Big drink cup slurps up the sawdust

You're getting all hot under the collar trying to attach your shop vacuum or dust-collector hose to a shop machine. The hose and the machine outlet don't quite mate up, and you're going to have to use a lot of duct tape unless you can find some kind of adapter.

Relax, go down to the fast-food store, and treat yourself to a big soft drink. When you get back home, rinse out the plastic cup and cut the bottom out of it. Now you have a cone-shaped adapter to go between the hose and the machine. The soft plastic cup trims easily, and it's flexible enough to conform to the machine's outlet and the hose end. Fasten the modified cup with duct tape or plastic electrical tape, if necessary.

—Vence Jelouchan, Florence, S.C.