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#1 ·
Finding nails in re-used wood

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[Legebla ankaĹ­ en Esperanto]

When I first started collecting free wood from along the street, it occurred to me to protect my power tools by making sure as possible that all the nails were out of the boards. If memory serves, Norm Abram placed this idea in my head. I bought a down and dirty wand style metal detector to check out the wood as I clean it up. The one pictured cost less than $20, maybe about $10 really. I'm not sure. I bought it several years ago from that auction website. I will say it's not flawless. Small staples escape its detection capability. There's no substitute for an additional look-see with they eyes.
 

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#147 ·
Cork Feet

Have you ever had a project the needs little feet to get it off the table, but you only have wine corks? This happened to me recently, so I cut the corks into about 1/2 inch slices with my mini miter box and glued one in each corner of the project. To be sure they were level I rubbed the installed feet on a sheet of course sandpaper fixed to my flat work bench. Instant cork feet.

Cork Bottle stopper & saver Wood Spice Font


Finger Tin can Wood Cork Nail


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Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring Stairs
 

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#148 ·
Cork Feet

Have you ever had a project the needs little feet to get it off the table, but you only have wine corks? This happened to me recently, so I cut the corks into about 1/2 inch slices with my mini miter box and glued one in each corner of the project. To be sure they were level I rubbed the installed feet on a sheet of course sandpaper fixed to my flat work bench. Instant cork feet.

Cork Bottle stopper & saver Wood Spice Font


Finger Tin can Wood Cork Nail


Wood Table Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


Wood Ingredient Gas Cuisine Hardwood


Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring Stairs
I too have used cork feet….

I did this for an end grain cutting board.
I recessed and epoxied the feet into 1/4" deep holes.
Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain
 

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#149 ·
Wandering Bandsaw

The last time I used my band saw it started acting up. I had a hard time steering the cut, but I got through it. It was just a band saw box.

Today I discovered what the problem was. For whatever reason, perhaps my wheel tilting adjustment is loose, the blade was not between the guide blocks. It's just a, 1/8 inch blade, so there's not much fudge room. It wasn't the saw, it was my set up!

So if your band saw blade is wandering around, check your guide blocks!

[Fun Fact: The Esperanto word for band saw is bendosegilo.]
 
#150 ·
Uses for Those Plastic Cards

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We seem to get a lot of those plastic cards that just get thrown away after they've been used. Whether it's old gift cards or those 'fake' credit cards that American Express sends out, I've been looking for ways to at least use them for something before chucking them in the trash. With 3 of us using tracfones, we get a steady diet of the refill cards as well.

[Below] Mainly I use mine to mix epoxy on or to hold a small pool of wood glue for those surgical applications on small projects. Some of the cards are actually cardboard, but the plastic ones can be reused. The dried glue will often fall off if the card is flexed several times

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[Below] I also use them to spread glue on larger surfaces. If you cut the edge of the card with pinking shears, you can make a metering edge as well. I just use the smooth edge as a spreader.

Finger Font Wood Nail Pattern


[Below] The larger ones, like the refill cards from tracfone can be used as zero clearance inserts for your band saw. I haven't tried yet, but I suppose it would work similarly for the scroll saw.

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Two uses that are not pictured are that you can use them as 'gentle' scrapers for removing labels on plywood sheets. Just wet the label with some kind of solvents, wait a minute and scrape away. Plastic won't scratch most woods.

The last thing I use these cards for is to scrape light frost off the windows of my car. The flexibility of the card conforms better to the curved glass of a car better than a hard plastic ice scraper.
 

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#151 ·
Uses for Those Plastic Cards

Font Rectangle Material property Symbol Electric blue


We seem to get a lot of those plastic cards that just get thrown away after they've been used. Whether it's old gift cards or those 'fake' credit cards that American Express sends out, I've been looking for ways to at least use them for something before chucking them in the trash. With 3 of us using tracfones, we get a steady diet of the refill cards as well.

