How do I make this cut?

What about it?

I am making a custom hand rail for my basement stairs. The rail doesn't quite align where I runs into the Newell post at the bottom of the stairs and needs a bit shaved off, as shown by the white line. A skilled woodworker friend of mine advised I use a block plane to accomplish this, as sanding or chiseling it would just round it off. Unfortunately, either I suck at planing or I am unable to get my blades sharp enough, because I can't seem to do more than hack chunks out of the test pieces I've done. This is solid walnut, about 1" thick. Any advice?

Needed a bookshelf. Made a bookshelf.

What about it?

Knotty alder, first piece of furniture made with handcut joinery.

Glue mystery

What about it?

Hi Folks - what has happened here? It’s not a big deal, but this headboard that I finished 6 months ago has a slight bump at a glue line. Just enough to feel with my nail. Not all the glue lines have squished out, just this one. I’m positive it wasn’t there where the piece was finished. Any idea, is it the weight plus the heat of summer somehow softening it? Just curious as to what the cause might be!

A real stain in the ass

What about it?

Sanded down this 1970s Hoosier desk and discovered the sides and top are veneer, while the edges are solid wood. Used an orbital sander followed by sandpaper with increasing levels of grit. Blew off, wiped down, let dry, used pre-stain conditioner, waited ~5min, applied stain, waited ~10min, wiped off excess. Veneer is staining beautifully, but I’ve never worked with wood that’s behaving like the corners. Blotchy in places and some crazy color variance. Sanded the middle panel all the way down again (on the top in the photo), and it looks even worse. I’m at a loss. I am using an oil-based stain. Would gel make a difference? Any other ideas?

My reading nook for the weekend, rural Washington state

My little slice of heaven!

Small hidden cabin

Created a little “Lego room” for my son, with a twinkling star ceiling!

Sunny beachfront driftwood shanty

Living room after 5 weeks

Our living room in the afternoon lights