Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-3, страница 21

Tricks of the Trade

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Fresh Angles on Old Shop Challenges

Coping with Power

After using a coping saw for years to cope the inside corners of crown molding, I figured there had to be an easier way to do it. There is. Now I use a rotary tool, a spiral wood-cutting bit and a small base. First I cut the compound miter cut as I always did. Next, with the molding clamped in position as shown above, I place the tool base flat on (he miter-cut end and carefully shave away (he waste nearly up lo the profile edge. After a little cleanup work with files and sandpaper, it's ready to install. I find it quick, easy and much faster than sawing.

Gary Embrey Prairie Village, Kansas

Canadian reader Serge Duclos installs his slides (both pieces) before he even starts to build his drawers.

Gary Embrey uses a rotary tool to shave away cove waste instead of a coping saw.

Wrangling that Shop Snake

Here's how I tame the vacuum hose' that lives in my shop. All you need is bucket. Make a "U"-shaped bend near the nozzle end of the hose, and push it lo the bottom of the bucket. Now. turn the bucket while you feed the rest of the hose around the nozzle. You'll end up with a nicely coiled hose instead of a tripping hazard. 1 can fit two full lengths of hose into one bucket.

Daryl McAvoy Patclwgue, New York

Slides First, Drawers Second

Here's a trick that can save you headaches when installing slides: mount the hardware before you even build the drawers. With both pieces of each slide connected, measure between them lo determine the final sizes of your drawer parts. That way you can account for deviations in your cabinet's construction and gel perfectly fitting, smooth-sliding drawers every time.

Serge Duclos Delson, Quebec

anaconda" a five-gallon

Vacuum hoses in the shop can be a real tripping hazard.

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Homemade Wax String Screw Lube

Dabbing wax on the end of a screw will help il drive easily, but I find more wax gels squished out of the pilot hole than into it. Here's a way lo avoid the messy cleanup. I soak packing string in melted beeswax. Then, I cut a piece of the stiff string a little shorter than the screw length and drop it into the pilot hole before driving the screw. The wax stays right where it's needed, and the surrounding wood stays clean. I keep a batch of them near the bench so they're ready when I've got screws lo install.

Dick Ayers Barron, Wisconsin

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June 2009 Woodworker's Jou ma I