# SHOP HACKS / bobj3 corner



## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

When I joined the forum there frequent posts regarding cost cutting or jig rigging. In todays lingo I think the kids are calling these "hacks". Anyhow bobj3 was full of hacks. His bottle cap knobs is one still mentioned. He also was the joke a day thread starter. Anyhow I think a thread for shop hacks would be useful for everyone. Especially to those of us on harbor freight budgets.
Got any good hacks to share?


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

when planing material at a dimension other than the factory stops I get cross eyed trying to read the factory scale So to register the thickness I put masking tape along the scale and mark the indicator


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

One tip I shared that made Bob laugh was that I used Bondo to repair router templates that were damaged, or to fill screw holes on MDF speaker cabinets I made. It dries rock hard, doesn't shrink, and sands perfectly.

only $15 for the big gallon can...


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

kp91 said:


> One tip I shared that made Bob laugh was that I used Bondo to repair templates that were damaged


If any of mine need repairing, I usually just cut a small section out, then glue a piece of wood in, and sand to shape. Works great. Cheap too.

And, sometimes when I'm making my routing masters, I just make on layer as usual, then instead of using a solid piece on it and routing to shape, I glue on small pieces, and rout them. Gives a nice solid master, saves wood, and uses up pieces I'd normally just have to toss.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

Rubbing alcohol removes pencil marks from wood. Just dampen a shop rag and apply it. A couple swipes is all it takes.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I use toothpicks or slivers cut with a chisel or knife to repair screw holes. Put a dab of glue on them and jamb them in the hole. When the glue dries I shave them flush. It's also a good way to move to the screw over slightly to straighten up a hinge or anything like that that sometimes needs a small adjustment.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

I've used the method Charles described for years and have had great success with it and no known failures.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Wow. I see a whole new forum category opening up here.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Have a small dent to remove from a wood surface, try laying a damp cloth over it and running a hot iron (preferably not your wife's current one) over it to steam the wood a bit. Works better on softer wood of course but I have used the approach on oak. The key is to not get the wood totally soaked, just a tad damp.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Instead of using drawer slides I've used strips of counter top laminate instead a few times. One strip in the carcass and one on the bottom of the drawer runners. If they get sticky just rub some parafin wax on the drawer runners. I've also used this to fix the drawers on an old antique sideboard where the runners had worn into the carcass (wood on wood) causing the drawer front to drag when closing. The strips of laminate lifted the drawer back into position and made it slide easier and stopped the wear from getting worse.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Instead of using drawer slides I've used strips of counter top laminate instead a few times. One strip in the carcass and one on the bottom of the drawer runners. If they get sticky just rub some parafin wax on the drawer runners. I've also used this to fix the drawers on an old antique sideboard where the runners had worn into the carcass (wood on wood) causing the drawer front to drag when closing. The strips of laminate lifted the drawer back into position and made it slide easier and stopped the wear from getting worse.


Great idea, Charles. I put that in my memory chip (notebook). Thanks.


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## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

A picture says more than one thousand words


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

A thin kerf 10 inch blade is not always the best choice. These tend to deflect if you apply too much angular pressure. It is hard, for example to get a really flat surface on a miter cut, so two ends join perfectly. Switch to a full kerf blade to all but eliminate the deflection. This is particularly important if you are cutting more than a couple of inch thick stock.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

*i LUV CHUCK*



Cherryville Chuck said:


> Instead of using drawer slides I've used strips of counter top laminate instead a few times. One strip in the carcass and one on the bottom of the drawer runners. If they get sticky just rub some parafin wax on the drawer runners. I've also used this to fix the drawers on an old antique sideboard where the runners had worn into the carcass (wood on wood) causing the drawer front to drag when closing. The strips of laminate lifted the drawer back into position and made it slide easier and stopped the wear from getting worse.


I built a work table when time was abundant and money was tight. It was made from scraps and had rub drawer glides. As my shop grew these sticking drawers were almost abandoned until Chuck's post They slide now
Thank you


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

papasombre said:


> A picture says more than one thousand words


Alexis
I have always admired your ingenuity this is just another example


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Some great ideas, "hacks", tips and tricks.

Most, new to me...

A wonderful tribute to BJ and his immense contribution to the forum....


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Here's a couple of sanding aids. One photo is small pieces of counter top laminate with various grits of sandpaper glued on. These are unbelievably handy for sanding small or narrow detail such as the fillets of a profiled edge. I keep them at my workbench so they are always close. I like attaching them with Lee Valley's fish glue. It stays water soluble forever so when the paper wears out I just wet them and in a couple of minutes they peel off so I can put a new one on. Regular glue works too but they are throwaway when the paper wears out. I dress the edges up with a file before gluing the paper on.

The other is a sanding jig for sanding things like wood edge banding added onto something like the melamine piece shown. Quite often when you trim these to size the edges have tool marks that need to be sanded off. Tis jig allows you to sand them without worrying about scratching the melamine or veneer up. Cut the sandpaper the same width as the wood banding. The right angle stop prevents you from going any wider than the banding is.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

I use drawer liner Husky 18 in. x 100 in. Premium Solid Drawer Liner, Black-DTC130001 - The Home Depot for several shop tasks. It comes 18 in wide X 96 in. I cut it 3 ft and use it as a work surface cushion when finishing. It comes in handy when using an RT or TS as a work surface When done roll it up and put it away. It is also useful for pads on push tools. Its 1/8" thick and can be easily sliced into strips for spacers in raised panel doors.


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## billyjim (Feb 11, 2012)

I save the mailers that I get that are on the heavy cardstock. (get a lot of these right now from political candidates) I like to use them to make patterns with. The cardstock is heavy enough to make good, accurate patterns which I use to make heavier templates.


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## jj777746 (Jan 17, 2015)

Cut the legs off old track pants & slip your good handsaws in them,(held in place with rubber bands) before storing them away in the tool chest. Keeps rust off especially when living near the sea. Also,old bed sheets thrown over machinery when not in use helps with rust prevention.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

I use old canvas painters tarps to cover all power tools when there not in use but bed sheets would be a good choice as well. The latter could add a splash of color to the shop. :grin:


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I had this idea yesterday and gave it a try and it works, just not as well or easily as I had hoped. I was looking for a way to extend the reach of pipe clamp jaws. Pipe clamps are great for spanning long distances, I've had mine out to 12' once, but the 2" wide jaw sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. So I laminated 3 pieces of plywood together x 2 and drilled holes in them the size of my pipes (I had to file them to the right size, I didn't have a bit exactly the right size). I was hoping that by keeping the holes tight around the pipes that I could keep from skewing the extra jaws apart but that didn't work out. So I tried adding a bridge between the extended jaws that was the same thickness as what I was clamping. This is shown in the photo. That worked. To go out much longer a 2 x 4 could be used as a bridge.

