This video marks the 500,000 Subscriber to join the woodworkweb YouTube Channel. Since I started making videos over 12 years ago, when the only other woodworker that I can recall who was making videos at the time I started, was Marc Spagnuolo - The Wood Whisperer. Back then our videos were fuzzy and lots of room grow and improve.
To everyone who watches my video and to those who have Subscribed, and to all my Subscribers who have submitted their ideas and Tips and Tricks, from the bottom of my heart ... I THANK YOU !!! ...
To commemorate this event, I wanted to go over a few of my Favorite Tips and Trick, some I use a LOT, others not as often, but I still really like them ....
Drill Press
My drill press was one of those 3 - Handle versions. I always seemed to be grabbing the wrong handle and sometimes another one would get in the way as I was drilling so I took 2 of them off, they just unscrews from that hub. I left one on and now I can drill part or full holes easily, what a difference that made.
Next, I added a magnet to the drill press column to hold my CHUCK, now it is handy to grab and handy to put back and for those few times I forget to put it back I have wrapped in "grip tape" (that sticks to it'self) and how I can easily find it.
Measuring Bars
These are the handiest things, mine has a magnet on the bottom so I leave it on my drill press because that is what is near central to all my machinery, and I use these bars mostly on my Table Saw for measuring blade height, or sometimes the distance of the blade to the fence ... they are super accurate and quick and easy to use.
And I use them on my router table, mostly for setting bit height ...
Quick Link to Amazon.com measuring bars to check them out, or click picture above
Measuring Tapes
I am ALWAYS using a measuring tape around my table saw and discovered that if I inserted 2 magnets under the clip, they stay in place and now I and attach the tape to the side of my table saw so I always know where it is, and it is out of the way of the fence.
I wrapped the measuring tape that lives on the table saw with RED tape and the measuring tape that lives at the miter station with PURPLE tape so I always know to put them back at their proper station and where they are. I also have a chrome one that stays on the workbench.
And speaking of tapes, I am right-handed so I have always automatically picked up a pencil in my right hand and measuring tape in my left hand.
MOST measuring tapes you will purchase at the hardware store are right-hand tapes, meaning if you hold them in your right hand, the numbers are right side up. When I hold these tapes in my LEFT hand, the numbers are up-side-down, which is a problem for me because my brain has trouble figuring out which side of the number a fractional marking should be and that has resulted in years of cutting mistakes, even the "measure twice cut once" saying didn't help.
Solution - I discovered LEFT-HAND TAPES which means now all the numbers are right side up when I hold the tape in my left hand, and instantly, I quit making measuring mistakes, and now I almost never make measuring mistakes, maybe once or twice a year ... seriously, it made that much difference to me.
The picture below, the top tape is Right Hand Tape, meaning the numbers are right side up when you hold it in your Right Hand, the lower tape is Left Hand Tape meaning that the numbers are right side up when you hold it in your Left Hand. The one I use id from Lee Valley.
If you seem to be making cutting mistakes, your problem might be a simple as getting a new tape measure.
The best measuring tape I have found and the one I use is one sold by Lee Valley, you can order them on-line.
Just so you know, I get NO benefit from your purchasing from Lee Valley, only that you will be very happy with an inexpensive, quality tape.
You can check them out at leevalley.com the website will figure out which country you are from and adjust pricing accordingly.
Portable Drill Bubble Level
I don't rely on this a lot, but when I do, it comes in handy and they are pretty inexpensive to buy too.
Bubble Level Quick Link to Amazon.com toi check them out
Pencil Marking Gauge
Here is another quick tip that I use a lot, at one time, every time I used my marking gauge and scribed or etched a line, I would often go back and try and make it a bit more obvious by putting a pencil mark in it ... then I decided to simply dill the right size hole in the other end of my marking gauge that will securely hold a pencil, and now I scribe most of my lines with the pencil.
Sand Paper Cleaner
Here's a quick way to clean sanding belts and most sandpapers regardless of the sander, or even hand sanding. These sanding belt cleaners will help get rid of the wood fiber in the sanding belts. Too much build-up of material like wood fiber in the grit makes the belts not work as well and this little sanding eraser will clean them out so you get a bit better sanding from your belts.
If you are interested in one of these here is the Amazon.com
Copyright Colin Knecht
woodworkweb.com
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