Tricks of the Trade
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Freeze Protection
My shop is not heated so to keep my paint, glue and other liquids from freezing, I keep them stored in a large ice chest.
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Dust Separator
This easy to make lid goes on top of a standard garbage can to filter larger saw dust, wood chunks, and shavings from my planner and jointer.
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Wooden Mallets
A wooden mallet is an essential tool around a woodworking shop, especially when cutting mortises and dovetails by hand.
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Rip Fence Jig Holder
My new table saw has a rip fence faced with UHMW plastic on each side. I don’t trust jigs clamped to the slippery surfaces, so I mounted two, 2-foot lengths of T-track along the fence’s metal spine.
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Removing Stuck Sanding Sleeves
Sanding sleeves have a way of getting stuck on the rubber washers that form the sanding spindle.
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Guide Block Circle Cutter
This jig attaches directly to your band saw’s guide block assembly, unlike other circle-cutting jigs that clamp to the saw table.
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Saving the Fence
I share a woodworking shop with other military personnel and too often find the metal fence scarred by a close encounter with the moving saw blade.
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Overhead Storage
The cardboard cylinders called Sonotubes provide ideal storage for moldings, long dowels, fairing battens and other odds and ends.
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Getting a Grip on Chucks
The small chuck keys that come with corded drills and drill presses are too small to apply enough torque and…
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Production Turning Aid
To gauge the accuracy of my cylinder turnings, I built a homemade jig that’s easier to use than calipers.
