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#1 ·
Finding nails in re-used wood

Wood Font Tints and shades Rectangle Metal


[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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#2 ·
Finding nails in re-used wood

Wood Font Tints and shades Rectangle Metal


[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.
Bet that has saved you many a blade, Dave. I didn't realize they were so inexpensive.
 

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#3 ·
Finding nails in re-used wood

Wood Font Tints and shades Rectangle Metal


[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.
Candy, It does when you use it. During that stair tread shelf project, I thought I had removed all the staples and nails. Didn't bother with the detector because 'I knew what I was doing'. I cut one end off and discovered an 8 penny nail shank, nicely polished in the wood. The bright side is that it didn't seem to wreck my blade, nor did it fling out and hit me. I dug it out and carried on.
 

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#4 ·
Finding nails in re-used wood

Wood Font Tints and shades Rectangle Metal


[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.
I too use a metal detector, but, as you say, they aren't perfect, so I have a backup.
After I have finished with the instrument and extracted all the metal it finds I go over the wood again with a rare earth magnet. Not a wimpy one, but one taken from a discarded hard drive.
When passing over any metal it will let you know with a tug on your hand. if the metal is heavier than a staple it will stick to the wood firmly.
I also use it to locate wall studs. Believe me, it will find metal under sheet rock.

Don
 

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#5 ·
Finding nails in re-used wood

Wood Font Tints and shades Rectangle Metal


[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.
What brand is your detector? Seems like something I should put on the wish list for those that wish to buy something for Christmas for … me.

Thanks for the magnet idea too Don.
 

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#6 ·
Finding nails in re-used wood

Wood Font Tints and shades Rectangle Metal


[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.
nomercadies, The only markings on my metal detector are 'metal detector md-300' If you google that and choose 'shopping' they will pop up, or you can just go to eBay. It's definitely low end, but mine works.
 

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#7 ·
Finding nails in re-used wood

Wood Font Tints and shades Rectangle Metal


[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.
Found it. Thank you.
 

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#8 ·
Let Your Jigsaw Blow the Dust!

Automotive parking light Automotive tire Automotive lighting Bumper Wheel


[Above] Behold a common jigsaw. This is actually MY jigsaw. I have 3, but one was my Dad's, one I got from a friend. None of them are the good kind with a bearing supporting the back of the blade, but that's OK. It works. I sometimes grab it for down and dirty work. What annoyed me was the way the sawdust would always obscure any line I was trying to follow. This meant that I'd have to play the Big Bad Wolf and keep blowing the dust away from the blade. Then I got an idea…

Automotive lighting Automotive tail & brake light Wood Automotive tire Bumper


[Above] The motors on these saws blow air out as they run to help cool the motor. The area circled in red is only a small portion of the air outlet vent which is actually on both sides of the saw. I thought that if I could direct a little of that expelled air in the right direction, the saw would blow its own dust away.

[Three Photos Below] I took a piece of copper tubing, bent it a bit and shaped one end as best I could to fit on the saw to divert a little of the air flow. This could perhaps also be done with plastic tubing, but I didn't have anything appropriate aside from copper tubing. It's the bendable kind, not rigid pipe.

Wood Gesture Thumb Tobacco Nail


Hand Tire Automotive tire Finger Gesture


Thumb Wood Nickel Terrestrial plant Rim


[Three Photos Below] I attached the copper tube with hot melt glue as shown. Before attaching it, I cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol (It was handy). You can use the poison of your choice.

Wood Bumper Hood Automotive exterior Gas


Wood Bumper Gas Automotive exterior Vehicle door


Motor vehicle Hood Automotive exterior Wood Bumper
 

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#9 ·
Let Your Jigsaw Blow the Dust!

Automotive parking light Automotive tire Automotive lighting Bumper Wheel


[Above] Behold a common jigsaw. This is actually MY jigsaw. I have 3, but one was my Dad's, one I got from a friend. None of them are the good kind with a bearing supporting the back of the blade, but that's OK. It works. I sometimes grab it for down and dirty work. What annoyed me was the way the sawdust would always obscure any line I was trying to follow. This meant that I'd have to play the Big Bad Wolf and keep blowing the dust away from the blade. Then I got an idea…

Automotive lighting Automotive tail & brake light Wood Automotive tire Bumper


[Above] The motors on these saws blow air out as they run to help cool the motor. The area circled in red is only a small portion of the air outlet vent which is actually on both sides of the saw. I thought that if I could direct a little of that expelled air in the right direction, the saw would blow its own dust away.

[Three Photos Below] I took a piece of copper tubing, bent it a bit and shaped one end as best I could to fit on the saw to divert a little of the air flow. This could perhaps also be done with plastic tubing, but I didn't have anything appropriate aside from copper tubing. It's the bendable kind, not rigid pipe.

Wood Gesture Thumb Tobacco Nail


Hand Tire Automotive tire Finger Gesture


Thumb Wood Nickel Terrestrial plant Rim


[Three Photos Below] I attached the copper tube with hot melt glue as shown. Before attaching it, I cleaned the area with rubbing alcohol (It was handy). You can use the poison of your choice.

Wood Bumper Hood Automotive exterior Gas


Wood Bumper Gas Automotive exterior Vehicle door


Motor vehicle Hood Automotive exterior Wood Bumper
Brilliant!!!

That gives me an idea….
That can be a dangerous thing!!!
 

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#13 ·
Paint 'Pyramids'

Brown Wood Amber Rectangle Flooring


I can't claim this as my original idea. I saw it somewhere sometime in the past.

[EDIT] I found where I got this idea. It was in this video tip by Chad Stanton.

