYSTEM, Applying Fiberglass Cloth & Tape and Estimating Epoxy Coverage for Fabric Application; System Three, Fiberglassing with System Three Epoxy; Epoxyworks, Fiberglassing a Woodstrip Hull.

MOAM Out.

New Real Estate Listings on the North Shore Today – Thursday, October 29

New Listings Today – North Shore 29 Towns

This is catching the MOAM's attention today….. 38 new listings hit the North Shore market in the last 24 hours, with Gloucester and Lynn tied at the top.

Top towns: Gloucester and Lynn with 5 each, then Peabody, Amesbury and Salem with 4 apiece. Danvers and Beverly added 3 each, Saugus and Salisbury 2 each, and Marblehead, Boxford, Georgetown, Wenham, Lynnfield and Newburyport chipped in 1 each.

By property type: Residential 22 · Residential Lease (rentals) 10 · Residential Income (multi-family) 4 · Commercial Sale 1 · Business Opportunity 1.

The MOAM's take: the upper North Shore woke up today, with Amesbury, Salisbury and Newburyport putting up 7 between them, and multi-families doubled from yesterday to 4.

Contact Nanepashemet to view these.
Nanepashemet Real Estate Services
Call or text 781-727-6516
jnestor@nanepashemet.com

MOAM Out.

Listing data courtesy of MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN); listings shown are held by various brokerages. Nanepashemet Real Estate Services, MA Broker Lic. 136995-RE-B.

Boston Sports Morning Report — Thursday, Oct. 29

 

Not for nuthin'…. But….. somebody tell Milwaukee to save us a bratwurst. The Brewers finished off Tampa Bay 4-1 in Game 5 last night and won the first World Series in franchise history. Good for them. Around here it was a quiet night, none of our four teams played, so the B's carry the load tonight in St. Louis. Grab a coffee, here's where everybody stands.

Short version: the Bruins are in St. Louis tonight at 8, the Celts are off until Friday night with the Bulls, the Pats are off until Sunday in Miami, and the Sox are officially in hot-stove season now that the World Series is over.

Boston Bruins

• Yesterday: No game (last game: L 2-1 @ Carolina on Tue., Oct. 27)
• Today: Thu., Oct. 29, 8:00 PM ET, @ St. Louis Blues (NESN)
• Next: Sat., Oct. 31, 1:00 PM ET, vs Chicago Blackhawks (home, NESN)
• Standings: 9-3-1, 19 points, 1st in the Atlantic (3 points up on Montreal, Ottawa, Florida and Toronto), No. 2 in the East, 3 points behind Carolina (10-2-2, 22 points)

St. Louis comes in 5-6-1, so this is a good spot to bounce back after Tuesday in Raleigh. Then a Halloween matinee at the Garden. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Boston Celtics

• Yesterday / Today: No games (last game: W 125-124 (OT) vs Brooklyn on Tue., Oct. 27)
• Next: Fri., Oct. 30, 7:30 PM ET, vs Chicago Bulls (home, NBA Cup group play)
• Standings: 3-1, tied for 2nd in the Atlantic with Toronto (3-1), a half game behind Philadelphia (4-1), No. 4 in the East

The Sixers won at Indiana last night to slide a half game ahead, so the C's sat and watched. They already beat the Bulls by 35 on Monday. Do it again Friday and keep the Cup run rolling.

New England Patriots

• Yesterday / Today: No games (last game: L 30-24 @ Chicago on Thu., Oct. 22)
• Next: Sun., Nov. 1, 4:25 PM ET, @ Miami Dolphins (CBS)
• Standings: 4-3, 2nd in the AFC East, 1.5 games behind Buffalo (5-1), No. 8 in the AFC

Miami is 1-5. That's the kind of game you have to win if you want to be playing in January. And don't forget, clocks fall back Sunday morning.

Boston Red Sox

• Yesterday / Today: No games, offseason
• World Series: Over. Milwaukee beat Tampa Bay 4-1 in Game 5 last night in St. Petersburg to win the series 4-1, the Brewers' first title ever
• Next: 2027 Opening Day is Thu., March 25, @ Seattle Mariners (time TBA); home opener Thu., April 1, vs Cincinnati
• Final standings: 87-75, 3rd in the AL East, swept by the Yankees in the AL Wild Card round

No Game 6 for the Rays. Now it's hot stove time. Let's see what the front office does with the winter.

