Subscriber Submitted Woodworking Tips & Tricks - Episode 21

[@w4shep]

This is GOLD ... pure gold.

[@sambiscits6711]

I used to trick to separate the buckets, take my air nozzle, shoot a little air between the buckets, and work like magic.

[@benniedonald]

For the ones you don't need to put liquid in. Drill a hole in the bottom or drop a block of wood in the bottom.

[@timothyvanderschultzen9640]

What a great bunch of ideas! Thanks for passing them along, Colin!

[@svendkaffke5862]

a few tips of mine: -screw an old measuring tape on the front of your workbench. -for easier cleanup make a big hole at the end of the workbench, put a trashbin under there -if you use a really fine handsaw do yourself a favor and collect the sawdust in ziplockbags and mark the kind of wood on the bags. mix that with whatever filler you usually use.

[@kaig.-s.1040]

That tip with the measurement tape is gold! I just bought 5 small inexpensive rulers to glue them on different places wherever I need them. Screws, drills, etc. Everytime I go around I don't need to remember to take the calipers with me or forget them somewhere.

[@svendkaffke5862]

@@kaig.-s.1040 In addition to that might I also suggest to drill a few holes in your working area just big enough to put a nail in. I have mine in the distances 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm, 20 cm, 30cm, 40 cm and 50 cm just as a very rough reference in the middle of my bench and at the right side I have the same from the very edge measured in the opposite direction. That way if I just want to cut or mark a 30 cm piece I just put a nail in the 30cm hole, press the thing I want to cut at the nail. Take the saw, or marking knive, press it against the board and rip it along the piece from below. Easy 90degree angles if you align the piece with the front of your workbench and faster than measure and getting the speedsquare out. The nail holes widen up after a few uses so either use filler or hammer a small aluminium tube in there. While I'm at it. Marking knive and nail are held at the right side by 10x5mm round neodym magnets. You should get some. ducktape + magnet = tool holder. If you want to go all fancy and invisible just drill a hole, put the magnet in, get a stick of the appropriate size, press it in the hole with the magnet, and saw the rest off. just don't drill too deep.

[@1b1uster]

Sometimes the simplest tips are the best. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve struggled with separating the Home Depot buckets. Brilliant ... simply brilliant!

[@SMee67]

Brilliant tips there, fellas, cheers.👌🏽 Love the one with the speed square, haven't seen that one before either, thanks Timothy 👍🏽 Cheers for sharing those, Colin.😉

[@timhunt7830]

Np 👍

[@MikeZMonroe]

Zip lock bags - so many uses. I separated my decades old photos using zip lock bags. Sorted by category put into boxes as you do.

[@dtwistrewind7361]

For extra cleaning of the shop vac filter cut a small hole in the bucket lid and attach a rod to the filter pop it up through the lid then shut the lid and attach your drill to the rod and spin at high speed, you want to wait a minute before opening the lid but you will be amazed at how clean the filter comes out.

[@michelecrown2426]

The speed square tip is so simple but effective! I have lots of buckets. I cut up little lengths of garden hose, make a slit and slip three of them over the top lip of the bucket. I can then stack a bunch of them without them getting stuck.

[@TigrisUr]

Just a quick one for the speed square. If, for some reason, the sides are not parallel, either because you didn't cut it precisely, or because you need a piece at an angle, you still can find the middle. Draw a reference line on _both_ sides and then draw the diagonals from the endpoint of the reference line that is on the speed square. If you do it twice on the piece and connect the midpoints, you'll get the midline.

[@joee1085]

Thanks! Used the nail stand. Tried 3 nails. Also tried 4 nails. Three was flat but unstable. 4 was stable, but not so flat, even with same depth of holes, because: the underlying 2x4 was not flat. Adjusted the nails with friction fit, and made a 4-nail level that held the workpiece perfect! Using it right now. Works great!

[@JamesBiggar]

Wax the tooth picks, store them in a safe place so it doesn't have to be done every time. Wax will repel the finish and you won't have to use nails and deal with rust transfer (that's what I used to use for standoffs too)

[@jonlanier_]

I use golf tees and peg board.

[@libertarian1637]

Toothpicks along with tongue depressors are must haves in a shop as they can be used as filler material, mixing aids, marking sticks, spacers, temporary or even permanent shimming materials. I usually keep some toothpicks in an old medicine bottle as they work great to fix loose nails and screws if you come across them in a repair. You can also use the speed square angle side by just angling it until you reach a number easily divisible by 2 then just marking the middle; you can do this with any measuring instrument. Say an odd width board just angle your tape measure until an even number is on the edge, say 10, the center will be at 5.