It clamped very tightly but it is awkward to use, for anything long it would take 2 people to do it but it is an option where a long reach is needed.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

A friend forwarded this from you tube An interesting way to tighten/loosen a bolt if you don't have the correct wrench size. Not exactly woodworking but it could come in handy. 

http://www.hefty.com/without-wrench


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Jon; something wrong with that link, comes up as a '404' error


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

I think the link was missing the "m" in the "com", which I added. Still couldn't find anything concerning a wrench on the site.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

@DaninVan @BrianS

Sorry about that. Try this link.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Very clever Jon.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

@Cherryville Chuck

Thanks, just a good find from a friend I can't claim any originality.


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## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

Thanks for following up with that Jon. I've seen that before, but forgot about it. That's a good trick to file away just in case.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

*Another shop hack*



paduke said:


> When I joined the forum there frequent posts regarding cost cutting or jig rigging. In todays lingo I think the kids are calling these "hacks". Anyhow bobj3 was full of hacks. His bottle cap knobs is one still mentioned. He also was the joke a day thread starter. Anyhow I think a thread for shop hacks would be useful for everyone. Especially to those of us on harbor freight budgets.
> Got any good hacks to share?


I saw this on the Stumpy Nubs youtube channel. 
Keep a tube of chapstick handy to lubricate screw threads before driving into wood. Especially hard wood. It's basically paraffin, and is easy to keep in your pocket. Twist it out, use it, twist it closed. The Dollar Store brand works fine.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Bar soap works good too Jim. I hadn't thought of using Chapstick.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

I keep a wax toilet ring in the shop. This product is made from plant oils and petroleum. It is excellent for screws and lubing rubbing wood surfaces. It is also great on work surfaces. When making plywood jigs, tabletops, router fences etc it is a great finish. Rub the wax on to the surface. melt it in using heat gun or hair dryer. work several coats in if you want. I junk my tops up with glue, epoxy, paint whatever. To clean them if a good scrape doesn't work use the heat gun warm it up and wipe it off. Then I renew it. Use it on cauls for glue ups


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Yep. I keep a wax ring in the garage, too. The thing is that I'm a klutz and usually get it on my hands, and also it's always on the other side where I have to walk to it. So I'm going to give the chap stick a try.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

chessnut2 said:


> Yep. I keep a wax ring in the garage, too. The thing is that I'm a klutz and usually get it on my hands, ...


That's not a big deal Jim unless it's a used wax ring. :grin:


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> That's not a big deal Jim unless it's a used wax ring. :grin:


Dang , you beat me too it :lol:


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

I tinker on one of my lathes quite a bit when I want the instant gratification of a piece coming together quickly. This requires applying finishes while the lathe is turning and means holding rags with stain or finish. Too, sometimes I need to apply just a little stain and finish on other projects. In both events, I have to choose between donning a disposable glove or settling for stained or finished fingers.

Generally, I can used the disposable's a few times, if I peel them off carefully. Regardless, I end up fighting with gloves a lot, and throwing away a lot of disposable gloves. To avoid waste and make using gloves easy, I've bought good rubber or other heavy duty gloves and cut off all but the part my hand goes into. They are a little over sized, so they're easy to put on an pull off. As such, they get used a lot, allowing me to avoid waste and messy hands or fingers.


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## Oakwerks (May 9, 2013)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> That's not a big deal Jim unless it's a used wax ring. :grin:


What's wrong with using a used wax ring ??
It's the ultimate recycling sacrifice 😇😇😇 ....


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Just save them for your friends. They don't need to know the details.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Harbor has 50 packs of 7 mil nitrille gloves for about $10 bucks. Last far longer than the thin ones, easier to put on and remove. But they're still flexible anough so you can work finish into corners and tight areas. The light weight gloves ofte get tears in the finger tips that leak finish, paint, etc all over my fingers. The 7 mil have never had that problem.


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## Oakwerks (May 9, 2013)

DesertRatTom said:


> Harbor has 50 packs of 7 mil nitrille gloves for about $10 bucks. Last far longer than the thin ones, easier to put on and remove. But they're still flexible anough so you can work finish into corners and tight areas. The light weight gloves ofte get tears in the finger tips that leak finish, paint, etc all over my fingers. The 7 mil have never had that problem.


Yup..... These gloves are great ....And, they're tough enough to pull off and reuse ....


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

I always have a couple boxes around because they do make life SO much better. Yesterday I was doing a wipe on finish on a door and they were a better choice than my quick gloves. However, throughout a day, I find myself reaching for a dab of stain, a bit of shellac or some other sticky or staining product to use and the time it takes to put on or pull off a regular disposable glove causes me to "tough it." After all, that was thirty seconds of valuable goof-off time to do a five second job. For those, the quick disconnect gloves are ideal.

Just for reference, regarding the HF gloves, I do find they hold up as well or even better than those from a more expensive [and prettier] box.




DesertRatTom said:


> Harbor has 50 packs of 7 mil nitrille gloves for about $10 bucks. Last far longer than the thin ones, easier to put on and remove. But they're still flexible anough so you can work finish into corners and tight areas. The light weight gloves ofte get tears in the finger tips that leak finish, paint, etc all over my fingers. The 7 mil have never had that problem.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

*An Oldie But Goodie - Sandpaper Cutter*

For those without a paper cutter, or who don't want to use it or scissors, this simple-to-build cutter I borrowed from a magazine fifteen or so years ago is a must have shop fixture for me. It cuts sand paper for my quarter sheet sander quickly and well.

To make one, you just need a piece of plywood a little bigger than a standard sheet of sandpaper, a couple flat washers, a couple screws a hacksaw blade, a felt tip marker and a standard sheet of sandpaper.

1) Secure the bandsaw blade to the plywood at the center of the plywood, as seen in the picture. One flat washer should be installed between each end of the bandsaw blade and the plywood. This will give enough room to slide a sheet of sand paper under the blade.

2) Draw two lines at top to bottom and left to right between exact centers of the sandpaper, splitting it into four, each of which would fit a standard pad sander.

3) Slide the sandpaper under the blade (it will only fit lengthwise, at this point) until one of the lines lines up with the teeth of the blade. Hold the paper in place and trace around the lower half of the paper (below where the teeth are).

From now on, when using the cutter, you merely push the paper up under the blade until it lines with this line.

4) Still holding the sandpaper from moving, reach to the top right or left and lift and pull down on the paper, so the part at the teeth of the blade are pulled against it, ripping the paper across the blade.

5) Now take one of the two resulting pieces and, again, line up the line you drew on the sandpaper with the teeth of the blade. When in position, again trace around the paper.

6) For the final cut and, again, while still holding the paper in place, lift the upper edge of the sandpaper and pull it down across the teeth to rip it.

You should now have three two sheets of paper that fit your pad sander. Just repeat the process to, quickly, cut more sheets for the sander. I find I can cut two sheets at a time.


