How to Choose the Right Wood for Your Exterior Door

Posted by Gino Partez On Friday, January 9, 2015 0 comments
best door and windows - MG Building Texas
Trends always change, classic to contemporary come and go but the classic and elegant solid wood door is still here.

I live in San Antonio TX USA and building for doors in Texas region is one of my specialties.

Wood doors - built to last for years, some wood species are a better choice than others when it comes to deciding what material to use for your door.

What are the best woods suitable for exterior doors?


The White Oak Wood


White oak is the favorite wood choice for external doors across the United States.

Appearance: Dark gray to whitish-gray in color, with a tight grain pattern.

Durability: Resistance to pressure, moisture and decay that can withstand outdoor elements.

The Mahogany Wood



Mahogany wood is another popular choice in exterior doors because of its high level of water resistance.

Appearance: Straight-grained, reddish-brown timber with a very few knots in the wood giving it a clean look.

Durability: temperature, moisture and water resistance.

What are the woods not good for exterior doors?


Even with the best craftsmanship, not all wood species would make a quality exterior door. Two of those woods are Poplar and Adler.

The White Poplar Wood



While Poplar is very easy to work with, readily available and fairly inexpensive, it is just too soft to be built for an exterior door.

Usually, Poplar is used in home construction because it resists splitting when taking nails or screws.

Poplar woods are famous for siding, sashes, interior trim, molding, cabinets, plywood, ceiling tiles and house frames.

Also, because it is not a very attractive looking wood, it is fortunate that Poplar takes paint well.

The Alder Wood



Alder wood is warm brown in color, with fine grain and reasonably priced.

However, it would make a poor choice for an exterior door, mostly because of its inability to withstand the elements. While it is a hardwood, it cannot stand the abuse a door regularly receives and would show dents, creases and dings.

Also, Alder doesn’t absorb shock well and it not moisture resistant. In a moist, humid climate a door made of Alder will quickly rot and decompose.
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High Quality Wood-Cutting Carbide Saw Wood Blade from Local Hardware Stores

Posted by Gino Partez On Monday, January 23, 2012 0 comments
Wood, being the most versatile of all construction materials, is seen and used everywhere. While a crude shanty may not exactly pass as quality wood workmanship, not using the proper saw blade made for the job may result to all woodwork looking like shanties. Hence, the need for the proper wood blade is imperative.

One of the most important things to look for in a wood blade is its teeth, as it will determine the cleanliness of the cut and its lifespan.

Wood Blade Power tools

As some blades have steel as its cutting tip, the Gila Tools wood blade is equipped with a carbide tip, which is said to hold a sharp edge for a long period of time. A carbide tip wood blade is known for its durability and can withstand a number of re-sharpening.

The tooth configuration or the tooth grind affects the way a wood blade cuts. Giving off a smooth cut that is less likely to splinter, Tum a Lum Power Tools offers wood blades with Alternate Top Bevel (ATB) teeth. Simply put, the wood blade teeth alternate between a right and left hand bevel that forms a knife-like edge on a the side of the blade. Best used on softwoods, plywood, decking, wood composites, etc., the Gila Tools wood blade ensures you of a clean and smooth cut even on ripping and crosscutting.

Wood Blade
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Cutting hard wood: which carbide circular wood blade to use?

Posted by Gino Partez On Monday, January 9, 2012 0 comments
Wood Blade - When it comes to deciding which tools to use for cutting is a tough question for newbie’s in cutting though it is important to get advice from veterans and experts in this matter. Material wise, woods specifically the hard wood types are an interesting matter that I’ve used to get when query from friends in cutting business. I have been in cutting business for 3 years now and based on my experience and though I tell you that most experts would recommend when it comes to cutting woods – Wood Blade (Carbide Circular Saw Blades, or most commonly known as Circle Saws).

Anatomy of a Wood (Hardwood)


There are typically two types of wood material: from hardwood up to the softwood accordingly. Mostly, hardwood type lumber is takes a slower cutting action than the latter one – softwood. Commonly Maple is a heavy and coarse type. Teak does have silica. Oaks is much harder, stringy and usually used for flooring or stairs. Unlike any other composites created by man, these natural wood types have a great streaks of directional fibers within which in a matter-of-factly may help you decide which cutting tool to used whether abrasive or fine wood blades.



