Best trick you have ever learned in woodworking...

[Brett Nelson]

Couldn't find one like it, and I found a thread like this to be invaluable on a home building forum.

Please share the best trick you ever learned in woodworking, either from a master craftsman or elsewhere. I'll start.

1. How to cope an inside corner, and spring the moulding in place. You'll never have a cracked joint.
2. When diagonals are equal, the four sided polygon is square (provided it isn't a trapezoid).

[Brett Nelson]

Also valuable was the stick & nail method for drawing a perfect oval or elliptical arch.

[Callan Campbell]

I would have never thought of it myself, and I don't use it very often[hardly at all], but when it works, it saves lots of grief when trying to salvage either a damaged piece of work, or some used furniture that you or someone you know wants to improve or rebuild.

[Greg Portland]

Not a "trick" but the most valuable thing for me was learning to properly plan a project. This primarily comes into play on quick shelving projects where I think I can just wing it.

Another trick was to avoid using rulers and measuring devices. Working off relative dimensions, a story stick and proper cut planning helped improve my joint fit and cut accuracy.

I also like the elipse/circle trick...

[Bruce Page]

Patience...

[Rod Sheridan]

Patience...

OK darn it!

I've been waiting 5 minutes 32 seconds for you to complete that sentence!

What's keeping you? Cat got your tongue?

Regards, Rod.

[Bruce Page]

Sorry Rod. Both in wood working and in life, patience was the hardest lesson for me to learn.

[Chris Padilla]

I read and learn about new tricks all the time based on the fine folks here at The Creek!

[Paul Snowden]

Couldn't find one like it, and I found a thread like this to be invaluable on a home building forum.

Please share the best trick you ever learned in woodworking, either from a master craftsman or elsewhere. I'll start.

1. How to cope an inside corner, and spring the moulding in place. You'll never have a cracked joint.

Explain???

[Brett Nelson]

[/LIST]
Explain???

First a brief intro to how and a link with pictures, then an explanation of why.

How:
Butt cut the first piece of trim and install.
Miter the second piece of trim as if you were installing a miter joint (e.i. 45* for a 90* corner)
Use a jig saw (or coping saw if you're old school) to cut off the newly exposed end grain, closely following the profile of the moulding's face.
You'll need to back cut the profile slightly so that the moudling slides easily into place.

Better to watch a demo video. But, contrary to the video, the right jig saw and blade a some practice and the tedious work of filing every joint becomes much more rare.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tRay...eature=related

Why:
On a 90* inside corner (let's say crown moulding), you can simply miter each piece at a 45* angle and fit them together. If the temperature or humidity drops, that joint wants to separate. If it does, the worst part is that from almost any position in the room you'll be able to see into the crack, making it more noticeable.

A coped joint is immune to small changes in angle, and the installer also likes the fact that the corner can be out of square by a couple degrees, and the cope still fits perfectly. If the temperature causes the trim to shrink and the joint to separate, the defect isn't nearly as obvious, because if done correctly, the viewer would need to stand up next to the wall in order to see the crack. This means the installer must make the correct choice as to which piece to butt cut, and which to cope.

When I say "spring" the trim into place, I mean;

1. Cut the piece a bit long (extra 1/8" per 10' length).
2. Place one end in position.
3. Bow the center of the trim board out.
4. Place the other end in position.
5. Push the center back straight again.

This creates tight joints that will not separate due to contraction. Doesn't work nearly as well with a mitered joint, and obviously shouldn't be done if installing trim in cold temperatures.

[Brett Nelson]

Another trick was to avoid using rulers and measuring devices. Working off relative dimensions, a story stick and proper cut planning helped improve my joint fit and cut accuracy.

Ahhh, story sticks. Took me forever to figure that one out, cause nobody was ever nice enough to show me.

[Brett Nelson]

Here are a few more to keep things rolling.....

1. The masking tape method for box newel assembly.
2. "Burn an inch" when you need an accurate measurement.
3. On a multi-board run, flip the tape to get the exact length of the second board without doing the math (and inevitably getting the math wrong).

[Brett Nelson]

I read and learn about new tricks all the time based on the fine folks here at The Creek!

Feel free to share and link to the appropriate threads...

[Gene Howe]

I always became frustrated in figuring panel width/hight for flat panel or raised panel cabinet doors. I finally made an inside "story stick" of two (now several) lengths of 1/8X3/4 aluminium flat stock held together with a wooden sleeve and a short 1/4-20 bolt in a tee nut.
Since making the gauge I've found numerous other applications.

[Perry Bowen]

when finding the center always measure from each end-- then split the difference