Some of the handiest shop solutions cost next to nothing. An old plastic card can become a glue applicator, a simple container can keep driver bits organized, and a magnet and dowel can save you from digging through a pile of sawdust.
These four reader-submitted Woodsmith tips offer inexpensive solutions to everyday workshop frustrations.
1. Make a Serrated Glue Spreader from an Old Plastic Card
Old gift cards, membership cards, and promotional cards don't have to go straight into the trash. Dennis Volz of Denver, Colorado, saves them to use as glue spreaders in the shop.
The stiff plastic makes a handy applicator for spreading wood glue across a broad surface.
Dennis improves the spreader by cutting one edge with a pair of pinking shears. The resulting serrated edge helps distribute glue in a more even layer, much like a small notched spreader.
Once the glue-up is complete, the inexpensive spreader can be cleaned for another use or discarded.
Woodsmith Tip: Experiment with different edges for different jobs. Leave one edge straight for scraping and spreading, while another can be serrated for distributing a consistent film of glue.
Shop tip submitted by Dennis Volz, Denver, Colorado.
2. Store the Correct Driver Bit with Your Fasteners
Different screws and specialty fasteners may require different driver bits. When you have several types in the shop, finding the right driver every time you open a box can become frustrating.
Lou LaFrate of Vail, Arizona, keeps the matching driver right where he needs it.
Lou puts the correct driver bit in a small container and stores it inside the fastener box. Whenever he grabs the screws, the matching driver comes along with them.
It's a simple organization trick that eliminates searching through drawers or bit cases in the middle of a project.
Woodsmith Tip: This approach is particularly useful for specialty fasteners with less-common drive styles. If you buy screws in bulk, dedicate an inexpensive driver bit to the box and keep the two together.
Shop tip submitted by Lou LaFrate, Vail, Arizona.
3. Stabilize a Loose Drill Press Table Rack
The rack on a drill press allows the table to be raised and lowered along the column. If the rack becomes distorted or loose, however, it may shift, spin, or slip as the table is moved.
Dana Meyers of Des Moines, Iowa, uses a large hose clamp to stabilize the rack on his drill press.
Dana positions the clamp around the middle of the rack. Tightening it helps pull the distorted rack into position and keeps it from moving around while he adjusts the table.
Woodsmith Tip: This is a machine-specific workaround, so check that the clamp doesn't interfere with the table mechanism or prevent the rack from operating as intended. If the rack, collar, or table-lifting mechanism is damaged, inspect and repair the underlying problem rather than relying on the clamp to compensate for a failed component.
Shop tip submitted by Dana Meyers, Des Moines, Iowa.
4. Make a Magnetic Pickup Tool for Dropped Table Saw Parts
Changing a table saw blade usually involves handling an arbor nut and flange directly over the opening in the saw. Drop either one and it can disappear into the cabinet—and often into a pile of sawdust.
Eugene Sydor of Walworth, New York, made a simple magnetic pickup tool for retrieving them.
He attaches a rare-earth magnet to the end of a wooden dowel. The long handle reaches into the saw cabinet while the magnet grabs the steel hardware.
The same tool can come in handy for retrieving dropped screws, nuts, washers, and other small steel parts from hard-to-reach areas around the shop.
Woodsmith Tip: Unplug the table saw before reaching or inserting a tool inside the cabinet. A magnet is useful for retrieving steel parts, but won't pick up nonferrous hardware such as brass or aluminum.
Shop tip submitted by Eugene Sydor, Walworth, New York.
Inexpensive Solutions for Everyday Shop Problems
These four tips are good examples of putting simple materials to work. An old plastic card becomes a glue spreader, driver bits stay paired with their fasteners, a hose clamp helps stabilize a troublesome drill press rack, and a magnet on a dowel retrieves dropped hardware.
Small ideas like these can save time and frustration without adding another expensive accessory to the shop.
