QUICK TIP
Folding Cutting Mat. Harold Ebbletrap of Potter, WI breaks down plywood on a sheet of foam insulation. To save space, he cut the sheet into thirds and taped the seams so that the insulation can be folded up like old-school printer paper. Now it takes up way less space in his small shop.
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Bonus Worksurface
The rollers atop many planers seem like a good idea. However, you often need to balance parts just so to keep them from tipping. On others, the rollers are so sensitive that a workpiece can scoot right off onto the floor.
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My solution is to pave over the rollers by making an auxiliary top from plywood, as shown in the photo at left. I needed to add a couple of cleats to the underside of my top to create a stable platform. As you can see, the size of the cleats depends on the geography of your particular planer.
On a side note, my planer rests on a low cart. So the auxiliary top turns into a bonus worksurface (and occasional clutter collector). I use it as a platform for portable tools, as shown in the inset photo. -Pam Oslund, Cape Girardeau, MO
Sifted Filler.
Marc Hopkins of Des Moines, IA makes custom wood filler from sawdust and glue. Sawdust often contains a variety of particle sizes that result in chunky filler. For a more consistent creamy-style filler, he started sifting his sawdust with a small strainer. The fines get used, the chunks are disposed of.
