Woodworking Tips And Tricks.pdf

Layout & Measuring

Large capacity calliper for big jobs

Use two "c-clamps" to clamp the legs of two 16" x 24" framing squares together

around/across the object to be measured. Following this procedure, you can even use

the scales to measure the distance directly.

Layout & Measuring

Transferring patterns for spindle turnings, legs, etc.

Attach a sheet of white paper (large enough for the pattern) temporarily to the wall.

Set the spindle you wish to duplicate vertically in front of the paper and very close to

it. Position a bright lamp in line with the spindle so it casts a sharp-edged shadow

onto the paper. Adjust the distance between the lamp and the shadow to achieve the

sharpest shadow. Then, simply trace along the shadow with a pencil to transfer the

pattern.

Finishing

Particle-free smoother for wood finishes

Conventional abrasives and steel wools can, at times leave small abrasive particles or

steel fibres in critical wood finishes during the smoothing process. When smoothing a

finish that must be free of these particles, try using ScotchBrite pads, instead.

Sheet goods

Make-it-yourself carrying handle for sheet goods.

Cut a 1" x 1" rabbet along one edge of an 18" long piece of 2" x 2". Screw & glue

your 2" x 2" flush with the bottom (18") edge of an 18" long x 8" wide piece of 1/2"

or 3/4" plywood. The connection of the two pieces of stock should create an "L" and

a 1" deep by 1" wide channel near the bottom of your plywood piece.

Near the opposite edge of your plywood piece, drill two 3/8" diameter holes, down

about 1" from its top edge and about 4" in from each end. Slip the two ends of a 30"

long piece of clothesline through these two holes and knot the ends to form a carrying

handle.

To carry your 4' x 8' sheet goods, simply set the edge of your sheet into the channel

formed by your plywood and 2" x 2", reach around and grab your rope handle and

carry.

Miscellaneous tips

Invisible tambour canvas

Unfortunately, the un-primed white canvas that's most often recommended for gluing-

up tambours (roll-tops) will easily show through between the slats when the tambour

is rolled up and down. This is especially true on projects with dark coloured slats.

To solve this problem, use dark brown (or appropriate coloured) fabric dies to darken

the canvas before assembling the tambours. Be sure it's completely dry and iron the

canvas before gluing-up your tambour.

Band saw

Safely holding ultra-small pieces for

band sawing

Sometimes, it's necessary to cut extremely small pieces of stock that are impossible to

grasp properly without getting your fingers well inside the red "safety zone"...where

fingers aren't supposed to be! This problem can often be solved by guiding your stock

with the eraser ends of two pencils.

Table Saw

Setting a saw fence parallel to the blade

Setting your rip fence so it's parallel to the blade could be a difficult task. If you have

a Shopsmith MARK V, your owner's manual will tell you how to do this. If you don't

have a MARK V owner's manual...or you're using another type of table saw, you can

also make any necessary adjustments by using a set of inside callipers. Lock the

callipers in position at approximately 6" apart. Touch one leg of your callipers to

your fence face and the other leg to a selected blade tip where it meets the table

surface at the FRONT of your table insert slot. Rotate your blade so the SAME tip is

now meeting with the table surface at the BACK of your table insert slot. Adjust your

fence setting or worktable so this distance is identical at both ends of your table insert

slot.

Miscellaneous tips

Keeping machine pulleys from working loose

Machine pulley setscrews have a tendency to work loose at the most inopportune

times.

To prevent this, replace your standard setscrews with two shorter ones approximating

the length of your original. Tighten the first setscrew

against the shaft of your machine or motor, and then tighten the second setscrew

against the first.

Joinery

Fitting shelves tightly into dadoes

If you own a thickness planer, here's a simple but important tip for making tight-

fitting shelf-to-cabinet fits. ALWAYS cut the dado or groove that your shelf is to fit

into BEFORE you plane your lumber to thickness. By doing this, you can adjust your

shelf thickness slightly to form a snug fit in the groove or dado.

Miscellaneous tips

Re-gluing edge splinters on projects.

Use a heated clothing iron to set yellow wood glue quickly when repairing splintered

areas. Set the iron on medium heat and touch it to the glued splinter for no more than

30 seconds. Be careful not to get glue on your spouse's iron. A piece of brown paper

grocery bag or a couple of thicknesses of cloth between the iron and the surface to be

glued will help prevent this problem.