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## CharlesWebster (Nov 24, 2015)

Dejure said:


> For those without a paper cutter, or who don't want to use it or scissors, this simple-to-build cutter I borrowed from a magazine fifteen or so years ago is a must have shop fixture for me. It cuts sand paper for my quarter sheet sander quickly and well.


Is that a hacksaw blade used as a cutter?


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Charles, yes it is. I probably should have made that more clear.

The hacksaw blade works very well. Even a dull one will do a pretty good job.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

I made a box with horizontal dividers to hold different grades of sand paper. The idea was to organize my stock of paper. Well good luck with that. On the to I put thin strips of wood to guide my sizes, then put the hacksaw blade across the side of the box. I would have put up a photo but then I would have had to remove all the stuff piled on top of it. LOL


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Dejure said:


> I always have a couple boxes around because they do make life SO much better. Yesterday I was doing a wipe on finish on a door and they were a better choice than my quick gloves. However, throughout a day, I find myself reaching for a dab of stain, a bit of shellac or some other sticky or staining product to use and the time it takes to put on or pull off a regular disposable glove causes me to "tough it." After all, that was thirty seconds of valuable goof-off time to do a five second job. For those, the quick disconnect gloves are ideal.
> 
> Just for reference, regarding the HF gloves, I do find they hold up as well or even better than those from a more expensive [and prettier] box.


I haven't made the comparison. But the 7 mil gloves last through many uses. I like the lighter ones for finishing though, a little easier to work things into corners.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

*Double edge guide*

I was rearranging some of my gear and part of that was re hanging 3 edge guides that came with routers. Two had fixed rods but the 3rd one had movable rods and the rods it came with were longer than the other two. I had been meaning to make a second edge guide for one so that if I needed to make a long groove in a board I could lock the board between the edge guides and prevent wandering. I took a birch block and drilled two 31/32" holes on my drill press for the 12mm rods on the guide. Then I sawed the block roughly through the center of the holes with a thin rip blade. I drilled a hole through the blocks for a bolt and mounted a t-nut in a slightly countersunk hole on the bottom side of the lower half. I was thinking about trying to use a threaded knob on top but it lands directly under one of the router's handles so it's going to have to be a common bolt. The bolt holds the clamp on tightly and the rod grooves self align the two halves. I added a piece on the bottom to register against what I'm routing. It's a little wider than necessary and I may rip a little off it once I go to use it. This was a very simple build you just need a table saw and drill press.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Chuck that jig deserves a bobj3 award


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

*coping a joint*

Coped joints in moldings used to be common but the miter saw eventually won out and you don't see them as much anymore but they still do look better and a miter joint looks like crap if the wood shrinks where a coped joint not so much. A jig came out a few years ago that was supposed to make the job much easier and while looking at the jig I figured out the easy way to cut one. All you have to do is cut a 45 bevel on the molding and cut to the edge of the bevel with a coping saw which is basically a poor man's scroll saw. The first picture shows the molding with part of the bevel cut and my coping saw hanging on the piece. The second photo is the finished cut with another piece of the molding held against. The closeup of the white against white is a bit over exposed but the lack of shadow at the joint shows how well it fits together.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Yes! I don't know why more people don't use the coped cut method. I actually prefer it for the reason you gave, Charles; it's a lot more forgiving.
A lot of drywall corners aren't a flat surface with the walls adjacent, due to the mudded corner...maybe 8" - 12" out in either direction (both inside and outside corners).
The coped piece allows you to put pressure against the inner piece, helping to hold it tight/flat against the wall.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I agree Dan. The corners are always rounded because of the mudding to build up over and finish over the tape. That plays havoc with fitting miters and makes them hard to measure accurately and when you aren't long enough it looks pretty ugly. With coped corners you can be a little short on the board that butts up to the adjacent wall and it still doesn't show that much because the coped joint is the thickness of the molding away from the corner.

Coping is a way better joint and stays better looking over time. It takes a little longer but like you I think it's worth it and once I found this easy way to lay it out it just requires patience and a decent coping saw and they aren't that expensive.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

DaninVan said:


> Yes! I don't know why more people don't use the coped cut method.


A. They think its hard (it's not...)

B. They think its old fashioned, antique, or what neanderthal knuckle-draggers do.

C. They're just going to use half of a tube of caulk to fill in any gaps anyway.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

kp91 said:


> A. They think its hard (it's not...)
> 
> B. They think its old fashioned, antique, or what neanderthal knuckle-draggers do.
> 
> C. They're just going to use half of a tube of caulk to fill in any gaps anyway.


and 

D. The coped joint is a must if you have natural finish trim - but, IMO, it still looks better with painted trim too.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Excellent point re the natural finish, Tom. White caulking is just so tacky!


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Woodsmith hack for those who don't get their tips Woodsmith Tips | Woodsmith Tips


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

*Steaming a dent out of Walnut*

I wasn't certain where to post this, I don't see a 'Tips' subforum so moderators please move this if it doesn't need to go here - thanks! David

This certainly isn't anything new but since I dented a piece today I thought it would be a good time to video the little tip for those who may never have tried this.


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Yep that is how you do it. :nerd:


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Good one Dave. It doesn't really belong in jigs and fixtures but I could add it to this thread if you want. http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/102826-shop-hacks-bobj3-corner.html


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Nice one Dave.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Good one Dave. It doesn't really belong in jigs and fixtures but I could add it to this thread if you want. http://www.routerforums.com/tools-woodworking/102826-shop-hacks-bobj3-corner.html


That's fine with me, Chuck. It's a well known tip but I had a chance to video it figuring there's bound to be one or two woodworkers that haven't done this yet so maybe it will help someone.

Thanks!
David


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## neville9999 (Jul 22, 2010)

I've done that many times and it works but as he said, if the fibers are cut or the mark is too deep then you can only do so much, but you can make it much better than it was. N