[Below] Mainly I use mine to mix epoxy on or to hold a small pool of wood glue for those surgical applications on small projects. Some of the cards are actually cardboard, but the plastic ones can be reused. The dried glue will often fall off if the card is flexed several times

Font Flooring Wood Hardwood Varnish


[Below] I also use them to spread glue on larger surfaces. If you cut the edge of the card with pinking shears, you can make a metering edge as well. I just use the smooth edge as a spreader.

Finger Font Wood Nail Pattern


[Below] The larger ones, like the refill cards from tracfone can be used as zero clearance inserts for your band saw. I haven't tried yet, but I suppose it would work similarly for the scroll saw.

Wood Flooring Floor Musical instrument accessory Tints and shades


Two uses that are not pictured are that you can use them as 'gentle' scrapers for removing labels on plywood sheets. Just wet the label with some kind of solvents, wait a minute and scrape away. Plastic won't scratch most woods.

The last thing I use these cards for is to scrape light frost off the windows of my car. The flexibility of the card conforms better to the curved glass of a car better than a hard plastic ice scraper.
Good blog. I traveled some up until last year. I kept the magnetic strip room keys. Some say they have some of your information encoded on them and that you should keep them. Didn't make any difference to me. I just wanted them for glue spreaders!
 

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#160 ·
Another use for those plastic cards

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Ever need a square and you don't have one? If you don't need extreme precision, this will at least allow you to strike a line straighter than freehand.

I was doing a project and being intentionally minimalist. I wanted to strike lines across a 1Ă—2 to guide my eye for hand sawing. I grabbed one of my glue cards, folded in in half and presto, I had something like a square.

Hand Gesture Wood Font Nail


Wood Finger Natural material Hardwood Rectangle


Wood Writing implement Office supplies Font Tape measure
 

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#161 ·
Another use for those plastic cards

Wood Wood stain Floor Flooring Font


Ever need a square and you don't have one? If you don't need extreme precision, this will at least allow you to strike a line straighter than freehand.

I was doing a project and being intentionally minimalist. I wanted to strike lines across a 1Ă—2 to guide my eye for hand sawing. I grabbed one of my glue cards, folded in in half and presto, I had something like a square.

Hand Gesture Wood Font Nail


Wood Finger Natural material Hardwood Rectangle


Wood Writing implement Office supplies Font Tape measure
Hmmm, I guess that works!
 

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#166 ·
Old trick for an open miter

[Below] Ever have one miter that doesn't quite close? Here's a trick I got from somewhere at some time.

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[Below] Dab some wood glue on the open miter and work it in to the joint. Wipe off any excess, but don't use water.

Brown Rectangle Wood Amber Flooring


[Below] Go over the joint with your sander. A random orbit sander works best. The saw dust from the sanding fills the joint. Note: this won't work on wide gaps unless you're painting the piece.

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#167 ·
Old trick for an open miter

[Below] Ever have one miter that doesn't quite close? Here's a trick I got from somewhere at some time.

Brown Wood Table Rectangle Beige


[Below] Dab some wood glue on the open miter and work it in to the joint. Wipe off any excess, but don't use water.

Brown Rectangle Wood Amber Flooring


[Below] Go over the joint with your sander. A random orbit sander works best. The saw dust from the sanding fills the joint. Note: this won't work on wide gaps unless you're painting the piece.

Table Wood Sleeve Beige Rectangle
Have used that trick many a time.
One other trick I like to use is stain and finish the frame in my case face frame and then before the finish coat put some colored putty to fill the joint, don't do it before you put your first coat of stain and finish the putty can seal the wood around it and won't let the stain soak in.
Just my $.02
 

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#170 ·
To the last drop

This is a tip that I got from the pooroldchap YouTube channel [link]. He posts what he terms Workshop Waffles where he talks about things in his workshop.

