The best woodworking tips often start with tools and supplies you already have in the shop. With a small modification or a different way of using them, an everyday item can become a surprisingly useful jig or accessory.
These two Woodsmith shop tips tackle very different jobs: making precise, repeatable cuts with a micro-adjustable stop block and sanding the inside curves of molding without making a custom sanding block.
1. Make a Micro-Adjustable Handscrew Stop Block
A stop block is one of the easiest ways to make multiple parts exactly the same length. Clamp a block in place, butt each workpiece against it, and you have a repeatable reference point.
The trouble comes when the stop is almost in the right position. Moving a clamped stop block just a fraction of an inch can turn into a frustrating process of loosening, repositioning, measuring, and clamping it again.
Phil Huber of Urbandale, Iowa, came up with a simple way to add micro-adjustment to a handscrew clamp when using it as a stop block.
He added a screw to one jaw of the handscrew. Instead of butting the workpiece directly against the wooden jaw, the end of the workpiece contacts the head of the screw.
Now, fine-tuning the position is as easy as reaching for a screwdriver. Turning the screw in or out makes a small adjustment to the effective position of the stop without requiring you to move the entire handscrew.
It’s an especially handy trick when you’re trying to sneak up on an exact dimension for a series of identical parts.
Tip submitted by Phil Huber, Urbandale, Iowa.
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2. Use a Sandpaper Roll to Sand Curved Molding
Sanding a flat surface is easy enough. Sanding an inside curve or cove is another story.
I used to try making sanding blocks that matched the profile of the molding I was working on. While that works, it means finding or making a different sanding block whenever the radius changes.
I found a much simpler solution: use a roll of sandpaper as the sanding block itself.
I select a sandpaper roll with a diameter that closely matches the inside curve of the molding. Then I wrap a small piece of sandpaper in the grit I need around the outside of the roll.
The roll provides the curved backing while the small sheet does the actual sanding.
This gives the abrasive enough support to follow the cove without flattening or rounding over the molding’s profile. And if you're working with a different radius, simply reach for a different-size roll.
It’s a particularly handy technique when sanding routed moldings, curved profiles, and other concave surfaces.
Tip submitted by John Doyle, Ankeny, Iowa.
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Simple Solutions for Better Woodworking
Neither of these woodworking tricks requires an elaborate jig. Adding a screw turns an ordinary handscrew into a micro-adjustable stop block, while a roll of sandpaper provides a ready-made form for sanding curved molding and inside coves.
They're good examples of why it pays to look around the shop before building or buying a specialized tool. Sometimes a simple modification — or using something you already have in a different way — is all it takes to get better results.
