Tips and Tricks
Can't find your safety gear?
- Use a foam head for wigs to store safety glasses, hearing protectors, and other safety gear.
Dust and vapors giving you a headache?
- Attach a pleated paper furnace filter to the back of a box fan for a quick dust catcher.
Sheet goods getting away from you?
- A single 18' piece of rope tied in a loop makes a quick handle. Hook the ends over the lower corners of the sheet and grasp the rope in the center.
Glue and caulk drying out?
- Use wire nuts or the cap of a glue bottle to provide a screw-on cap for your tubes of caulk.
Use the wasted space above a garage for storage.
- Use large L-Shaped metal brackets to provide storage for long items like fishing poles, moldings, or plumbing pipe.
Extension cords tangles got you in knots?
- Use a 5-gallon bucket for storage. Cut a hole in the side of the bucket near the bottom, thread the prongs through the hole, then coil the extension cord in the bucket.
Garage too small for a workbench and vehicles?
- Use an old flush door slab for a fold-down workbench. Mount hinges to studs, with a couple of support legs, and you have an instant workbench.
Hammer handles breaking?
- Look at the direction of the wood grain. If the grain runs parallel to the head, the handle is less likely to break.
Tired of cleaning up after painting?
- Place your paint tray in a kitchen garbage bag, then place a paint tray liner over the bag. When you're done painting, just turn the bag inside out and throw it away.
Need to drill small pilot holes for your work?
- Clip the head of a finish nail and chuck it in the drill…an instant drill bit.
Convert your hammer into a soft-headed mallet.
- Cut a slit in a tennis ball and slip the ball over the head of the hammer.
Want to protect the edge of your saws?
- Cut a slit in a length of old garden hose to fit over your saw blades.
Want a woodworking hammer?
- Take those old croquet hammers out of the attic and cut the handle to length.
An alternative to the tool belt…
- A fisherman's vest has plenty of pockets to store things. Hot glue magnetic strips to the outside of the vest to hold those pesky drill bits and small nails.
Measure twice, cut once…but don't measure at all if you can help it.
- Place the piece to be cut in position, and mark where the cut needs to be. As long as it fits, who cares how long it is?
Avoid tape measure miscalculations.
- When using a tape measure for a home project, always use the same one. Readings can vary from tape to tape.
Want to rip a board into smaller pieces?
- Place a ruler across the board at such an angle that the measurement is easily divisible by the number of pieces you want.
Ensuring that all pieces will be cut the same length…
- When cutting a number of boards to the same length, use a template called a Story Pole.
A sewing shop tool that can double as a workshop tool…
- A pattern tracing wheel from the sewing shop can also be used in the workshop. Place your pattern over the work piece and follow the lines. The teeth of the wheel will make small dents in the wood. Connect the dots and you're done.
Need to brace a workshop piece on a pair of sawhorses?
- An old bicycle inner tube slipped over the piece makes a quick clamp. Just step down on the other end. If it needs to be tighter, just twist it a couple of times.
Need a quick bar clamp?
- Two C-Clamps and a loop of rope work nicely. Place a clamp on each end of the piece, with the rope hooked over the inside of each clamp.
Vise-grips marring your work?
- A couple of tennis balls slipped over each jaw will protect the project.
Need to clamp an irregular piece of work?
- Fill a sandwich bag full of sand, place over the object, and wait for the glue to dry.
Use a matchbook to cover to glue slivers into place.
- Place a small amount of glue to the cover, slide the cover between the sliver and the wood, wipe off excess, and clamp in place.
Need to sand odd-shaped jobs (like moldings)?
- Wrap some fine-grit sandpaper around a deck of cards. Placed on edge, the cards will conform to the surface needing to be sanded.
Need to sand crevices?
- Place duct tape on the back of a sheet of sandpaper. Cut off strips as wide as you need. The tape will strengthen the paper so it doesn't rip in your hands.
Old phone books make great work surfaces for small projects.
- When a page gets dirty, just rip it out…Instant Clean-up!
Remove dents in wood by steaming.
- Place a damp rag over the dent, then heat the cloth with an iron (just don't let the wife find out). The steam will swell the fibers and…Dent's gone!
Paint the bottom of the door without removing it from the hinges.
- Coat a small piece of scrap carpet with paint, then run it underneath the door.
Remove water spots and rings from furniture.
- This can be achieved by using a damp cloth and toothpaste. The toothpaste has a mild abrasive that won't damage most finishes. When the spot is gone, buff the area with a dry cloth to restore its luster.
In a dilemma about what to do with that old toothbrush?
- Use it to apply stains in those hard to reach areas.
Keeping those extension cords wrapped…
- Cut the top and bottom off of an empty quart-size bottle of oil to slip over the extension cord.
Old nylons make one heck of a paint strainer.
- They can also be used as an emergency belt for your car. Sure beats walking!
Car door banging the wall of your garage?
- Attach a small piece of heater hose to the wall to act as a door bumper.
- Valley Best-way | 118 S Union Rd | Spokane Valley, WA 99214 | P: (509) 924-1250 | E: