# Hints and Tips



## woodchucker (Sep 29, 2021)

Noticed there was no hints and tips section... For some simple tips
If I misplaced this please move it.

I made this years ago.. I hate it when I have a full can, or just can't hit the mark from a gallon can. Many of the new cans are plastic tops, so this won't work. But I transfer stuff to the old cans using a funnel so I can continue to use this. Also it seems that Acetone still comes in a metal top.

I poked a hole in the top, silver soldered a copper piece on and now have a nice pour spout. I still put the spout up top when pouring, so the air gets in. But I never miss my mark.  Used a piece of gasket material and some silicone to attach the casket to the bottom.. used to use cork but it would expand and contract.. and fall out.


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## Ed ke6bnl (Sep 29, 2021)

How do you seal the can?


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## woodchucker (Sep 29, 2021)

Ed ke6bnl said:


> How do you seal the can?


I use a regular top. I transfer that from container to container. acetone, mineral spirits/paint thinner, alcohol.
it doesn't seal, so it's only a pour spout.


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## woodchucker (Oct 8, 2021)

Use your indicator holders to help you glue broken things.
I received this trophy years ago, my son loved it when he was a kid and played with it and broke it. I glued it back, it broke again. I drilled and put a music wire , then glued it, he broke it again.  Well he's almost 30 now.. no need to worry about him breaking it.
They don't make trophies like this anymore... it's a cast metal... most all are plastic, or high end cups.

Anyway, I was getting annoyed at moving the pieces, you know they sit around and you keep moving them from one place to the next, always in the way..

So previously I had no way to really hold the parts... until I realized yes I do...
Noga, or any old indicator to the rescue.


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## RJSakowski (Oct 8, 2021)

Don't throw away the old torn belts from your portable belt sanders. The backing is waterproof and the belt can be use for wet sanding to remove rust.  They hold up better than wet or dry sandpaper.  If the belt split the long way due to running into a nail, the split belt is still useful.  Turn it inside out and use it for sanding cylindrical pieces.


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## woodchucker (Nov 2, 2021)

you know those political signs. 
They make great work boards to keep your bench clean from heavily greasy, dirty crap.
They make great pallets for mixing epoxy and jb weld.
They make great panels for surface grinder dust shields..

they are also available from septic companies, other purposes.
just clean them with simple green and use.. or don't clean them.

I've got like 30 or more signs at a crossroads just waiting to be picked.. do they really think people see these when they put that many together...


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## FOMOGO (Nov 2, 2021)

"Don't step on Superman's cape, Don't spit into the wind, don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger". Mike


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## Janderso (Nov 2, 2021)

woodchucker said:


> Noticed there was no hints and tips section... For some simple tips
> If I misplaced this please move it.
> 
> I made this years ago.. I hate it when I have a full can, or just can't hit the mark from a gallon can. Many of the new cans are plastic tops, so this won't work. But I transfer stuff to the old cans using a funnel so I can continue to use this. Also it seems that Acetone still comes in a metal top.
> ...


Denatured alcohol, we can't buy it in California??
I like your copper spout.


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## woodchucker (Nov 2, 2021)

Janderso said:


> Denatured alcohol, we can't buy it in California??
> I like your copper spout.


what, you can't buy it in CA?????
What did they determine is wrong with denatured alcohol? It's alcohol with a poison to make it pass the ATF taxes by.
WHAT


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## woodchucker (Nov 2, 2021)

FOMOGO said:


> "Don't step on Superman's cape, Don't spit into the wind, don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger". Mike


I don't get how that relates to the political signs.
can't stand the intersections right now, every major intersection around here is packed with stupid signs...


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## FOMOGO (Nov 2, 2021)

It doesn't, just hints & tips. Mike



woodchucker said:


> I don't get how that relates to the political signs.
> can't stand the intersections right now, every major intersection around here is packed with stupid signs...


