10 Woodworking Tricks the Pros Use

instructables
10 Woodworking Tricks the Pros Use
by mikeasaurus
I'm always looking for shortcuts in my work, either to
save time or make my life easier. Over time, I've
come across a new way to do something I've done a
hundred times before and wonder why it never
occurred to me to find an easier way.
In an effort to share some of my experiences in the
shop, here are 10 woodworking tips that I've learned
from professionals or on my own. These tips are
simple yet effective ways to stay organized and
efficient when working with wood. If you have any of
your own tricks, share a picture of them in the
comments below and help out others. Be sure to
check out the second part I made based on some of
the responses in the comments, 10 MORE Woodwor
king Tricks the Pros Use.
I hope these woodworking tips help you in your next
project!
10 Woodworking Tricks the Pros Use: Page 1

Step 1: Wood Layout - Triangle Registration
When laying out wood pieces it's easy to get them
mixed up, especially when you've got multiple cuts of
a similar length. Numbering the pieces and where
they join is fine, but an even easier way is to use a
triangular shape. When the pieces are moved, you
can quickly visualize their position relative to each
other since there will only be one way that triangle
shape can be made when together.
Scribe a triangle onto your wood when they are laying
in the correct position, ensuring some part of the
triangle hits all the pieces you want to register with
each other. Using a straight edge makes this a quick
and easy method to keep even the most complex
glue-ups properly references.
Whether you've got boards laminated together in a
particular orientation, or just multiple pieces that need
to be in a specific place, the triangle registration mark
is a great tool to use.

Step 2: Marking Cut Lines
When measuring material to be cut I find it helpful to
put a little tick mark of the side to cut on. This simple
action saves countless time remeasuring and helps
me account for kerf, the thickness of the blade you
are cutting with.
Kerf is the divergence between the left and right sides
of the saw teeth, and any cutting will result in some
loss of wood that is turned into sawdust. If you just
cut directly on the marked line the blade kerf would
eat into your measured piece, causing your cut to be
inaccurate. This may not seem like a big deal, but if
you've ever had a project be a 1/8" out of
measurement you know how frustrating this can be.
The solution is to measure your piece and make a
small tick to one side of the measured line, indicated
which side to cut on. Once measured, line your blade
up to the line with the blade on the ticked side, so that
the kerf will be on one side of the line and not into
your measured area. If you ever work with a buddy
and are dividing labor this is a great trick to keep
each other informed of the areas to cut.
I use this every time I mark cut lines, and it's a great
habit to fall into.

Step 3: Straight Lines on Dowels
Making a straight line on a dowel is something that
comes up every so often and can appear to be a
tough task, despite all the fancy measuring tools you
may have at your disposal. However, the solution is
simple: just place the dowel into any straight slotted
surface. In the workshop, that can be the track of your
table saw and laying a pencil against the track and
dowel to create a line.
Don't have a table saw? Just use any door jamb or
casing. This trick can work on all kinds of cylindrical
objects you need a bisecting line on.

Step 4: Story Stick
Making accurate measurements is important but
there's an easy way to cut down on repetitive
measurements by making a story stick, a measured
reference that can be easily made out of any squared
scrap laying around.
Story sticks are great because they can be as
specific as you need, are less cumbersome than a
tape measure, and once you have the measurement
marked there's no chance of a misread measurement.
Taking this concept further a story stick can also be
used from drilling holes a consistent distance from an
edge. Make a story stick as usual, but this time drill
an opening at the measured mark. Now your story
stick can be used as a drill guide.

Step 5: Drill Depth
Not every hole that's drilled needs to be completely
though the material. Though setting up stops on a drill
press is easy enough, there are plenty of times when
using the press isn't the best tool for the job
(portability, size of material, etc.). Making a depth
marker for a handheld power drill is as easy as using
a piece of tape to mark the intended depth of that bit.
This is the same tip discussed in the Drilling Perfect
Holes lesson in the Woodworking Class.