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Another thread that was running convinced me that it was time to tune up my favorite card scraper so I did and it is now much better. I am finishing up my new table saw outfeed table which has a 3/4 melamine top with wood banded edge. When I sawed the banding off a larger piece it must have released a little tension in the wood and it bowed a bit so getting it perfectly level wasn't going to happen and it needed trimming down after so I thought I'd try using the newly tuned scraper and it worked beautifully. To avoid scratching the melamine I added about 3 layers of masking tape on one end. That also created a slight outward slope which in this case could be desirable. So it was make a few strokes and rub a finger across the joint. A little more elbow grease this way but by the time I would have gotten a router set up probably similar time spent and with no risk of an "OOPS". The picture is of my scraper in a Veritas scraper holder which is a little easier on my hands than just holding the scraper by itself.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I needed to plane some thin pieces of wood the other day and the best and safest way to do that in my opinion is to add a smooth surface onto the planer table. My favorite for this is an old sink cut out with HPL surface. The HPL is slicker than the steel planer table so the thin pieces go through more smoothly with less chance of binding up which can cause them to explode at the cutter sometimes. That makes a horrible noise when it happens. Trust me on that. I just took the cut out and squared it up enough to fit in the planer and added a cleat to the infeed side to hold it in place.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Here`s a quick center drilling jig for a round rod. Cut 2 45* angles off some lumber and glue them point to point on a piece of scrap ply. Lower the bit on the drill press into the bottom of the vee and you`re centered. You`ll need to shim the other end of the rod to level first.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Every so often we see someone who needs to drill vertical holes free hand. The easiest way is to drill a block of wood on the drill press and use that for a guide but not everyone has a drill press so here is a way to do it with out one. Take 2 strips of some kind of panel board and cut a groove across them using the miter gauge. Have the saw blade height set for about 1/2 the thickness of the bit. You might have to make more than one pass for the width of the groove. Clamp the 2 halves together and drill down the groove. This can be scaled up to any size bit and can also be done on a router table if needed. It would be a good idea to check it with a square before you drill to make sure the jig is 90 to the surface you are drilling.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Sometimes when you are drilling holes into a rod you need to drill more than one and all of them need to line up at the same angle. This is easy to do. On a drill press take the rod and insert another drill bit in the hole you just drilled. Line up the rod with where the next hole will be and hold a board or piece of ply against the drill press bit and rotate the rod until the bit you stuck in the first hole you drilled lays against the ply or board.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

If you need to drill multiple holes in a dowel rod and you don't have a drill press and need to do it freehand then use the jig for drilling vertical holes from a couple of posts back and add more grooves at the spacing you need. Install the extra drill bit as in the last post. The jig will automatically line up all the holes. To make sure you are centered on the dowel sandwich the jig between 2 side plates as shown. You may need to add shims in between the jig and the side plates if the difference is too much.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Here is a method I used for drilling spheres. Rather than go through all the steps, I'll post a picture and the Instructables page where I published it. 

To use this method, all you need is:

1) A scrap piece of wood with a hole in it big enough to keep the sphere from rolling around when the sphere is resting in it, but small enough the sphere does not touch the table under it.

2) A Jorgenson type clamp.


To get more information, visit Instructables and search under "drilling spheres," or go directly to:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Drilling-Spheres/

http://www.routerforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=271345&stc=1&d=1491229227


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Kelly
When employing your jig, I use a forstner bit in the drill press to center the bottom plate and clamp it in place.


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## comp56 (Mar 30, 2017)

don't have a compass handy but need to draw a circle? try a sawzall blade.....


quick corner clamp 



properly fold sheet sand paper for so it lasts longer...


something not quite square?, use a washer to copy proper cut line....


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

That sawzall blade trick is actually very clever!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

*Half lap router jig*

I need to cut some half lap joints on the router table and there will be a variety of widths but luckily only one thickness. Constantly adjusting the fence will be a pain. This jig is the easiest to do it with. An arm rides against the table edge and keeps the other arm at 90 to the table at all times. Once I cut into the jig I know where the edge of the bit will be and I just made a pencil mark that I can line up with where I want the edge of the half lap to be. Two added advantages of this jig is that it offers blow out protection and it allows you to clamp your work to it easily.

This jig also works well for doing end profiles like rails for cabinet doors or for putting T & G on the end of boards. Best is to make it out of scrap ply and use a new one for ech project so that you get the blow out protection.


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

I use rare earth magnets all over my shop to hold things I need in place. Like my hold downs for my table saw and drill press. I also use them to hold drill bits that I use a lot at the drill press. A rare earth magnet holds my push stick in place so it will right where I need it. Buy a lot of them you will find more and more ways to use them.


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## comp56 (Mar 30, 2017)

made a small dedicated 45 degree TS sled. not very fancy but it cuts spot on.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I agree Tony. I made one a few years back and the cut seems a bit better than a miter saw and the saw cuts in the sled allow you to line up the cut easier.


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## comp56 (Mar 30, 2017)

I do have one of these miters gauges and it is spot on however I only like using it for short miters versus long cuts...then I have another jig per say for really long tapered cuts for when I making 5 and 6 foot tall tapered lighthouses...


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

kp91 said:


> That sawzall blade trick is actually very clever!


Yes, it is. Everyone has one laying around and it's easier to grab that than set up a compass. Thanks.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

*Rare earth magnets again*

My sister in law asked me to build her a box to keep some of her dad's ashes in who passed away earlier this year. Since this box will just sit somewhere it didn't need a lid with hinges or any other really positive way of keeping the lid on so I thought I'd try using some really small rare earth magnets as in 1/8"D. I decided where I wanted them on the box and then laid the lid upside down and positioned the box on the lid and marked it so I could locate the corresponding holes in the lid. Ultra precision is not required here as the magnets only need to be close to work.

They worked very well. The attraction is enough to be able to lift the box by the lid and you only have to get the lid close to the right position and the magnets will center it for you.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

*Rag Storage*

Shop real estate can be hard to come by, since we like being able to see our tools for quick retrieval and storage. I grabbed a five gallon bucket, cut a hole in it I could pull rags from, filled it with rags and hung it from my ceiling.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

*Eye Glass Storage and Fun*

I have a significant collection of glasses. I have numerous pairs of safety glasses, Dollar Store magnifying glasses and my everyday glasses with bifocals. Keep them safe and being able to find them was a challenge, until I took advantage of more ceiling realestate.

Details about it can be found on the instructables web site at: https://www.instructables.com/id/ADJUSTABLE-CEILING-MOUNT-EYE-GLASS-STORAGE/


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

*Push Shoe/Stick & Marking Device Storage*

Every once in a while, I found myself in to a table saw cut, but with no push stick or push shoe within reach. I am religious about using them when my hands could be anywhere near a danger zone. Then there is the matter of storing several different push shoes for different cut thickness and such. To solve that problem, I made a storage rack, which hangs from the ceiling and which can be adjusted up or down for the occasional cut requiring the storage rack to be out of the way. Now, all I have to do is reach up and grab the push device best suited to the cut I'm making.

One more advantage of this storage rack is, it gave me a place to store my pens, pencil, marking knife and so on.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

*Band Saw Blade Storage*

I've made several things to store bandsaw blades over the years. I found my storage needs outgrew them, and a few of them took up far more materials than I'd prefer. As is often the case, I found simple was better. I can see the blades at a glance and all I need to make a rack is some scraps, The amount of scraps needed are a fraction of the materials other storage versions required, and the rack can be, like mine, hung from the ceiling.

More information on the rack can be seen at the instructables web site at: https://www.instructables.com/id/Band-Saw-Blade-Storage/


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

*Sanding some discs round*

I needed to cut out a set of circles (almost, they have a short narrow flat where the door of the cupboard will be). I laid them out with some trammel points I have and set up a circle cutting jig for router and 1/4" spiral but after one disc I could see it was going to finish off the spiral cutting out the 3/4 mdf so I switched to a jigsaw and cut slightly oversize and then rounded them on my vertical belt sander instead. The up side is that they come out perfectly smooth. The downside is the dust, even with my DC going.

