Tricks of the Trade
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No-measure Gauge for Checking Square
To check my diagonals for square, I use an old telescoping radio antenna with the ends fashioned into points to fit into corners better.
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Benchtop Tool Set-up Pads
Clamping and unclamping them takes time, and bolting them down wastes valuable working space. Here’s a quicker setup idea that keeps your tools moveable.
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Paint Your Parking Brakes
Most of my larger shop machines are mounted on swivel casters with brakes, but sometimes it’s hard to see which end of the brake lever to step on without bending over to look closely.
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Illuminating Improvement for Task Lighting
When working at the bench, I found that I couldn’t always stretch my task light far enough to get the light where I needed it.
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Arthritis Won’t Stop This Woodworker!
I’ve been a custom woodworker on and off for 40 years and recently, arthritis in my hands has made it more difficult to get some shop tasks done.
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Super-cleaning New Blades and Bits
I’ve got an easy way to keep new blades or bits cleaner, for longer.
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Roller for Padding Poly
I’m an avid fan of wipe-on polyurethane, but I had trouble applying it with a rag.
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Quick Fix for Tight-Quarter Sanding
When I’m finishing small projects on the lathe, especially captive rings, it’s tough to sand into small crevices with the right amount of pressure if you can’t get your fingers in close.
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Nuking Glue to Break Bonds
Recently, while working on an intarsia project, I glued some pieces together and later realized that I made an out-of-sequence mistake.
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Double-duty Carpenter’s Square
When I need to crosscut several workpieces to an exact length on the table saw, I just reach for my handy carpenter’s square to set up the cuts.