Step 6: Glue Cleanup
Glue is a great tool for lots of woodworking projects.
Applying glue is simple enough, but sometimes there
can be a bit of a mess. While the glue is still wet,
cleanup of glue squeeze-out is as simple as applying
sawdust to the glue and rubbing it around to absorb
the excess glue. This is a preferable method for glue
removal over a damp cloth or sponge, as moisture
can cause wood to swell.
Glue cleanup from your hands is even easier. If you
get any glue on your hands after your piece is secure
you can easily remove it by just rubbing your hands
together. Wet or still damp glue should just flake off.

Step 7: Keep Slippery Glue-Ups Steady
Not every glue job going smoothly, and sometimes
wood pieces are want to slip apart when being
clamped together. This is especially true if you have
multiple pieces that are being glued together and
secured in a single clamp. An easy fix for this is
sprinkling a small amount of salt onto the glue before
clamping.
The salt crystal shape act like square wheels on a
car, preventing the pieces from sliding around. In the
above image I used too much salt for illustrative
purposes.
When clamping the salt is embedded into the wood
and is untraceable from the outside.

Step 8: Wax Paper Cover
Accidentally gluing your work to the bench is a
mistake that usually only happens once. Keeping a
roll of wax or parchment paper under your glue-up will
not only keep your workbench clean by catching glue
drips, but will also prevent your work from sticking to
the bench while it's drying
Rather than use the serrated edge on the roll, I find it
easiest to unroll more wax paper than I think I'll need
and trim it to the specific shape once it's under the
work. A shop ruler works great for ripping a clean
edge on the wax paper.

Step 9: Hold Glue-Ups Instantly
Sometimes a clamp just won't fit into where I need to
hold a piece during a glue-up, and sometimes I'm too
impatient to wait for the wood glue to set before
needing to move on to the next part of the build. In
cases like this, hot glue is a great crutch to use with
wood glue and hold the glue-up instantly.
Plug in your hot glue gun and let it come to
temperature before applying any wood glue. Once
your hot glue is ready, apply wood glue as usual but
leave small gaps every so often in the piece to be
glued.
Once your wood glue is applied add a squirt of hot
glue in the gaps of wood glue. Before the hot glue
has a chance to set, join the wood pieces together
and hold in place for a few seconds. The hot glue
bonds the two pieces together with enough strength
to keep working, and holding the wood in place until
the wood glue can take hold and make a stronger
bond.

Step 10: Sandpaper Organization
I have all kinds of abrasive paper on hand, just in
case I need a specific grit or type. As such, my
sandpaper storage was a mess. Since almost all
sandpaper is the same size as printer paper, I keep it
all neatly organized in an inexpensive accordion-style
file folder.
I pulled all of my sandpaper out of it's packaging and
sorted it by grit. Each grit has it's own slot in the
folder, with the front pouch reserved for smaller
scraps of sandpaper.
Now my sandpaper is all in one place, and I can just
grab the folder and bring it to my work and have all
the sandpaper I could ever want.
Happy making! :)
Do you have your own woodworking tips that keep
you productive or organized? I want to see them!
Happy making :)

