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.



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

:D

[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. :cool:

[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.:D 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.



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=4tRayrmwpfQ&feature=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;


Cut the piece a bit long (extra 1/8" per 10' length).
Place one end in position.
Bow the center of the trim board out.
Place the other end in position.
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.:mad:

[Brett Nelson]

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



The masking tape method for box newel assembly.
"Burn an inch" when you need an accurate measurement.
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...:D

[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

[Will Overton]

When making multiple boards of the same length, use stop blocks instead of measuring or marking each board.

Doesn't sound like much now, but 45 years ago it was a revelation in my quest for good joinery.

[John Thompson]

Many but the latest would be using a burnisher to knock the edge off corners on exposed edges of furniture in lieu of a sanding block with high grit paper. No sawdust and quick.. very quick. If you need a larger round-over for asthetics you have to go another route but this works well for simply taking the razor sharp edge off.

[Steve Griffin]

Off the top of my head, here's some of my favorite tricks. I tried to think of things that may not be commonplace.

1) Stop system for the miter saw. I have both kreg and beismeyer, and can't imagine life without a properly set up crosscut station.

2) Using shaper to square and bring wood to final width
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1370308#poststop

3)Pocket screws.

4)Polyurethane hot glue gun. (Hold two pieces of wood together, get epoxy like attachment in 60 seconds)

5)Packing tape method for gluing up mitered corners.

6)Spreadsheets to organize and sort cutlists, generate door or drawer parts, and best of all--generate BILLS.

7)Dust masks with that little outbreather plastic guy which eliminates foggy safety glasses.

8)Square drive screws

9)Carts. I love not carrying wood around--it's what really makes shop work more fun than construction. My carts have 4 bays for vertical storage, or a pile of wood can be put on top.

10)Impact driver. Just picked up a little bosch impact driver, and it's fun to drive screws without any pressure.

-Steve

[Ken Platt]

Steaming out dents, which has already been mentioned, and crack filling with CA glue and fine sandpaper.

Ken

[Matthew Hills]

Building things (jigs) for your tools to improve my work. Table saw sled and zero-clearance-inserts are two of these that have paid big dividends in improving cross-cut accuracy and cleanliness of cuts.

Still working on that patience thing. Have heard it works well.

Matt

[glenn bradley]

+1 on the table saw sled and ZCI as real significant improvements that I waited too long to make. they're so easy and do so much. I too am big on setup blocks and story sticks.

A good "trick" to learn is to use your larger machines as tools and not as tables. Don't use your table saw, jointer, whatever as a dumping ground just because it is convenient at the moment. Your tools should always be ready for you to walk up and use them.

If you have to take 5 minutes to clear "stuff" off your tools to use them off or step over something to get to them, you are slowing yourself down, creating a safety issue and adding aggravation that makes 'patience' harder to achieve. An article I read early on referred to this as 'the Prime Directive'.

Whenever I am about to set a screwdriver or something down on the end of my jointer as opposed to taking 3 steps to put it away, I hear a voice in my head reminding me of "the Prime Directive". . . . Of course I hear other voices too :D:D:D

[Dave Sims]

One thing that I think has helped me out is having a flush trim router bit. I do a lot of pocket hole face frame construction and it is nice to have to flush up where two panels or faces meet at 90*. And before I had a table saw, I used the flush trim bit to make duplicate plywood panels for my kitchen cabinets

[Neil Brooks]

I liked this, when I first read it ... and ... still like it :)



—

How to get Precision

—

Make a story stick for each project. Record the measurements of L, W, H and internals on one, unchanging stick.

Your project stock should be kept on a cart with your cut list taped to the cart handle to move from station to station, whether machines or hand tools.

1) Rough stock is rough cut (overlong) to length from the cut list you prepared from your plan, along with one stick of extra stock for every major thickness.

I number each part on the cut list and mark the endgrain with a corresponding number in pencil to keep track of them, including the spares.

2) Flatten and thickness plane it together, using the same tool settings.

3) Joint and rip it to width all together using the same tool settings.

4) Cut it to finished lengths together, using stop blocks on your tools so you only have to measure once.

5) Lay out and cut your joints all together.

That’s how you get precision, not with measuring tapes or straight edges.

Make sure you also don’t mix tapes and measures. Use one tape or one rule for the entire project. Scribe your lines with knife (across grain) and awl (with grain), minimizing your use of sloppy pencils.

Personally, I just think you are gonna make a lot more, not less trouble for yourself with long T-squares.
The longer the square, the more one speck of sawdust will mess you up. Even when nicely square…they are still pretty sloppy because positioning the base is firmly is so critical and long bars will flex on you.

I don’t use a panel gage any longer than 10” for the same reason. Simply measure up from each end and use a straightedge to scribe… any aluminum yardstick will do.

