Workshop
Make a Tool-Protecting Pouch If you store your toolbox in a non-climate-controlled garage or shed or in the bed of your truck, rust prevention is very important. You could collect a few of those tiny silica packets that come with a new pair of shoes, but it could take months (or years!) to have enough to protect your tools from excess moisture. Instead, make your own rust-preventing pouch using a generous scoop of silica crystal kitty litter, a piece of breathable fabric (we cut off a piece of an old t-shirt) and a zip tie. Toss the pouch inside your toolbox to keep your tools rust-free. You can make several pouches with one bag of kitty litter. Heck, make some extra pouches and gift them to your friends.
Roll-Around Workshop If your garage does double duty as parking space and work space, a rolling workbench is essential. It lets you convert your garage into a workshop quickly and rolls up against the wall to restore parking space. The version shown here began as a standard rolling bench made from 2x4s and plywood. Then we added a slick feature: heavy-duty shelf brackets that make it the Swiss army knife of workbenches. this might be a good home/working spot for the chop saw and a bench saw using our existing workbench. We could maybe even have a place for the planer here.
putting i the track would have made it possible to cut the island top and we could maybe use the cabinet in front of the window (currently). The trick would be to get it to the exact same height as the tablesaw. It could continue to live in front of the window on wheels and just be brough forward when it's needed. Would also be useful just for a infeed table when ripping long pieces.
To perfectly center drawer fronts on drawer boxes, Jumbo first secures the fronts to the jig base with the sliding End Supports, illustrated below. Then he uses the Hold-Downs to position the box front, centered over the drawer front. With all the pieces securely held in place, Jumbo has both hands free to verify and then drill the mounting holes and drive the screws. This is a good reason to make or buy one of those tables with multiple slots for sliding various jigs in.
Long drawers pulled out of cabinet with saw blade, fence, various equipment A place for everything Drawers under the tablesaw provide an abundance of storage space. These double-sided vertical drawers were made from a single sheet of 4x10' slot wall covered with knotty pine laminate. Two pieces of slot wall were sandwiched in a 2'' alder frame. They glide out easily on full-extension 60'' extra-heavy-duty slides. The cabinet is through-bolted to the floor for stability.
Things are looking up for shop storage I had a problem storing three tablesaw sleds that seemed to be in the way a lot more often than I needed to use them. There was no space on the walls and they are too big for a cabinet. Then, I realized the ceiling was pretty empty, so I located a ceiling joist and installed some 1/4″ hanger bolts (headless bolts with wood-screw threads on one end and bolt threads on the other). With a single hole in each sled, I can quickly mount them to the ceiling, as shown. —Carl Mascia, Greensburg, Pa.
Cordless drill holsters hang ’em high Workbench space is at a premium in my shop, so I made holsters for my cordless drills, as shown. To make these handy hangers, I cut 4″ PVC pipe into 10″ lengths, and then used a jigsaw to cut a slot lengthwise in each piece wide enough to fit my drills’ handles. (I made mine 1 3/4″ wide; yours may need to be wider or narrower.) Sand or file the cut edges of the PVC to prevent damaging the soft grips on the tools. Finally, drill a pair of holes inside the pipe, directly opposite the slot, and screw the holsters to the bottom of a shelf or cabinet. You may need to install a filler strip on the bottom of the cabinet to shim the holsters if your cabinets have a deep recess beneath. —Arthur Hoff, Lakeland, Fla.
Goofproof gauge blocks for thickness planer I quickly grew tired of trying to reset my thickness planer when going back and forth planing different thicknesses of material. To improve accuracy and speed up the reset-ting process, I made gauge blocks for each thickness from 1/4 to 7/8″. First, make a gauge-block 3″ wide and at least 1/8″ thicker than the thickness setting you’ll want. Next, plane some scrapwood—not the gauge block—to the exact thickness desired. When it’s perfect, measure the distance from the planer table to the casting. Finally, notch the gauge block so that it has a 2″-long tongue the exact thickness of that table-to-casting measurement. Repeat the process to make as many gauges as you like. Mark the blocks and store them with your thickness planer. The next time you plane, slip the gauge’s tongue under the casting, then crank the head down until it bumps on the tongue, as shown. —Kenneth Keen, Boyertown, Pa.
