Budget Spring Clamp

Category Archives: Tricks of the Trade

Budget Spring Clamp

American Woodworker Editors AW144, Clamping, Clamps, DIY, Techniques, Tricks of the Trade, Wooden Clamps, Workshop Tips

This light-duty clamp is ideal for small parts-and easy to make by the dozen. All you need are a couple wood scraps, a rubber band, and a short piece of dowel rod. You can vary the pressure by changing the …
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Tablesaw Trap

American Woodworker Editors AW143, Dust, Dust Collectors, Table saw, Techniques, Tricks of the Trade, Workshop Tips

Even with a zero-clearance throat plate in my tablesaw, a thin cut-off slips through now and then. These pieces can clog a vacuum hose or damage the blades of a dust collector. I made a trap to catch them by …
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Router Bit Nest

Serge Duclos AW140, Router, Router Bits, Techniques, Tricks of the Trade, Workshop Tips

Watching an expensive router bit roll onto the floor is a heartbreaking experience. In the middle of a project, it can be a disaster. I drilled a few 1/2” and 1/4” holes in the edge of a piece of MDF …
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Instant Antique Hardware

American Woodworker Editors Aging Techniques, AW161, Techniques, Tricks of the Trade, Workshop Tips

New hardware is often way too shiny for my taste, so I chemically “age” it. If the metal is raw steel, I use standard gun bluing. But if it’s plated with zinc, I turn to Super Blue, a double-strength …
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