Tips, tricks, ideas and jigs......

[Bill Huber]

Ok, this is not a bragging post, it is just a reminder to people.

I am not a super smart person and I am still a beginner in wood working, in fact I just learned how to spell tabel saw, or is that table saw, maybe it is tablesaw,,, anyway.

I know there are some really sharp and smart people on this forum and I have learned a lot from them. People that have some really great ideas and tricks they use every day. Jigs that they make that really save time and or make a job much safer or easier, so send them in.

In the last year form Shop Notes and Woodsmith alone, I have made $675 dollars cash, well checks, and have won 2 impact drivers that sell for around $130 each, that is over $900 worth of cash and stuff. Yes that is why I am donating one of the drivers to the Creek, how many impact drivers do you need?

So what I am saying is, send those tips, tricks and jigs in, it is really easy to do, just go to the web site, fill out a little forum and upload a picture or two and that is it. There are many others magazines that take them also and will pay you when used.

I also want to state I have NO connection in any way with Shop Notes or Woodsmith, I just read them.

[Gordon Eyre]

Thanks for the reminder Bill. Not too long ago I won a Bosch sliding compound miter saw with a simple woodworking writing contest. This was a great addition to my shop and one of my most used tools.

[Mark Engel]

Bill, I just read your tip in Woodsmith about the dowel extensions. I plan to add these to the fence on my drill press table.

Thanks

[Jim Rimmer]

Can you post them here on SMC or is there a disclaimer from the mag? Or can you post links to the magazine?

[Chris Tsutsui]

I bet some people have such great ideas, they don't want to share it fearing a business man will patent it and make a fortune from it.

As for me, I see so many tools that are good ideas that I just buy them. :)

[Bill Huber]

Jim, every one of them was posted here first and then sent to the magazine. The only one that I may not have posted was the one to raise the knob on the drillpress fence. The only think I can not do now is send it to another magazine or publication.
The pin in the the T bolt, $75
The fix for the mobil base peddle, $75 and an impact driver
The dowel to raise the knob on the drillpress fence, $175
The dowel jig bit collor setting jig, $175
The miter saw bench thing was $200 and an impact driver.
Now really none of those were that great of a thing, just little things. I am not sure how they come up with the amount but I am not going to say no to it.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Bill,
Great idea!
BTW - I beleive you speel TS - TS ;)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congratulations Bill...and thanks for the tips.....tip..........err....you know what I mean!

[Bill Huber]

The main point is you can make a little extra money by sending in your tips and things.

I know there are a lot of them on the Creek that have some very good ones, they just need to send them in.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Congrats Bill, but we both have along way to go to match Serge. Last year I only won one tip. It was a "Top Tip" in Wood magazine (14" bandsaw dust collection.) Got the usual $100, plus Festool 3 n 1 drill driver. As you said, you can only win if you send them in. Most years I win at least one check. My least favorite place to send a tip is Taunton (FWW / FHB). They will send you this fancy release letter (NO CHECK) and then sit on tip for YEARS! Had one there since 2002 (FWW.) Two years ago, Wood was discussing publishing a technique of mine, when FWW came out with identical idea from a couple guys on west coast. Recently FWW had a tip that is something I have been sitting on for years. Not exactly the same, but close enough.

[Alan Schaffter]

I have had quite a few tips published too, all worth a couple thou! (Check out this month's FWW and December's Wood :) )

Some magazines pay well, others just so-so, while some just give gift certificates. Some magazine websites want your tips for free! They encourage you to submit to share and help your fellow woodworkers. Of course they use the tips to bring people to their website and help them get advertising dollars from manufacturers. And once you submit a tip they now have the right to use it forever in the "Tip Collections" books and special editions they are always selling, without any (further) compensation. So why not make some money or get a free tool for yourself.

The real payoff comes when your tip is selected as a top tip- then you get the normal payout plus more money or tools- typically a top tip can be worth up to $400 - $500! The King of Tips is a Canadian name Serge Duclos- he has had several hundred (or more) tips published- look through a half dozen mags and you'll likely see his name on one or more tips. I don't know how he has time to do woodworking.

The only heartburn I have with Shopnotes/Woodsmith is that, unless you mail your tip, their online submission procedure can make it a little awkward to compose it.

Look at it this way, one published tip will pay for your magazine subscription for a few years!