Fine wines and finer finishes Even in tightly sealed cans, leftover paint and varnish will skin over from the oxygen in the can. I found a solution in my kitchen—a wine-bottle vacuum pump used for drawing air from opened wine bottles (Vacu Vin, 866-274-9009, iicbrands.com). Whenever I purchase a can of finish, I also pick up a matching extra paint-can lid from my home center. Before opening the finish can, I prep the extra lid like this: Start by drilling a 1″ hole in the extra lid (I used a spade bit). Place the pump’s stopper in the hole, sealing it on the top and bottom of the lid with silicone, and let it cure. After you’ve used the can of finish, replace its lid with your new vacu-lid and use the pump to remove the air. But don’t overdo it. I’ve accidentally crushed a can with the suction of the vacuum. —Bart Crowe, Marietta, Ga. we could maybe adapt our wine stopper to this or always store leftover paint in mason jars and vacuum seal them
Salvation for clogged nozzles Nozzles on spray-adhesive cans tend to clog up. Turning the cans upside down after each spraying session and spraying for a few seconds helps, but tips can still clog. To salvage half-empty cans of spray, try soaking the nozzles for 5 minutes in lacquer thinner in a small can or glass such as a baby-food jar. Then wipe the nozzle clean and reinstall it on the spray can. Take an added step against clogs and buildup by wiping a small amount of petroleum jelly on the outside of the nozzle before you store the can. —from the WOOD® shop
Turn extra case space into a cord catcher Those plastic cases that tools come in never seem to fit the tool’s cord once it’s unfurled. However, there seems to be ample “filler” space in the molded top. I take advantage of that space by drilling and cutting out a large slot in the top of the case, as shown. The cord stores easily in-side and stays contained while I close the case. —Dave Jenkins, Cuba, N.M.
Other Woodworking Tips Achieve crisp corners with budget-minded corner stays Achieve crisp corners with budget-minded corner stays Aligning corners presents a special challenge in woodworking because none of us seem to have enough hands for the task. Fortunately, the corner stays you see here will free up your hands to apply glue, drill pilot holes or drive screws without misalignment worries. They work better than a commercial corner clamp for holding a corner steady and leaving it exposed; plus they do it for a fraction of the cost. The corner stays are made from 2″ binder clips epoxied to a steel corner brace (available at most hardware stores and in a variety of sizes). To make a stay, cover a piece of 3/4″ scrap with waxed paper and align the angle connector with the edge of the scrap. Apply a quarter-size blob of epoxy and clamp the binder clip in place—pinching the angle connector against the scrap. Spread the epoxy so it encases the clip but make sure the binder clip handles can still pivot freely. Allow the epoxy to cure. Once you’ve aligned a connector on a corner and clamped the free binder clip in place, the stay provides strong and square support. And, the ...
No-rock, easy-roll planer outfeed conveyer My benchtop planer used to snipe until I came up with this inexpensive outfeed support that rests on my benchtop. After moving my planer (on its stand) beside my workbench, I measured the height difference between the planer’s outfeed table and the workbench and used that dimension to determine the approximate height of the conveyer frame. I built the frame from 3⁄4″ stock and installed simple “rollers” made from 1″ PVC tubing with end caps drilled for 1⁄4″ steel-rod axles. I inserted the rods through holes drilled in the frame and capped the exposed rod ends with push nuts. Finally, six levelers, made from carriage bolts, star knobs, and threaded inserts, help fine-tune the rollers to align them with the planer’s outfeed table. When not in use, the conveyer stores vertically to save space. —Don Riley, Marietta, Ohio
This magnetic grabber is a real pickup artist It happens to all of us: A small fastener or tool falls off the workbench and rolls to a hard-to-reach spot. Getting down on your hands and knees to recover the lost object gets tiresome. To make the recovery process quick and painless, build this simple magnetic grabber using a hardwood dowel, a pill bottle, and a handful of rare-earth magnets. Cut the end of the dowel at a 15° angle, screw the pill-bottle lid to its end, drop rare-earth magnets inside the pill bottle, and tighten the bottle to the lid. Now retrieve those missing parts without bending a knee. —Mark Parenti, Oak Point, Texas
Split the tip for perfectly parallel bandsaw cutlines I loved the Top Shop Tip by Warren Perkins in WOOD® magazine issue 187 (November 2008) where he drew two parallel lines on curved cuts and shot the gap with his bandsaw. Warren’s “freehand” must be steadier than mine, though, because I found it difficult to mark a freehand line parallel to the original cutline. To help me do that, I sharpen the tip of a carpenter’s pencil, and then split the lead with a bandsaw. Now it’s easy to draw parallel lines the exact width of a bandsaw blade. —Gene Taylor, Brookeville, Md. This idea might be useful for other things as well - anywhere you need a double line.