[@doughaber3330]

You are one of the best out there! My tip is for those that cut wood outside on a table saw or mitere saw. I keep a battery leaf blower near by so I can clear my work surface after each cut. All tools are on rolling carts and this works great outside!!!

[@rosshodge333]

I'm a little dubious on the putting the dirty filter in the bucket and shaking it around. Probably a great way to spread the dirt to the other side of the pleats.

[@JM-sz4oi]

Love labeled zip-lock bags for spare keys. For boards with parallel sides, use a diagonally positioned ruler to find the center or divide it into equal width pieces.

[@wolfman75]

Great Tips!!! Thank You All!!!! 👍😎

[@tedpuckett2779]

Either toothpicks or nails that ones pretty neat. Thanks for sharing.

[@hassanal-mosawi4235]

Thanks for sharing those tips!

[@PowerScissor]

World's smallest overflow boxes! If you're a packrat like me, and always think screws will be useful in the future...your overflow boxes become the biggest boxes in the shop.

[@lxoxrxexnx]

Excellent set of tips. I especially like using a bucket with cover to shake the dust out of a filter!

[@consequence8836]

Why do I now feel like my life wont be complete without a Canadian maple leaf home depot bucket?

[@harleywood9588]

I really like this channel. Always learn something

[@colinimmelman6435]

Great tips. Thx for sharing.

[@barrycarlson5265]

Really enjoy your videos, Colin. You've gotten better as time goes on. More smiles and a level of enthusiasm in your voice! Also have enjoyed reading your reader's tips and tricks. New to woodworking @ age 71 so anything that saves time and makes sense is great. Wow, nearly 600,000 subscribers...congratulations my friend!

[@stephenschell4329]

Great tips as always. I always watch your tips.

[@roncrandall]

Instead of using finishing nails for standoffs, use thin brass rod. It won't rust. Thought I'd throw that in there.

[@j.w.m.rhynejr9766]

Awesome info for us bush bunnies!!!

[@kmcd6140]

Bucket trick -- Assuming it's just 2-4 buckets, turn them over an pick them up by the outer pail. Move your hands back and forth to oscillate the stack, with a bit of pressure, depending on the stiffness of the pails. A few seconds of this, and you should see them sliding apart. This breaks up simple bonds and those "heat swell welds" you might see here in Southern California. This technique works on a variety of items and materials. I first learned it working with waxed paper cups at county fairs and such. The heat would melt the wax enough to bind the sleeves of cups. I got to where I could do this very fast and it rarely fails. I have applied it to many materials, since. For paint buckets and such, you may need to give it a nice bump to pop the glue. I can attest to the water and air methods, too. After all, the main opponent is usually differential pressure.

[@profcah]

The speed square trick is awesome. If you did it on two ends you could saw the board exactly in half. Love it!

[@profcah]

@@HawkeyePierce1981 damn! I always forget that. Thanks for the reminder!

[@Stevus1]

Not sure if you’ve shown this one but for filling holes in wood that have been stripped out, I use toothpicks to fill it. Cut fush and you’ve got more wood to screw into. For best results start the hole with wood glue before packing it with the toothpicks.

[@glennryzebol4472]

My wife actually taught me that tip lol. Since then i started drilling the hole bigger and glue a piece of dowel in there

[@jordanlawson6132]

This is actually my secret weapon for fixing any hole in wood that’s wallered out. Door hinge holes, door strike plate holes when adjusting, cabinet door holes, drawer slide holes, fixing old furniture. There’s sooo many uses with this trick and customers love you. “That’s been stripped out for 15 years and you fixed it in 5!!” Also matchsticks break off heads and also grab some chopsticks next time your at Chinese place. They work good for larger diameter.

[@chrisnorton2837]

I've been using old plastic grocery store bags, like bread or produce bags, as throw away gloves when I am working with stuff that I don't want on my hands or shirt cuffs. They're not durable, but they are good enough, free, and it's a form of recycling, which I like to promote.

[@jerrybobteasdale]

Sometimes golf tees make handy, uniform stand-offs. Having a bunch of wooden tongue depressors and/or popsicle sticks are handy for similar uses.

[@timstanton6431]

Thanks all for the tips!

[@catspaw3815]

Thanks, Colin!

[@ben.kussmann]

2:14 "I'm not going to it here" Proceeds to do it anyway. LOL. Have my subscription sir, I love your vids!

[@Funibert-Fox]

Great channel.

[@chuckuu9294]

You always come up with great tips. Thanks

[@cobberpete1]

I will try the bucket filter tip tomorrow. Also love the speed square centre finder

[@kenmark1443]

Another way to seperate pails ... Instead of water I use compressed air. At a low pressure. Works great and no mess to clean up.

