Whenever you are gluing metal it’s a good idea to clean it first with steel wool or sandpaper. (Rust never sleeps.)
Glueing Metal
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Tips
Snow Damage
Wet snow that accumulates on tree and shrub branches can bend them over. Some may break and so must be removed. Bending damages the bark and cambium tissue, leading to cankers or death of the stem the following growing season.
Shrubs that would collapse under heavy snow loads can be protected or supported. To protect small shrubs, place crates or wooden frames over them in the fall. The crate or the slats on the frame will support some of the snow load. Taller shrubs can be wrapped with cord. Tie the cord to the base of a stem and then wind it around the shrub. The tied bundle of stems will help support one another.
Bring Outdoor Items In
If you have furniture and other outdoor equipment on your patio or deck, bring them inside when strong weather threatens. Don’t forget trash cans, grills, toys, and potted plants. Keep them from becoming flying objects that can cause additional injury or damage during storms with high winds.
Blade Check
If your wood gluing work is less than successful, check your blades. If the blade in your saw is getting dull, it can loosen (but not remove) a layer of fibers on the edges to be joined. Later, glue may not be able to penetrate through this debris to solid wood, resulting in weak joints. A signal that this may be the problem is if ruptured joints are coated with fibers.
Clamp Helper
When clamping long or wide panels with bar clamps, a dowel inserted crosswise between the jaws of the bar clamps and the wood will help center the pressure and keep it uniform. Use dowels about as thick as the thickness of the wood you are gluing up.
Drilling Debris
To get rid of drilling debris from holes you are making in masonry for anchors, use a section of small plastic tubing about 2 ft. long. By inserting one end of the hose into the hole and then blowing through the other end, you will be able to get rid of the drilling dust without getting any of it in your eyes.
Glue Temperature
The time needed to glue up wood in a cold workshop may be twice as long as in one at room temperature. Below certain levels, cold temperatures can weaken joint strength because the glue can’t form a continuous film as it dries. If too cold, the glue may not work at all. For yellow aliphatic glues the minimum temp is about 40 degrees F.; for white polyvinyl acetate glues it’s about 55.
Portable Tools
Use caster sets to keep your major tools, even workbenches, portable. Wheeled tools and benches will allow you more flexibility, and will let you reposition for specific jobs like ripping long lumber or for taking advantage of natural daylight.
Miter Support
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.
Parts Card
How often have you been at the store, knowing you should pick up a filter, humidifier pad, vacuum bag or plumbing part, but don’t remember the size or the part number? A solution is to make up a Òparts cardÓ the size of a business card to carry in your billfold. Write down the part numbers on it for all your home or equipment parts that need regular replacement, and add to it as needed.