It's a great idea though and uses up some small scraps of plywood. You can buy paint pyramids, but I like the free option. All I did was take pieces of 1/2 inch plywood and cut them into approximately 2Ă—2 inch squares. Then I drilled a pilot hole and made a countersink for a deck screw so they would sit level. Make sure you use the same length screws for them so they match.

You can see I made a mess of them.

Brown Wood Hardwood Flooring Event


Here are the commercially produced variety in case I'm speaking gibberish:

Product Rectangle Wood Yellow Triangle
 

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#14 ·
Paint 'Pyramids'

Brown Wood Amber Rectangle Flooring


I can't claim this as my original idea. I saw it somewhere sometime in the past.

[EDIT] I found where I got this idea. It was in this video tip by Chad Stanton.

It's a great idea though and uses up some small scraps of plywood. You can buy paint pyramids, but I like the free option. All I did was take pieces of 1/2 inch plywood and cut them into approximately 2Ă—2 inch squares. Then I drilled a pilot hole and made a countersink for a deck screw so they would sit level. Make sure you use the same length screws for them so they match.

You can see I made a mess of them.

Brown Wood Hardwood Flooring Event


Here are the commercially produced variety in case I'm speaking gibberish:

Product Rectangle Wood Yellow Triangle
I like your idea for the free ones too.
 

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#25 ·
How To Embed a YouTube Video into Your Blog on Lumberjocks (Jan 2014)

[UPDATED 2 November 2015]

WARNING: SELF-PLAYING VIDEOS BELOW!

A lot of us have had trouble embedding our videos into our blogs on Lumberjocks. After putting out a call for help, I was told how to do it. This method works now. I can't guarantee it will always work since YouTube tends to give us more features as time goes on.


View on YouTube

Here's how to do it:

Method 1

Step 1: Find the YouTube video you want to imbed.

Step 2: Go up to the URL bar in your browser and Copy the last part only. It should be the part after '?v='

Step 3: Open this link in a new tab or window: [link]

Step 4: Paste the YouTube code or the URL into the URL box.

Step 5: Click the 'Generate' button and copy the code from the top box. You can experiment with the other boxes if you wish. I haven't bothered at this point.

Step 6: Open a blog post on Lumberjocks, or even a reply box and paste the contents from that large box. Hit Preview. It should look good to go.

Once you get the hang of this and have the bookmark handy this won't add more than a few seconds to the process of embedding your video here on Lumberjocks.

=====

Method 2 This method creates self-playing videos

Step 1: Find the YouTube video you want to imbed.

Step 2: Go up to the URL bar in your browser and Copy the last part only. It should be the part after '?v='

Step 3: Open this link in a new tab or window: [http://youtubeembedcode.com/?page_id=2&lang=en]

Step 4: Paste the YouTube code or the URL into the URL box. You will need to tick the box for 'Old Embed Code'

Step 5: Click the 'Generate My Code' button and click the Copy to Clipboard button right below it. You can experiment with the other boxes if you wish. I haven't bothered at this point.

Step 6: Open a blog post on Lumberjocks, or even a reply box and paste the contents from that large box. Hit Preview. It should look good to go.

Once you get the hang of this and have the bookmark handy this won't add more than a few seconds to the process of embedding your video here on Lumberjocks.

If this stops working, let me know and I'll try to find a new solution. The one constant in this world is that change is inevitable. Hopefully we can all just keep coping with it!
 
#48 ·
A 'Quick' Way to Store Nails, Screws, Etc.

Table Wood Drink Ingredient Food


I'm always trying to figure out how to use the many things we throw out in our day to day lives. In no way can I be considered a fanatic about this, but I try to consider any containers we put out for recycling. I use our Nestle Quick canisters to store the standard screws and finish nails in my shop. They are a good size, they are sturdy plastic and they are oblong, which allows the smaller of the two available sizes to be carried in a normal cloth nail apron!

Originally the canisters had wraparound labels which were easily removed, but now they have painted-on labeling. So to mark the canisters easily I just slap on a piece of duct tape and write the contents description with a Sharpie marker. Non permanent markers will rub off. Alternatively you could spray paint the canisters, but I took the simpler/shorter route.

You can see I use gray/silver tape for deck screws and white tape for finish nails. That way I have an easy reference for what I'm reaching for. Other colors are possible for more organization.

Food Gorgonzola Ingredient Natural foods Cheese


[Above] I keep my often used nails and screws in the canisters on a few shelves I put between the studs in my shop. The top shelf has some hardware items in the larger canisters.
 

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#49 ·
A 'Quick' Way to Store Nails, Screws, Etc.

Table Wood Drink Ingredient Food


I'm always trying to figure out how to use the many things we throw out in our day to day lives. In no way can I be considered a fanatic about this, but I try to consider any containers we put out for recycling. I use our Nestle Quick canisters to store the standard screws and finish nails in my shop. They are a good size, they are sturdy plastic and they are oblong, which allows the smaller of the two available sizes to be carried in a normal cloth nail apron!

Originally the canisters had wraparound labels which were easily removed, but now they have painted-on labeling. So to mark the canisters easily I just slap on a piece of duct tape and write the contents description with a Sharpie marker. Non permanent markers will rub off. Alternatively you could spray paint the canisters, but I took the simpler/shorter route.

You can see I use gray/silver tape for deck screws and white tape for finish nails. That way I have an easy reference for what I'm reaching for. Other colors are possible for more organization.

Food Gorgonzola Ingredient Natural foods Cheese


[Above] I keep my often used nails and screws in the canisters on a few shelves I put between the studs in my shop. The top shelf has some hardware items in the larger canisters.
Better method than mine, I've two 5 gal. buckets. One for nails, and one for screws. Each time I need one or the other, I've got to go through the entire collection.

BTW, thinking of making an investment in the market. Looks like Nestle has a strong market presence.
 