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## FOMOGO (Nov 2, 2021)

It doesn't, just hints & tips. Mike



woodchucker said:


> I don't get how that relates to the political signs.
> can't stand the intersections right now, every major intersection around here is packed with stupid signs...


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## extropic (Nov 2, 2021)

LOL. You're too funny for the room.


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## RJSakowski (Nov 2, 2021)

I save the plastic covers from the large cans of coffee.  They work great for mixing epoxy.


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## RJSakowski (Nov 2, 2021)

For years, I have been looking for a solution to urethane varnish skinning over once the can is operned.  I like to buy a gallon at a time as it is half the price per oz. compared to buying quarts.  From what I have observed, the culprit is oxygen from the air space once the can is partially emptied. I have tried various solutions like replacing the used urethane with marbles or filling the space with argon, or propane but they don't seem to work over the long haul.

The solution that works well for me is this.  When I open a fresh can, I decant part of the can into a 2 qt. mason jar, filling it nearly to the top and sealing it with a fresh lid.  For the remainder of the urethane, I decant into appropriate smaller jars and seal, leaving just enough to complete the task at hand.  

For short term intermittent use as in applying multiple coats, I wrap the brush tightly in polyethylene or Saran wrap and toss it in the freezer.  I also place my jar of urethane in the freezer.  The low temperature slows down the chemical reaction that causes the polimerization.  To use, let them come up to room temperature and you're good to go.


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## Manual Mac (Nov 2, 2021)

Couple yrs ago I yanked all the political signs down from a corner by my house. Did it a couple times.
And I do have a political preference, but to be fair I yanked ‘em all down.
Haven’t done it lately, could be dangerous.


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## woodchucker (Nov 2, 2021)

RJSakowski said:


> I save the plastic covers from the large cans of coffee.  They work great for mixing epoxy.


done that too.   Also take milk containers cut them apart for small mixing pallets.   when the epoxy dries I can pop it off and reuse it again.
the tops for large cans of coffee make a great way of wiping the epoxy off if you use a spreader and are trying to remove the epoxy after letting it soak in... Carbon fiber work, fiberglass, etc... sometimes you want to remove it for a nice smooth finish and minimal sanding. the top allows you to remove the epoxy ...

great hint... thanks, I agree.


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## Just for fun (Nov 2, 2021)

Manual Mac said:


> Couple yrs ago I yanked all the political signs down from a corner by my house. Did it a couple times.
> And I do have a political preference, but to be fair I yanked ‘em all down.
> Haven’t done it lately, could be dangerous.


Next time,  proceed under the cover of darkness!    

What are they made out of?


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## Manual Mac (Nov 2, 2021)

Yes, walked up late at night.
In dark clothing.
Most of them were stiff paper or sandwich foam material.
I ended up using the wire frames to hold up my dahlias.
To be clear, I’m not advocating this irresponsible behavior.
But it is very liberating.


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## Gaffer (Nov 3, 2021)

Just for fun said:


> Next time,  proceed under the cover of darkness!
> 
> What are they made out of?


I believe he is referring to fluted polypropylene. They are also popular for T signs for sponsors at golf tournaments.


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## 682bear (Nov 3, 2021)

woodchucker said:


> you know those political signs.
> They make great work boards to keep your bench clean from heavily greasy, dirty crap.
> They make great pallets for mixing epoxy and jb weld.
> They make great panels for surface grinder dust shields..
> ...



They also make great boards to tape pellet rifle targets to... or .22 targets, if you have a suitable backstop.

-Bear


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## cwadej (Nov 6, 2021)

682bear said:


> They also make great boards to tape pellet rifle targets to... or .22 targets, if you have a suitable backstop.
> 
> -Bear



Do you need a suitable backstop with a pellet rifle?


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## 682bear (Nov 6, 2021)

cwadej said:


> Do you need a suitable backstop with a pellet rifle?



