The On-Line
Tool Guide For Tool People
Tips
& Tricks Of The Trade
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Repairs Plastic handles
Childs toy, with a plastic handle that was a firm
push-fit onto a steel shaft. The inner core of the handle
had split allowing the handle to spin. Solution: cut a
few turns off the end of a compression spring that was
slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft, wound it
onto the inner core (which was set well back into the
handle). The spring squeezed the inner core thereby
gripping the shaft. Remember to put the sharp end of the
spring facing inside the handle! No glue, no ugly screws
and can be removed again easily !
From:Ken Smith /Handy Man / Auckland / New Zealand
Clamping, Pipe
An easy, inexpensive way to make the most of your pipe
clamps is to buy end to end couplings for whatever size
pipe you have. Couple multiple pieces of pipe together
for large projects. I use normally use 3' and 2' pipes on
my pipe clamps. If I couple them end to end, I can clamp
projects 5' in width and I don't have to keep as many
different lengths of pipe.
From:Jason /Hobbyist / GA
Work Truck / Dead
Battery
After work my truck battery was dead from all the hours
of the music from the cd player-NOW WHAT? iwas alone
except for my dog-(requirement). well i came up with my
14.4volt dewalt battery found some heavy speaker wire,
rigged it to thebattery of truck and found the ground on
the cordless batt---- and yes i did make it home.it gave
me enough power.
From: Steven /Craftsman / Remodeler / tx
Saw Horses
build quality saw horses w/ 3-2x4x8'. Needed
2-42"SUARE ON ENDS.ALSO 4-LEGS@ 28"LONG TO
SHORT ,OF 10degree(miter)with a 20 degree bevel. then 2
uprights- 16.5" sguare to the long point of a10
degree miter. then 2 more horizontal pcs-which are
12"long to long of a 20degree bevel on same side of
board.Ilove the design-learned it from my father. you can
getupon the horse from either end. also the top has a
1.5"space between the 2square 42"pieces for
hooking your nail gun hook on instead of the ground!
From: Steven /Craftsman / Remodeler / tx
Carpet Installation
The best and most pain free way of installing carpet is
with the kneeless carpet stretcher. There is no pounding
of the knee , like with the knee kicker and you get a
better more controlled stretch on the carpet.
From: Peter /Mechanic / Carpet Installer / ON
Lag Screws, Usage
I was watching a show on PBS television (I believe it was
called American Woodshop). The host of the show was
assembling a garden swing using lag screws to assemble
the main frame structure. I was imagining a few hundred
people that might actually follow his advice. To make
matters worse he was placing multiple lag screws in close
proximity in the same section of hardwood. So here's my
tip to your viewers: Lag screws because of there size and
design relies on the lateral exertion of pressure to
imbedded itself. Even if you properly pre-drill the hole
prior to insertion, the force it will exert in a small
section of hardwood is often enough to cause a crack in
the grain, most times invisible to the eye. Obviously you
compound the effect if you locate two lag screws in the
same area. I would strongly recommend that you use a
bolt, washer and nut for this purpose. Using lags screws
has it's place but not in building furniture that will be
used to seat people 2-3 feet of the ground. Safe rule of
thumb for lag screws: use it when the piece of wood is 8
to 12 times wider (than the screw diameter)on both sides
of the screw, Use common sense for thickness and lengths.
Screwing right close to the edge is questionable.
From: Stewart / Craftsman / Cabinetmaker / NY
Halogen Lights, Safety
As an electrician, I am constantly asked by my customers
for recommendations for brighter and longer lasting
lighting solutions. I often recommend using halogen
fixtures and bulbs, as halogen lasts much longer than
normal incandescents. Since halogen lamps burn much
brighter and hotter then equivalent wattage incandescent
lamps (about 1000 degrees for 300watt), my tip for your
readers, is: Be careful about purchasing halogen fixtures
that are moveable. To reduce the risk of fires, avoid
using them in children's rooms and high traffic areas,
keep them away from curtains and other flammable
materials.
From: Mathew / Mechanic / Electrician / CT
Nails, Nailing
I know this tip isn't new, but it really does work. I was
building a cage to keep my trash cans from blowing
around. I had acquired some thin pieces of wood (off
cuts) that my neighbor ( he's a contractor) was going to
trash. As I was in the process of nailing together this
fence type cage, I started having a bit of a problem and
was splitting more wood then I was attaching. It so
happen that my overly loud mutterings of discontent had
called the attention of my neighbor. He came over looked
at me and at what I was doing then silently walked away.