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#55 ·
A Place for my Pencil!

Wood Wood stain Floor Flooring Plank


I thought it was a great idea to keep a handy shop pencil in the miter slot of my router table or table saw, but it would often threaten to roll away, or just got in the way of one activity or another and I'd end up moving it around. I finally came up with a simple solution that works for me.

Wood Wood stain Material property Hardwood Gas


I took a hunk of 2Ă—3 and drilled 1/2 inch holes in it, nearly all the way through. I then cut the 2Ă—3 to give me a 1-1/2 in x 1-1/2 in block with a hole in it. These I attached in several places in my shop, one by the tablesaw, one by the router station, two on my mobile work bench and one on my drill press stand.

Wood Gas Bumper Machine Automotive exterior


Wood Gas Engineering Machine Flooring


Wood Handle Cabinetry Gas Hardwood


I realize I could still take the pencil far from its home, but at least it will have a home which is better than on top of my workbench.
 

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#56 ·
A Place for my Pencil!

Wood Wood stain Floor Flooring Plank


I thought it was a great idea to keep a handy shop pencil in the miter slot of my router table or table saw, but it would often threaten to roll away, or just got in the way of one activity or another and I'd end up moving it around. I finally came up with a simple solution that works for me.

Wood Wood stain Material property Hardwood Gas


I took a hunk of 2Ă—3 and drilled 1/2 inch holes in it, nearly all the way through. I then cut the 2Ă—3 to give me a 1-1/2 in x 1-1/2 in block with a hole in it. These I attached in several places in my shop, one by the tablesaw, one by the router station, two on my mobile work bench and one on my drill press stand.

Wood Gas Bumper Machine Automotive exterior


Wood Gas Engineering Machine Flooring


Wood Handle Cabinetry Gas Hardwood


I realize I could still take the pencil far from its home, but at least it will have a home which is better than on top of my workbench.
Good idea, thanks for sharing
 

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#62 ·
Jointing on my Table Saw

Wood Hardwood Plank Wood stain Flooring


I'm making a project that involves edge gluing some 2Ă—4's. They were rescued from a pallet and needed smoothing before I could glue them together. At first I tried my trusty jointing/tapering jig (above), but apparently either my saw blade is too dull, the clamps don't hold well enough or the runner slops in the miter slot.
I kept seeing light between the edges.

So I gave it some thought. I have an old metal level that was left behind when we had our driveway paved. It's straight. So I attached it to the wood with double sided carpet tape and ran it along the TS fence to skim off the edge. It worked and the piece is now glued up.

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Rectangle
 

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#63 ·
Jointing on my Table Saw

Wood Hardwood Plank Wood stain Flooring


I'm making a project that involves edge gluing some 2Ă—4's. They were rescued from a pallet and needed smoothing before I could glue them together. At first I tried my trusty jointing/tapering jig (above), but apparently either my saw blade is too dull, the clamps don't hold well enough or the runner slops in the miter slot.
I kept seeing light between the edges.

So I gave it some thought. I have an old metal level that was left behind when we had our driveway paved. It's straight. So I attached it to the wood with double sided carpet tape and ran it along the TS fence to skim off the edge. It worked and the piece is now glued up.

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Rectangle
No, no no, that is way to simple. It needs a bell, perhaps a whistle to.
 

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#69 ·
Pencil Extender

In a YouTube video by Phillip Stephens I noticed he had a short pencil stuck into a small length of wood in order to make it longer.

Gesture Finger Wood Thumb Nail


Phillip Stephens is from New Zealand, but the video was made while he was living in Columbia in South America. Based on his videos there, he has to make do and mend as a matter of course. Even though we have plenty of pencils around the house and in my shop, I liked the idea of this simple little widget.

I liked the idea of an extender, but wanted to make something out of metal and in a brass-like color. Copper pipe sprang to mind immediately.

Wood Finger Writing instrument accessory Thumb Wood stain


[Below] The parts consist of a length of copper tube about 3 in. long, big enough to fit your pencils. Mine fit a bit snug, which is fine. The tubing has a cap glued to one end. A long deck screw reaches to the pencil and (maybe) keeps it from pulling out. It might work as well to put a dowel in the tubing to keep the pencil from pushing in too far.

Wood Rectangle Font Wood stain Plank


[Below] This gives you a pencil that is about 8 inches instead of 3. The tubing is a little heavy, but it's working for me. I made 2 of these and they stay in my shop.

Table Wood Office supplies Wood stain Writing implement
 

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#70 ·
Pencil Extender

In a YouTube video by Phillip Stephens I noticed he had a short pencil stuck into a small length of wood in order to make it longer.

Gesture Finger Wood Thumb Nail


Phillip Stephens is from New Zealand, but the video was made while he was living in Columbia in South America. Based on his videos there, he has to make do and mend as a matter of course. Even though we have plenty of pencils around the house and in my shop, I liked the idea of this simple little widget.

I liked the idea of an extender, but wanted to make something out of metal and in a brass-like color. Copper pipe sprang to mind immediately.

Wood Finger Writing instrument accessory Thumb Wood stain


[Below] The parts consist of a length of copper tube about 3 in. long, big enough to fit your pencils. Mine fit a bit snug, which is fine. The tubing has a cap glued to one end. A long deck screw reaches to the pencil and (maybe) keeps it from pulling out. It might work as well to put a dowel in the tubing to keep the pencil from pushing in too far.

Wood Rectangle Font Wood stain Plank


[Below] This gives you a pencil that is about 8 inches instead of 3. The tubing is a little heavy, but it's working for me. I made 2 of these and they stay in my shop.