Yes

-Bear


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## woodchucker (Nov 29, 2021)

Was about to throw away a bunch of old cotton socks.. I was thinking what can I do with them. Asking here was going to be a clown show...
But I finally figured out what to do with them.
These are black cotton socks, I used to wear at work, going out.. they are like athletic socks just black. The elastic dried out and they crack when you pull on them. I use white socks for polishing, and car detailing. 

But black... hmmm... I can use them for filters for my surface grinder. I had to make my own coolant system. I use a baffle to keep the fluid clean. But now I can use the socks as well to capture most of the effluent before it even gets to the baffle.  Just gotta build a way to tie them on. probably just use some pvc and put a connector in to act as a ledge to catch a zip tie or something.


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## jwmay (Nov 30, 2021)

woodchucker said:


> you know those political signs.
> They make great work boards to keep your bench clean from heavily greasy, dirty crap.


So it's YOU that keeps stealing my Bush/Quayle '92 signs!  Lol


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## matthewsx (Nov 30, 2021)

jwmay said:


> So it's YOU that keeps stealing my Bush/Quayle '92 signs!  Lol


Believe it or not, stealing political signs is a crime.

Don’t think anyone cares after Election Day but when I ran, I collected my signs promptly.

John


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## homebrewed (Nov 30, 2021)

I have a large collection of old 4x5 black and white polaroid photos I accumulated when I was working.  Of no use to me now except for mixing small amounts of epoxy, but they work very well for that.  I use the smooth backs, not the emulsion side.

I have three or four old interior doors I use for temporary work benches.  Set one up on a couple of sawhorses and I have a large flat surface for repairing furniture etc.  I got one out just yesterday to work on the glass sun roof panel from my '96 VW Golf (to replace the old gasket).  Being hollow-core they aren't up to heavy duty use but they're light and easy to set up.  With a plastic cover they make painting/varnishing jobs easy.  For one job we set up two end-to-end and used them to varnish some long baseboard pieces.


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## Janderso (Nov 30, 2021)

jwmay said:


> So it's YOU that keeps stealing my Bush/Quayle '92 signs! Lol


Was it Dan Quayle that got Potatoe wrong?


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## jwmay (Nov 30, 2021)

Janderso said:


> Was it Dan Quayle that got Potatoe wrong?


I was about 14 years old in 92. But according to the internet, he did. The plot thickens though. He was referencing a flash card prepared by a teacher! It was sabotage!! Ha!


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## Janderso (Dec 1, 2021)

jwmay said:


> I was about 14 years old in 92. But according to the internet, he did. The plot thickens though. He was referencing a flash card prepared by a teacher! It was sabotage!! Ha!


I was 35,
We all knew at the time it was a set up.


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## Manual Mac (Dec 1, 2021)

And speaking of VP’s, Dick Cavett once pointed out that if you re-arrange the letters in Richard Nixon’s (first) VP, Spiro Agnew, you can spell grow a penis.


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## homebrewed (Dec 2, 2021)

Manual Mac said:


> And speaking of VP’s, Dick Cavett once pointed out that if you re-arrange the letters in Richard Nixon’s (first) VP, Spiro Agnew, you can spell grow a penis.


Isn't he the one who coined the immortal phrase "nattering nabobs of negativism"?  No wonder he was booted out of the VP-ship .

Interesting timing, for some reason I was thinking of that phrase just the other day.


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## woodchucker (Dec 7, 2021)

SHIMS:
save a few soda cans, beer cans, whatever clean them out, cut them up with a scissor. Just cut the top and bottom so you have a nice clean middle section. flatten it out and put it under something to keep it from curling up... you now have some nice shim material.

I keep brass shim material too, but use aluminum where I can.  you can use lacquer thinner to remove any coatings if they exist..
see post 49 in this thread too.


