Editorial Policy

The StandardBehind the Page.

BenchRoot's editorial policy defines how facts are sourced, measurements are checked, comparisons are framed, commercial relationships are disclosed and uncertainty is handled.

Read the Standard The Final Checklist

Clauses: 11
Rules: 7
Checks: 10

The editorial standard

Applies to: every page BenchRoot publishes

Useful. Accurate. Explicit About Limits.

Governing rule
A BenchRoot page should help a woodworker make a better decision without pretending the available evidence is stronger than it is.

R-01Useful before promotionalA page exists to answer the reader’s question, not to carry a product.
R-02Facts before conclusionsEstablish what is known, then say what follows from it.
R-03Sources before assumptionsA claim rests on a source, not on what seems likely.
R-04Range before false precisionWhere a value varies, give the range or the dependency — not a convenient single number.
R-05Experience claims only when realFirsthand language describes firsthand work, and nothing else.
R-06Commercial relationships disclosedA page that carries affiliate links says so.
R-07Errors corrected when foundA known error is fixed on the page, not left standing.

Source hierarchy

Applies to: every factual statement

Weigh the Source Before the Claim.

Sources are ranked by how directly they establish a fact. A claim uses the strongest source available, and says so when only weaker ones exist.

Level A
Level A · Primary and authoritative
- Standards bodies
- Government publications
- Institutional technical references
- Manufacturer manuals
- Official product specifications
- Technical documentation
Level B
Level B · Established reference
- Respected woodworking references
- Technical publications
- Established trade documentation
- Reliable industry references
Level C
Level C · Practical and contextual
- Documented shop practice
- Supplier information
- Market availability
- Community experience, where appropriate

PrecedenceLower-tier context does not override stronger primary evidence.

Not equivalentA forum post is not treated like a published technical standard.

Not independentManufacturer marketing copy is not automatically treated as independent evidence.

Facts, measurements & calculations

Applies to: measurements, conversions, calculations and material data

Numbers Are Checked, Not Assumed.

Numeric content carries the most weight on a reference page and fails most quietly. These rules apply wherever a number appears.

Validation sheet · numeric contentRequired

Rules for numeric content, with a worked check for each
Item	Rule	Worked check
Measurements	Never invent an exact measurement. If a measurement varies, state the range or what it depends on. Keep nominal dimensions distinct from measured ones.	Nominal 3/4″ = 19.05 mm; a sheet may measure 23/32″ (18.26 mm). Measure the sheet.
Conversions	Use exact conversion constants where they exist.	1 in = 25.4 mm exactly, so 1/16″ = 1.59 mm.
Calculations	State the assumptions. Do not hide what the formula leaves out. Round for display at the end, not inside the working.	Board feet = T × W × L × quantity ÷ 144, in inches. Waste is a separate, stated step: net × (1 + waste %).
Material data	Shared facts come from one central dataset where possible. Missing values stay missing.	Teak, Janka hardness: shown as “—”. No figure was confirmed, so none is given.
Examples	Label worked examples as examples.	An illustration of what you may meet is not presented as a specification.

Experience & testing claims

Applies to: any claim of testing, use or observation

Experience Must Be Real.

Some words promise firsthand work. They are restricted: used only when the work happened, and replaced with the true basis when it did not.

“Tested”Restricted

Used only whenA relevant test actually took place.

Otherwise, say“Based on the manufacturer’s published specifications.”

“Hands-on”Restricted

Used only whenIt describes actual physical use.

Otherwise, say“Based on the documented specifications and setup instructions.”

“We found”Restricted

Used only whenBenchRoot actually observed it.

Otherwise, say“The manufacturer states…” or “Published measurements show…”

“Long-term”Restricted

Used only whenThere was meaningful elapsed use.

Otherwise, sayNo durability claim — or the documented basis for one.

When a page relies on manufacturer specifications, published measurements, standards or third-party technical documentation, it says that. Desk research is never rewritten as personal experience.

Reviews & recommendations

Applies to: product pages, reviews and recommendations

Say What the Recommendation Rests On.

Product pages can rest on different kinds of evidence. Each states which kind it uses — and no page implies hands-on testing that did not happen.

Specification-based
A comparison of documented specifications and suitability for the task.
Research-based
Specifications plus reputable external documentation and reference material.
Hands-on
Only where actual physical use took place.

What a recommendation weighs

Function
Compatibility
Dimensions
Material
Capacity
Setup
Safety-relevant features
Documented limitations
Suitability for the woodworking task

What it never rests on

Products are not ranked by commission rate.
A product is not recommended because an affiliate relationship exists.
Documented limitations are not left out to make a product look better.

