Tricks of the Trade
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Web Tool Inventory
We all should take pictures of our tools for insurance purposes, but don’t store the photos in your shop or house.
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Tack Your Tails
When I have a lot of dovetailed drawer boxes to assemble, I use my pin nailer instead of clamps for the glue-ups.
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Slicker Surfaces with Wax Paper
It’s a good substitute for paste wax.
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Wine Cork Cleans Abrasives
Cleaning residue off your sanding discs, belts or drums will extend their useful lives, but you don’t have to buy a cleaning stick to do it.
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Jamb Nuts for Threaded Inserts
Instead of using a screwdriver to install threaded brass inserts – which often breaks them – I use an Allen bolt and nut.
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Arbor Nut Saver
The dust port on my contractor’s saw is below the blade arbor, and more than once I’ve dropped the arbor nut down inside the hole when changing blades.
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Wedge-style Bench Vise
If your workbench doesn’t have a vise, here’s a simple jig that can take its place for holding workpieces on-edge.
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Newspaper Spacers for Laminate
I learned this helpful trick in the ’60s when I worked in a cabinet shop.
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Magnet Helps a Tight Squeeze
Recently, while assembling my new band saw, I needed to install four sets of washers, lock washers and nuts up inside the base where I couldn’t see or reach them easily.
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Get a Handle on Stuck Tape
Double-sided tape sticks to everything, and that’s why we woodworkers love the stuff. But it can be hard to remove unless you know my trick.