Table Wood Office supplies Wood stain Writing implement
I wonder if you could not make the screw act as an advancing mech when the pencil gets even shorter or if you have a shorter or longer pencil
 

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#72 ·
Occasional Pocket Hole Joinery

While I cannot be called a die hard fan of pocket hole joinery, I'll admit it has some uses. Such a use came about today as I was completing a project (to be posted in a day or two). This method of making pocket holes without an expensive jig I saw in a video by Steve Carmichael. (the link starts the video right at the part I'm talking about).

Hand tool Metalworking hand tool Wood Pliers Burin


[Above] These are the tools I used to do this procedure. Your choices may vary. I'm using a 3/8 inch spade bit, 1/8 in. twist drill and 2 in. bugle head deck screws. [Below] Even though I used bugle headed deck screws, I put a small washer on each one so that they wouldn't just crank on through and split the wood. It worked.

Wood Hand tool Tool Screw Engineering


[Below] Having marked a spot about 1-1/2 in. from the edge of my board, I drilled in with a 3/8 in. spade bit. As you go in (slowly) start angling the drill towards the piece you want to attach to. Drill in until the hole is 'deep enough to take the screw head and the washer', about 1/2 inch.

Wood Bumper Office equipment Musical instrument accessory Plywood


Wood Bumper Track Tints and shades Automotive exterior


[Below] Now switch to the twist drill and drill a pilot hole along the same angle.

Bottle Wood Flooring Floor Road surface


[Below] As you might expect, now you screw in the screw. I did mine by hand so that I could feel when it was tight enough. I didn't plug the holes, but that is an option.

Wood Tool Wood stain Hardwood Mallet
 

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#73 ·
Occasional Pocket Hole Joinery

While I cannot be called a die hard fan of pocket hole joinery, I'll admit it has some uses. Such a use came about today as I was completing a project (to be posted in a day or two). This method of making pocket holes without an expensive jig I saw in a video by Steve Carmichael. (the link starts the video right at the part I'm talking about).

Hand tool Metalworking hand tool Wood Pliers Burin


[Above] These are the tools I used to do this procedure. Your choices may vary. I'm using a 3/8 inch spade bit, 1/8 in. twist drill and 2 in. bugle head deck screws. [Below] Even though I used bugle headed deck screws, I put a small washer on each one so that they wouldn't just crank on through and split the wood. It worked.

Wood Hand tool Tool Screw Engineering


[Below] Having marked a spot about 1-1/2 in. from the edge of my board, I drilled in with a 3/8 in. spade bit. As you go in (slowly) start angling the drill towards the piece you want to attach to. Drill in until the hole is 'deep enough to take the screw head and the washer', about 1/2 inch.

Wood Bumper Office equipment Musical instrument accessory Plywood


Wood Bumper Track Tints and shades Automotive exterior


[Below] Now switch to the twist drill and drill a pilot hole along the same angle.

Bottle Wood Flooring Floor Road surface


[Below] As you might expect, now you screw in the screw. I did mine by hand so that I could feel when it was tight enough. I didn't plug the holes, but that is an option.

Wood Tool Wood stain Hardwood Mallet
Agreed, not a fan of pocket hole joinery, but there is a place for each method of work. I have a book on the furniture of Pleasant Hill village, where pocket holes were used by the Shakers over a century ago, to make furniture. To each his own.
 

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#76 ·
Template Sawing on the Table Saw

If you remember my Tip #7, I showed how I jointed one edge of a board by taping a straight edge to a board and running it along the fence of a table saw.

Well, sometimes I think I'm just stupid! There's an easier way to do this and I already had the jig for it made. My wife asked me for a piece of wood to shore up one side of an electronic keyboard at her school. I had a piece in mind, but wanted to square it up and paint it black. After I did all of this, using the method described in Tip #7, She informed me that she actually needed a thicker piece.

I had a piece of scrap which would work, but again it needed squaring up. These two pieces were scrap from cutting out for an air conditioner. So It occurred to me that I could just attach the old piece to the thicker piece and use my template jig instead of doing it the hard way. Here's some pictures to really drive it home. Maybe I won't forget next time!

[Below] Here you can see the old, too-thin piece attached to the rough, thicker piece. I used two finishing nails to put them together, leaving the heads proud for easy removal.

Wood Rectangle Composite material Gas Engineering


[Below] This is the jig I'm talking about. It's basically a right angle which clamps to the fence and 'floats' just above the surface of the wood you need to cut and barely touching the blade, (adjust blade height to suit).

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Creative arts


Wood Floor Composite material Wood stain Gas


[Below] With the two pieces attached, I'm running the old piece, or template along the edge of the jig. If you have things set up correctly the piece you cut will end up exactly the same size as your template.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Table Rectangle


Wood Art Wood stain Rectangle Gas


[Below] Here's what the first cut looks like. Without changing anything aside from the position of the piece, you can just run all four sides through the saw.

Wood Rectangle Composite material Hardwood Wood stain


[Below] Then I just remove the two nails, sand the edges and put the paint on before handing it over to my wife.

Wood Composite material Gas Machine Engineering


Wood Rectangle Composite material Engineering Gas


This method should also work for jointing the edge of a board. You just need a straight edge as long as the board you're jointing to run along the jig.
 

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#77 ·
Template Sawing on the Table Saw

If you remember my Tip #7, I showed how I jointed one edge of a board by taping a straight edge to a board and running it along the fence of a table saw.

Well, sometimes I think I'm just stupid! There's an easier way to do this and I already had the jig for it made. My wife asked me for a piece of wood to shore up one side of an electronic keyboard at her school. I had a piece in mind, but wanted to square it up and paint it black. After I did all of this, using the method described in Tip #7, She informed me that she actually needed a thicker piece.

