Small workpieces and repetitive operations often present some of the biggest challenges in the shop. These three reader-submitted Woodsmith tips offer simple solutions using tools and materials you may already have on hand.
1. Use a Handscrew to Hold a Sander for Small Parts
Sanding a small workpiece with a random-orbit sander can be awkward. The part may be difficult to hold securely, and it's easy to tip the sander slightly and accidentally round over an edge.
Jared Huber of Appleton, Wisconsin, reverses the usual arrangement. Instead of moving the sander over the workpiece, he secures the sander with a wooden handscrew clamp that's clamped to the workbench.
With the sanding surface held in a fixed position, Jared can concentrate on keeping the small workpiece flat as he sands. The arrangement also gives him a better view of the workpiece and more control over how it contacts the sanding disc.
Woodsmith Tip: Check the sander manufacturer's instructions before using a handheld tool in a stationary arrangement. Keep fingers safely away from the moving abrasive, maintain a secure grip on the workpiece, and don't attempt to sand pieces too small to control safely.
Shop tip submitted by Jared Huber, Appleton, Wisconsin.
2. Make a Pegboard Shelf Pin Drilling Guide
Drilling a straight, evenly spaced row of shelf pin holes doesn't require laying out every hole individually.
Quinten Long of Des Moines, Iowa, makes a simple shelf pin drilling guide from pegboard.
He attaches a cleat along one side of a small piece of pegboard. The cleat registers the jig against the edge of the workpiece and keeps each row of holes at a consistent setback.
After drilling the first hole, Quinten uses a dowel as an indexing pin. The dowel registers the guide from the previously established hole, while the evenly spaced pegboard holes guide the drill for the remaining locations.
The result is a simple, repeatable way to lay out adjustable shelf holes without measuring every position.
Woodsmith Tip: Make a test piece before drilling your cabinet parts. Confirm the hole diameter, spacing, and setback from the edge, and use the same reference edge for matching rows of shelf pin holes.
Shop tip submitted by Quinten Long, Des Moines, Iowa.
3. Make a Quick Zero-Clearance Table Saw Surface
A zero-clearance insert provides support immediately around a table saw blade, which can be especially helpful when cutting small or thin workpieces. But when Mike Strickland of Hiram, Georgia, needed his zero-clearance insert, it was tucked away somewhere in the shop.
Rather than stop to search for it, Mike reached for a piece of scrap hardboard.
He clamps the hardboard securely over the saw table. With the saw properly set up and the hardboard held firmly in place, he raises the blade through the material to create a kerf that closely matches the blade.
The workpiece can then be cut on top of the hardboard, with the material providing support close to the blade.
Woodsmith Tip: This setup changes the working surface of the saw, so make sure the hardboard is flat and securely clamped where the clamps won't interfere with the workpiece, fence, or cutting path. Follow your table saw manufacturer's instructions when raising a blade through a zero-clearance surface, and never use a setup that interferes with required guards or other safety equipment.
Shop tip submitted by Mike Strickland, Hiram, Georgia.
Simple Jigs for More Control and Accuracy
Each of these tips turns an ordinary shop item into a useful woodworking aid. A handscrew provides better control when sanding small parts, pegboard creates repeatable spacing for shelf pin holes, and scrap hardboard can provide temporary zero-clearance support at the table saw.
They're simple solutions designed to make common woodworking operations more controlled and repeatable.