I'm 69, and been hanging around such tools for a while. A few of these were brand spanking new
and I sure wish I had known of them before now. BIG thanks.
I just recently learned fro0m somewhere else about the salt and the glue. All the tips are great and
I will immediately follow up on organizing my sandpaper!
Some thoughts from a lifetime tinkerer -
For making alternate clamps to save time:
CA works, Tape can work, Rubber bands, Hot glue works best when used on the sides of the joints
and not between - all these methods can work. Clamping is best with added patience. If the
surfaces are not clampable due to being odd I use the CA method or have in the past. Mostly I've
found that if I am rushing a woodworking project at all I end up with more stitches sometimes and
that isn't pleasant and awfully expensive. To be fair - I have a 2 car garage all mine for a shop and
a room besides for light repair work - so there are plenty of benches. - Patience is key though.
Don't rush and enjoy the process.
Using tape as a bit stop: - I do this all the time - if I have one or two holes to drill - any more than
that the tape starts to walk up the bit and the holes tend to get progressively deeper. Invest in stop
collars for multiple holes if you can - but tape is better than nothing. I will also use sharpie on the
bit as a visual as it doesn't move but will wear away.
Triangles: Great Tip! May I also add that there are more shapes and you should use them all when
you need a multi sided glue up so there is only one triangle. - draw lightly if you are near the finish
end of the sanding process.
Sandpaper storage: I've tried many methods and the one offered here is the best - I use an
additional smaller organizer for precut shapes that conform to my sanding blocks.
Vice Jaws: This tip is also fantastic - the next step for the woodworker is to add some grooves to
the jaws to better hold some objects - like a V cut into opposing sides for round objects and others.
I've switched to nylon jaws on my wood vices but still make a lot of wood jaws for various objects
for better holding.
These are great ways to get started - good on you for taking the time!
A story stick is a must when hanging shingles on a house.
drawing a triangle is a very good idea, the only problem i see is getting rid of the pencil lines at the
end of the job especially if you intend varnishing your work.
I always numbered my corners 1/1, 2/2 etc which sometimes got confusing when dealing with lots
of pieces. So I will use the triangle method along with my numbering system.
My tip - If your worried about getting rid of the pencil marks is to get a roll of masking tape and do
all your numbering or draw in your triangles on the tape.
Using masking tape is a good method if you are taking already painted or varnished jobs apart
which will need assembled at a later date.
Denatured alcohol on a rag will remove pencil marks, at least on tight-grained wood. Doesn't raise
the grain either.
Pick your tape carefully. I purchased a poplar handrail that had its barcode on the top. No amount
of sanding, solvents, or re-staining were able to remove the "light rectangle" after staining.
To clarify, the sticker had already come off (charged as it was one of several); but the adhesive
had penetrated the wood. It was sanded and stained. At that time, the spot stood out similar to a
glueing mistake. The sanding, etc. that followed did not change the effect.
Step 11 wood working Tricks

I use the triangle method and don't make a groove with the pencil. A little sanding should come at
that point anyway.
Try a heat gun to warm the label befotre you remove it. The leftover glue rectangle you mentioned
will be gone.
Cheers!
I think EwaldG might be referring to a difference in colour where the label had been due to light/sun
bleaching everywhere but beneath the bar-code sticker
It's taken me years to realise that the bog standard "masking" tape, the beige "crepe" stuff, has few
uses in woodworking or anything else other than sealing up the rubbish bags.
The more expensive, "low tack" tapes are pretty much the only ones I use now and I'm picky about
the brands. Tesa and Scotch are by far the best and Tesa is my favorite. If you dealve around a bit
and find a decent stockist, you can find tapes for any job. The Tesa tapes leave no residue, have
pin sharp edges and pull off cleanly even after years
You need "GooGone" get it at your hardware store.
my thing was to used multiple tick marks on the insides of the pieces, 1 matched up with 1, 2 with
2, etc. Its quick and you can mark with pen, keel, even scratches or slight indents.
We always used chalk. It comes off super easy with a light sanding.
Cheers!
good idea - its nice to have a few choices
Cheers
Love the sandpaper organizer idea most of all!
A couple of measuring and layout tips.
Measuring to mark up with a tape measure can be a pain, especially if you starting in the middle of
a length. Instead of measuring from the hook of the tape, start somewhere else like the 10-cm mark
and mark the other point, not forgetting that you've added 10 to the total.
Use a Stanley knife (Stanley FatMax my favorite) to mark the spot. Keep the knife in place while
you offer up the square.
One of my favorite tools for marking out large panels, is a large 600 x 400-mm roofers steel square.
To make it more useful, find a small, say 1/4-inch aluminium channel that will fit over the edge of
the blade. Drill and tap the channel to take some small thumb screws and you have an edge to
offer up.
I use the same technique on circular saws and add a long, say 600-mm length of channel to the
saw fence to give a much better guide when running along the edge of a panel.
If like me, you have piles of unsorted wood or machine screws, take a 1-inch aluminium bar, 1/8-
inch thick, drill it with all your favorite screw sizes, say 3-mm to 8-mm, and also saw mark the
lengths at 10-mm intervals down one edge of the bar. Spend a nice sunny day going through the
screws sizing them then put them back in the boxes.
I second the use of a roofers steel square for marking out, I wouldn't be without mine and of course
they're great for checking your internal corners are at 90 degrees. I also rarely use the hook on my
tape measures as they wear and are not always accurate.
I've never really got to grips with what they're actually meant for.
Mines an American Stanley square with all the hip etc. scales on it as a bonus.
There is a tubing system meant for making up tables etc. It is based on 1" square aluminium tube.
The 2-metre length is the best straightedge I have ever used and again, to make it more useful, I

