I often try to improve on existing woodworking tips and tricks by testing new ideas, when these new ideas work better than previous versions, I seem to forget about them and just carry on using them without sharing them ... so here are a few improvements I have worked on ...
Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/8Gj8nV8T_uQ
And starting with a "speed square", a tool I seldom use, and yet I have 3 of them, all different sizes and only the smallest one is accurate enough to use for woodworking, the other 2 I only use for carpentry work like building fences and other home reno builds ...
Note: check out the M Power Tool Sale this month (Nov. 2022) details at the bottom of this article
Here are 2 of my 3-speed squares, both are off by about 1/16th of an inch, the yellow one is worse, but as you can see in the picture below, when you are cutting 2x4s or fence boards or roof joists, nobody cares if the cut is an off by a little bit, it is nearly impossible to see when exposed and certainly when it is part of an adjourning wall that is hidden by sheetrock or other 2x4 joints it of no consequence. Quite different if you are making a coffee table for your living room, and something that people will be constantly using and looking at ... the coffee table and joints need to be dead on, house and fence joints have much more room for "error".
.. but I digress, the smallest speed square, my gray version is actually dead on (which I'm sure was a happy accident in manufacture) and it came in really handy as a guide for cutting some 45-degree angles for baseboard changes. I attempted the same kind of method (something I learned from my carpentry days) but I was always leery about damaging the edge of my speed square with the teeth of the saw, so I moved the saw on its edge so that can't happen and now I get the same results without any fear of damaging the edges of my plastic squares.
I know I have talked about this saw in a previous video but I can't help mentioning it again, I love small saws. They are easy to with and for most of what I do they are perfect. I liked this one so much I listed it on my Woodworkweb Amazon Page, you can see it here ... SUIZAN Japanese Pull Saw 7 Inch pull saw
Here's an idea I got from a friend's shop ... he used an old handsaw as a makeshift bulletin board with magnets. Now I use those sticky notes a lot as quick reminders of all sorts of things from measurements to ideas that pop into my head during builds. I thought this was a great idea for a place to store them and also a place for my spare magnets. Those odd-shaped magnets that you see in the picture are the ones that I take out of old computer hard drives. They are VERY strong, but alas they are somewhat breakable as well. You can break them in half with your hands but even broken ones are still handy for all sorts of things.
Here is a perfect example of a modification I made many months ago and forgot to mention in a video. For years I have been using various brands of hook and loop material on power tools to keep bits and parts I am using attached to the power tools. Especially drive bits for my 12-volt Milwaukee Driver. For years I diligently stuck the loop side straight on the side of the drive bits and it was often awkward to make sure I aligned them to put them back on because there was so much attachment, sometimes they would be hard to take off.
I came up with the idea of wrapping the loop side around the bit so that ALL sides are covered, AND there would be less contact which means the bits will come off much easier, but will still easily attach to the hook .. Wow, what a difference that made ... It even works for attaching my wrench to my cordless Milwaukee Hand Palm Router so that now, every time I grab that palm router for a job, the wrench comes with it, I don't have to look around and try to remember where it is. Saves me SO MUCH time ...
I have talked about this topic in another video many years ago, but these things are so handy it's worth reminding everyone just how to hand these tools are ... and I am talking about the wooden hand clamps or handscrew clamps as they are often called. I use these ALL THE TIME for holding things while I measure, or test sizes, dry fits ... you name it. The flat side holds my wood pieces vertically so that I can see what they look like of how they will work ... I own 4 of the 8" clamps and they are OK, but I like the 10-inch better, like these Jorgensen versions I have listed on the woodworkweb Amazon page - Jorgenson 10" Handscrew Clamps
There are 4 different sizes available from Taylor Toolworks, from 2x3", 4x4", 6x6" and 8x8" (personally I like the 6x6" size, but that's just me)
Glass Reinforce Nylon, very good braces for the cost, easy to use with any number of different clamps.
AND they are better than the ones I have as they adapt better to both inside AND outside clamping.
Check out the Woodworkweb Taylor Toolworks Store -
AND >>> they come in 4 Packs (not just 2)
And finally ...
Public Service Announcement *** Tool Sale ***
M-Power Tools Relocation Sale up to 25% off - www.mpower-tools.ca
MAKE SURE TO USE THIS CODE TO GET DISCOUNT - welcome25
Select your country (top of page) USA, Canada, or Great Britain
This sale is during the month of November 2022 but check their website to confirm