[@amirhouseingholinia2023]

I loved the first and last tips, others were great as well. Thanks for sharing

[@Knate1104]

Finding the center with a speed square. I’m embarrassed to admit how many times I’m fumbling around aligning a steel rule with the edge of a board while my speed square is just hanging there…brilliant tip

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic tips, Colin! Thanks a lot! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@frackedlithium1722]

0:37 idk where those homer buckets are from. Are they from lowes? 🤔😉

[@br1ckbr3ak3r]

Why is your channel so useful?

[@eddiestipe2009]

Some great ideas I am going to use. Thanks

[@RonKapchinsky]

Colin, I had not idea you where Canadian until I saw the Home depot bucket with the maple lea an then the dead give away, Home Hardware.

[@andylevine4018]

The Bucket separation tip using water is OK but I make it even easier by keeping a scrap piece of 2x4 in the bucket that is just long enough to keep the upper bucket high enough so that it doesn't get stuck at all. I need to try the bucket with a lid for cleaning the shop VAC filter. Currently I take it outside and use a stick, or shop vac wand, and bang the stick around inside the filter, then on the bottom. Make sure to wear a dust mask and stand up wind. Then I attach a hose to the exhaust port of the shop vac and blow out the residual fine dust as much as possible. Important - do this outside when there is a breeze or wind, and wear the dust mask.

[@neilrobertgrayson]

Ziplock bags are great. The only thing I have found is for sharp items they do puncture. My solution was get on the well known auction site and look for heavier polythene zip locks. They are there and relatively cheap. Wll my nails of all size are in them. I do admit that I also keep screw boxes because they tend now to come in thin bags so having old cardboard screwboxes which stack is usefull.

[@jaayjones5937]

spray your toothpicks with lacquer, it drys in seconds and stops transfer or dip in polyurethane the day ahead of finishing or put a drop of ca glue on them, one of these will stop transfer of finish.

[@penjon]

I've found the speed square trick for finding the center of a board doesn't work as well with rounded corners (as in construction lumber), at least not as-is, since you can't really make a sharp corner using the square and the horizontal pencil line. But perhaps clamping another board or straight edge instead of drawing a line would give the right alignment without much effort.

[@timhunt7830]

What if u use the straight reference line and then line that up with the straight edge or ur square Then Mark ur diagonal line. Flip the square and again line up the straight line with the straight edge of the square. This is actually how I meant for it to be done when I shared it with Colin but things are hard to explain in email sometimes. Even with the help of pictures. And he does a good job of understanding everyone else’s way of thinking and showing us their tip.

[@timhunt7830]

So lay your square down, mark the straight line and then with out moving anything go ahead and mark the diagonal line. Then flip it and line up the straight edge with the straight line then mark second diagonal line.

[@billj5645]

I've been using the ziplock bags for a long time. You can subdivide your misc. hardware however you want and just add more bags.

[@khajmi]

1 i always use it before i put my wood inside the thickneser or planner. i use a small magnet on the wood piece and tilt it little bit if the magnet stop that's mean there are some metal objects like screw or nail of course i have to remove it otherwise it will damage the planner's blades

[@dc85337]

NAILS - Will almost always leave dents because they are hard and wood is soft. Even toothpicks have sharp points to dent wood. Blunt tips are much better. Trade-off is dents or waiting a bit for the finish to partially set so that marks don't show. Triangle placement of nails is good, except when it isn't. Even a little pressure on a corner will cause the wood to tip. Sharp points underneath - then as the board slaps back down, voila, holes from the nails.

[@benjoe999]

hey! I use cheap medicine organiser for my tiny screws and bolts and stuff. They have 2x7 days on them and both has different colors. so I do like the screws ascending from monday to sunday. it is good if I separating them,and I can put a label on them later :) I can even pair the bolts on the other sides storage.

[@benjoe999]

I also use microwaveable plastic food containers. cheap and has separation.

[@معراجرینا-ر7ل]

Beautiful

[@wakenmake924]

❤️ from india 🙏

[@timmothycopeland4866]

on the ziplock bags: I have an extensive Lego collection and sorting is a huge pain because it's seemingly endless. Occasionally, I'll have a one-of-a-kind piece that is too small to dedicate it's own bin or compartment and ziplocks are much too big for storage of a single piece. So I've started using my bag sealer (for food stuff in the kitchen) to make smaller bags. A new seam on the bottom and one side wherever needed and voila! Presto! Custom ziplock bag.

