Your sanding will be uniform and the delicate edges of the molding won’t round over. — Eric and Cheryl Weltlich. Sometimes you need a sanding pad that’s both firm and flexible. A small notepad works great. Just wrap sandpaper around the pad and bend the pad to whatever arc you need. Slip the one end of the sandpaper between the pages to help hold it in place on the pad.

Some types of wood filler can be hard to get off your hands after they dry, especially if you use your fingers to push it into small cracks and holes. When that happens, I reach for fine grit sandpaper and sand it off my fingers. It’s great for removing dried-on polyurethane glue and canned foam from your hands, too.

If the bolt shafts are too long, cut them off with a hacksaw. Pocket screw joinery is a system—employing special drill and driver bits—used to join boards or pieces of plywood to one another. It’s often used in cabinetmaking and furniture building. Clamping mitered edges can be a real hassle because they never seems to line up correctly.

Holes in 2×4 scraps with a Forstner bit. The resulting shallow “cups” allow easy mixing without the risk of spilling. When the holes are used up, I just make a new https://bestwoodcarvingtool.com/best-hand-planer/ mixing board. Cutting sandpaper is a quick way to dull your scissors or utility knife blade. Instead, I fastened a hacksaw blade to the edge of my workbench.

At this point, the wood fibers are absorbing the water and should expand back to where they were originally. Continue this process and repeat by adding more water until the dents rise up to be flush with the rest of the material. There are a few things particleboard is NOT. It’s not medium density fiberboard (MDF)—a material with greater density and weight composed of more uniform particles.

This simple jig makes laying out circles a breeze. Hole through every inch mark on a ruler or yard-stick. To draw a circle, place a pin through the number “1” into the center of your board. To the radius of the circle you wish to draw, and insert a pencil into this number. Using the pin as a pivot, rotate the pencil to mark the circle.

Cutting a miter joint that closes up perfectly and maintains a 90 degree angle is really satisfying. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen. Here’s a quick fix for a slightly open miter joint; rub the shank of a screwdriver along the miter at a steep angle, from both sides of the joint.

• The serrated “pinked” edge spreads the glue like a serrated trowel spreads mastic on floors.
• The height is just right and by using three of them, I can make cuts in any direction and the plywood is fully supported.
• The clamp’s easy to slip on and off, and you won’t have to fuss around with staples, nails or string.
• The old terms, such as 2×4 or 4×4, are still used, and are known as the “nominal” size of the board.
• Remember to leave room for the depth of the piece of wood you’re cutting.

Gluing and clamping is one the the most widely-used skills for woodworkers. Done correctly, you can make strong, lasting bonds in your projects. Done incorrectly, you’ll add additional time and frustration down the road.

The serrated “pinked” edge spreads the glue like a serrated trowel spreads mastic on floors. Thanks to reader Don Cox for this smooth tip. When your rotary tool’s sanding drum gets clogged, refresh the surface with a rubber pencil eraser. Run the tool at low speed and press the eraser into the clogged drum to rub out the chips and gunk. If you have to pick up long lengths of wood from the lumberyard, throw a spring clamp in the back of your vehicle. Use the clamp to attach the warning flag to the end of the protruding lumber.