That's the Thursday board. Bruins tonight, Celts tomorrow, Pats Sunday. Enjoy the day, everybody.

MOAM Out.

New England This Morning — October 29, 2026

Not for nuthin'…. But….. Thursday showed up wearing its Sunday best down here and its rain gear up top. The sun popped up over the harbor like a brass button, Bartlett Forest is standing there in its bare-branch winter coat, and the Rockpile? The Rockpile is somewhere inside a cloud, spitting at the lens. Sunny and up near 65 at the coast, which is no small thing for the end of October. Here's how three corners of New England looked around 7:30 this morning.

Marblehead Harbor (BYC Oceanfront) — A big orange sun just clearing the treeline, a long gold glow across nearly glassy water, mooring balls all the way out toward the lighthouse end, and a couple of boats tied up at the float waiting on somebody with a thermos. Sunny with a high near 65 and a light southwest breeze. Go outside.

Mount Washington, NH (Observatory North View) — Nothing but white. The summit is socked in, with water beading up on the camera glass, so the view this morning is the inside of a cloud. The forecast calls for clearing and a high in the upper 40s, but with a west wind 20 to 30 mph and gusts near 40. Classic Rockpile.

Bartlett Experimental Forest, NH — From the top of the NEON tower, the hardwoods are bare silver, the pines and hemlocks are holding all the green, and the mountainsides still carry a little rust and copper under a soft gray-lavender dawn sky. Sunny and calm today with a high in the 60s. Not bad for late October in the Whites.

The Mad River Valley covered bridge cam sat this one out again.

Webcam views courtesy of the Boston Yacht Club, the Mount Washington Observatory and NEON/PhenoCam.

MOAM Out.

Woodworking Tip of the Day: Router Safety: Feed Direction, Climb Cuts and Keeping Your Fingers

Not for nuthin'…. But….. the router is the tool that's going to bite you when you're not paying attention. It doesn't kick back like a table saw, and it doesn't jam like a bandsaw. It just grabs and runs. I'm putting roundovers on the gunwales and rubrails of the Chamberlain Marblehead gunning dory right now, plus a hatch coaming or two, and every one of those cuts goes better when the router is going the right way. So today: which way to feed, when a climb cut is fine and when it isn't, how to seat a bit so it stays put, and how fast to spin the big ones.

Why it matters: A router bit turns upwards of 20,000 rpm. Feed it the right way and the bit pushes back against you, so you're the one in charge. Feed it the wrong way and the bit pulls the router, or the board, along with it. Fine Woodworking puts it plainly about the router table: climb cut while feeding by hand and the stock can be ripped from your hand, drawing your hand into the cutter. Add a bit that wasn't seated right, or a big panel bit spinning too fast, and you've got a projectile.

The rules, with the numbers

• Handheld router: seen from above, the bit spins clockwise. Woodcraft's rule is to feed against that spin: go counterclockwise around an outside edge, and clockwise around the inside of an opening. On the edge nearest you, that means left to right.
• Router table: the router's upside down, so the bit spins counterclockwise. Feed right to left along the fence, into the rotation, so the bit pulls the stock into the fence. Fine Woodworking's router-table basics also say to keep the stock between you and the bit, never trapped between the bit and the fence.
• Climb cuts: going with the spin cuts clean and kills tearout, but the router wants to take off. Fine Woodworking says it's fine handheld with light passes, a boxer's stance and both hands on the tool. Never with the bit tethered, like on a circle jig, and never on the router table when you're feeding by hand, unless the work is big or locked in a heavy jig or sled.
• Seating the bit: Amana says bottom the shank out in the collet, then back it off about 1/16". Bosch's manuals say the cutters should sit about 1/8" to 1/4" from the collet nut face, with at least 5/8" of shank gripped. Never tighten a collet with no bit in it.
• Speed: Freud's chart for maximum speed by cutting diameter: up to 1", 24,000 rpm; 1" to 1-1/4", 18,000; 1-1/4" to 2-1/4", 16,000; 2-1/4" to 3-1/2", 12,000. And never faster than the speed marked on the bit.
• Depth: on the router table, Fine Woodworking says to keep it around 1/8" per pass in hardwood; you can go deeper in softwood. Shallow passes don't burn, don't chatter, and don't yank.
• Noise: a compiled sound-level database puts the average router at about 97 dBA. NIOSH's recommended limit is 85 dBA over an 8-hour day, and the allowed time halves for every 3 dBA above that. Do the arithmetic and 97 dBA gets you about half an hour. Muffs or plugs, every time.