Rip wood blade (carbide) might be my right recommendation to cut grains. Cross cut wood blade is also the right selection to across the grain – if preferred. Exotic and excruciatingly hard woods such as rosewood or mahogany, the main bet is to conserved the stock, which means “to waste less” – I might recommend Kerf of thin rim saw blades only uses about .90 inch and were rigid, cutting depth is shallow due to raised center.
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General Cutting Wood Blade or Saw: Find the Best fit for your use

Posted by Gino Partez On Sunday, December 4, 2011 0 comments
General Cutting Wood Blade or Saw

If you’d ask a wood-cutter guy, a carbide general wood saw may be their preferred power blade same reasons as with the carpenters and professional building contractors since they were using it for several years – I mean the word trusted tool explains better. This power tool and it’s wood blade (circular form) are of much power, portability and easy to set up as well as can cut with non-wood materials like masonry. Now, I’ll show you the different features you should be looking for your general cuttingg wood blade and circular saw.

1 – First off, bigger are usually the better choices.
Carbide circular saw comes in different sizes which are based depending on the saw or wood blade roughly 4 inches up to the most common size, 7 ¼ inches. The wood blade machines or saw may also rate according to horsepower and/or RPM’s of the wood blade.

The rule of thumb when choosing what’s best of a circular saw is to purchase saw that has a higher HP than other models of the same size – since they are less likely to bind under much greater work load.

2 – Define your saw adjustments

Circular Saws have gearshift for adjusting the depth of the cut (from zero to about 2-3/8" on a typical 7-1/4" model) and the bevel of the cut (the saw blade can be beveled from zero to 45-degrees). Check to see that these controls are easy to adjust and can be firmly tightened to hold the depth or angle. Some models use relatively large, lever-type controls where others employ little more than a wing nut.

3 – Best for Safety Features for the wood blade saw

Circular Saws all have some basic safety features. Check to see that the saw you're considering has a safety switch, which must be held before the trigger can be depressed. There should also be a blade guard that moves easily when pushing the saw through wood, but springs back into place when the saw is away from the stock.

As with all tools, circular saws can be very dangerous if not used properly. Always read, understand and follow the safety instructions that come with the saw.

Additional Features:
Better quality saws employ additional features such as an anti-locking clutch, which are flanges on either side of the blade that will allow the blade to slip if the blade binds on the stock, to protect the motor and drive mechanism. Another useful feature is a blade lock, which locks the drive spindle in place, making it easier to change the saw blade.

4 – Comparison between A.C. Powers vs. Battery-Powered Saws.

A recent advancement in circular saws is battery operated 4-inch blade models. These are wonderful for small cutting operations, such as paneling or 1/4-inch plywood. They're lightweight and perfect when you need to reach high to make a cut. However, they're lacking in horsepower, and aren't much use for cutting more than a just a few 2x4s. I would definitely recommend having one of these battery-operated units on hand, but not until you have a number of other tools in your arsenal.
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What are the Don’ts of Handling Carbide Wood Blades?

Posted by Gino Partez On Monday, November 28, 2011 0 comments
wood blade in action
Safety in the workplace is a necessity, no matter where one works. Especially important in the construction and stone industry, proper handling of power tools and carbide wood blades will not only save the lives of the individuals operating these tools but others who are present in the workplace as well. This is why certain precautions and safety procedures should be strictly followed particularly in the use of wood blade.

General Wood Cutting Carbide Blades
General Wood Cutting Carbide Blades

Here are some of the most important don’ts in handling wood blades in the workplace:

The wood blade should not be changed or altered in any other way inside diameter (ID). Modifying the diamond inside diameter will result to unbalanced blade rotation, causing the wood blade to wobble, pound, or even crack which is of course dangerous and very life-threatening.

Standing in line with the wood blade and other hot particles is definitely a “don’t”. This is dangerous not only because of the hot particles that can pierce the skin but these particles can also get into the eye and cause blindness.[see safety measures]

Never force a wood blade to cut curves and other methods to which they are not designed for. Wood blades are manufactured to cut in a straight direction only. Forcing wood blades to cut curves will result to cracks and blade fragmentation which can bring possible injury to people in the surrounding vicinity. There are ways to go around cutting curves with carbide wood blades however, and these methods can be used instead of forcing a wood blade to create curves.

Finally, a side pressure or grind should never be used with the side of the blade.

For the proper handling of wood blades, individuals can refer to the regulations set by the American National Standards Institute which covers mounting procedures, flanges, general inspection, and general machine conditions.
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