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Read Time: 6 mins
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I have received many comments and even a few emails telling me that if I want to get better quality cuts with my table saw, jig saw or even my sliding mitre that if I use masking tape, and cut through that tape, it reduces tear out, which is what causes that fuzzy edge when crosscutting boards. 
Well ... I heard the same thing well over 20 years ago and I tried it then a couple of times and it didn't work so I have never tried it since. I guess it's time to try this again with some of the newer tapes and see if it makes a difference and to be honest ... I was skeptical at best that using something a flimsy as tape would really work as a solid backer on wood and give better cuts ... but ... I am always up for having my mind changed and this wouldn't be the first time that would happen. 

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/_9nPFox_n5Q

I armed myself with 2 good quality tapes that I already use in my workshop for a variety of things, first 3M Blue Painters Tape and secondly, a newer tape I have only just started to use Frog Tape ...

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Jigs in woodworking can help us accomplish a lot of different things but some jigs can be improved upon, but the improvements aren't alway obvious unless you have used the jig for a time and I am going to tackle 2 of those jigs in this episode.

Drill Press Magswitch Fence Modification
The first and one of the handiest jigs I have is the Magswitch fence for my drill press. This is easily the best fence system I have ever made for my drill press, it's quick, easy and not complicated and can be taken of in a heart beat. I can't say enough about this jig.

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/4krLJWELogQ

The first version of this jig works well, but I didn't think about one thing, and that was that I really like to use a 3/4 inch thick backer board on my drill press which in this case also happens to be the height of the magswich fence so doesn't work the way it could. I like to use the 3/4 inch backer board to help prevent the drill bits from bumping into the metal base and making them duller quicker, and because using a backer board helps to reduce tear-out on boards being drill ... well, sometimes it does ... 

Read Time: 5 mins
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One of the nice things with getting reclaimed or used lumber, especially plywood, it's perfect for making little workshop accessories, jigs and for just working with to see what things you can come up with. It's part of the fun of woodworking and I can get absorbed for hours at a time working on new ideas and adaptions to my workbench.  

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/LAbjM_gdBdQ

There are so many different kinds of things we do on our workbenches, I'm sure there are no 2 alike. Everyone changes and adapts their workbench to fit what works best for them and here are a few ideas that may inspire other changes and adaptations. 

Read Time: 5 mins
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I am always looking for wood. I am not always intentionally looking, but it's always in the back of my mind. I look for all sorts of wood, new wood, used wood, demolition wood, cut trees ... it's all potential sources of wood. This article will reveal many of my sources and ways of acquiring lumber that may help others get good wood for good prices and in some cases even spare sending wood to the landfill.

There are lots of different places that are great sources of finding new and used wood, but be aware that you are likely not going to be purchasing premium wood, so there will be some work in it for you. There may be excessive trimming or gluing, or the wood may only be suitable for smaller projects. That is what you often get with discounted or free lumber. It just means you need to but a bit more effort into using it, but the savings could be well worth the investment ... 

Read Time: 4 mins
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For many, many years there has been a long-held belief that Zero Clearance Table Saw Throat Plates give better quality cuts on the underside of the material being cut than non-zero clearance throat plates, and I too, have been a perpetrator of this theory. Many Years ago, before carbide tipped tables became popular and we were still using steel blades, I tested this theory and  ... yes, zero clearance inserts did improve the cut. 
For some reason, lately, I wondered that with the much better quality of saw blades if this theory is still true or not so I decided to try out a few of the blades I have and see if do cut better with zero clearance or not.

Watch it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/embed/h7PpHpZyhKA

I started off by trying some of my crosscut blades on some very dry, fine grain fir. I Set up my table saw first with a Freud 90 tooth cross cut blade and with the zero clearance insert I had made and made my first cut .. they replace the zero clearance insert with the factory non-zero clearance insert and made the second cut ... 

Read Time: 2 mins
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Clamps and woodworking are integral to one another. If you do woodworking, you need to use clamps ... sometimes lots of them. Unfortunately, clamps are often awkward to use, especially when you have coated your wood with wood glue and it starts drying the moment it is spread on your wood and if you don't attach the 2 pieces of wood in a timely manner, the glue will stick poorly, or not at all. And of course, that is the time for you wood clamps to start acting up ... and if you are like me,  always seem to have to be unscrewing the handles and getting them in the correct positions. Gluing could be the most stressful time of woodworking ... at least it is for me and that's why I try to do everything I can to make my clamps more user-friendly because for some reason I never seem to remember to take the time to prepare them for their clamping ahead of time.

Watch it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/embed/IBcU_ngqOL


Check out some these ideas to help make clamping a bit less stressful ...

 Link to Woodworkweb Amazon Affiliate Store - https://www.amazon.com/shop/woodworkweb

  1. Making Table Saw Inserts / Throat Plates (Dado & Zero Clearance Inserts) HD
  2. Money Saving Hacks for Woodworking: Using Reclaimed Pallet Wood Part 1
  3. Make a Dremel Drill Press / Dremel Workstation
  4. 5 Quick Sandpaper Hacks Part 2 - Woodworking Tips and Tricks
  5. Jig for Drilling Shelf Pin Holes / Shelf Pin Jig

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