Then monitor your diagonals as you fit each internal component to your squared-up square casework.

[Tom Rick]

Maybe not the best trick but it sure helps to mill an extra board or a few feet of what ever stock you are making. It gives you a little wiggle room for blowing out a board and can be used for machine set up as you go.

[Stuart Gardner]

My best trick is to stop working when I get tired. When I make my first stupid mistake of the work session, like measuring to the fence from the wrong side of the dado blade, I know it's time to take a long break or just quit for the day, because it's a good bet an injury or more worser stupid mistakes are going to follow.

[Les Heinen]

Sneaking new tools into the house past the SWMBO....:D

[Prashun Patel]

Using a card scraper.
So elegant, simple, and cheap.

[Harlan Barnhart]

A well made sled with zero clearance to the blade and dedicated blade make fantastic cross cutting machine. Make it wide enough to accommodate stop blocks for repeatable, accurate cuts. If I had room in my shop, a dedicated crosscutting table saw would be a necessity.

[george wilson]

My best trick WOULD have been being told that making things for a living was a big pain in the neck!!!!!:) :) Actually,selling stuff,or sitting in a cubicle would be worse!!:)

[Jacob Mac]

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.

[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.

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/inlay/DSC01999.jpg

Closeup

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/jcoloccia/inlay/DSC01998.jpg

[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. :D

[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.:)
:confused:

[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 (http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/raisedpanel.html)

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.

http://i56.tinypic.com/25iokea.jpg

[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

[Joe Chritz]

Start with ten, end with ten.

Joe

[Joe Shinall]

Start with ten, end with ten.

Joe

Pretty much beat me to it in different wording. My grandad always told me:

"the wood goes into the saw, the wood comes out of the saw. You put it in with ten fingers and you bring it out with at least 9 5/8..."

[John Toigo]

Well I learn tricks & interesting stuff all the time. Today I learned I have a Dovetail Plane. It is wayyyyyyyyy cool. I thought it was just a worn skew rabbet plane. Duh!

[Bill Geyer]

There are too many lessons to list here...
but,
First learn to do something well, then learn to do it quickly.

[Lee Koepke]

Havent read all of this yet, but last night one "trick" stood out.... I saw David Marks do it and its became instinctive for me.

Using the eraser end of a pencil to hold smaller pieces of wood when cutting on a tablesaw. I was cutting small pieces with the mitre guage last night and the pencil keeps my fingers away from the blade and the work piece tight against the fence.

[ken gibbs]

I forgot how to do this arc. Do you have the references so I can look it up? Thanks.

[Brett Nelson]

I forgot how to do this arc. Do you have the references so I can look it up? Thanks.

If you are talking about a segment arc, it is pretty easy.
Here is a link. If it doesn't work, let me know and I'll explain it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=V8L8y1J8YcgC&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=drawing+ellipse+with+two+sticks&source=bl&ots=qHM5zjlMdv&sig=-w-Oug1Coob-RgFCwu_Pp3fUZ0Q&hl=en&ei=o4eBTJ7QEYP6lweMq_XhDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=drawing%20ellipse%20with%20two%20sticks&f=false

If you are talking about an elipse, you'll use a string instead of sticks.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/Workshop/WorkshopArticle.aspx?id=25994 (http://www.benchnotes.com/Laying%20out%20an%20oval/laving_out_an_oval.htm)

[Ryan Welch]

using painters tape along my cut line to prevent plywood splintering

honing with a leather strop

best tip of all is the old saying: buy the best and you only cry once. Would have saved me alot of money, if i had learned this earlier.

[zayd alle]

A dado reference board took all the guesswork and frustration out of cutting dados. Basically, start with the outer cutters of a stack dado set and cut a dado in a scrap of plywood. Then progressively add chippers and shims (being sure to label the board as you go!) and cut additional dados alongside. When you're done, you have a reference gauge whenever you need to find out exactly what size dado to cut and what chippers/shims will get you there.

[Jamie Schmitz]

Use the same device to transfer the measurement. In other words don't make a measurement with a metal ruler and then use your tape to transfer it.
Put a blade on backwards to cut thin plastic. The idea here is it will basically melt it as opposed to shattering it.
http://youtu.be/JuYx3ANp_Jg

[Tom Rick]

Use a band saw to rip small stock.

[Dave Zellers]

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

The best tip re coping I was shown is to leave the bottom 1/8 to 1/4 inch as the miter and only cope above that. Then position the piece and mark the miter line onto the bottom of the installed square cut piece with a sharp knife. Set aside the coped board and with the knife, cut straight up along the scribed mark on the installed trim that same 1/8 to 1/4 inch and remove the waste.

This way when you install the coped trim it will look like it was mitered.