Fixing oversize holes around electrical boxes Whenever we hang drywall, a few boxes are always misrouted slightly, leaving a ragged hole that the outlet or switch plate can’t cover (drawing 1). We’ve solved this problem, and simultaneously reinforced the boxes, with a trick that uses some fibermesh tape. Our taper cuts an oversize piece of tape and completely covers all of the boxes with the mesh (2). Each box then is taped and sanded with the rest of the drywall. To make sure we don’t lose any boxes, a short, vertical knife slit in the center of each box marks its location (3). When the sanding is finished, we cut out the mesh, leaving a well-reinforced box with no gaps Read more: http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/tips/fixing-oversize-outlet-holes.aspx#ixzz3StIs0MrY Follow us: @fhbweb on Twitter | FineHomebuildingMagazine on Facebook
Drill-Press/Mortiser Stand Like the mobile planer stand, next slide, Greg customized this stand for his drill press and hollow-chisel mortiser to ensure that his top-heavy benchtop tools would be stable, wherever he moved them. Each supply drawer faces the same direction as the tool above it, so it's easy for Greg to access whatever accessories he needs. For the base, Greg used the metal components of a Delta Planer Stand (from toolmarts.com, 800-735-8665) and shortened the legs to yield the proper overall working height. The unit moves easily on four 3" heavy-duty double-locking swivel casters from Woodcraft (800-225-1153, woodcraft.com).
Mobile Planer Stand It seemed to Greg that a benchtop planer weighing more than 90 lbs on top of a narrow mobile base might topple if it ran over a cord or wood scrap. So he fashioned an enclosure similar to his drill-press/mortiser stand on the previous slide. The only difference is that both drawers on this stand open in the same direction. Greg replaced the MDF top on this tool and his drill press and mortiser with a section of 1 1/2"-thick maple he bought at a local hardwood supplier.
Retractable Sander Table Every time Dennis wanted to use his oscillating spindle sander, he had to haul it out, lift it onto the bench, attach the dust-collection hose, and put it all back when he was done. To save time and effort, he installed this platform, based on a kitchen appliance add-on. Lifter brackets (from Lee Valley, 800-871-8158, www.leevalley.com), which lock in place, mount to wood supports bolted to the legs at his worktable. A removable 2" vacuum hose on the back side connects to his shop vacuum. "Now when I want to sand," Dennis says, "all I do is lift the sander until it locks into position (as shown in lower photo), and lower it out of the way when I'm done."
that's clever
MJ Splitters, $18/pair Most serious tablesaw accidents result from kickback (when the rising teeth at the rear of the spinning blade lift and launch the workpiece back at the operator). Splitters prevent kickback, but if you put your factory guard on the shelf, you're robbing yourself of the protection provided by its splitter. MJ Splitters mount on a zero-clearance throat-plate insert you buy or make yourself. The slightly off-center mounting pins allowed us to rotate the splitter 180° to actually press the workpiece against the fence. It's like having a tiny feather board for the "keeper" behind the cut. Use the green splitters with your full-kerf blades; use yellow splitters with thin-kerf blades.
