Best trick you have ever learned in woodworking...

[Raymond Fries]

As long as the fibers are not broken, you can completely remove the dent.

Moisten the dent with a small amount of water. Next, use an iron and the heat will make the fibers expand and the dent disappears.

Way Cool...

[Willard Foster]

The slower I go, the faster I get done.
Meaning:
1. Plan your project well. (A job well planned is a job half done)
2, Take your time to measure carefully,
3. Stop and sharpen a tool as soon as it's dull.
4. Keep your tools organized. (I have a neighbor that buys new wrenches because he can't find the ones he already has)

I hate to think how many times I screwed up when I didn't "Go slow"

[Zach England]

If I ever get married I need to keep separate bank accounts.

[Leigh Betsch]

Every time you enter the shop put 10 things away before you start work.
A very good trick but I don't follow it often enough.

[John Coloccia]

When doing inlays, leave the inlay thick and sand the sides at an angle, tapering towards the bottom (just slightly). Then mark the piece you're inlaying into. To adjust the fit, you can now sand the bottom of the inlay to widen it slightly. Once it's perfect, glue it in and sand it flush.

Using that technique, I can easily make inlays like this that traditionally took a lot longer to make.



Closeup

[Brett Nelson]

Let's see,

1. Shooting board,
2. Bench hook,
3. Story stick,
4. ZCI,
5. winding sticks,


I have learned so much from this site, I could go on for a long time about everything I have learned here. Heck, I had a fellow creeker invite me over to his house to teach me how to sharpen plane blades and chisels.

I feel pretty lucky to have chanced across this site.

Wow!!! not sure I even now what a shooting board or a winding stick are. Either that or it's time for bed.

[Neal Clayton]

best trick for me is not even a tool or a technique or anything resembling wood...

it's sketchup.

for 2 hours learning to use the freeware cad for dummies, very complex things become very simple, and poor designs that would otherwise take years of trial and error to perfect can be seen and corrected in 3 dimensions before you ever walk in the shop.

[Josiah Bartlett]

Taking the time out of your work to sharpen your tools always pays off.

[Kevin Barnett]

I'm not sure how much this is talked about, but my trick of squaring and leveling the table to the radial arm saw, making a very light cut onto the table, and then glueing and clamping the fence at a 90 to the cut has saved me countless minutes of frustration. When you initially set up the radial arm saw, make sure it hits the detents for 0 degrees.

Of course, I only make 90 degree cuts with mine. Changing angles might not be accurate, but returning to the 0 detent works well.

[paul cottingham]

If I ever get married I need to keep separate bank accounts.

My long-suffering wife still busys me, despite separate accounts.

[Jim Rimmer]

My long-suffering wife still busys me, despite separate accounts.

[Lee Schierer]

1. Learning that I can make my own dowels using round over bits on my router table with the fence has allowed me to make dowels out of wood that ordinarily isn't available in dowel form.

2. How to make raised panels on a TS safely

3. How to tune up my TS, which eliminated burn marks and rough cuts.

4. Mounting my router in a table.

[Van Huskey]

Hand tools aren't just for old dudes with Grizzly Adam's beards.

[Robert Walters]

A machinist taught me this trick....

1) Using a simple pencil compass, draw a circle.
2) Move the point of the compass to anywhere on the circle.
3) Draw an arc that starts and ends within the edge of the circle.
4) Move the compass point to where one end of the arc you just drew intersects the circle.
5) Draw another arc as in step 3.
6) Move the compass point and repeat until you have drawn four arcs around the circle (You only need four arcs, but could do 6 if you want it symmetrical).
7) Using a straight edge, draw straight lines that intersect the points of the arcs with the edge of the circle.

You now have a hexagon!

Note: A 4" diameter circle will produce a 4" POINT-TO-POINT hexagon (as opposed to edge-to-edge hexagon).

You could to the same thing using a piece of string and a pencil for any size hexagon you might need.

[Darius Ferlas]

- using sleds to establish a straight edge in highly irregular pieces
- applying patience during the finishing part of the project
- dry fitting every single piece before reaching for glue
- pre-finishing some or all parts before gluing them together