I had a piece of scrap which would work, but again it needed squaring up. These two pieces were scrap from cutting out for an air conditioner. So It occurred to me that I could just attach the old piece to the thicker piece and use my template jig instead of doing it the hard way. Here's some pictures to really drive it home. Maybe I won't forget next time!

[Below] Here you can see the old, too-thin piece attached to the rough, thicker piece. I used two finishing nails to put them together, leaving the heads proud for easy removal.

Wood Rectangle Composite material Gas Engineering


[Below] This is the jig I'm talking about. It's basically a right angle which clamps to the fence and 'floats' just above the surface of the wood you need to cut and barely touching the blade, (adjust blade height to suit).

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Creative arts


Wood Floor Composite material Wood stain Gas


[Below] With the two pieces attached, I'm running the old piece, or template along the edge of the jig. If you have things set up correctly the piece you cut will end up exactly the same size as your template.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Table Rectangle


Wood Art Wood stain Rectangle Gas


[Below] Here's what the first cut looks like. Without changing anything aside from the position of the piece, you can just run all four sides through the saw.

Wood Rectangle Composite material Hardwood Wood stain


[Below] Then I just remove the two nails, sand the edges and put the paint on before handing it over to my wife.

Wood Composite material Gas Machine Engineering


Wood Rectangle Composite material Engineering Gas


This method should also work for jointing the edge of a board. You just need a straight edge as long as the board you're jointing to run along the jig.
Dave,
Both this method and your previous Tip #7 have a place in the wood shop, especially when the table saw is the smaller table-top type. Both work well, but this method described here in Tip #10 provides a good solution when the boards to be cut are wider than the blade to fence measurment permits.
This is one of the main reasons why I like woodworking, always a problem to figure out, which keeps the mind sharp.
 

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#81 ·
Get a Grip on Your Spray Cans!

Some of us use spray cans of finishing products to protect our projects. Using a spray can while holding down the button with an achy finger was challenging at best. Then I saw these grips for spray cans in the paint section and bought one. I can't describe what a difference the grip makes. It makes a can of spray behave like a spray gun. You get great control over aiming and starting/stopping the spray. There seem to be grips made by many spray paint brands as well as a few generic tool brands. Just google it to see.

Hand tool Tool Wood Finger Thumb


[Below] The grip fits on the top rim of the can, allowing a trigger/lever to activate the spray. You only need to take care that the nozzle is pointing out through the gap, otherwise the inside becomes a pretty color!

Liquid Fluid Cylinder Gas Drink


[Below] The grip also fits the short cans that are usually made for model builders.

Hand Liquid Fluid Finger Plastic bottle


[Below] And if you're into pyrotechnics in the shop, the grip also fits aerosol fire extingishers!

Hand Liquid Fluid Plastic bottle Finger


(Disclaimer: the grip shown is the cheap Rustoleum one. They offer a fancier one. I have no official association with Rustoleum aside from being a purchaser of their products.)
 

Attachments

#82 ·
Get a Grip on Your Spray Cans!

Some of us use spray cans of finishing products to protect our projects. Using a spray can while holding down the button with an achy finger was challenging at best. Then I saw these grips for spray cans in the paint section and bought one. I can't describe what a difference the grip makes. It makes a can of spray behave like a spray gun. You get great control over aiming and starting/stopping the spray. There seem to be grips made by many spray paint brands as well as a few generic tool brands. Just google it to see.

Hand tool Tool Wood Finger Thumb


[Below] The grip fits on the top rim of the can, allowing a trigger/lever to activate the spray. You only need to take care that the nozzle is pointing out through the gap, otherwise the inside becomes a pretty color!

Liquid Fluid Cylinder Gas Drink


[Below] The grip also fits the short cans that are usually made for model builders.

Hand Liquid Fluid Finger Plastic bottle


[Below] And if you're into pyrotechnics in the shop, the grip also fits aerosol fire extingishers!

Hand Liquid Fluid Plastic bottle Finger


(Disclaimer: the grip shown is the cheap Rustoleum one. They offer a fancier one. I have no official association with Rustoleum aside from being a purchaser of their products.)
We use these too, Dave. They are really helpful.
 

Attachments

#83 ·
DIY Bench Cookies



Somewhere recently I was watching a video where Bench Cookies were mentioned. I then ran down into my shop and poured out the contents of my 'wood wheels' which are mainly the plugs I save from my hole saw. I had 4 plugs about 2 inches in diameter and close to 1 inch thick. I pulled out a place mat that I saved from the trash. It's made from shelf liner material. I glued the plugs onto the placemat with contact cement and trimmed them out. Now I have 4 bench cookies to use for something!

Anyone know what the generic term for these Bench Cookies is? I'm pretty sure Bench Cookies is a trademark or some such legal term.

(I think the really sad thing is that I can't remember what I cut holes in to get these plugs.)
 

Attachments

#84 ·
DIY Bench Cookies

Wood Table Flooring Hardwood Craft


Somewhere recently I was watching a video where Bench Cookies were mentioned. I then ran down into my shop and poured out the contents of my 'wood wheels' which are mainly the plugs I save from my hole saw. I had 4 plugs about 2 inches in diameter and close to 1 inch thick. I pulled out a place mat that I saved from the trash. It's made from shelf liner material. I glued the plugs onto the placemat with contact cement and trimmed them out. Now I have 4 bench cookies to use for something!

Anyone know what the generic term for these Bench Cookies is? I'm pretty sure Bench Cookies is a trademark or some such legal term.

(I think the really sad thing is that I can't remember what I cut holes in to get these plugs.)
I think the name was coined by Rockler, when they released these originally. I could be wrong though, seems to be my expertise as of late. As far as a generic name, whatever you assign will work.
 

