Quick Tip: Shop-Made Board Supports for Easier Wood Finishing
I like to apply stain or finish to certain project parts before assembly. It's often easier to get an even coat when I can reach all the surfaces without working around adjoining pieces.
But narrow boards can be frustrating to finish. They're difficult to stand on edge, and laying them flat means waiting for one side to dry before turning them over.
My solution is a set of simple H-shaped board supports made from scrap wood and a handful of screws.
A Simple Support for Boards of Any Thickness
The H-shaped design creates a stable support that holds a board upright while you apply stain or finish.
What makes these supports especially handy is that they're not limited to one board thickness.
The opening between the legs is the same width as the thickness of the legs themselves. This allows two supports to nest together, creating a narrower opening for holding thin stock.
Use the blocks individually for thicker boards or nest them together to support thinner pieces.
And when you're finished, the supports stack neatly for compact storage.
Build the Supports from Scrap Wood
You don't need much material to make a set of these finishing supports. A few hardwood scraps and some screws will do the job.
I started by rounding over the edges of longer strips of wood before cutting the individual pieces to length. It's much easier to do this while the stock is still long.
After cutting the parts, I eased the ends to remove sharp corners and assembled the H-shaped blocks with screws.
The important detail is keeping the space between the legs equal to the leg thickness. That's what allows the supports to nest together and accommodate thinner boards.
Make a few sets, and you'll have a handy way to hold multiple project parts upright while finishing.
These simple board supports take very little time to build, cost next to nothing, and make pre-finishing narrow parts a whole lot easier.
More Woodworking Tips & Tricks
Some of the most useful woodworking accessories are also the simplest. From shop-made finishing aids and workholding solutions to handy jigs and time-saving techniques, a few small improvements can make a big difference.
Discover more practical Woodsmith woodworking tips and tricks to make your time in the shop easier and more productive.
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