Materials

• A scrap of the same stock for a test pass
• Clamps, or a non-slip router pad, to hold the work
• Featherboards and a push block or push stick

Tools

• A router (handheld or in a table) with the right collet for the bit's shank; 1/2" shank whenever you can
• Sharp, clean bits; a dull one makes the router wander and burn
• Collet wrenches
• Safety glasses and hearing protection
• Dust collection or a shop vac on the router, and a dust mask (see the 10/23 tip)

Steps: a safe routing session

1. Unplug it before you touch the bit. Not just "switched off." Unplugged, or battery out.
2. Seat the bit right. Clean the shank and the collet. Push the shank all the way in, back it off about 1/16", and tighten the nut with both wrenches. The cutters shouldn't touch the nut, and you want plenty of shank in the grip.
3. Set the speed for the bit. Small bits run fast. Anything over an inch in diameter gets slowed down per the chart, and a big panel-raising bit belongs in a table, near the bottom of the dial.
4. Hold the work. Clamp it or put it on a router pad. Small parts don't get routed handheld: rout the edge of a wider board and rip the part off after, or use the table with a push block.
5. Glasses and muffs on. Dust collection on. Sleeves rolled, nothing dangling.
6. Start clear of the work. Let the router come up to speed before the bit touches wood.
7. Feed against the spin. Handheld: counterclockwise around the outside, clockwise inside an opening. Table: right to left, stock against the fence, featherboard holding it there, right hand feeding, left hand guiding, hands never over the bit.
8. Take it in passes. Around 1/8" per pass in hardwood on the table. Keep the router moving at a steady rate: too slow and it burns, too fast and it chatters and tears.
9. Climb only on purpose. If a corner or a nasty grain reversal tears out, take a very light climb pass first (handheld, both hands, steady stance), then finish with a normal push cut.
10. Let it stop. Wait for the bit to quit spinning before you set the router down, and don't grab the bit right after; it's hot.

On the dory: The gunwales and rubrails get a roundover, and that's a long run of handheld router work along a curve. I go left to right along the edge facing me, and I take two light passes instead of one heavy one. On the mahogany, where the grain swaps direction on me, I'll take a whisper-thin climb pass at the tearout spot, then clean it up going the right way. And the earmuffs stay on even for "just one quick pass." Years of quick passes add up.

MOAM's shop note: The mistake I see most is on the router table with a narrow piece: the guy feeds it left to right, or he runs the stock on the far side of the bit, between the bit and the fence. Either way it's a climb cut, and the bit can grab that strip and pull it right out of his hand. Right to left, stock between you and the bit, featherboard and push block on anything narrow. And if you hear the router bog and smell burning, you're taking too much at once. Back it off and take another pass.

The numbers here come from Woodcraft, Fine Woodworking, Amana Tool, Bosch's router manuals, Freud's router-bit speed chart, NIOSH and a compiled sound-level database. The half-hour figure at 97 dBA is my own arithmetic from the NIOSH rule. Your router's manual and the bit's packaging win if they say something different.

Sources: Woodcraft, Understanding Router Feed Direction; Fine Woodworking, Climb-Cutting: Don't Believe the Naysayers and Router-Table Basics; Amana Tool, Knowledge Base; Bosch, RA1152 operating instructions; Freud, Router Bits: Technical Information; NIOSH, Noise and Hearing Loss.

MOAM Out.

New Real Estate Listings on the North Shore Today – Wednesday, October 28

New Listings Today – North Shore 29 Towns

Not for nuthin'…. But….. 36 new listings hit the North Shore market in the last 24 hours, and it was a three-way tie at the top.

Top towns: Lynn, Peabody and Gloucester with 5 each, then Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead and Swampscott with 3 apiece. Danvers added 2, and Amesbury, Beverly, Middleton, Newbury, Salem, Saugus and West Newbury chipped in 1 each.

