Tricks of the Trade
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Outrigger Router Base
When I need to rout small narrow stock, I use the subbase shown here for added stability.
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Just Flip for a Better Grip
I like my Quick-Grip clamps except for one pesky problem: the rubber pads tend to creep off the jaws when I tighten them.
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Air Nailer Bumpers Eliminate Marring
Air-powered nailers are super handy tools, but sometimes their recoil can leave marring around the nail holes — an irritating problem when nailing workpieces that already have a finish applied to them.
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Two Filters are Better than One
My shop vacuum serves as a dust collector for my table saw, belt sander and miter saw, so you can imagine how often I have to clean the filter.
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Never Lose Your Key Again
The safest, most convenient place to store your drill press chuck key may be right in front of your nose.
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Laser-guided Resawing
I use my band saw and a plywood sled with a bar clamp mounted to it to cut short logs into boards.
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Resawing Toy Wheels
I make a lot of toy trains, and each set requires at least 10 pairs of wheels – or more.
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Catching Stray Parts
When I’m building small projects, tiny parts that fall off the bench seem to get lost forever.
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A Carver’s One-Stop Strop Spot
The variously shaped profiles of my woodcarving chisel blades require a variety of strops, and I used to have to mount them one at a time in my lathe, switching from one to the next.
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No-freeze Shop Box
Protecting freeze-sensitive shop supplies such as rechargeable tool batteries, glues, finishes and waterstones from winter cold is a hassle.