He came back with a hammer from his truck. He took a few
of my nails turned them head down on the side of my
hammer head and hit the point with the face of his. He
then said, try these, I did, you know what? I stopped
splitting wood.
From: Ron /Handy Man / None / MT
Circular Saw , Usage
I was in charge of breaking in the new carpenter this
week. He was only 20 so I new I had my job cut out for
me. To my surprise he didn't need much coaching. Except
for properly setting the circular prior to making cuts. I
see a lot of people make this same mistake, so I'd like
to post this tip. What ever thickness wood your planing
to cut set the depth about 1/4 deeper than the thickness
of the wood. For those DIY's there is a depth adjustment
screw that allows you to move the base plate to and away
from the centerline of the blade. Having the depth set
just a little deeper then the material give you better
control of the saw and cut finer since more teeth are
making contact with the material.
From: Todd /Mechanic / Framing Contractor / PA
Batteries ,
Rechargeable
I saw a show on TV last year where the scientist stored
batteries in the refrigerator to keep them fresh longer.
Since that time I started putting my 12v tool batteries
in my shop refrigerator after recharging them. I noticed
that they would hold their charge longer and better than
when I would just recharge them and put them on the
shelf. I feel more confident when I arrive at a job
knowing that my batteries are ready to go when I am.
From: George /Mechanic / Contractor / NY
Clamping, Pipes
The other day I was starting to glue up a large table
before I realized that my largest pipe clamps would only
open to a maximum of 42". The table was to be
48" in width, finished. Some quick thinking got me
out of a jamb. I took three smaller pipe clamps opened
them up placed the screw end on the edge of one side of
the table and turned the other end parallel to the table
face. Then I took my "too short" large pipe
clamps and did likewise to the opposing edge hooking the
ends of each clamp together. After which I tightened the
large clamps to successfully save the the project. I had
to turn the table and set the same clamp set up in order
to balance the offset clamping forces.
From: Phil /Hobbyist / Woodworker / MA
Refrigerator, Ice,
Maker, Hookup
Being a kitchen remodeler, I'm called on to install
various kitchen appliances for my regular customers.
Recently I was thrown a new twist. I was doing a removal
and installation for a new refrigerator. No big deal
except when it was time to make the ice maker hook up.
Apparently some genius engineer for a major manufacture
decided to change the standard hook supply fitting.
Either he was a dolt or was told by the management there
was a need for a new fitting or a niche in the market
place they wanted to create and fill. The fitting
normally required would of been a simple brass
compression fitting 1/8 (or 1/4) male to 1/4 compression.
Their supply solenoid reguired a 3/4 garden hose
transition to whatever. I'm I missing the point, was this
Ice maker a monstrous ice making machine? With an ability
to spew 40,000 ice cubes a minute? Did my customers
purchase this deluxe model in the belief that the 10
people they invited to a garden party would some how turn
into 1000? Okay so I'm a little peeved that I had to go
to Home Depot then to Lowe's just to find out no one had
this fitting. Solution? I purchased a 3/4 brass hose cap
tapped a 1/8 pipe thread in the center and screwed in my
brass 1/8 pipe to 1/4 compression fitting and was done!
From: Nick /Mechanic / Remodeler / MD
Glue, Epoxy, Spreading
Whenever I rip boards in the shop I always make an effort
to pick up the the thin pieces that are fairly parallel
and smooth. I cross cut them to different lengths and put
them in a coffee can. They make great glue spreaders and
applicators, I especially like them to mix up and apply
epoxy. The thicker sticks are handy to mix up paint and
stains.
From: Howard /Craftsman / Cabinetmaker / PA
Plumbing, leak, drain
pop up
For the DIY's out there that take on plumbing repairs
here's a tip to keep in mind. The next time your bath
sink basin has a leak at the drain pop up lever chances
are you'll trace it to a split bevel washer that seats
the ball on the lever arm. You'll be thinking that you
can go to the hardware store and replace it. Chances are
you'll never find the same seal of even one that comes
close. Just get an O-ring close to diameter of the split
ring. And seat it where the ring came out. Chances are
it'll make a better seat than the beveled seal did. In
some cases you may have to use two O-rings.
