Woodworker's Journal 1994-18-2, страница 10

The Third Hand

Joining two boards at right angles will often make you wish you had three hands—two Lo support the stock, and

one to drive the screws or nails. We find that a corner clamp, the kind generally used to clamp picture frames, is perfect for supporting the two boards while the fasteners are driven into place.

Bottled Dust Blower When using "lung power" to blow sawdust from a hole or tight corner, your face usually must gel pretty close lo the action. However, that's a good way to get some of that saw dust into your eyes. Next time, put an empty (and cleaned) squeeze-type mustard bottle to use. A sharp squeeze will blow the dust away, while your eyes remain at a safe distance.

File Brush

Here's another way to put an old toothbrush to work in your woodshop. By trimming the bristles to about in., it becomes a stiff brush that does a good job cleaning small to medium sizes files. I trim the bristles on a disk sander. but a pair of scissors will also do the job.

E. Gilbert Mathews, Guilford. Conn.

Customized Glue Brush Applying glue to box joints and dov etail joints can be a real problem. Even when using a brush that gels into small spaces, it can take a lot of time to coat the many surfaces found on these joints. And, if you arc assembling a wide ease with long joints, some of the glue can start to gel Loo dry before the last of the joints arc coated.

We've found you can speed up the process using one or those inexpensive (about 50 cents each) foam brashes sold at all hardware and building supply centers. Using a scissors, trim the foam to match the exact profile of the joint. Now. with a single dab into each finger or dovetail, you can apply glue to all the faces at once, cutting application time by more than half. And. if you use a water soluble glue (white or yellow ), the foam can be rinsed for reuse.

Nut Holder

I have found that a Popsicle slick and a little doublestick carpet tape can be most handy in my workshop. Whenever I need to start a nut in an out of the way location, I simply stick a small piece of the

tape to one end of the Popsicle slick, then I place the nut on the tape. This enables me get the nul into hard Lo reach places with ease. Once ihe nut gets started, ihe slick and tape can be pulled away.

Howard E. Moody. Upper Jay. N Y

Diagonal Slides

Drawer slides provide a smooth and quiet action that makes them a good choice for many projects. The usual procedure is to install them near the bottom of the draw^:er. Tall drawers, however, will often have a noticeable side-lo-side

"rack" when both slides are al the bottom. You can minimize racking on a tall drawer simply by installing the slides in diagonally opposite corners.

Dennis Preston, Brookficld. Conn

Scraper Burnisher You can purchase a special hardened tool for burnishing a hand scraper, but we find that the back of a bevel-edged chisel blade works just as well.

The Woodworker's Journal pays 525—$100 for reader-submitted shop tips that are published. Send your ideas (including sketch if necessary) lo: The Woodworker's Journal. P.O. Box 1629. New MilfonL CT 06776, Attn: Shop Tip Editor. We redraw all sketches, so they need only be clear and complete. If you would like the male rial returned, please include a self-addressed slumped envelope.

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t he Woodworker's Journal