Attachments

#94 ·
Spalted Log Breakdown

Wood Natural material Plank Hardwood Lumber


This is a 2 foot section of a 12 foot long branch which I dragged off our bank this week. I speculated that if it wasn't too rotten that it would have some spalted wood in it. After cutting it in half on my band saw, I discovered I was right.

Wood Flooring Office ruler Ruler Floor


[Below] I screwed the half log onto a board with an edge overhanging the board. More imortantly one edge of the board was clear of the log as well. This is so that the board will be flat to the table saw and the edge of the board will run along the fence. Be careful to not put your screws in line with the blade.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Plank


Wood Composite material Rectangle Gas Engineering


Wood Engineering Machine Flooring Metal


[Below] I did this progressively until I had a flat edge on the log. Then I screwed the board onto that newly flattened face and repeated the procedure until I had 2 perpendicular flat faces. I started the blade low and raised it up with each pass at the same fence setting. Either way this is not for the feint at heart.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Composite material Lumber


Wood Composite material Gas Hardwood Machine tool


[Below] Once that was done, I just re-sawed the piece until i had nothing left. I made these rips at a little more than 1/4 inch thick. I have a project in mind for them and they don't need to be that strong.

Wood Gas Hardwood Composite material Plank


Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Lumber


[Fun Fact] 'Spalted' is not recognized by my spell checker.

[Fun Fact II] The Esperanto word for 'spalted' is 'belputra' (behl-POO-trah) which means 'beauty-rotted'.
 

Attachments

#95 ·
Spalted Log Breakdown

Wood Natural material Plank Hardwood Lumber


This is a 2 foot section of a 12 foot long branch which I dragged off our bank this week. I speculated that if it wasn't too rotten that it would have some spalted wood in it. After cutting it in half on my band saw, I discovered I was right.

Wood Flooring Office ruler Ruler Floor


[Below] I screwed the half log onto a board with an edge overhanging the board. More imortantly one edge of the board was clear of the log as well. This is so that the board will be flat to the table saw and the edge of the board will run along the fence. Be careful to not put your screws in line with the blade.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Plank


Wood Composite material Rectangle Gas Engineering


Wood Engineering Machine Flooring Metal


[Below] I did this progressively until I had a flat edge on the log. Then I screwed the board onto that newly flattened face and repeated the procedure until I had 2 perpendicular flat faces. I started the blade low and raised it up with each pass at the same fence setting. Either way this is not for the feint at heart.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Composite material Lumber


Wood Composite material Gas Hardwood Machine tool


[Below] Once that was done, I just re-sawed the piece until i had nothing left. I made these rips at a little more than 1/4 inch thick. I have a project in mind for them and they don't need to be that strong.

Wood Gas Hardwood Composite material Plank


Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Lumber


[Fun Fact] 'Spalted' is not recognized by my spell checker.

[Fun Fact II] The Esperanto word for 'spalted' is 'belputra' (behl-POO-trah) which means 'beauty-rotted'.
There is something very satisfying about making things from your own milled lumber.
 

Attachments

#104 ·
KISS System Dust Collector

Wood Mesh Engineering Gas Machine


I don't like the idea of breathing in dust while running my machinery any more than the next guy (er, woodworker.) A few years ago, when we finally stopped using our last box fan, I hid it away, having an idea to re-purpose it down the road. So a few weeks ago, I decided to take another step towards a safer shop. I dug out the fan and cleaned it up. After checking that it still ran OK, I went out and bought one of those filters for forced hot air heating systems and installed it on the 'sucking' side of the box fan. This particular filter, 20Ă—20 inch in my case is disposable, but I plan on investing in one that can be cleaned and reused (up to ten years according to the product info!)

The filter is simply taped onto the frame of the fan with duct tape. When upgrade, I might make a proper wooden frame to ease the removal of the filter for cleaning. In any case, I have noticed a difference in the air quality of my shop after doing dust-making operations. I've also noticed less need to dust things off that aren't even my tools.

Wood Hardwood Gas Composite material Engineering
 

Attachments

#105 ·
KISS System Dust Collector

Wood Mesh Engineering Gas Machine


I don't like the idea of breathing in dust while running my machinery any more than the next guy (er, woodworker.) A few years ago, when we finally stopped using our last box fan, I hid it away, having an idea to re-purpose it down the road. So a few weeks ago, I decided to take another step towards a safer shop. I dug out the fan and cleaned it up. After checking that it still ran OK, I went out and bought one of those filters for forced hot air heating systems and installed it on the 'sucking' side of the box fan. This particular filter, 20Ă—20 inch in my case is disposable, but I plan on investing in one that can be cleaned and reused (up to ten years according to the product info!)

The filter is simply taped onto the frame of the fan with duct tape. When upgrade, I might make a proper wooden frame to ease the removal of the filter for cleaning. In any case, I have noticed a difference in the air quality of my shop after doing dust-making operations. I've also noticed less need to dust things off that aren't even my tools.

Wood Hardwood Gas Composite material Engineering
Nice repurposing of the fan, should serve you well in the new application.
 

Attachments

#111 ·
Another Way to Break Down a Log

Tableware Kitchen utensil Wood Table Tool


[Above] This was my last log of elm in which I hoped to find some more spalted wood. The first thing I did was to grab my Australian Bowie knife and strip off the bark. It came off very easily as the log (2 feet long, 4 inch diameter ) had been sitting on the ground under leaves for several years.

Wood Gas Composite material Machine tool Machine


[Above] Then I put the log in its most stable position on its side and attached a 1Ă—4 to each flank, making sure it was fairly stable and trying to have the boards parallel to the bottom surface. If you're lucky, about an inch will be above the boards.

Wood Cabinetry Composite material Gas Drawer


[Above] Now I set my table saw fence so that the blade will cut off about 1 inch or so on one side of the log. I run the board along my rip fence. This may need to be done in several passes, raising the blade higher with each pass.

