Prevent Vise Racking.
By drilling a hole in the ends of tongue depressors and then securing them with a long bolt, Scott Johnson of Pacific Grove, CA, created a self-adjusting helper for preventing vise rack.
He lays the setup at the opposite end of the workpiece, and as he opens the vise, the appropriate number of sticks drop in place.
Biscuit Painter Points.
John Doyle of Ankeny, IA, came up with a simple way of creating some stand-off blocks for the stack of cabinet doors that he was finishing. Using a length of scrap plywood, he cut multiple biscuit slots along it, glued biscuits in the slots, and cut the blocks free at the miter saw in the lengths he needed.
Stain History.
Becky Kralicek of Des Moines, IA, found a permanent solution for remembering the finishing details on her projects. She records the information in a hidden place, such as the underside of a drawer. This removes future guesswork when matching stains.
Chisel Scraper.
Thomas Roessler of Appleton, WI, put an old chisel that’d been lying around his shop to good use. After sharpening it, he put a burr on it with a steel rod in the same manner as his scrapers.
This created a “mini-scraper” for fine-tuning joinery and fitting into corners.