[@hjboots]

Colin about the filters on the shop vacs i found a Nasa space engineer that shows how to eliminate the high cost of buying filters. The site is ( Engineer's Home Workshop ) i hope you have a chance to visit this site i have used his method for years and it works. Good luck.

[@michaelpharao7746]

Hi :-) i have a little tip too, its more for repair a deep mark on wood. i foud out that there is a easy way to repair it by taking somme Window putty mix it up wit shellak gold or bronze collor there are different type gold antuiqe gold gold leafe metallic gold, but by mixing it you can easy! get so close to the patina on the dammaged wood instead of buying and learning to use wax or pens. it saves a lot of time and works perfect, just sand it light after it has dryed. thank you for great videos, best regards from Denmark

[@svendkaffke5862]

if it's just dented you can also restore the woods original form with hot water or steam. Get some wet cloth put it on the dented area, heat up some water in a pot, put the pot on the wet cloth. More Hot water = more heat over longer period of time. Check if the cloth is still wet once in a while. Need to be a bit careful with wood that has any kind of laquer or paint on it, but raw wood is easy to fix this way.

[@Billy-in7rl]

The speed square to o find centre of a board after drawing a line from side to side then placing the speed square to the horizontal line must be so accurate otherwise your line will not cross in the centre

[@jonlanier_]

Where do you send in the tips?

[@Rodbuilder109]

When you stack them together put a piece of cardboard at an angle just bigger then the gap between the pales for long term storage.

[@AbdicateDotNet]

For the toothpick fix, put nail polish on the tip that'll touch the wood. It creates a barrier between the woods.

[@Naomi_Boyd]

Toothpicks are also handy if you need a small dowel. Just clip the ends off. They tend to be slightly under 1/8" though, so that's a _bit_ annoying.

[@fredsasse9973]

Find the center of a board using only a straight edge. Let's say a board is 5.75" wide. Lay a straight edge at a slight angle across the face of the board so that the zero mark is even with one edge and the 6" mark is even with the other edge. The 3" mark (one half of 6) of the straight edge is now exactly at the center of the board.

[@Aaron.308]

Does no one take the shop vac filter off and blow it down outside with a battery leaf blower?

[@keithhaycraft3765]

You might look at using galvanised nails to prevent or reduce rust transfer.

[@joemorales6639]

I screw a piece of wood maybe 1"x2" just under where the handle enters the bucket so the buckets don't fully seat into each other.

[@profpriv]

Surely the best way to clean a blocked vacuum filter is to use another vacuum to clean the filter....

[@The_Joker_]

Use a potato on your visor for anti fog.

[@glennryzebol4472]

With respect, that shop vac filter is still a long way from clean. All the fine dust is still in there. I take mine out side and put the vac hose on the exhaust port on the vaccum and, with the reducer attached, blow out all that very fine dust.

[@vinced2514]

I use air from my shop compressor to clean air filters outdoors as well. Learned to do this many years ago from my father to get extra miles out of automotive air filters (before emission checks were the norm). I also have a old Filter Queen canister vacuum cleaner that I use for my shop vacuum. When I empty it, I use compressed air to clean the same paper filter that's been in it for decades!

[@donazzopardi8747]

Plastic dental toothpicks will work instead of wood picks and nails.

[@bigray2859]

I throw an old pice of wood or something in each bucket before adding another. They don't stick together

Top tips video, hope to do similar on my new youtube channel Tommy from Ireland 🇮🇪

[@passenger3]

Hi Colin

[@barryirby8609]

I use scraps of various sizes and shoot pins or nails through from one side. Some have three pins, but some have many many, close together so you can sit things of almost any size, even tiny on them. Toothpicks are too fragile.

[@christinaarchambault4527]

You’re so cute, you always look like you’re about to crack a joke but you don’t or said something funny but you didn’t then you do a little laugh and get serious again but with this gentle look on your face.

[@emostorm7]

That some close observation and a detailed description😊

[@theduftmeister]

surely the easiest way to find the centre line is one line to the nearest round number, and then divide by 2. So if measuring side to side gives you a line of say, 2.87" long, change the angle of your line a couple of degrees so that 0 is at one side of the lumber, and 3" is on the other side. You then just mark at the 1.5" mark on your ruler. That is your centre mark and this saves having to draw multiple lines on your workpiece.. Edit. - The roofers square is still a good method though

[@ot9180]

Are zhe tips and tricks restricted a religion or names that are easy to pronounce?

[@InchFab]

*Fewer

[@Dandelion-32]

Terrible idea with the vacuum filter. It is filled up with microdust - so small you can not even see it. This is the worst kind of sawdust for your health. You want to swap the filter - not to empty it back into your room (and lungs).