By property type: Residential 21 · Residential Lease (rentals) 11 · Residential Income (multi-family) 2 · Commercial Lease 2.

The MOAM's take: homes for sale outnumbered rentals nearly two to one today, and Cape Ann and the coast showed up strong, with Gloucester, Manchester and Ipswich putting up 11 between them.

Contact Nanepashemet to view these.
Nanepashemet Real Estate Services
Call or text 781-727-6516
jnestor@nanepashemet.com

MOAM Out.

Listing data courtesy of MLS Property Information Network (MLS PIN); listings shown are held by various brokerages. Nanepashemet Real Estate Services, MA Broker Lic. 136995-RE-B.

Boston Sports Morning Report — Wednesday, Oct. 28

Not for nuthin'…. But….. Jayson Tatum, you beauty. The Celtics and Nets went back and forth all night at the Garden, Brooklyn's rookie tied it with two-tenths of a second left in regulation, and then Tatum stepped up at the free-throw line and buried a jumper at the overtime buzzer. 125-124, forty points for the man, and the building lost its mind. Down in Raleigh the B's weren't as lucky. Grab a coffee, here's where everybody stands.

Short version: the Celts won in OT and are off until Friday, the B's lost a tight one at Carolina and go to St. Louis Thursday, the Pats are off until Sunday in Miami, and the Sox are home watching a World Series that just got a little longer.

Boston Celtics

• Yesterday: W 125-124 (OT) vs Brooklyn Nets (Tatum 40 points and 8 assists, including the game-winner at the OT buzzer; Paul George 20, Derrick White 16)
• Today: No game
• Next: Fri., Oct. 30, 7:30 PM ET, vs Chicago Bulls (home, NBA Cup group stage)
• Standings: 3-1, tied for 1st in the Atlantic with Philadelphia (3-1), No. 4 in the East (four teams are 3-1 at the top)

Three straight wins since that opener in Detroit. Tatum went 18-for-22 from the line, and the C's won it on a night they shot 11-for-41 from three. That's a good team finding a way. Bulls again Friday, this time with NBA Cup stakes.

Boston Bruins

• Yesterday: L 2-1 @ Carolina Hurricanes (Pavel Zacha power-play goal; Jeremy Swayman 28 saves)
• Today: No game
• Next: Thu., Oct. 29, 8:00 PM ET, @ St. Louis Blues (NESN)
• Standings: 9-3-1, 19 points, 1st in the Atlantic (3 points up on Montreal, Ottawa, Florida and Toronto), No. 2 in the East, 3 points behind Carolina (10-2-2, 22 points)

Sebastian Aho broke the 1-1 tie midway through the third, and Kochetkov is now 8-0 in net for Carolina. That ends the B's eight-game point streak (7-0-1), but Swayman kept them in it and they're still on top of the division. Shake it off in St. Louis, then home with Chicago Saturday at 1.

New England Patriots

• Yesterday / Today: No games (last game: L 30-24 @ Chicago on Thu., Oct. 22)
• Next: Sun., Nov. 1, 4:25 PM ET, @ Miami Dolphins (CBS)
• Standings: 4-3, 2nd in the AFC East, 1.5 games behind Buffalo (5-1), No. 8 in the AFC

Miami comes in 1-5, so this is one the Pats need to take. Reminder: clocks fall back Sunday morning, so you get an extra hour of sleep before the 4:25 kick.

Boston Red Sox

• Yesterday / Today: No games, season over
• World Series: Tampa Bay stayed alive, beating Milwaukee 4-3 in 12 innings in Game 4 last night. Milwaukee leads the series 3-1; Game 5 is tonight at 8 PM ET in St. Petersburg (FOX)
• Next: 2027 Opening Day is Thu., March 25, @ Seattle Mariners (time TBA); home opener Thu., April 1, vs Cincinnati
• Final standings: 87-75, 3rd in the AL East, swept by the Yankees in the AL Wild Card round

Twelve innings and the Rays dodge the sweep. Still need three in a row to take it, though. Hot stove's still on low around here.

That's the Wednesday board. Quiet night for Boston teams, so the World Series is all yours. Enjoy the day, everybody.

MOAM Out.