Gluing, assembly fastening

Drilling/sizing considerations for wood screws

Screw Body Drill Pilot Drills Counter bore

size # size In soft In hard size*

woods woods

4 1/8" 1/16" 5/64" 1/4"

5 9/64" 5/64" 3/32" 1/4"

6 5/64" 5/64" 3/32" 5/16"

7 5/32" 3/32" 7/64" 5/16"

8 11/64" 3/32" 7/64" 3/8"

9 3/16" 7/64" 1/8" 3/8"

10 3/16" 7/64" 1/8" 7/16"

12 7/32" 1/8" 5/32" 1/2"

*To accept standard sized dowels, plugs or buttons

When a wire wheel loses its cutting abilities

After a lot of use, a wire wheel can get dull and ineffective. The first and most

obvious approach to getting more work out of it is to reverse its direction of rotation.

Usually, this will extend its life for a while. However, it will eventually become dull

while running in this direction, as well. When this happens, reverse its rotation once

again and run it against a coarse grit sharpening stone or grindstone to create sharp,

new tips on the bristles.

Shop safety

Four table saw safety tips

1: Attach your push stick to the wall or the front of your saw with Velcro or sticky-

backed magnets so you can grab it quickly when needed.

2: ALWAYS use your saw guards and splitters to keep your hands clear of the blade

and prevent the saw kerf from closing up on the blade and causing a kickback.

3: Try to avoid cutting crooked or warped stock, as it is much more likely to twist and

bind during cutting.

4: When ripping, always be certain to feed your stock all the way past the blade until

the cut is complete to avoid kickbacks. Use a push stick to keep your hands clear of

the blade at all times.

Turning

Creating decorative burn lines on your spindle turnings -- without burning your

fingers

Holding a piece of thin wire or coat hanger against a rotating, turned spindle has

always been a great way to create darker accent lines around its circumference.

unfortunately, it's also often been a great way to scorch the old fingers, as well. Next

time, try replacing the blade on your coping saw or hacksaw with the wire. You'll get

better control and won't have to worry about burning your fingers.

Gluing, assembly fastening

Giving your nails an improved grip.

Any "old-timer" woodworker will tell you that rosin-coated nails have a grip that just

won't quit. Unfortunately, they're often tough to find.

To make your own, go to a local sporting goods store or bowling pro shop and buy a

small package of powdered rosin. Mix 8 tablespoons of powdered rosin with a pint

(16 ounces)of denatured alcohol and stir thoroughly until dissolved.

Drop in your nails and slosh them around a bit to coat them with the solution. Use a

magnet to remove them from the solution (or pour or scoop them out). Then, spread

them out onto a pile of old newspapers or rags and allow them to dry before use.

CAUTION: DO YOUR MIXING AND COATING OUTDOORS

IN A WELL-VENTILATED AREA THAT'S AWAY FROM ANY

OPEN FLAMES.

Gluing / assembly / fastening

Clamping cauls that won't stick.

It's often a good idea to use wooden cauls (small, scrap blocks) between the jaws of

your clamps and the surfaces they will grip to prevent marring. However, if you're

not careful, some "stray" glue could permanently fasten the cauls to your surface

during assembly. Here are four ways to prevent this from happening: 1) use wooden

cauls that have a polyurethane or other glossy finish on their surfaces 2) use 1/4" or

thicker plastic pieces as cauls 3) place a piece of waxed paper between your caul and

your work piece 4) wrap your caul in ordinary plastic kitchen wrap before use.

Gluing / assembly / fastening

Another "mashless" brad holder

Use a fine toothcomb to hold your brads while driving. Just slip the brad between the

comb teeth, move it into position and whack fearlessly away with your hammer!

Inexpensive beeswax

Woodworking stores and special shops can often charge a fortune for the beeswax

you use to lubricate wood screws, drawer glides, etc. Instead, visit your local home

centre and purchase a wax toilet bowl seal. They're usually made of beeswax and a

heckuva lot cheaper than the specialty stuff !

Finishing

Work piece holder

To hold your work piece off the bench surface during finishing and drying, try driving

4-penny finishing nails through small, 2" square by 1/4" to 1/2" thick blocks of wood

until their heads are flush with the surface. Then, turn them over on your bench top

and use them as "feet" to support your projects, suspended above your bench surface

during finishing.

Gluing / assembly / fastening

Ready-made door shims

The next time you're making cabinets with flush-fitting doors and need some shims to

hold them at a uniform clearance when positioning hinges, try using some "coin of the

realm". In particular, nickels, quarters, dimes or pennies.

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