From: Charles /Mechanic / Plumber / RI
Dust Collector,
Auxiliary Drum
If you have a dust collector or use a shop vac for your
duct collecting in your shop you can reduce the amount of
times you have to empty it by make an auxiliary
collection tank. What I did was take an empty plastic (55
gal) drum (mine had vinegar in it, be care full not to
use a drum that has a toxic chemical in it) and clean it
out. In the top of it I drilled two holes with a hole saw
to fit my vacuum hoses in. One hose leads to the shop vac
and the other hose is the dust suction line. Now the drum
collects all the big pieces vacuumed up and most of the
dust. It last 5 times as long, before I have to empty it
compared to my shop vac. My next job is to rig up some
fitting to make disconnecting easier and faster.
From: Albert /Hobbyist / Woodworker / TN
Dust Collector Saftey
The other day when I was working in my shop, getting
ready to start ripping some pine boards, I went to turn
on my Reliant dust collector. Wow talk about a dust
storm, the top bag blew off, hit the ceiling and the room
as well as my eyes and lungs were filled with dust. I
have two tips: if your dust collector uses nylon straps
to secure the dust bags, replace then with steel hose
straps. If hasn't happen to you yet, it will. Until you
get a chance to replace them use a little trick I used;
flip the switch on and then off before the motor can get
up to full speed then flip it back on. The bag doesn't
inflate with a pop, using this method.
From: Gerald /Craftsman / Woodworker / NC
Drilling / Countersink
I use white oak in the crafts I build and use quite a bit
of screws in the assembly of these crafts. Like most wood
workers I've have a collection of countersinks. For those
crafters that are disappointed with the chatter marks
they get from using their countersinks I'd like to
suggest that they locate themselves a Craftsman 9-4205
countersink. For me, it makes the smoothest, roundest,
finish sinks in white oak, where my others tend to leave
holes that look like someone was trying to use a chisel
to make the sink.
From: Edward /Hobbyist / Woodworker / IL
Carpet Cleaning
When cleaning carpet that is heavily soiled, you need to
pre-spray with a heavy duty soil lifter first and scrub
into carpet thoroughly with a pile lifter brush before
you steam clean.
From: Merceron /Mechanic / Carpet Cleaning Service / MD
Sanding , Sandpaper,
Extending, Abrasive, Life
If you have a disc sander in the shop, chances are you
use an abrasive belt cleaners (rubber stick) to clean
them. And for those of you that own a belt sander your
making a big mistake if you haven't got one to clean you
belts. And for those of you that have palm sanders you
can double the life of that little sheet just by running
the sander over the "rubber stick"! Yes, I even
rub my "hand operated" sanding sheet on it!
From: Arthur / Craftsman / Woodworker / PA
Refinishing Scrapers
Don't throw away those old joint knifes or scrapers. Ever
wonder how you going to refinish those complex molding
profiles on that upcoming furniture refinishing project?
We will be showing you how to turn those relics into
useful custom profile scrapers. Look for it on our new
upcoming "Techniques Of The Trade" release!
From: Tools Of The Trade
Painting Cleanup
As a professional painter one of my most common chores
though not particularly interesting is the required
cleaning of our somewhat expensive paint brushes. I
generally soak my (dryer) brushes in jar filled with
brush cleaning solvent. Quite a while back I noticed that
the solvent evaporates quite quickly, primarily because
solvents are highly evaporative and because no matter
what jar I used, the handles all poked out the top of the
jar which made putting the cap back on the jar an
unlikely event. I over came this problem by placing a
latex glove over the handles and sealing it to the jar
with a rubber band. Using this method one can expect to
extend the mileage you get from a can of solvent.
From:Albert / Mechanic / Painting Contractor / FL
Stripping Furniture
I was stripping a old desk that I had purchased recently
at a yard sale. It was my first experience with stripping
a finish from furniture. I'd like to pass this tip to
your readers, on something I observed while
in the process of stripping. The instruction on the
container of striping agent said to let the stripper lay
for 15 minutes before stripping the finish. Following
these directions I found it hard to scrape off anything.
What I did find out is that if you start scraping in
under 5 minutes you can actually pull of more old finish
with a lot less labor.
