Here’s a few woodworking tips related to clamping, setting workbench heights and one for getting accurate chopsaw cuts. Read on:

1. Have a project that needs a lot of small clamps? Use clothespins! They don’t have much clamping power but you can use a lot of them. They come in handy for a lot of situations.

2. When setting the proper height for a lathe use different thicknesses of plywood on the floor or under the lathe and try each height for a while to determine the most comfortable position to use.

3. Consider the height of rubber fatigue mats in your calculations for work bench and lathe heights. These mats really reduce back and leg strain but can add 1/2″ or more to your height.

4. You can ’sneak up’ on a cut using your chop saw by butting the end of the workpiece against the body of the blade (not the teeth), while the blade in NOT running. Then hold the piece in position, and raise the blade. Now power up the saw and make the cut to remove just a sliver of material.

5. When clamping something on an angle and the clamp slips try using a folded piece of sandpaper between the clamp face and workpiece to give the clamp some grip.

These are just a few tips that I picked up lately. They come from a variety of sources including books, magazines, newsletters, online and personal experience.

There are more Woodworking Tips and Tidbits located here.

Got a woodworking tip that you want to share? Let me know and I’ll add it in a future issue of Tips and Tidbits!

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This issue of Woodworking Tips and Tidbits includes tips on scrollsawing patterns, measuring wheels accurately, a cure for swelling biscuits, ladder safety and another use for candle wax! Read on:

1. You can make reusable patterns for scrollsawing by using plastic stencil material that you get from a sewing supplies store. Cut a piece of this material the size of your project and glue it to the piece using a spray adhesive. Then glue your paper pattern to the top of the stencil material with the adhesive. Next, cut out the pattern with your scrollsaw and peel off the paper pattern and stencil material. The next time just place the stencil pattern on your wood and trace around it.

2. Rub the sides of your rolls of painter’s tape with candle wax to ensure that the edges don’t stick to your project.

3. To measure the true height of caster wheels clamp it in your workbench vise and then just measure the distance between the jaws.

4. If your plate-jointer biscuits have swollen due to moisture simply pop them in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds just before using them. This will shrink them back to their compressed size.

5. To ensure that a ladder is at a safe angle check it by placing your toes against the ladder rails and stretching out your arms so they are parallel to the ground. If your palms can rest on top of a rung, the ladder is at a safe angle.

These are just a few tips that I picked up lately. They come from a variety of sources including books, magazines, newsletters, online and personal experience.

There are more Woodworking Tips and Tidbits located here.

Got a woodworking tip that you want to share? Let me know and I’ll add it in a future issue of Tips and Tidbits!

Back to the shop…

1. When using a honing guide to sharpen your plane blades place a couple of earth magnets on the blade. The metal particles will then collect on top of the blade aiding sharpening and easing cleanup. When finished remove the magnets from the blade over the trash.

2. To drill a perfect sized pilot hole for a finish nail, just clip the head off a same size finish nail and use it to drill the hole.

3. To glue wood together temporarily make a paper joint with a sheet of paper (brown paper bag works best!) in between them. To break apart place the tip of a chisel at the crack point and tap with a mallet.

4. Use Titebond III for gluing dark woods and Tightbond II for gluing light woods. The color of Titebond III dries dark and Tightbond II dries light, thereby minimizing the visibility of a glue line.

5. Use a small amount of denatured alcohol or mineral spirits to temporarily bring-out the grain in a piece of sanded wood. Once dissipated neither of these will leave any trace that will affect your finishing.

These are just a few tips that I picked up lately. They come from a variety of sources including books, magazines, newsletters, online and some from personal experience.

There are more Woodworking Tips and Tidbits located here.

Got a woodworking tip that you want to share? Let me know and I’ll add it in a future issue of Tips and Tidbits!

Back to the shop…

1. Create a ‘measuring stick’ for checking box squareness from an old telescoping antenna. Point each end to fit accurately in a corner.

2. Add a strip of fine sandpaper to your Table Saw’s miter fence for added grip.

3. Throw a couple of silica-gel packets in your biscuit storage jars to minimize the biscuits from swelling due to humidity. You can usually find silica-gel packets in product packing boxes.

4. Sanding small pieces of wood? Tape a piece of sandpaper to your workbench. This will hold your wood in place while you machine sand it.

5. If you have to leave a green wood turning for a while wrap it tightly in plastic food wrap. This will keep it from drying out too quickly.

These are just a few tips that I picked up over this past week. They come from a variety of sources including books, magazines, newsletters, online and from personal experience.

There are more Woodworking Tips and Tidbits located here.

Got a woodworking tip that you want to share? Let me know and I’ll add it in a future issue of Tips and Tidbits!

Back to the shop…