Unfinished wood, woodcraft and more

The metal bar of a clamp can be strained by adhesive that drips during gluing operations. Dried glue can also interfere with the ratcheting action of some clamps. To eliminate the problem, use a hacksaw or band saw to cut a roll of wax paper into 2-inch-wide mini-roll. Then, each time you apply a clamp, tear off a strip pf paper to wrap over or under the bar. And then, different problem - similar solution:

I carve a lot of spoons. Most of the post-bandsaw shaping takes place with the work secured in my bench vise. However, sometimes I need more positioning  exibility. It turns out that a spreader bar clamp is just the thing. You can remove its reversible jaw in order to slip the bar through a standard  "-dia. dog hole. Replacing the jaw in its normal orientation— but below the benchtop—then creates a very e ective bench hold- down. It can be operated with one hand so I can quickly and easily reposition a workpiece as needed to  nish shaping and smoothing it. —Bob Poling, Parkersburg, West Virginia No-spin dowel sawing Most woodworkers know that crosscutting dowels on a miter saw can be dicey because the blade can grab the piece and spin it out of your hands. To prevent this, you can secure the piece in a sandpaper-lined wooden V-cradle, or temporarily a x self-adhesive sandpaper to your fence and table. However, I’ve found that the quickest approach is to simply...