I just nailed though a hole I drilled where the point of the trammel went into a ply panel I clamped to the sander table. Any belt or disc sander would work. Very similar to a jig for doing them on a band saw. The small flat simplified things greatly as that allowed me to start without moving the jig and disc into the moving belt. The end result is excellent if you can manage the dust.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I've had a little time in the shop lately and one of the things I wanted to do was change how I store my small clamps. In the past I clamped and unclamped them from a shelf under my bench but that was getting increasingly tedious and time consuming. So I took two strips of some 5/8" ply I had and cut them 2" wide. Then I cut notches in them 1" deep by about 5/16" wide. I would up clamping the two strips together and notching both at once so that I had a perfectly matching pair. I used a jig similar to a finger joint jig but I didn't need great precision so I just drilled a drill bit into the backing plate and used that instead of the key that you would normally use. 

Once done I laid one strip on top of the other so that the fingers overlapped each other, leaving that 1" by 5/16" wide slot between each doubled finger. All my clamps have a 1 1/2" offset or slightly more so the solid part of each strip was 1 3/8" wide, giving enough clearance for the handles to slide past. Then I filled the overlaps on both sides to make a solid double thickness strip. I've been using it for a few days now and this is an easy way to store and use those small clamps.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I've been wanting to build a porch swing for some time now and finally got around to it but the birch lumber I have got bugs in it during the many years it's been stored and left tracks through the wood. I needed to fill them because I'm thinking about varnishing it instead of painting and regular filler wouldn't look that good so I decided to try mixing it with black art paint (acrylic) to see if that looked better. I normally use Durham's Rock Hard which is a plastic powder that you mix with water. I finally decided to read the entire label after it sitting in my shop for about 15 years and lo and behold it even suggests doing that or using stain or dye. Who would have thunk it! I think it's an improvement but probably not everyone's cup of tea. Here's the photo so decide for yourself.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Perhaps cutting the faces of the laminated pieces at a slight angle would result in them being closer to parallel, when clamped.




Cherryville Chuck said:


> I had this idea yesterday and gave it a try and it works, just not as well or easily as I had hoped. I was looking for a way to extend the reach of pipe clamp jaws. Pipe clamps are great for spanning long distances, I've had mine out to 12' once, but the 2" wide jaw sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. So I laminated 3 pieces of plywood together x 2 and drilled holes in them the size of my pipes (I had to file them to the right size, I didn't have a bit exactly the right size). I was hoping that by keeping the holes tight around the pipes that I could keep from skewing the extra jaws apart but that didn't work out. So I tried adding a bridge between the extended jaws that was the same thickness as what I was clamping. This is shown in the photo. That worked. To go out much longer a 2 x 4 could be used as a bridge.
> 
> It clamped very tightly but it is awkward to use, for anything long it would take 2 people to do it but it is an option where a long reach is needed.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

I buff a lot of acrylic and wood on my lathe. I dissolve toilet ring wax with thinner (e.g., turpentine, mineral spirits, Naptha), then add diatomaceous earth to make my own polishing compounds. You can also use Bar Keepers Friend, cerium oxide and so on.

Once you get the wax thinned to thick syrup, add your powder until you get a thick paste.


https://www.routerforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=370741&stc=1&d=1560785900


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## Larry42 (Aug 11, 2014)

If you use solid pilot laminate trim bits, use a little bit of vegetable oil on the laminate edge to prevent burning. A rag works with corn oil. Pam spray is just corn oil and is very fast to use.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cherryville Chuck View Post
I had this idea yesterday and gave it a try and it works, just not as well or easily as I had hoped. I was looking for a way to extend the reach of pipe clamp jaws. Pipe clamps are great for spanning long distances, I've had mine out to 12' once, but the 2" wide jaw sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. So I laminated 3 pieces of plywood together x 2 and drilled holes in them the size of my pipes (I had to file them to the right size, I didn't have a bit exactly the right size). I was hoping that by keeping the holes tight around the pipes that I could keep from skewing the extra jaws apart but that didn't work out. So I tried adding a bridge between the extended jaws that was the same thickness as what I was clamping. This is shown in the photo. That worked. To go out much longer a 2 x 4 could be used as a bridge.

It clamped very tightly but it is awkward to use, for anything long it would take 2 people to do it but it is an option where a long reach is needed.

Here's an idea I found a while back for extending the reach on pipe clamps, might need a little refinement, clamps pads is one that comes to mind..


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Great idea, Tom...one I won't forget the next time I need a bit more reach. I see your point needing two people for long reaches...

I'm going to look at purchased clamps to see if something similar can be fitted...got me thinkin' now...


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I learned to have your shop insulated before joining a wood forum . May save you a lot of ribbing :grin:


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Here's another idea that I found, quick and easy, cheap enough to "custom make" for specific application.

For the pipe clamp idea, why not take two strips of the required length, drill a hole in one end for the pipe to pass through, drill the clamp jaws for attachment screws, and glue a pressure pad at the other end. It's a good idea to have the pipe clamp jaws drilled anyway so that pads can be attached with screws so that the pads are always handy.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Those long C clamps are on my to do list.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Those long C clamps are on my to do list.


Well, here's the link on how to make them, not that it looks that difficult.

https://atelierdubricoleur.wordpress.com/2016/11/28/long-reach-c-clamps-2-presses-en-c-a-longue-portee/


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

tomp913 said:


> Here's another idea that I found, quick and easy, cheap enough to "custom make" for specific application.
> 
> For the pipe clamp idea, why not take two strips of the required length, drill a hole in one end for the pipe to pass through, drill the clamp jaws for attachment screws, and glue a pressure pad at the other end. It's a good idea to have the pipe clamp jaws drilled anyway so that pads can be attached with screws so that the pads are always handy.


Here are some better ones, because I made them.LOL
Herb

https://www.routerforums.com/show-n-tell/135915-2018-2x4-challenge.html


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Cure for a band saw blade that clicks on every revolution: Use an old sharpening stone to the back of the blade, moving it so that you round over the back edge of the blade. Also helps you make sharp curves more easily. Or buy a stone made for the purpose and glued to a handle. Pix.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> I learned to have your shop insulated before joining a wood forum . May save you a lot of ribbing :grin:



I am not sure that you have learned that , yet.....ROTFL...


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## Flipsaw (Mar 11, 2016)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> I learned to have your shop insulated before joining a wood forum . May save you a lot of ribbing :grin:


Or don't let on that it isn't.....:jester:


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

tomp913 said:


> Well, here's the link on how to make them, not that it looks that difficult.
> 
> https://atelierdubricoleur.wordpress.com/2016/11/28/long-reach-c-clamps-2-presses-en-c-a-longue-portee/


A elegant extended clamp.................

I was digging through my shop and found a couple of kits for making handscrews, and it occurred to me that a solid clamp could be made with extended jaws for those who use them a lot - a couple of kits and some nice chunks of hard maple, not hard to do.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

jw2170 said:


> I am not sure that you have learned that , yet.....ROTFL...