Comparisons

Applies to: “versus” pages, alternatives and buying comparisons

Compare on a Stated Basis.

A comparison answers a question about a task. It is built from equivalent attributes, and it does not declare a universal winner where the answer depends on use.

Worked example · comparison basisTable Saw vs Track Saw

The attributes a table saw and track saw comparison is built on, and the question each answers
Basis	The question it answers
Task	Which cuts are being made — rips, crosscuts, sheet breakdown?
Material	Solid stock or sheet goods, and how thick?
Repeatability	How many identical parts, to what accuracy?
Portability	Does the tool go to the work, or the work to the tool?
Workspace	How much floor space, infeed and outfeed is there?
Setup	How long until the first accurate cut?
Limitations	What does each do poorly, or not at all?

Winner: — · 9.7 / 10No invented score

The answer depends on the task, the material and the shop — so the comparison ends in guidance, not a verdict.

Rules for comparisons

Compare equivalent attributes.
Distinguish factual differences from preference.
Do not manufacture a winner where the answer depends on use.
Do not hide meaningful disadvantages.
Avoid false-precision scoring: no arbitrary ratings, no house score.

Affiliate relationships

Applies to: any page that carries affiliate links

The Link Is Not the Verdict.

BenchRoot may use affiliate links. If a purchase is made through an eligible affiliate link, BenchRoot may earn compensation. That relationship is kept apart from everything the page concludes.

Decided editorially

Which subjects are covered
The factual information on the page
How products are compared
What the page concludes

Commercial

The link itself
The disclosure that the page carries links

A commercial relationship must not alter factual information.
Editorial coverage cannot be bought through a commission.
Whether an affiliate link exists does not decide whether a subject deserves coverage.
A page containing affiliate links discloses them clearly.

Corrections & updates

Applies to: every published page, for as long as it is published

Correct the Page, Not the Record.

Material errors are corrected when they are identified. If a factual conclusion materially changes, the page is updated — an outdated statement is not preserved for the sake of consistency.

Revision schedule · when a page changesRev.

What prompts a revision, and what the revision does
When	The page
A factual error is discovered	Correct the statement.
A better source becomes available	Update the basis, and the claim if it changes.
A standard is revised	Update the values it governs.
A product specification changes	Update the specification and re-check any conclusion built on it.
A product is discontinued	Say so, and revise any recommendation that depended on it.
A calculation is found wrong	Fix the shared formula, so every page that uses it agrees.
A clearer explanation is found	Rewrite the passage.

This describes how revisions are handled. It is not a public change log, and edits do not carry individual timestamps.

Production & tool assistance

Applies to: how pages are drafted, drawn and assembled

Tools Assist. Facts Still Need a Basis.

BenchRoot may use software tools to help produce pages. Using them does not lower the factual standard.

Software may assist with

Drafting
Formatting
Calculations
Consistency checks
Data handling
Diagram production
Content organisation

A generated sentence is not a source.
A generated diagram is not evidence.
Factual claims still need their underlying basis.

Citation & attribution

Applies to: claims that depend on data, standards or specifications

Name the Basis Where It Matters.

Not every common woodworking fact needs an academic-style citation. Claims that depend on the following should identify their basis clearly.

Measured technical data
Standards
Published specifications
Safety-relevant information
Unusual or disputed facts

No bibliography is fabricated.
A source that was not actually used is not cited.
Manufacturer claims are identified as manufacturer claims where it matters.

When practical, a page can carry

SourcesReferencesData basis

Data basis
USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook (averages); sapele from commonly published values. Individual boards vary.

The data basis given on BenchRoot's wood species comparison.

Editorial checklist

Applies to: new and revised pages, before publication

Final Inspection.

The questions a BenchRoot page should answer before it is published. This is the standard pages are held to — not a claim that every existing page has already been through it.

Inspection sheet · before publication10 checks

Is the reader’s question answered?
Are exact values supported?
Are ranges labelled as ranges?
Are assumptions stated?
Are missing values left missing?
Are illustrations consistent with the text?
Are firsthand claims genuinely firsthand?
Are commercial relationships disclosed?
Are related BenchRoot references linked naturally?
Is anything presented more confidently than the evidence allows?

The Standard, in Short

Say What We Know.Say What We Don't.

A good reference does not need to sound certain about everything. It needs to make the evidence, the assumptions and the limits clear.

About BenchRoot Explore the Guides