Yellow Wood Audio equipment Office equipment Engineering


[Above] At it's highest, my 10 inch blade did not quite cut all the way through the log, so I use a coarse tooth 'toolbox' saw to finish the cut.

Wood Machine Hardwood Engineering Metal


[Above] I used my block plane (!) to take the roughness off of the cut I made with my handsaw. I could get to like hand planes!

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Gas Machine


[Above] Now using the board still attached to the log and the freshly cut edge, I squared up the log with a last flank cut.

Wood Gas Composite material Hardwood Engineering


[Above] Here I squared up the log before starting to slice it up. I treated it like any other piece of wood after this, slicing it up in approximately 1/2 inch thick slices.

Epilogue: After I got it all slices, I discovered that this particular log was too far gone. The half inch slices snapped in my hands more easily than toothpicks. The wood also wasn't very figured, just colored dark gray. At least the one I processed just before was Okay. This also smelled up my basement very badly. I wore a dusk mask during the work and vacuumed things up afterward, but the smell persisted for a while.
 

Attachments

#112 ·
Another Way to Break Down a Log

Tableware Kitchen utensil Wood Table Tool


[Above] This was my last log of elm in which I hoped to find some more spalted wood. The first thing I did was to grab my Australian Bowie knife and strip off the bark. It came off very easily as the log (2 feet long, 4 inch diameter ) had been sitting on the ground under leaves for several years.

Wood Gas Composite material Machine tool Machine


[Above] Then I put the log in its most stable position on its side and attached a 1Ă—4 to each flank, making sure it was fairly stable and trying to have the boards parallel to the bottom surface. If you're lucky, about an inch will be above the boards.

Wood Cabinetry Composite material Gas Drawer


[Above] Now I set my table saw fence so that the blade will cut off about 1 inch or so on one side of the log. I run the board along my rip fence. This may need to be done in several passes, raising the blade higher with each pass.

Yellow Wood Audio equipment Office equipment Engineering


[Above] At it's highest, my 10 inch blade did not quite cut all the way through the log, so I use a coarse tooth 'toolbox' saw to finish the cut.

Wood Machine Hardwood Engineering Metal


[Above] I used my block plane (!) to take the roughness off of the cut I made with my handsaw. I could get to like hand planes!

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Gas Machine


[Above] Now using the board still attached to the log and the freshly cut edge, I squared up the log with a last flank cut.

Wood Gas Composite material Hardwood Engineering


[Above] Here I squared up the log before starting to slice it up. I treated it like any other piece of wood after this, slicing it up in approximately 1/2 inch thick slices.

Epilogue: After I got it all slices, I discovered that this particular log was too far gone. The half inch slices snapped in my hands more easily than toothpicks. The wood also wasn't very figured, just colored dark gray. At least the one I processed just before was Okay. This also smelled up my basement very badly. I wore a dusk mask during the work and vacuumed things up afterward, but the smell persisted for a while.
About 3 month ago I went through the same process cutting up some Russian Olive logs.
The shop still smells funky…..
 

Attachments

#115 ·
Flattening a Box

Table Wood Tints and shades Flooring Hardwood


I've been making a few boxes lately and have at least one more to go. I saw this technique for fine tuning the bottom or top edges of a box on a YouTube video about guitar making. In the video the luthier had a large sheet of sandpaper glued to a piece of plywood. After creating the sides of the guitar body, he would rub the edges of the body (sans bottom or top) on the sandpaper to even out the edges completely.

Since my joinery is far from perfect, I've been using this method on a smaller scale to even off the top and bottom edges of my boxes. I use a piece of 60 or 80 grit sandpaper, holding it firmly with my left hand while I use my right to scrape the box body away from me until the joints even off.

It's perhaps not exactly craftsman-like, but the results are what I'm after. I've been usng the same system to even out my mitered corners, by running the sides on the sandpaper as well. Final sanding on the sides is done with a random orbit sander.

Wood Flooring Art Wood stain Rectangle
 

Attachments

#116 ·
Flattening a Box

Table Wood Tints and shades Flooring Hardwood


I've been making a few boxes lately and have at least one more to go. I saw this technique for fine tuning the bottom or top edges of a box on a YouTube video about guitar making. In the video the luthier had a large sheet of sandpaper glued to a piece of plywood. After creating the sides of the guitar body, he would rub the edges of the body (sans bottom or top) on the sandpaper to even out the edges completely.

Since my joinery is far from perfect, I've been using this method on a smaller scale to even off the top and bottom edges of my boxes. I use a piece of 60 or 80 grit sandpaper, holding it firmly with my left hand while I use my right to scrape the box body away from me until the joints even off.

It's perhaps not exactly craftsman-like, but the results are what I'm after. I've been usng the same system to even out my mitered corners, by running the sides on the sandpaper as well. Final sanding on the sides is done with a random orbit sander.

Wood Flooring Art Wood stain Rectangle
Once upon a time I worked at an aircraft engine facility and I can tell you that's just about exactly how we flattened the top edges of the oil pans so they would seat to the engines properly. We just used a granite surface plate as opposed to a piece of plywood, but same principle. If you want really flat, move the piece in figure-8's.
 

Attachments

#122 ·
DIY Small Sanding Spindle

Drill presses Wood Pneumatic tool Drill Drilling


I needed a small sanding spindle to sand the small corners of a project I'm working on. My store bought sanding spindle is too big and I didn't want to go out and buy one, plus even the smallest one in the store is too big.

Wood Finger Wood stain Flooring Thumb


[Above] I found a 4 inch long piece of aluminum rod. It's a little bigger in diameter than 1/4 inch. I used a hack saw to cut a slot down its lengthy about 1-1/2 inches long.