added an ally coat hook on one end so that you can easily keep it in place on a large panel.
It was originally used as a clothes line prop, hence the hook, but it's new use is much better.
Use some hot glue to fix it to the wall as the supporting batten for the first row of wall tiles - totally
rigid, no flexing
Good tip. Has your better half inquired about her cloths line prop?
No contest. Tiles and straightedges come along way up the pecking order
Need to evenly divide a board in half? or into thirds? fourths? But the board widths is an odd
dimension and you don't want to do the math? Then angle the tape measure until it measures an
easy to divide number.
In the pictures, my board measure 5.25" long. To divide it in half, I angled the tape measure until it
measure at 6" and then marked the 3" line. Likewise, to divide it into thirds, I measured every 2."
A nice use of Thales' theorem.
When vice clamping something special or delicate, use pieces of wood glued in this fashion to
ensure that you have a good hold and not damage your part, I use these so often! Have a good
one!
(The first 2 pictures are the vice and marks,and then the next two are with the wood, see no marks
on the pipe! )
Good one. I have some scrap maple I keep nearby for this exact reason.
Thanks for sharing a picture of your tip. Enjoy the Pro Membership!
where do i redeem it?
This all well and good unless you're threading that pipe. The wood will not hold it in that case.
Actually, having done this more than once or twice myself, threaded or non-threaded, if you’re
using a softwood, it grips quite well.
I've used cardboard.
You already received a lot of good answers, I thought I would interject that I use a hole saw to
make the "V-Slot" (slightly smaller than the pipe if possible). Placing a board of appropriate
thickness between the "jaw pieces" allows for a nice round pipe clamp. Also aerosol "Sticky Note"
glue will assist with friction and leaves no residue on the pipe. I also use the aerosol sticky note
glue to put cutting templates on the wood when cutting complex parts (gears w/spokes and such).
Cut two small V-notches on the wooden pieces to grip the pipe. That will hold it tight. You do not
even have to make 'L' shaped wood clamps.
if you are gripping a tube and v notches in your vice blocks are not enough then take a strip of
strong material, paint rubber latex glue (copydex or similar) on one side and leave to dry
completely. Staple one end securely onto the back of your vice block and wind the other end round