From: Janet / Handy Women / No Entry / PA
Decks
I was reading a tip that Paul had posted and wanted to
expand on it a bit. This tip is mainly directed to DIY's.
Screwing down the deck surface is best way to reduce
cupping and the ugly raised nail head. But it's best to
pre drill the hole for the screw first. Drill the hole
slightly larger than the screw thread diameter through
the deck board only. This important step reduces head
damage, reduces splits and most importantly allows the
screw to firmly seat the board against the support
framing. A tip for other contractors, after explaining
this step and the benefits to my clients, I find that
they are more then willing to pay for the extra labor
evolved.
From: Stanley / Mechanic / Remodeler / VA
Gasoline powered tools
As a user of small gasoline powered equipment in the
property maintenance services business we occasionally
have our equipment problems. For those home owners that
own chains saws, weed whackers, blowers, etc. I'd like to
leave them with this tip: 90% of equipment performances
problems can be resolved by trying the following steps:
remove old gas and replace with fresh gas mixture,
replacing the spark plug, inspect & clean a clogged
exhaust screen, check for a disconnected wire or a bare
wire that is shorting the ignition system.
From: Alex / No entry / Property Maintenance / MD
Layout
Here's a tip a lot of your readers may know already, but
some may not and a lot probably forget to use.When ever
you want to check a layout (no mater how small or how
big)of a square or rectangle when you measure across
diagonals the dimension should be as close to the same as
possible. The more exact the more square. Always read the
tape measure (ruler) at the same position.
From: Larry / Mechanic / Framing Contractor / NJ
- Furniture tenons
Here's a tip for those who use round tenons in
there furniture construction. As an example, if
you normally bore a 3/4" hole to except a
tenon take a block of maple thick as your tenon
is long , by 6" in length about 2-1/2"
wide, bore a hole through it 3/4" wide band
saw down the block through the center
about 3 inches.Then when your turning your tenons
turn them a hair larger then 3/4". When your
ready to glue up, put the turned tenon in the
block and camp it up tight in a vise. Your
compressing the wood fibers so when you slip it
into the hole with glue they try to expand back
to normal and make the tightest, longest lasting
tenon joint I know of.
From: Philip / Craftsman / Woodworker / MA
- Storage
If either your or your
spouse wear contact lenses you probably purchase
saline solution in plastic (pint) containers. If
you've been throwing them away, don't. They make
excellent storage containers for different
solvents. I store: lacquer thinner, alcohol,
mineral spirits, natphta, glass cleaner, etc.. As
a contractor I often need different solvents and
cleaners on the job. I don't need quantity but
when I need it, I need it. These containers don't
take up space, and disperse just the amount I
need and no more. The squirt nozzle can be opened
up with a small twist drill, by hand, for faster
flow. So the next time you need to thin the paint
(oil based) a bit on a hot day, or need some
solvent to get the tar off your clients rug, you
won't be caught short.
From: Jake / Mechanic / Remodeler / DC / 9/05/98
Disc Sander
For those of you that own a disc sander here's a little
trick that you may not of thought of yet. When it's time
to change the PSA disc on your sander, shoot it, the disc
that is, with a hot air gun. Just play the air stream
over the disc and see how easy it come off when you start
to pull on it. Use common sense, don't set fire to it or
to the saw dust piles stuck it the corners.
From: Jackson / Craftsman / Cabinetmaker / ME
Table Saw
I generally wax my table saw every couple months. The
other day my table top started to get pretty sticky but I
was out of wax. I ran into the house then into the
kitchen looking for something. Would you believe I rubbed
my table down with wax paper and the stickies were gone.
From: Jerry / Craftsman / Woodworker / PA
Deck
I've done quite a bit of deck installations and repairs
in my 25 years as a remodeler a tip I'd like to share
with your readers is the importance of properly
installing deck screws when putting up a deck. It is
important not to damage the slot or cross groove of the
screw. Future maintenance and repairs is greatly hampered
when you have to remove a screw that's head has damage
due to sloppy installation.
From: Paul / Mechanic / Deck Contractor / OR
This Section Of
Tools Of The
Trade
Many thanks to the very nice
individuals who have submitted their informative tips
and tricks!
As our collection of tips and tricks grow, you can
look forward to a more organized system of accessing
these nuggets of information.
Kyle McDonald
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