Can’t get nothing past you guys lol


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

*Sanding disc installation jig*

One of the little irritations I regularly experience in the shop is trying to line up the holes in a new sanding disc with the holes in my ROS sanders. I often have to peel it back off and try again. The other day it dawned on me that there are two methods to get the paper on oriented properly the first time and every time. I have 3 DWs, 2 Bosch, and one PC. I haven't tried it yet on the PC but that shouldn't matter. The holes in the DWs are larger than the Bosch and the methods work a little better on the Bosch because of it. The holes in my sanding discs are 3/8" and the holes in the Bosches are also 3/8". The DWs are a bit larger. By using dowels to fit through the holes in the paper and into the holes in the sanders it's possible to locate them accurately enough every time and quickly. The jig I made I think might work a little better with longer dowels but I didn't want them to bottom out in the holes before the paper made contact with the velcro on the pad. I chamfered the ends of the dowels in a drill to make sure they went into the holes in the pad easily. The last picture shows both methods. Just using 3 loose dowels is the simplest method.


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## roxanne562001 (Feb 5, 2012)

My son in law is a professional ceramic tile installer. He does allot of high end homes in the area. He uses coped cuts on all the trim molding just like your example. When his trim guy isn't around  he has to do his own. Very easy to do with practice. I am not sure why more people don't use that technique.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> One of the little irritations I regularly experience in the shop is trying to line up the holes in a new sanding disc with the holes in my ROS sanders. I often have to peel it back off and try again. The other day it dawned on me that there are two methods to get the paper on oriented properly the first time and every time. I have 3 DWs, 2 Bosch, and one PC. I haven't tried it yet on the PC but that shouldn't matter. The holes in the DWs are larger than the Bosch and the methods work a little better on the Bosch because of it. The holes in my sanding discs are 3/8" and the holes in the Bosches are also 3/8". The DWs are a bit larger. By using dowels to fit through the holes in the paper and into the holes in the sanders it's possible to locate them accurately enough every time and quickly. The jig I made I think might work a little better with longer dowels but I didn't want them to bottom out in the holes before the paper made contact with the velcro on the pad. I chamfered the ends of the dowels in a drill to make sure they went into the holes in the pad easily. The last picture shows both methods. Just using 3 loose dowels is the simplest method.


You can expand this idea a little further

- Make the dowels a little longer so that your supply of replacement sanding discs can be stored on the fixture

- make a second disc with slightly larger through holes on the same hole pattern

- stack your spare discs on the first plate, drop the second disc on top and add a little weight in the center to stop the discs from curling during storage.

- to load a new sanding disc, remove the upper disc, turn the stack over, align the dowels with the holes in the sander and let the top (actually bottom at that point) sanding disc drop on to the sander pad.

Or, if the shorter dowel is easier to use. still make the holder to store your spare discs but stop them from curling - make one for each grit and label the holders.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

On the subject of clamps, here are some I made for use around the bandsaw and drill press. Since I have them in various sizes, I keep finding other uses for them. I wrote an instructable on how to make them.

The ones on the right have rare earth magnets in the jaws, to allow me to hang them on the bandsaw cabinets or elsewhere. I like that feature, but, now that I've used them, would put them on the opposite side, so the adjustment knob is toward you, when the magnet is holding the clamp down on the table.



https://www.instructables.com/id/SMALL-PARTS-HOLDING-CLAMP/


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I don`t know if this is going to work or not but it is a case of nothing lost if it doesn`t. I grabbed an old can of paint to use and it had skinned over. While using it I thought of the Stop Loss bags I bought from Lee Valley that are for storing partial cans of paint in. You fill them then squeeze the air out and seal them. Problem is they cost about $5 each. Then it dawned on me that maybe a zip lock bag might do the same thing for pennies. So I had my wife hold the zip lock bag with a filter in it`s opening and I poured the paint in and sealed all but a corner. Then I squeezed all the air out and finished sealing it. I`m going to store the bag in an empty coffee container to protect it. It`ll take time to see if this works but it`s worth a try.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

a rectangular ''Tupper Ware'' will hold the Ziploc bag for you... 
fold the bag over the rim and secure w/ clothes pins or spring clamps...
the clothes pins or clamps w/ hold the filter...
dollar stores have the containers, depending on size, for 1 ea packs to 6 packs for a dollar... 
and they are clear containers, so use the containers to hold the filled baggies...
there's no reason round containers wouldn't work...


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I store lots of things in 1qt and 1 gallon freezer bags. They are a little heavier duty. I can't imagine that water based paint would leak, other than with a seak seam. Definitely need a second container to hoild them up, a plastic tub seems practical. But you could also get a little larger tub and make cardboard or thin ply separators between the bags. 

Matching colors of paint you used years ago isn't always easy, so storing a small amount of each color in a bag would give you a sample that should last for a long time. Use a marker to write where the paint was used: "Front room, north facing wall." No memory issues later.

And, the bags will allow you to remix the paint as most of it separates over time. I think you'd also have to squeeze all the air out or you'd get a "skin" formed inside the bag. Great idea Charles.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

This is oil based Rustoleum so I should know within a few days if the solvent isn`t compatible with the bags. I had to use some already in a touch up spray gun. You have to be careful pouring it out as the center of gravity starts changing. There was a little left over when I was done with the gun so I opened the bag and clipped one side to the coffee jug with a spring clamp and poured it back in and that went really easy.

The Tupperware is a good idea. That would make the bags stackable on a shelf.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Hi CHARLES, what is your opinion of Rustoleum products? I have never seen them mentioned on the Forum, usually other brands which seem specific to North America. We have had various Rustoleum spray paints available for years here, but in the last while, I bought some rapid-drying wood stains, as well as a water-based polyurethane, that I am very taken with. 
The rapid-drying was just that - overcoatable in just over an hour. The poly was said to require no sanding between coats - I was sceptical about that claim, but it did what it said, with a very good finish.
The only problem here is the price - equivalent of US $10 for a tiny 250 ml tin.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

I like the brand...
better than most of them out there...


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## roxanne562001 (Feb 5, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> I don`t know if this is going to work or not but it is a case of nothing lost if it doesn`t. I grabbed an old can of paint to use and it had skinned over. While using it I thought of the Stop Loss bags I bought from Lee Valley that are for storing partial cans of paint in. You fill them then squeeze the air out and seal them. Problem is they cost about $5 each. Then it dawned on me that maybe a zip lock bag might do the same thing for pennies. So I had my wife hold the zip lock bag with a filter in it`s opening and I poured the paint in and sealed all but a corner. Then I squeezed all the air out and finished sealing it. I`m going to store the bag in an empty coffee container to protect it. It`ll take time to see if this works but it`s worth a try.


