7 Woodworking Tips & Tricks You Really Should Know | Evening Woodworker

Here are 7 woodworking tips, tricks, and hacks that I use regularly in my shop to get things done faster and more efficiently. If you're cutting tapers, duplicating curved shapes, or trying to eliminate tearout, this video will give you some great tips that you can use in your woodworking.

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I am an engineer by day and a woodworker by night... usually after the kids are in bed and before the neighbors call the cops!

I have a passion for building things out of wood and all things woodworking. I am always looking for new projects that look fun and challenging. My woodworking inspiration comes from my kids, my wife, and the forests around my house. I consider myself a serious hobbyist and I hope you can learn something and get inspired from the projects and mistakes that I make. I will also show you how I organize and work in my small shop in 1 bay of my garage. I will share videos of my past, current, and future woodworking projects with the goal of getting you out in the shop making sawdust!

#woodworking #tips&tricks #shophack

[JR-xpyr]

My tip that I don't really see people do:

I think one of the best things you can do is get a whiteboard/dry erase board in your shop. Just being able to have a quick and easy, reusable writing surface, dedicated spot, not having to look for paper or pencils or anything. Just jot down your notes or measurements, do the math real quick on the board, write some of the measurements down and so on. You can glance over at it and double check a measurement as you set the fence. Very convenient

[wobblyarrowsignworks]

But spending 15 mins trying to find where I put down my tape measure is the best part of my day! 😎

[niccolealdrich]

Blue tape also comes in handy to hold the end of your tape measure for longer distance when you don't have an extra hand to help hold it in place.

[Mr.GucciClassA]

In my shop I just spend the entire time cleaning and reorganizing everything over and over again. Then, I don’t have to actually build anything, but.. you can say: “honey I was “busy” in the shop..” 😉
Great tips!!! 👍🏽

[robertwhite]

My two favs,
Tip #1- I have a composite material shim hanging down from the ceiling above my table saw. I use whipper sniper line to hang it because it’ll recoil and pull itself back up out of my way after using it. I use the shim when cutting hardwood with tensioned grain that pinches the blade, (closes the kerf/pinched kerf). When this starts to happen I just pull down my shim hanging above me, place it in the kerf and safely finish my cut. Once the cuts complete the whipper sniper line recoils and clears the shim. As a guy who cuts only hardwood and many exotics, this idea has saved me a lot of agro and who knows? Possibly even an injury?
Tip#2- it’s an easy “blue tape” trick I use when building something I want to stain. Prior to shooting any brad nails, place blue tape there first, then shoot the brad nails in, this leaves just a perfect brad size whole in the blue tape that way when you apply your wood filler, the filler only goes in the brads recess and NOT smeared into a large area of the grain which is a nightmare because wood filler just won’t take stain exactly the same as clean wood.
Hope these help someone.

[brucestewart]

You get to the point without any wasted words or time, great job, thank you!

[jventerprises]

A tip from my small shop is put everything on shop wheels. I don't have enough space to dedicate a location for each and every tool. This way I can push them about and make room for the one I'm using.

[piper]

Perfect trick for me as I need to make a small ramp base for my husband’s wheelchair so he can get up one step onto our path to the porch. Thanks!

[danschultz]

A couple of things about tape measures. Don’t let the tape snap back into the housing like on the video. It wears out the hook and makes it less accurate for measurements. Also use the same tape measure for an entire building project. There is differences in accuracy in tape measures.

[mburke]

Many of you may know this blue-tape trick: For template routing, or using a router trim bit, you can attach two work pieces together by putting blue tape on each piece, then using CA glue on one side and accelerator on the other. Hold them together for a second, then they are ready for your routing operation. When completed, use a putty knife slipped between the two pieces to separate them. It works great!

[stephaniegalvan]

Love the taper jig! Simple, straightforward, repeatable, cheap, and doesn’t take up valuable garage space.

[FieldGuidetoDIY]

Thanks so much for sharing these tips. My favorite was the use of blue painters tape to get thin stock cuts all uniform (like your sanding disk shelving). Keep these great ideas coming. Thanks again.

[Cecil_X]

I am in my 60's and have been woodworking for decades. I made my first sled this winter.
I screw an wood auxiliary fence to my miter gauge. This has worked as good as a sled. I can clamp to it. I provides zero clearance to prevent tear-out, and is easily replaced.
When I buy a tape measure, the first thing I do is remove that annoying clip. I wear a belt with pockets (though less bulky than a carpenters belt) and I wear Carhartt cargo pants. This gives me quick access to my tools.

[davidolson]

I sincerely enjoyed every tip in your video. And very much appreciated how you get to the point of something concisely and quickly. Thank you.

[dennisjohansen]

That tape measure trick literally blew my mind. It's so simple that you feel stupid for not already thinking of it. These were great tips. Thanks!

[mikebrown]

I appreciate it you getting to the point “how to do things” a lot easier without sending me to a store to buy items that I won’t use! I also appreciate you sharing your ideas and passion with all of us, that’s why I gave your video a like and subscribed to your channel.

[davidarmstrong]

Excellent tips and tricks well presented.
And great to see another blue tape disciple! I always have a roll in my tool bag 👍 it's like the long nose pliers or the pry bar - infinitely useful.

[billparrish]

That long rip jig idea is something I will definitely be using, and not just for the longer tapered rips! I've been meaning to put a handle and surface-mount clamps on a board to cut tapers, with the jig rubbing the rip fence. And may yet do so when I have enough of them to cut to justify making and storing the jig. But at my current level of need to cut tapers, this trick is all I'm gonna use for a while! Thanks very much!

[zfolwick]

The crosscut sled was the first thing I made for my table saw. It has been a major time and space saver. I am absolutely going to try that tape measure trick

[lucyscottwalker]

Brilliant! That first tip for cutting tapers, so simple yet earth shattering. I've got a couple homemade jigs for cutting tapers and they are unwieldy and pretty much guess work getting the angles. This is a much, much better idea. Thanks for that and all the tips.