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## savarin (Dec 9, 2021)

a couple of layers of allfoil round a shaft to make a tighter fit in a chuck.
Example
I have two small tap holders and need to tap some 3mm threads and some 2mm threads
The smallest one is too small for the 3mm tap but too big for the 2mm tap. 3 wraps of all foil and clamp up very tight and it holds sufficient to use and cut the thread (in aluminium)


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## woodchucker (Dec 19, 2021)

New tip:
Was changing the oil on my wife's RAV4, she says the brakes are squealing, so I pop the tire off, check the pads, got a few weeks before it's serious. 

I figured I check the discs to see whether I need to replace the discs.  I'm oily, so I take my caliper, take a measurement, and zero it, so I can get it later, that way I don't have to keep it locked, and it's not a hazard with the depth rod sticking out.  It's an absolute caliper, so it will keep the reading..

Just thought it's a good way to store the measurement for later..
Most probably knew it already, but some may not have thought of it.


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## woodchucker (Dec 22, 2021)

This is for the newbies who may not have had a lot of mechanical experience. The people that are old hands already know this.

*STRIPPED ALLEN head..*

I was reminded that many may not know this, I had a stripped out head on an allen set screw. This works on all types of allens, and even torx...
Take a hammer and keep hitting the top, it will usually restore the shape to the point that you can remove the screw and replace it.
Yesterday I had a deep set screw that I needed to remove. It was stripped. I put a long punch down, and did this, I was able to back the screw out.
Now I need to find a metric replacement.  Sometimes you can keep doing this if you need to put it back in service, and get a screw later. Often, it's a good idea to replace it as possible.


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## woodchucker (Dec 30, 2021)

Cover open motors with fiberglass screen, or even fiberglass heating filters.
When I rebuilt my SB 9, The motor seemed like an obvious place for chips.. after all when I took the motor apart it was full of chips and crud.
I took some fiberglass screen and made a quick fix... it's kept it clean of swarf.  The other day I noticed my rotary converter had chips sitting in the opening.. rinse and repeat.




Hey someone cut up my ****ty old screen


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## woodchucker (Dec 30, 2021)

Being the end of the year 12/30 today.
I do machine maintenance today and for the next few days. Today was lathe and grinder. Tomorrow mill , and start on my many woodworking machines.

I change oils, lube things that get less attention, clean areas that don't normally get cleaned... check belts

The physical new year is a good reminder for me to do those things.  You won't believe how many times I have found a set screw backing out, or something worn that I wasn't aware of . I think my tablesaw requires the most work... I pull out all the dust and lube the trunion with a teflon lube And check things.

Just saying.


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## jwmelvin (Jan 1, 2022)

Tip: be deliberate about the tip used for ball oilers. 

I’ve used Goldenrod oilers since getting my first machine tool a few years back. Worked okay, a little fussy depending on the size of the ball oiler I was addressing. I bought a bunch of tools from an estate sale and yesterday decided I could use another oiler so I grabbed one from the stash. Well, it turns out to have a tip on it that works magnificently better with ball oilers. I didn’t know what I was missing. The rigid tube is good for starters, and the tip actually seats in the oiler (of both sizes on my lathe). 

I had heard about this before and meant to make one for my oiler, but for some reason didn’t realize how much of a difference it would make.


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## RJSakowski (Jan 20, 2022)

On a post on another thread, I was lamenting the fact that I didn't have a proper method of storing my excess drills.  I don't have enough to justify the expense of drill bit dispenser(s) let alone the space to put them.  However, lumping them all together isn't the answer either as sorting through them ti find the one you need consumes a lot of time.

My criteria for storage is that the cost is minimal,  storage is compact, and that sorting is relatively easy.  The solution that I came was storage pouches sorted by hundredths  of an inch.  I have a "Seal a Meal" that works well for making small plastic bags.  I also have pieces of 6 mil polyethylene sheet left over from various projects.   The sheet is folded lengthwise with one half slightly longer than the other and pouches about an inch wide are made using the Seal a Meal.  Once the drills are loaded, the whole affair can be rolled up into a compact roll for storage.