I was wondering if anyone had ever tried using welding shielding gas co2 argon mix to help store paint. I have been thinking about this for a while now. I always have welding gas in the shop. I may give it a try the next time I have a paint can open. Maybe put the can in and fill the bag with the gas. Any thoughts on the subject.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I keep a little Rusoleum around, mainly for metal, but it is something I reach for when I have something small to paint. Good stuff, so long as you don't over spray.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

roxanne562001 said:


> I was wondering if anyone had ever tried using welding shielding gas co2 argon mix to help store paint. I have been thinking about this for a while now. I always have welding gas in the shop. I may give it a try the next time I have a paint can open. Maybe put the can in and fill the bag with the gas. Any thoughts on the subject.


Lee Valley used to sell spray cans of something along that line Roxanne (at about $13-14). I can`t remember what the ad description said it was anymore and I don`t think they still carry it. It has to be heavier than air so that it both stays in the can until you get the lid on and displaces any oxygen in the can up towards the lid away from the surface of the paint. I see argon`s atomic number is 18 which puts it heavier than air at about 14.7 (primarily oxygen at 16 and nitrogen at 14) and so is the CO2 so it should fit the bill. Definitely worth a try.


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## Flipsaw (Mar 11, 2016)

Here is a product that Rockler sells called Bloxygen.

https://www.rockler.com/bloxygen-ga...DmRUtAZfwZVLUDfo6t1eeji2trBjFRXMaAqQQEALw_wcB


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Flipsaw said:


> Here is a product that Rockler sells called Bloxygen.
> 
> https://www.rockler.com/bloxygen-ga...DmRUtAZfwZVLUDfo6t1eeji2trBjFRXMaAqQQEALw_wcB


I see it is canned argon. Argon is totally inert. It won`t react with any other element. I guess the question of whether welding gas will work is whether the paint is capable over time of stripping some of the oxygen atoms away from the CO2 that is in it. Since the molar mass of argon is about 40 and CO2 is about 48 the CO2 is what is going to sit on top of the paint layer. I would still think that has to be better than just straight air.

Looking that info up I found that argon is the 3rd most common component in our atmosphere. There`s more of it than there is water vapour and 23 more times of it than CO2.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

*Simple mortise jig*

I needed to make some mortises in the ends of some 2 x 4 s. The easiest way is with a router so I made a simple jig to do that. The jig takes about 10 minutes to make not counting time for the glue to dry. One of the advantages of this jig is that the construction method guarantees that the mortise will be both parallel to the faces and will be dead center in the board (if that's what you want).

All the jig is is 2 pieces of some panel material with strips glued to it. You use a plunge router with a guide bushing and the guide bushing runs along between the two strips. The best way to get a perfect fit is to cut the strips a little wider than needed and then with some trial and error trim them on the table saw until the guide bushing just fits between them when they are clamped onto the lumber. I was using a little DW611 for the job and it has a small footprint so I didn't need a wider base for it to sit on but if you do you can add strips on the outside faces of the side panels for a wider foot print.

The only somewhat critical criteria is that the strips must be flush with the top edge of the panel material. I didn't need to worry about the length of my mortises so I just marked the ends and sneaked up on them. The built in light on the 611 helps considerably in that. If you need exact length mortises then you can glue or pin on cross strips on top so that the router butts up to them when done. You can also glue a strip or strips underneath to register against your lumber.

If you need an offset mortise then calculate how wide one strip needs to be plus the offset from the guide bushing ( O.D. of the guide bushing minus the O.D. of the router bit /2) and make the strip for the other side wider and only trim it to get to the final fit. One photo shows the backside of the jig pieces with the strips glued on and the other shows them clamped onto my board.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Next new jig. I needed to cut a bunch of pieces exactly the same length with my cut off saw. If this is something you do often then you may want to keep this around and do a nicer job of it than I did. The concept is simple and it takes 5 minutes to make. All I did was take an 8' offcut from a sheet of OSB and screw cleats on the bottom that fit on either side of the SCMS bed. That locked it on so that the OSB strip couldn't move. That allowed me to clamp a stop at the distances I needed. If you need longer that 8' you could laminate thin strips to each other to extend it. In order to keep from cutting it in half I had to add a spacer against the fence so that I could keep the saw blade just deep enough to cut the boards off without cutting much into the OSB. One photo shows the cleats under the strip and the other shows it set up on my saw. Worked like a charm by the way. The pieces came out deadly accurate.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

*Home made splitter*

One more. I was sawing some 2 x lumber to get rid or the radius edges and was getting some saw marks as the boards would try and wander away from the fence so I decided I needed a splitter finally. I needed it right away and I'm nowhere close to where I could go buy a Microjig so I needed to improvise. The saw blade I'm using is a thin rim which has a .098" cut. I thought that maybe a machine screw screwed upwards from the bottom of my home made saw insert might do it and I checked a #40 one I had and it was just slightly over that. I figured I could file it a little if need be after I installed it. After marking lines down each side of the saw blade onto the insert I drilled a pilot hole between the lines and installed the screw from the bottom. The screw was a self tapping but if it hadn't been I could have tapped the MDF I used for the insert with a standard threading tap. As it turns out I didn't need to file the sides down after and my boards came off the saw like they had been run across my jointer. The splitter really did make a difference. Cost was zero as I already had the screw and the installation time was maybe 15 or 20 minutes. If I don't need the splitter I just switch it with another insert. One photo shows the installed screw and the other shows the backside of the insert.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Last one for now. Most of us have seen board straightening jigs but I thought that maybe some of the guests and newcomers might not have. It's just a strip of OSB (or ply) with a couple of toggle clamps attached and 2 stops at exactly the same distance from the factory edge and one at the end to keep the board from sliding during the cut.


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## Biagio (Mar 2, 2013)

Thanks, Charles.
Nothing like learning fro the 10 000 hours guys.


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## dman2 (Sep 4, 2019)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> This is oil based Rustoleum so I should know within a few days if the solvent isn`t compatible with the bags. I had to use some already in a touch up spray gun. You have to be careful pouring it out as the center of gravity starts changing. There was a little left over when I was done with the gun so I opened the bag and clipped one side to the coffee jug with a spring clamp and poured it back in and that went really easy.
> 
> The Tupperware is a good idea. That would make the bags stackable on a shelf.


I use the bag in a box of wine to store varnish, etc. Pull the spout off, clean and dry the bag, fill it, and force any air out. It keeps for a long time. Easy to mix (knead) the contents without worrying about breaking a seal. The bag also has its own cardboard container to boot.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> I needed to make some mortises in the ends of some 2 x 4 s. The easiest way is with a router so I made a simple jig to do that. The jig takes about 10 minutes to make not counting time for the glue to dry. One of the advantages of this jig is that the construction method guarantees that the mortise will be both parallel to the faces and will be dead center in the board (if that's what you want).
> 
> All the jig is is 2 pieces of some panel material with strips glued to it. You use a plunge router with a guide bushing and the guide bushing runs along between the two strips. The best way to get a perfect fit is to cut the strips a little wider than needed and then with some trial and error trim them on the table saw until the guide bushing just fits between them when they are clamped onto the lumber. I was using a little DW611 for the job and it has a small footprint so I didn't need a wider base for it to sit on but if you do you can add strips on the outside faces of the side panels for a wider foot print.
> 
> ...


