Tricks of the Trade
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Broader Shoulders Make Better Planing
This simple reader’s trick will help you smooth out those thin shoulders around your tenons by providing a wider, more solid base for your hand plane.
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Solving Clamping Problem in a Snap
Having trouble with staining or rusting on your pipe clamps? These small plastic gardening clamps might help preserve both them and your next project.
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Foam Clamping Aids for Miter-cutting Moldings
Clamp odd shaped wood and moldings for better miter cuts using an extra hand that can conform to the shape of the piece.
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Low-cost Floor Joist Light Bracket
Here’s a reader’s tip that gives you an easy (and inexpensive) way to hang your workshop lights from the ceiling.
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Washers Make Handy Radius Templates
If you know the size of your washer, they make great templates for cutting circles and curves. Bruce Kieffer discusses in this tip.
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Crosshairs on Router Table Zero in On Bit Center Points
This reader’s tip aims to help you find the exact center of your router table when setting up a bit.
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Save Your Offcuts
Just because a piece of wood doesn’t fit your project doesn’t mean it’s useless. This reader points out just a few uses for your offcuts.
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Simplifying V-groove Sanding
Want to sand deeper grooves without awkward folds in sandpaper or sore fingers? This reader offers a helpful suggestion using another tool.
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Rubber Band Skimmer Keeps Finish Can Rims Tidy
Clean excess finish off your brush quickly and simply without making a mess of the rim of your can with this reader’s tip.
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Old-school Dowel Chamfers
Chamfering the edges of dowels can make them easier to install, and this reader has an old-school trick to simplify the process.