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## woodchucker (Jan 20, 2022)

RJSakowski said:


> On a post on another thread, I was lamenting the fact that I didn't have a proper method of storing my excess drills.  I don't have enough to justify the expense of drill bit dispenser(s) let alone the space to put them.  However, lumping them all together isn't the answer either as sorting through them ti find the one you need consumes a lot of time.
> 
> My criteria for storage is that the cost is minimal,  storage is compact, and that sorting is relatively easy.  The solution that I came was storage pouches sorted by hundredths  of an inch.  I have a "Seal a Meal" that works well for making small plastic bags.  I also have pieces of 6 mil polyethylene sheet left over from various projects.   The sheet is folded lengthwise with one half slightly longer than the other and pouches about an inch wide are made using the Seal a Meal.  Once the drills are loaded, the whole affair can be rolled up into a compact roll for storage.
> 
> ...


I bought a sealer (not seal a meal) but professional sealer at a garage sale, and started doing the same with excess stuff. I agree it's great. Keeps the rust out and makes it easy to identify for later.


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## extropic (Jan 20, 2022)

@RJSakowski 

WOW!  The "Seal-a-Meal" storage tip hit me right on the nose (figuratively speaking).   

Now to buy a Seal-a-Meal.


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## matthewsx (Jan 20, 2022)

RJSakowski said:


> On a post on another thread, I was lamenting the fact that I didn't have a proper method of storing my excess drills.  I don't have enough to justify the expense of drill bit dispenser(s) let alone the space to put them.  However, lumping them all together isn't the answer either as sorting through them ti find the one you need consumes a lot of time.
> 
> My criteria for storage is that the cost is minimal,  storage is compact, and that sorting is relatively easy.  The solution that I came was storage pouches sorted by hundredths  of an inch.  I have a "Seal a Meal" that works well for making small plastic bags.  I also have pieces of 6 mil polyethylene sheet left over from various projects.   The sheet is folded lengthwise with one half slightly longer than the other and pouches about an inch wide are made using the Seal a Meal.  Once the drills are loaded, the whole affair can be rolled up into a compact roll for storage.
> 
> ...


Did you try vacuum sealing?


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## tjb (Jan 20, 2022)

Another similar thread ran about a year ago titled, 'Tricks of the Trade'.  I'd be inclined to want to keep posting on this 'Hints and Tips' thread instead of that one.  But there were some great suggestions on that one, as well:









						Tricks of the Trade
					

A 6 in. scale makes a good sweat squeegee on a hot day. (Thanks Fred)




					www.hobby-machinist.com
				




Regards


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## RJSakowski (Jan 20, 2022)

I have "Seal a Meal" but actually prefer a brand called "Pak 'n Save" as it has a timer.  It used to have a vacuum pump but I removed it because, for it's intended purpose, it wasn't possible to properly clean it. (I used it for packaging fish and venison and it would get rank very quickly.)


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## RJSakowski (Jan 20, 2022)

Upset because you just knocked some teeth from your barely used band saw blade?  It can live on....as hack saw blades. 

I cut them into appropriate lengths with tin snips and drill a .156" hole in one end.  Then I use a #6 screw and an old hack saw blade as a guide and drill the second hole.  Round the ends if you wish or leave them square.


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## Bi11Hudson (Jan 23, 2022)

A week or two back, someone had posted a beef about a shoe polish sized tin, I think it was for a blueing paste. Trouble opening it. . .  It didn't ring a bell at the time. I had a similar problem with the acid flux for soft soldering brass. I do mostly electrical work where acid flux is a "NO-NO". On hand are several brands of rosin flux and many grades of solder with a core of rosin flux. The end result being that I don't use the acid flux very often and just didn't think about it. 

Reading an old PM Shop Notes book (1946-47), I ran across a solution offered for that very problem. They recommended a square block of wood tacked to the lid. My version is a little more "elegant", using a circle cut out of 1X4 with a hole saw and hot glued to the flux tin. I suppose small nails would work. Acid flux is rather corrosive and doesn't get used very often. I was afraid the nail holes would corrode so used hot glue. The nails probably would work better for mild components like blueing.