Wood Yellow Finger Hardwood Wood stain


[Above] I cut a piece of sandpaper about 2 inches long to fit in the slot. You may need to fold over the edge that fits in the slot. Make sure it's facing the right direction for the rotation of your drill.

Bandsaws Wood Drilling Floor Drill


[Above] I used it in my drill press. Even though I'm pressing on it, I'm not seeing the aluminum shaft bend. You'll likely need to change the sand paper often, but this is a good use for the small scraps that some of us accumulate.

Wood Machine Home appliance Tool Drilling


[Above] The sandpaper will stand out from the shaft when at rest, but the pressure of what you're sanding will keep it tight.
 

Attachments

#123 ·
DIY Small Sanding Spindle

Drill presses Wood Pneumatic tool Drill Drilling


I needed a small sanding spindle to sand the small corners of a project I'm working on. My store bought sanding spindle is too big and I didn't want to go out and buy one, plus even the smallest one in the store is too big.

Wood Finger Wood stain Flooring Thumb


[Above] I found a 4 inch long piece of aluminum rod. It's a little bigger in diameter than 1/4 inch. I used a hack saw to cut a slot down its lengthy about 1-1/2 inches long.

Wood Yellow Finger Hardwood Wood stain


[Above] I cut a piece of sandpaper about 2 inches long to fit in the slot. You may need to fold over the edge that fits in the slot. Make sure it's facing the right direction for the rotation of your drill.

Bandsaws Wood Drilling Floor Drill


[Above] I used it in my drill press. Even though I'm pressing on it, I'm not seeing the aluminum shaft bend. You'll likely need to change the sand paper often, but this is a good use for the small scraps that some of us accumulate.

Wood Machine Home appliance Tool Drilling


[Above] The sandpaper will stand out from the shaft when at rest, but the pressure of what you're sanding will keep it tight.
Nice idea. I will remember this for the next time I need to sand something small.
 

Attachments

#130 ·
Sanding Small Parts

Recently i found a need to sand some small parts of a project with my Random Orbit Sander. They were too small to clamp down and my sander would just throw them out from under it. I just clamped the ROS upside down in my leg vise and held the small piece on the rotating pad. This doesn't work as aggressively as usual because your hand cannot hold the piece as firmly as it would be if it were clamped or had more mass.

Wood Gas Machine Auto part Metal


Hand Wood Gas Machine Auto part
 

Attachments

#131 ·
Sanding Small Parts

Recently i found a need to sand some small parts of a project with my Random Orbit Sander. They were too small to clamp down and my sander would just throw them out from under it. I just clamped the ROS upside down in my leg vise and held the small piece on the rotating pad. This doesn't work as aggressively as usual because your hand cannot hold the piece as firmly as it would be if it were clamped or had more mass.

Wood Gas Machine Auto part Metal


Hand Wood Gas Machine Auto part
Great idea.
 

Attachments

#135 ·
Specialized Tiny Sander

Food Ingredient Wood Cuisine Staple food


While making some bottle openers, I needed a way to get into a small area and sand, so I cut a piece of thick dowel, cut a neck into it to help me get past an installed and glued-on washer, glued on a piece of sandpaper with contact cement, trimmed it and sanded away. It was a simple fix to an odd problem, but I'm not positive everyone would have considered such a low tech approach.

Wood Font Clipboard Kitchen utensil Eyewear


Wood Font Gas Ingredient Flooring


Automotive tire Wood Road surface Wood stain Table
 

Attachments

#136 ·
Specialized Tiny Sander

Food Ingredient Wood Cuisine Staple food


While making some bottle openers, I needed a way to get into a small area and sand, so I cut a piece of thick dowel, cut a neck into it to help me get past an installed and glued-on washer, glued on a piece of sandpaper with contact cement, trimmed it and sanded away. It was a simple fix to an odd problem, but I'm not positive everyone would have considered such a low tech approach.

Wood Font Clipboard Kitchen utensil Eyewear


Wood Font Gas Ingredient Flooring


Automotive tire Wood Road surface Wood stain Table
Ahah ! THAT'S what it's for ! Thinking inside the curve Dave, good idea.
 

Attachments

#138 ·
Card of Tacks for Spraying Smaller Items

Wood Hardwood Cuisine Dish Wood stain


Painting pyramids work well for larger projects, but when you have smaller items to spray, something on a smaller scale is needed. I took a piece of corrugated cardboard and inserted tacks in it from the bottom. I spaced them about an inch apart and covered the flat sides with tape to help hold them in. The item you want to spray is held up by the points of the 'thumb' tacks so that it won't stick to whatever it's resting on.

Wood Wood stain Flooring Floor Hardwood


Wood Road surface Asphalt Flooring Floor


[EDIT] I just found a few more pictures from earlier in the process:

Wood Tints and shades Electric blue Rectangle Plastic


Rectangle Wood Beige Composite material Flooring


Wood Flooring Gas Hardwood Plywood
 

Attachments

#139 ·
Card of Tacks for Spraying Smaller Items

Wood Hardwood Cuisine Dish Wood stain


Painting pyramids work well for larger projects, but when you have smaller items to spray, something on a smaller scale is needed. I took a piece of corrugated cardboard and inserted tacks in it from the bottom. I spaced them about an inch apart and covered the flat sides with tape to help hold them in. The item you want to spray is held up by the points of the 'thumb' tacks so that it won't stick to whatever it's resting on.

Wood Wood stain Flooring Floor Hardwood


Wood Road surface Asphalt Flooring Floor


[EDIT] I just found a few more pictures from earlier in the process:

Wood Tints and shades Electric blue Rectangle Plastic


Rectangle Wood Beige Composite material Flooring


Wood Flooring Gas Hardwood Plywood
Great idea!
 

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