the tube so there are a couple of turns. Make sure it is wound so it will pull tighter when you are
working on the tube. There will be no slipping at all this way.
These are called '[vice] clams' and are commercially available in many forms, although it's good to
make your own. Their purpose is to protect the vice jaws as well as the workpiece.
I am awestruck by the simplicity and ingenuity of the sandpaper organiser. I will definitely use the
one I habe lying around for that task asap. Tanks for just another great instructable (and also the
classes).
being too idle to fetch my hot glue gun out I used a thin strip of double sided tape to hold two
pieces of wood together while surrounding wood glue set.It worked but may not on heavy pieces
I've tried the hot melt glue/wood glue trick and have a comment: The hot melt glue is much thicker
than the wood glue and when clamped it's almost impossible to get a really tight glue joint. and
wood glue joints that span any gap are not as strong as tight joints. I've had better success using
cyanoacrylate (super glue) for quick bonding while the wood glue cures. For that matter the super
glue works well by itself but it's expensive.
I use masking tape and apply some weight to either side. It has a certain amount of stretch that
makes it work well. Rubber bands are also handy and cheap.
Rubbing fine saw dust into a freshly glued joint is also a good way to hide any gap in the joint.
When working with reclaimed wood as I do often, having some polyester resin available to fill in
holes etc is a good way to make otherwise unusable material usable and interesting. It’s basically
clear pourable plastic if you’re not familiar with it.
I like to use acid brushes to spread my wood glue. They’re like a dime apiece and disposable yet
reusable if you want to. I usually use Titebond 3 wood glue, and spreading it with the brush, it
forms a good tacky skin very quickly, which keeps the parts from slipping.
When I’m gluing up a panel from strips, I like using brown craft paper to protect my table top. It lets
the glue cure, and sands off so quickly with my RO sander that it’s like it isn’t even there. Used to
use Saran Wrap, but the glue won’t dry until you can flip your piece over and remove it.
Masking tape is also a good way to contain the glue.
I am a retired welder and welding inspector who is about to embark on a project of building an all
wood airplane. I have a lot to learn and this is helpful. Thank you.
I look forward to your future publishing of this instructable.
Hi, I already knew most of them but the glue with salt is very interesting.
Thanks
great refresher. All (except story stick) are learned in basic junior high shop.
We DID have shop class but girls weren't allowed to take it. Thank goodness things have changed!
We all need to be as skilled as possible in order to lead a productive and interesting life.
I guess our school was pretty advanced then. I'm over 70. In our school, girls were required to take
one 'shop' class: 'General Shop'. Kind of an overview. Many took more. And the guys were
required to take one 'Home Economics' class. Again, many took more. Oh yeah, these 'intro'
classes were NOT co-ed so I wasn't a way to meet girls / guys. The specialized shop classes
(wood shop, metal shop, electrical shop etc) were co-ed. I'm afraid that we (society) have been
putting too much emphasis on everyone going to college now. Not everyone is college material.
And that is not a put-down. Tradespeople are in high demand. And they earn a very good living
doing their jobs. There's nothing wrong with getting a little dirt under those fingernails.
I'm glad that you've had the opportunity to find the enjoyment and fulfillment and sense of
accomplishment in life working with your hands, Pam. Thanks for commenting on my post!
J

Wow! I'm 73 and in my school girls weren't allowed to take woodshop or auto mechanics and boys
couldn't take home economics. I doubt those classes are even offered anymore!
oh they most definitely are still offered in schools. My grandson takes home economics, which is
called something else now but can’t think of it off the top of my head. Another granddaughter is in
shop. My grandson is very proud of his sewing skills! I must say he’s darn good at too! I have
another granddaughter who played football over the summer and the coach at school heard she
was real good at it so they wanted her to play. The parents couldn’t afford it as they already had
one in football and another in cheerleading. In the end, the boys on the team wanted her so badly
that the coach got her a sponsorship to play. She’s one tough little football mama! Oh sorry, that
was off point...lol
OH and by the way...thanks for the woodworking tips! Most I already knew but a few I didn’t!
My father was the local builder and we had a wood and machine shop at our place. We fixed all
our own tools and equipment, so I had basic knowledge. But failed woodshop because I refused to
put the blade in a coping saw backwards like the teacher insisted. Dad pulled me out of the class
and that was it for woodshop.
Us baby boomers came from people who were more self sufficient. If something broke, you fixed it.
And that was what my parents taught me. I still try with everything I have. Just now getting the
laptop circuit board repairs down and some components of our electronics are really difficult to
diagnose without a lot of expensive equipment. But if you don't take it apart to see what's wrong,
you never learn anything.

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