Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-5, страница 10

Tricks of the Trade

Corks, Nuts and Magnets in the Shop

Arbor Nut Saver

The dust port on my contractor's saw is below the blade arbor, and more than once I've dropped the arbor nut down inside the hole when changing blades. It was really frustrating until I devised a simple fix: I place a piece of stiff wire hard-cloth over the dust port before I remove the nut. The edges are covered with duct tape to protect my hands. When it's in place, the nut has nowhere to hide! Once it's threaded back on the arbor, I pull out the wire "trap" and store it with my blade-changing wrenches.

Serge Duclos Delson, Quebec

Wedge-style Bench Vise

If your workbench doesn't have a vise, here's a simple jig that can take its place for holding workpieces on-edge. Start with a piece of 3/4" scrap MDF or plywood, measuring 14" x 36". Crosscut it into two 18"-long pieces. Use one for the jig's base. Rip a 2"-wide strip off the other piece, and glue and screw it along the edge of the base to create a fixed fence. Take the remaining rectangle and rip it diagonally, a couple of inches in from the opposite corners, to form two matching trapezoidal "wedges." Tip your saw blade to 30° when making this diagonal bevel cut. Now attach the trapezoid with the outward-facing beveled edge to the opposite edge of the base. To use the jig, clamp it to your bench. Set a workpiece against the narrow fence and tap the loose

wedge against the fixed one to

The more this reader sanded his wine bottle cork, the cleaner the disc became!

lock things in place. To unclamp, just tap the other end of the wedge to release it.

Michael Gaule Carriere, Mississippi

Wine Cork Cleans Abrasives

Cleaning residue off your sanding discs, belts or drums will extend their useful lives, but you don't have to buy a cleaning stick to do it. A synthetic or natural wine cork does the job for free. I discovered this trick by accident while sanding down a cork for a project. The more I worked on it, the cleaner my sanding disc became.

Travis Poruchny White House, Tennessee

This nut-catcher takes the stress out of blade changing.

Magnet Helps a Tight Squeeze

Recently, while assembling my new band saw, I needed to install four sets of washers, lock washers and nuts up inside the base where I couldn't see or reach them easily. The task seemed difficult until a quarter-sized rare-earth magnet came to my rescue. I put it on the head of each bolt to magnetize it. That way, the washers and nut clung to it, which made their installation a cinch.

Jim Westbrooks Canal Fulton, Ohio

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October 2009 Woodivorker's Journal