[Peter Gregory]

If you are doing the water and iron trick to remove dents, use distilled water. Tap water might mess with your finish.

[Larry Fox]

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


HA - Zach has been paying attention. :D

[Kent A Bathurst]

Patience...


Yeah,well, Bruce.......I tried that once, but it took up too much of my time.

[Jamie Schmitz]

Electric Pencil Sharpener.

[Dave Zellers]

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.

I'll second that. A very valuable tool and well worth the time spent learning it.

[Guy Belleman]

- Sleds, not just on TS, but on bandsaw and jointer.

- Building mobile bases, working in a garage, I can position any tool where I need it and all of the purchased bases were less than 100%

- putting the tape measure away after the first cuts and using the pieces to size the rest

- taking a few moments to review what I was doing before returning to cutting after an interruption from kids, spouse, or visitors. Just too many bad cuts made after interruptions.

- plan large tools purchases carefully, with a long list of the needed features, pictures, comparison pricing, and proposed house project, before submitting expense proposal to spouse. Or just order it, be happy, grateful for the two weeks of solitary time in the workshop, expect no help unloading, and a little quiet at dinner and at night. Works best to order just before an active vacation, or week of traveling to the inlaws, where some time is needed to relax anyway.

:D

[Bryan Rocker]

The most fundamental trick I have learned is to measure twice, 3 times or more before you make the first cut..........

I do like most of these tricks....some I already use some I had never thought of........

[Tom Walz]

1. The wonder and beauty of the exactly right tool instead of trying to make the wrong tool work.
2. Plastic bags for parts preferably those you can write on.
3. Put it together first before you fasten it permanently. Then figure out what the fastening process will do to the fit.
4. The magic of a hand plane on clear pine on a warm summer’s day.
5. Hand tools can be faster than power tools.
6. When gluing keep a moist rag handy.

[Charles Wiggins]

1. Stop blocks
2. Depth stops
3. Sacrificial fence
4. ZCI
5. Filling nail holes with glue and sawdust

[Justin M Rovang]

Patience...

^-- that, and:

- Dry fit so much you might as well put it together
- When working a tool/saw, if at any time the motion doesn't "feel right", STOP, trust your gut. This is a safety thing, it also can save you a messup on your stock
- Push shoe > push stick
- Crosscut sled works wonders
- Don't overclamp (Learned this when making a pine+oak chessboard for experiment)
- As my dad says: Practice on pine, it's cheap and unruly to finish; master pine, and other woods are a piece of cake. (Working with pine has taught me more than I could imagine about the variance of wood, even in it's own species.)

[Jim Rimmer]

Logging on to SMC and asking questions, reading posts and getting advice from some of the experts that "live" here.

[Jeff Gunter]

The best woodworking trick for me is to understand that if something doesn't turn out the way it looked in your mind's eye does not mean it is bad or wrong.
That's not an excuse to allow doing less-than-your-best, it is an understanding that your best may be imperfect and may pale in comparison to someone else's best.

[Ron Citerone]

When fitting web frames into a cabinet, don't try to match the dados to the thickness of the web frame. Cut the dados to 1/2 the thickness of the web frames and cut a rabbett on the web frame to fit just right. This gives a perfect fit as well as a stronger joint.

[Steve Griffin]

Decimal Inches!

I don't allow fractional inches in my shop. One of best tricks I have learned with the highest payback for my effort is how to work with decimal inches. Cut lists can be produced easier with spreadsheets, digital calipers are no longer scary things but a pleasure to use. Not to mention math is easier when using a calculator and digital readouts on tools are far better than stock gauges.

It's almost as good as going metric, and in my opinion better if interfacing with US materials and clients is a factor.

Memorizing the 1/16" increments is the first step. Before long, you will find yourself automatically thinking .313 rather than 5/16. Once you have that anchored in your head, it's easy to mentally add or subtract .031 for 1/32 and so on.

Below is a chart I hang in the shop for use for new employees. I highlighted and bolded numbers to help one see the simple patterns.

-Steve

[Jonathan Spool]

For turning, the best "trick" I learned was to use an open end wrench with one side sharpend to cut tenons to a consistant size.

For large flatwork, its the 3,4,5 squaring method.

[Richard Dragin]

Woodworking is a series of tricks, there can be no one single best trick.

If you held a gun to my head I'd have to say, "Measure twice, cut once." (as was stated in post #64).

[Alan Wright]

This probalbly sound stupid, but when looking for a centerline for a board... say 20 11/16". I would immidately say 10 and um, um, um. Someone told me to simply double the bottom number. So half of 11/16 is 11/32. Makes finding quick centerlines easy. I know all you already know that, but maybe there are a few knuckleheads out there, like me, who can learn something today.

[Dan Karachio]

My best trick? I can make $1000 disappear instantly every time I go to Woodcraft.