Woodworking can seem daunting because, as DIY enthusiast Jean Levasseur pointed out in Popular Science, it sometimes feels like it's as much about collecting tools as it is about creating something beautiful and functional.
But "tools" aren’t all expensive table saws and fancy router bits. In fact, according to Levasseur, many everyday household items can make your woodworking projects easier, cleaner, or faster, and there’s nothing more satisfying than figuring out how to solve a problem with completely unexpected solutions.
Keeping wood still while you work can be an annoying challenge—some projects are too small to clamp, and other times clamps get in the way. That's where rubber cabinet liners come in, providing a grippy surface that will keep wood in place for sanding or routing.
Simply lay the cabinet liner on your workbench, put the wood on top, and start working. Depending on how heavy the piece is, you may need to hold it in place with your forearm or free hand, but it should mostly remain stable. If the liner slides a bit, try wrapping it around a medium-sized scrap of plywood, around 20 by 12 inches, using staples to fasten it. This creates a secure surface you can then clamp down.
These liners are also a good cushion for near-finished pieces to rest on so they don’t get scratched.
Consistent spacing between elements is often the difference between a piece that looks good and one that feels off. This is especially noticeable on doors or drawer faces. Aesthetically, you usually want equal space on all sides.
Turns out, playing cards make excellent shims for this purpose, as they're thin enough that you can make minuscule adjustments by stacking cards until you get the exact spacing you want. Keeping an old deck on hand will make the precision we’re all looking for easier to achieve.
There's also a bonus: you will have something to play with while you're waiting for the glue to dry.
You can also make use of silicone baking utensils. They are perfect for spreading glue because nothing sticks to them. Cleanup is easy and fast: the glue wipes right off with a paper towel. If the glue has dried, flex the spatula back and forth a few times and the caked-on adhesive will crack and fall away.
Levasseur, for example, keeps several sizes on hand for gluing different widths of wood. They get in tight to the nooks and crannies of projects and spread the glue smoothly and evenly. Just make sure they don’t find a way back to the kitchen!
(Old IDs and credit cards are also great for spreading epoxy and wood putty, so don’t feel the need to buy a brand new set of spatulas just to slather them with glue.)
We all know that paper bags are good for storage. But they are surprisingly useful as a finishing tool for polyurethane.
Tear off a piece of the paper bag about as big as your hand, rub it over the final polyurethaned surface, and voila. The paper will knock down bumps, nubs, and brush marks without scratching the surface as sandpaper would. You're left with a perfectly smooth finish.
