Best "simple" tip

[prov163]

What is the best tip someone gave you that is simple and indispensable?

Mine is to put beeswax on screw threads before driving the screw. I can't remember where I read it or saw it, maybe Marc. Anyway, I bought some beeswax form the recommended maker figuring if I didn't like the tip I could always melt it down and make a candle. So simple but I won't drive a screw without beeswax anymore. 

So, if that worked out, I'll bet there are some gems in this forum that others of us never considered. Let's hear 'em. 

[lewisc]

Use an ink roller for glue ups. Once I tried one of those, there was no going back. It only took me 5 years to try one out - I wish I'd done it sooner.

[wtnhighlander]

Marking with a knife. Accuracy improvement was incredible.

[RichardA]

Love your fingers.

[Gilgaron]

Measure parts directly off of each other instead of using a rule or tape. 

[legenddc]

If you unplug your tools a lot get some 1 ft extension cords. That way if the prongs get damaged you just have to swap the extension cord, not rewire the tool.

[Gnarlywoodguy]

Perfection is the enemy of good enough

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JakeL]

Glad somebody brought this up.

I have a couple of questions for a beginner.

1.  When do you know when sandpaper should be swapped out?  On my ROS I usually look for the edges starting to tear, is that too soon, too late?

2. I have the same respirator as Marc, when do you know when to replace those filters?  I have the pink particle filters and the ones for fumes, I have used both for a while now, just don't know when it is time to swap those out for new ones.

To add to the simple tip, my tip is to not burp into your respirator after a beer, learned that one the hard way.

Thanks,

Jake

[Eric.]

Use wet wipes instead of regular TP.

[BonPacific]

16 minutes ago, JakeL said:

2. I have the same respirator as Marc, when do you know when to replace those filters?  I have the pink particle filters and the ones for fumes, I have used both for a while now, just don't know when it is time to swap those out for new ones.

On the physical cartridges, I replace mine when I notice the effort to breath through them has increased. I replace the organic filters once I can smell anything coming through them, or after a few months (store in a sealed container between uses).

I recently switched to the extended-use grey pads (#2297), and I have to say they are a lot nicer. More expensive, but the breathing effort is less, and they last a long time.

[CandorLush]

38 minutes ago, BonPacific said:

On the physical cartridges, I replace mine when I notice the effort to breath through them has increased. I replace the organic filters once I can smell anything coming through them, or after a few months (store in a sealed container between uses).

I recently switched to the extended-use grey pads (#2297), and I have to say they are a lot nicer. More expensive, but the breathing effort is less, and they last a long time.

I started with the grey pads and love them, I recently was in a bind and got the pink ones and it was a rude awakening. I will be using the 2297 from here on out

[Rex Edgar]

2 hours ago, Eric. said:

Use wet wipes instead of regular TP.

I thought you were an 80 grit man!

[drzaius]

2 hours ago, JakeL said:

To add to the simple tip, my tip is to not burp into your respirator after a beer, learned that one the hard way.

Or a bowl of Cheerios. Who'd a thought?

[woodbutcher74]

Once you start a project use the same measuring tools all the way through. All tape measures are not created equal. 

[bbaude]

On the tip for the brown paper bag, you can also use cardboard pieces (without ink).

[drzaius]

I've never found the brown paper trick to really do it for me. Maybe I'm doing wrong.

[Eric.]

18 minutes ago, drzaius said:

I've never found the brown paper trick to really do it for me. Maybe I'm doing wrong.

Didn't work for me either.  And honestly it felt dirty and weird rubbing a paper bag on my beautiful finish anyway.  Platin pads for the win.

[bleedinblue]

53 minutes ago, drzaius said:

I've never found the brown paper trick to really do it for me. Maybe I'm doing wrong.

Me either.

As far as a tip?  Mount a pencil sharpener somewhere in the shop.  It's so dumb, but before I made that big $7 investment, I was constantly sharpening pencils with a knife and the tips were never as sharp as they needed to be.

[Merlau]

learning to use a hand plane instead of sand paper first, one swipe takes more than a lot of elbow grease and does it better. also i will offer one out here that i came up with but someone may have wrote down somewhere, when gluing face frames down to a large case by your self use 12 penny finish nails to hold it up and position it final, just pull them out as you get to the end like a laminate counter top.

[Unknown craftsman]

Keep mouth closed when your snaking out your sewer pipe.

Aj

[estesbubba]

Before gluing up panels, clamp each end and put a thin coat of paste wax down each seam. Squeeze out pops right off and I've never had any problems when finishing. 

[wdwerker]

Swap those wipes for the brown paper bag ! Then you can polish while you wipe !

[bleedinblue]

1 hour ago, estesbubba said:

Before gluing up panels, clamp each end and put a thin coat of paste wax down each seam. Squeeze out pops right off and I've never had any problems when finishing. 

Whoa.  I'm gonna try this for sure. 

[Ronn W]

Join this Forum.

[gee-dub]

So many simple things you can do to improve your consistency of work. I'll second Ronn W's post just before this one and try to help add some value.

Using a square for drawing lines from a mark.

• Place your pencil on the mark and slide the square up to it.

Mill your parts true, be it square or otherwise.

• Using clamps to force parts together means something is wrong unless your Michael Fortune

Get all your measuring tools to agree; this only requires that you are willing to toss the ones that don't.

• The myth of using the same tape measure for the whole job to assure accuracy is too wide spread.  If you think about it for a moment; a measuring device that is off 1/32" over 18" will mean three 6" pieces will not be the same as one 18" piece measured off of the same flawed device.

Plans are (read in a Capt. Barbosa voice) "more what you call guidelines".

• As another mentioned, measuring off your existing work as you go forward will yield better results than makign all the parts to plan and then expecting them to go together perfectly.

Et cetera, et cetera, so many et cetera's.