GRR-Ripper 200, $70 We balked, too, when we saw the price tag. $70...for a pushblock? But we had to use the GRR-Ripper system only once to realize its value far exceeds its price tag. The "tunnels" created by the fixed outside legs and repositionable middle leg allow the GRR-Ripper to pass over the blade without damage, while keeping your hand well away. Just as important, those grippy legs provide equal pressure on both pieces as you feed, further reducing the likelihood of kickback. For ripping stock less than 3" wide, we lowered the black outrigger to tabletop level, as shown, and handled narrow workpieces—even as narrow as 1/4"—with safety and confidence.
GripTite 2000 42" magnetic featherboard kit, $125 ($35 for featherboard only) Every tablesaw (and router table, for that matter) needs a good set of hold-downs and hold-ins, such as feather boards, to keep the workpiece flat on the table and tight against the fence. The Grip-Tite magnetic featherbords grip a metal fence (or the auxiliary fence face included in this kit) ferociously, yet release with a quick flick of the release lever. And they work well as hold-ins because they also stick like glue anywhere on the cast-iron tables of your tablesaw or bandsaw.
I've added this to remind me that I need to lubricate these mechanisms. The blade up/down thingy is very stiff ProGold PG2000 Penetrating Lubricant, $10 We used to recommend white lithium grease for lubricating the gears that control the blade tilt and elevation mechanisms. For the past several years, though, we've been lubing the saws in the WOOD magazine shop with PG2000. Unlike heavy-bodied grease that turns sawdust into a gummy paste, PG2000 sprays on like water and bonds with the metal to create a low-friction barrier between parts. Dust doesn't stick to it, so it won't cling to bevel stops, where it can render them inaccurate
this is a variation on the lee valley system that would be easier to build
The drawer slide for the pull-out tray is mounted to a “carrier” piece. This piece has a small tenon at each end to fit into the notches, as you see in this drawing. To adjust the height of the tray, simply move the two carriers to a new notch. To make the notches, I stacked the standards together (four for each cabinet). Then I cut the notches along one edge using a dado blade on my table saw. This way, you can guarantee that all the notches will be level when the pieces are installed in the cabinet. - See more at: http://www.woodsmithtips.com/2015/08/06/adjustable-pull-out-trays/#sthash.bluB90Ad.dpuf
THE EDITORS OF THIS OLD HOUSETHIS OLD HOUSE ONLINE cleaning brushes in a bucket of vinegar Photo: Wendell T. Webber Previous 12 46 Next Use Vinegar to Revive Old Paintbrushes Soak gunked-up nylon brushes in hot vinegar for up to 30 minutes to remove paint and soften the bristles. Afterward, wash them in hot, soapy water, brushing off paint as needed, then rinse and let dry—good as new.
Use Wood Flooring Scraps to Create a Cleat To hang a heavy object, cut two pieces of flooring to a length just shorter than the width of the object. Screw one piece, groove-side down, to the back of the object. Fasten the second length, tongue-side up, to the wall, making sure to hit at least two studs. Lower the object onto the piece mounted to the wall, resting the groove on the tongue.
interesting idea for screws and nails; would take a little time and cost to set up but would certainly work well
Portable Power Station & Cord Organizer Power up your workspace with this heavy-duty, portable power station. It features an 8-outlet power strip that’s mounted to a handy cord organizer that holds two extension cords. You can hang the organizer on the wall, or take the whole thing to wherever you’re working to power your tools.
Benchtop real estate in my shop is at a premium, so I can’t afford to dedicate permanent space to tools that I use infrequently, such as a grinder, mortiser, or belt/disc sander. Yet, when I do use those tools, I want them securely mounted for safety. So, I came up with a quick-change system that addresses both concerns. I first found a common mounting-board size that works with all of my benchtop tools, and then cut a 3/4"-thick piece of plywood for each tool. On one of these boards, I test-fit each tool to determine the best locations for the three mounting slots, and used a 3/8" straight bit to rout the slots leading to each location in each board. Next, using one of the slotted mounting boards as a guide, I marked the locations for the mounting holes on my benchtop, drilled holes for each 5/16"-18 brass threaded insert (part no. 3607-BI from McFeely’s, 800/443-7937 or www.mcfeelys.com), and installed the inserts. You also can buy the studded T-knobs (part no. JKD-3114) from McFeely’s. —Scott Warnecke, Findlay, Ohio
Could our's look like this ?
Q