Would you have to make a new one if the next use the lumber was a different thickness?
I suppose you could attach some guide strip to the back side of each piece and ,then turn them to face each other for a different thickness board.
Herb


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Herb Stoops said:


> Would you have to make a new one if the next use the lumber was a different thickness?
> I suppose you could attach some guide strip to the back side of each piece and ,then turn them to face each other for a different thickness board.
> Herb


One of the things I try and avoid is having permanent jigs in my shop unless they are used often, or even better, constantly. I much prefer to make quick and easy one offs that I can toss as soon as I am done with them. That's why I always look for the quick and easy approach that costs virtually no money and /or uses pieces and parts that can be recycled. As soon as I'm done the job I'm working on those are going to the burn pile. I guess the answer is you could but chances are they still wouldn't be just the right size so I don't even bother trying to accommodate something like that. Maybe if I did some jobs more than once but that is pretty rare for me. As I pointed out, that jig cost maybe ten cents and took ten minutes so not much incentive to do it more elaborately.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Some may be familiar with the Soda Stream CO2 charging systems. I fell for it and bought one. The tiny bottles are about $20.00 and only charge a few liters of water. TOO, you can ONLY charge water, or you void the warranty.

I lucked out and picked up a CO2 tank at a garage sale. It came with gauges, so all I needed was the cap system to screw onto two liter bottles, for charging.

The point of all this is, not only do I get one or two hundred charges per tank, at $15.00 a fill, I can use the system to charge juice, fruit and so on. Of course, just sticking the hose into a jug to displace oxygen is a cakewalk too. Just remember to only coax the CO2 out, because, well, a lot of pressure and paint.....

If you only used the CO2 for that, one tank fill would last you a hundert or two decades.





roxanne562001 said:


> I was wondering if anyone had ever tried using welding shielding gas co2 argon mix to help store paint. I have been thinking about this for a while now. I always have welding gas in the shop. I may give it a try the next time I have a paint can open. Maybe put the can in and fill the bag with the gas. Any thoughts on the subject.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Nice solution. Absurdly simple, and worth a thousand times its weight.

I installed a Merlin Splitter on my cabinet saw. Combined with a good push shoe, I haven't had a kick back in a decade, even when wood pinched behind the blade and on the splitter so hard I could barely muscle it through.

NOTE: My push shoes are at least ten inches tall and ten to fourteen inches long.




Cherryville Chuck said:


> One more. I was sawing some 2 x lumber to get rid or the radius edges and was getting some saw marks as the boards would try and wander away from the fence so I decided I needed a splitter finally. I needed it right away and I'm nowhere close to where I could go buy a Microjig so I needed to improvise. The saw blade I'm using is a thin rim which has a .098" cut. I thought that maybe a machine screw screwed upwards from the bottom of my home made saw insert might do it and I checked a #40 one I had and it was just slightly over that. I figured I could file it a little if need be after I installed it. After marking lines down each side of the saw blade onto the insert I drilled a pilot hole between the lines and installed the screw from the bottom. The screw was a self tapping but if it hadn't been I could have tapped the MDF I used for the insert with a standard threading tap. As it turns out I didn't need to file the sides down after and my boards came off the saw like they had been run across my jointer. The splitter really did make a difference. Cost was zero as I already had the screw and the installation time was maybe 15 or 20 minutes. If I don't need the splitter I just switch it with another insert. One photo shows the installed screw and the other shows the backside of the insert.


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Back to the subject of buffing, I noticed microfiber towels will snag on a lot of things, like sand paper. Of course, they are fairly soft too, so can be used for a lot of buffing operations.

On a whim, I cut one of the towels from the big packages of micro fiber towels you get at Costco into squares and slapped it against the hook-and-loop pad of my sander-polisher. It clung to it like crazy. 

I bag and mark different towels to show if I used diatomaceous earth, Bar Keeper Friend, baking soda, rotten stone, pumice or what have you [to avoid cross contamination]. 

I haven't done it yet, but you might be able to glue the towel stock to a second one to insulate your buff pad from abuse. 

I haven't done this with my Festool or Porter Cable (also a variable speed, random orbit sander-polisher) and have used my home made polishing compounds that use fake bees wax from toilet rights, but haven't noted any damage yet. YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY, so monitor it, to be safe.

Anyway, this makes for some very inexpensive buff pads, so you can have one for each of your mixes.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Interesting idea Kelly. Do the towels leave any fiber stuck on the sanders hook and loop pad?


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## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

Haven't had that issue with any of them.



Cherryville Chuck said:


> Interesting idea Kelly. Do the towels leave any fiber stuck on the sanders hook and loop pad?


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Paul has a lot of great ideas that help add details to a project and they cost next to nothing. Here is a video he did on variations on a shop-made scribe he showed in another video. I have one in the shop somewhere that I made using this idea for creating beads on the edge of a board. I also made it for double use by using a large screw and a small screw so I could make two different size beads.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

When inspiration strikes, act on it

The best time for me to do something for organization in the shop is the instant it hits me, otherwise I will lose it on the back burner. I have been hating the way I store my tape measures for a long time, and the other night was just the final straw. Having to go from the miter saw over to the bench on one side of the shop or to the table saw on the other side to find a tape, I figured why don't I mount all of my extra tapes right in the middle?

Fiddling with the materials I had on hand I found a small piece of aluminum angle (3/4 x 1/4) and two offcuts from pen blanks I had recently cut. A quick trim, drilled 2 holes, and 2 pocket hole screws and it's done. It's a little lower than optimal, but it's pretty handy so far. Its a perfect place for the 25 foot tapes I rarely use, and a handy place to keep my go-to little Stanley 12 footer I use all the time.

And I can't for the life of me get the pictures to post the correct side up.....


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

good idea...


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

kp91 said:


> When inspiration strikes, act on it
> 
> The best time for me to do something for organization in the shop is the instant it hits me, otherwise I will lose it on the back burner. I have been hating the way I store my tape measures for a long time, and the other night was just the final straw. Having to go from the miter saw over to the bench on one side of the shop or to the table saw on the other side to find a tape, I figured why don't I mount all of my extra tapes right in the middle?
> 
> ...


Good idea, Doug, To solve that same problem years ago I put a tape measure at each machine. They all eventually ended up in one place tho at the end of the day. So had to redistribute them. Some guys don't like to use different tapes on the same project, but never bothered me as I don't use them for anything precision, I use mark and cut for that. 
Herb


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I corrected them Doug. If you took the photos with a phone someone suggested turning the phone when you take the picture. The tape holder is a good idea.


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