Along those lines, a couple of other ideas that I would pass along; 

A dual purpose tap: Most of my taps are "plug" taps, I very seldom need a bottoming tap. Cutting a plug tap and cleaning up the end provides a bottoming tap. A 2 or 4 flute works best, but it can be done on a 3 flute. Cutting a groove in each end and building a driver with a tang like a screwdriver to drive the tap either way. A quick and dirty way to tap a blind hole.

From the same books, when working brass, there is usually a squealing and the cutter tends to dig in. They recommended using, of all things, *condensed milk* to lubricate the work. Supposedly, it stops the squealing and gives a much smoother cut. I haven't tried it yet so have no comment.

Then there is the notion of my own that a small surface grinder could be built from a shaper. Mine is small, an Atlas S-7, so large work couldn't be done. Mounting a grinding wheel to the ram would be simple enough. With fore and aft movement as well as sideways, a simple grinder could be built. I don't do large work and cleaning up some angle blocks got me to thinking how to grind a few of them back true if they needed it. This was the quick and dirty answer I came up with.

.


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## woodchucker (Apr 27, 2022)

Just saw this in my WWJ email feed. Seems like many of you have these and they would hold both 1/2 and 3/8 end mills easily. Just separate the end mills so they don't hit each other.








						Perfect Bit Storage - Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To
					

Used ammunition holders can be repurposed into router bit organizers for 1/2, 3/8 and 1/4 inch shank bits. Reader's tip.




					www.woodworkersjournal.com
				





Plastic gun cartridge divider trays make excellent router bit holders. I use them both to store my bits and to keep similar bit styles or sets together. I find .45 caliber holders are perfect for storing 1/2″-shank bits; .38 caliber carriers are just right for 3/8″ shanks, and .22 caliber sizes work well for holding 1/4″ bits.

– Frank C. Manley
Broadview Heights, Ohio


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## woodchucker (May 13, 2022)

Need to shim something. I use feeler gauges, brass, aluminum sheets...
But woodworkers generally keep playing cards for shims.  They work even for machinists too.
Every once in a while I buy something that has a plastic card that the product is mounted to such was the case years ago for a Werner ladder. I kept it for shim stock.

It all depends on what your needs are perm/temp/machining.  Also gasket material is good for shimming.

also: see post #33 in this thread.


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## woodchucker (Jun 3, 2022)

Dog tags (dog license tags) make nice pads for your clamps to prevent damage. I keep mine, I never put them on my dogs until recently.


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## woodchucker (Jun 3, 2022)

Oh man you have to see this. A very cool way of making a mandrel to tighten parts on.
So simple, WOW...  it's the first 2 minutes of the video .
Only problem is the video is 360p, I can't understand why it's not hd..




Steve's an amazing tool and die maker. His grinding videos have helped me quite a bit.


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## Janderso (Jun 3, 2022)

jwmay said:


> I was about 14 years old in 92. But according to the internet, he did. The plot thickens though. He was referencing a flash card prepared by a teacher! It was sabotage!! Ha!


Of course it was.
Or, sometimes people make mistakes


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## vtcnc (Jun 4, 2022)

woodchucker said:


> Oh man you have to see this. A very cool way of making a mandrel to tighten parts on.
> So simple, WOW...  it's the first 2 minutes of the video .
> Only problem is the video is 360p, I can't understand why it's not hd..
> 
> ...


50 millionths out. Yeah, that should be good.


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## woodchucker (Jun 4, 2022)

vtcnc said:


> 50 millionths out. Yeah, that should be good.


um, did you like the split washer to hold the part to the mandrel???


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## vtcnc (Jun 4, 2022)

woodchucker said:


> um, did you like the split washer to hold the part to the mandrel???


Yeah, that is a pretty clever solution. It's like an expanding mandrel but in two pieces.


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