Shop Tips

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Squeeze-out defines any well-glued joint. Follow these tips to avoid overlooked spots of dried glue showing up during finishing.

Quick and easy, nice and breezy

A box fan keeps air moving in my shop on hot days, this stand lets you adjust it as desired.

Stick it to stickers with a tried and true solution

How do I remove a sticker? Naphtha works great for dissolving adhesive, quickly evaporates, and won't interfere with finishes or harm most plastics.

Dishwasher detergent chews sanding belt gum

Sandpaper gums up quickly when sanding pine boards. The quick fix: sap and wood are simply organic matter—a perfect target for dishwasher detergent.

Penny-pinching glue spreader takes the cake

A plastic, disposable knife to lay down a perfect film of glue. The serrated edge creates a uniform thickness of glue, similar to a notched trowel for applying thinset tile adhesive.

Clamp down on storage without leaving your post

More Shop Tips

Rip strips in steps with fewer setups

Using a combination square and drill bits for saw setup, I can quickly and precisely cut strips of different thicknesses by simply varying the size of the bit.

Ready...Setscrew...Stop

Setscrews catch the ends of the grooves, stopping the drawer's travel when it's pulled out or pushed in.

Go nuts over saw setup

Hook wayward angles

Put the heat on glues and finishes

Space-saving mitersaw fences

32 Uses for Masking Tapes

Make sure you maintain your stock of a mundane, low-cost item that delivers more bang for the buck than you might expect. Masking and painter’s tapes offer protection, finesse, security, and more.