A good shop solution doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Sometimes a scrap of plywood or a resealable plastic bag is all it takes to solve an everyday woodworking problem.
These two Woodsmith reader tips tackle common issues with pipe clamps and joinery supplies. The first provides an inexpensive way to protect a workpiece from clamp jaws, while the second helps keep wood dowels and biscuits from absorbing moisture in storage.
1. Make Your Own Plywood Pipe Clamp Pads
Pipe clamps provide plenty of clamping pressure for furniture and cabinet projects, but outfitting a large collection of clamps with protective pads can add up.
Rather than buying clamp pads for all of his pipe clamps, Denis Manigart of Ampang Jaya, Malaysia, makes his own from plywood.
The design couldn't be much simpler. Each plywood pad has a hole that slips over the pipe and positions the pad against the clamp jaw. A groove provides a recess for a cable tie, which secures the pad to the clamp.
Because the pads stay attached, they're ready whenever you reach for the clamp.
The plywood creates a larger surface between the metal clamp and the workpiece, helping protect the wood from dents and clamp marks. And since you can make several pads at once from plywood scraps, it's an inexpensive upgrade for a whole collection of pipe clamps.
Tip submitted by Denis Manigart, Ampang Jaya, Malaysia.
2. Keep Dowels & Biscuits Dry During Storage
Wooden dowels and biscuits are designed to work with accurately sized holes and slots. But because they're made from wood, they can absorb moisture from the surrounding air while sitting in the shop.
Dan Martin of Galena, Ohio, ran into this problem when storing his dowels and biscuits in a container that wasn't airtight.
His solution is simple: store the joinery supplies in resealable plastic bags along with several desiccant packs.
The bags limit exposure to humid shop air, while the desiccant helps absorb moisture inside the bag. It's an easy storage system that also makes it convenient to separate different sizes of dowels and biscuits.
For even better organization, label each bag with the dowel diameter or biscuit size. Then you can quickly grab the right one without opening several packages.
Woodsmith Tip: Save suitable desiccant packets that come with tools and other products and put them to work in the shop. Follow any handling or replacement instructions printed on the packets.
Tip submitted by Dan Martin, Galena, Ohio.
Inexpensive Solutions for Everyday Shop Problems
These two woodworking tips solve very different problems with inexpensive materials. A few plywood scraps and cable ties create DIY pipe clamp pads that stay with the clamps, while resealable bags and desiccant packets provide an easy way to protect dowels and biscuits from moisture.
They're simple improvements, but those are often the shop tips that end up being the most useful.
