Before you glue up wood for a project, examine the parts. If at all possible, start out with cleanly cut, perfectly straight boards of the proper thickness. Take out any bow or warp before you begin your gluing work. By using straight and true stock, you won’t have to force the boards in one direction or another, and you won’t have to get into tricky, complicated clamping set-ups.
Cross cuts are cuts the go against the woodgrain. Once you’ve properly measured and marked your piece of wood, guide the side of the handsaw blade with the knuckle of your thumb. Start the cut by pulling your hand saw up two or three times, then push the saw blade forward at about a 45 degree angle. It is preferable to begin your cuts on the side of the wood that will show less when the project is complete.
One problem in using older-style pegboard hooks is that they tend to pull out when the tools are removed. One way you can solve the problem is to insert them into the pegboard and use a hot glue gun to fasten them in place. In a minute or so the hooks will be fixed in place, although you will be able to wrestle them loose whenever you want to rearrange your tool storage. Another solution is to buy newer-style hooks that will lock in place with just the turn of a screwdriver.
When measuring, the old adage “measure twice and cut once” can be excellent advice. Pros, however, have their own variation; they usually only measure once, but then will read the measurement twice. They will mark the cut line, then cut the wood just so the saw kerf is touching the line.
When storing wood flooring and paneling, stacking the boards on stickers allows air space between rows and will help reduce shrinkage of wood joints.
Use a well-sharpened pencil to make cut marks for your shop projects. A blunt pencil, held vertical to the rule, will make a line too far away from the edge. Angle the pencil about 45 degrees to keep the line at the edge of the rule. For greater precision, make your cut marks with a utility knife using a sharp blade.
Always wait for a circular blade to completely stop before pulling from a cut. Otherwise it may bend or kickback.
As with screws, a little paraffin or beeswax will make driving certain nails, especially casing nails, much easier. If you are driving a cement-coated nail, always keep it going all the way once you start. Friction heats up the nail’s coating and if you stop midway it cools down and tries to glue the nail in place.
When you cut longer pieces, miter saws are best used with supports on both sides. One way is to cut in a drop-down section into a bench for the saw. Another is to build up raised supports on both sides of the saw on top of the bench. An upright along the back of the supports will let you use a stop block for repetitive cuts.
If you find irregular surfaces at the glue line in wood projects, the problem can be moisture levels. This can happen, for example, when one piece has a 15% moisture content, while those next to it are at 8%. If you glue and plane boards with unequal moisture, those with higher moisture will eventually shrink more than those with less moisture.