If you use WD-40 or a similar aerosol propelled lubrication oil this may help you save a few cents. I took an old metal oil can that once contained sewing machine oil. I'm not sure if anything like this can still be purchased or if they've all gone over to plastic. A plastic bottle may be usable, but you'll need a tiny funnel or somesuch to fill it.

Circuit component Gas Audio equipment Magenta Auto part


The rim of my oil can is raised, so I poked a hole in it with an awl, but not on the very edge. With the can of WD-40 flat on my bench I aimed the plastic tube downwards into a container and sprayed every last bit I could until there was no more propellant. Then I poked a hole in it on the side and poured out any remaining oil into the container that I had sprayed into.

Gas Font Electric blue Cylinder Composite material


I carefully poured the oil into the top of my re-used oil can letting the oil drain into the hole. Tnen I took a very short sheet metal screw and sealed the hole with it. I got about a half can's worth of oil to use.

Fluid Liquid Cylinder Gas Font
 

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#171 ·
To the last drop

This is a tip that I got from the pooroldchap YouTube channel [link]. He posts what he terms Workshop Waffles where he talks about things in his workshop.

If you use WD-40 or a similar aerosol propelled lubrication oil this may help you save a few cents. I took an old metal oil can that once contained sewing machine oil. I'm not sure if anything like this can still be purchased or if they've all gone over to plastic. A plastic bottle may be usable, but you'll need a tiny funnel or somesuch to fill it.

Circuit component Gas Audio equipment Magenta Auto part


The rim of my oil can is raised, so I poked a hole in it with an awl, but not on the very edge. With the can of WD-40 flat on my bench I aimed the plastic tube downwards into a container and sprayed every last bit I could until there was no more propellant. Then I poked a hole in it on the side and poured out any remaining oil into the container that I had sprayed into.

Gas Font Electric blue Cylinder Composite material


I carefully poured the oil into the top of my re-used oil can letting the oil drain into the hole. Tnen I took a very short sheet metal screw and sealed the hole with it. I got about a half can's worth of oil to use.

Fluid Liquid Cylinder Gas Font
WHY? You sprayed all the oil into a bucket and poured into a can! Squirt cans of household oils are available everywhere.
 

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#174 ·
One key to file cleaning

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I've seen a few things telling of how to clean out the teeth of a file. One old-timey way, the source of which I cannot find was to hammer the end of a large nail flat and run that over the file groove-wise. The teeth of the file will cut the nail into a sort of rake which will force out any aluminum or other soft metal bits, even sawdust!

This video says pretty much the same thing:


View on YouTube

So I don't yet own a file card brush, but I had a few old keys to a padlock that broke. I ground the head of the key to a wide flat spot and mounted it in a small piece of scrap wood as a handle. The key is held in by friction.

Brown Amber Wood Floor Flooring


After some use the key gained the grooves that clean out the teeth of the file you are working on. Keys are usually made of brass, so its a good use for old ones.

Brown Wood Textile Flooring Beige
 

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#175 ·
One key to file cleaning

Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood Varnish


I've seen a few things telling of how to clean out the teeth of a file. One old-timey way, the source of which I cannot find was to hammer the end of a large nail flat and run that over the file groove-wise. The teeth of the file will cut the nail into a sort of rake which will force out any aluminum or other soft metal bits, even sawdust!

This video says pretty much the same thing:


View on YouTube

So I don't yet own a file card brush, but I had a few old keys to a padlock that broke. I ground the head of the key to a wide flat spot and mounted it in a small piece of scrap wood as a handle. The key is held in by friction.

Brown Amber Wood Floor Flooring


After some use the key gained the grooves that clean out the teeth of the file you are working on. Keys are usually made of brass, so its a good use for old ones.

Brown Wood Textile Flooring Beige
Good tip, Dave … thanks for posting. Have you ever tried soaking your files in white vinegar overnight? If not, give it a try … your files will be as sharp as the day you bought them. For really rusted ones you may have to soak for two days!
 

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