5 Tips That Will Improve Efficiency In Your Woodworking Shop

Woodworking is one of the oldest professions in the world but, without a doubt, the techniques utilized to craft beautiful furniture, patios, decks and numerous other things have come a long way. Nowadays, there are numerous tools that simplify the job of contractors a great deal. However, it still takes years to master the practice of woodworking and you never really stop learning. The following guide will list a few simple tips pertaining to this – dare we say – art that could come in handy in terms of eliminating frustration and boosting productivity.

1. How to simplify screw drilling

Every now and then you will have utilize a particularly hard type of wood which the screws simply refuse to penetrate. Rather than strip (or break) the head of numerous screws in the process, you should first attempt to drill a ‘pilot hole’. Now, for exceptionally hard materials the diameter of this incision should be roughly half the one of the screw, whereas for medium hardness wood a quarter of the screw’s diameter should suffice. In the event that the pilot hole fails to produce results, lubricating the screw beforehand with soap or paraffin will allow it to protrude easier.

 

2. How to prevent screws from loosening over time

Rather than utilizing screws with a larger diameter to prevent the loosening in time, you should first try inserting a couple of toothpicks covered with adhesives into the hole. Another alternative – mainly useful in the worst case scenarios – comprises of introducing an adhesive enclosed dowel and drilling the original hole again.

3. How to remove a stubborn wedged screw

There are 4 ‘schools’ of thought when it comes to taking out jammed screws from their hole:

• Soaking the opening in chemicals like hydrogen peroxide that penetrate the texture and loosen the screw’s grip on the wood
• Forcing it out by screwing it inwards (tightening it) rather than upwards until the fastener escapes the blockage
• Applying heat (soldering irons or glue guns) or cold (dry ice) to make the screw expand or, respectively, contract and then reattempting to remove it
• Smashing the screw with the help of a punch and a hammer by hitting it directly in the head until it splits in half and the two pieces can be taken out

4. How to make a fastener permanent

First of all, you can choose non-removable fasteners, meaning screws that can only be tightened because the verso of their head was removed in order to prevent the tip of the screwdriver from interlocking with it or a screw with serrated teeth that don’t permit it to loosen from the initial position. Alternatively, but only in the event that you don’t have to retighten the fastener, stripping off the head voluntarily would ensure it can’t be taken out without breaking it. Lastly, squeezing a bit of epoxy resins into the pilot incision could also do the trick.

5. How to clean your workspace quickly

Turning a plastic container bag inside out, placing a medium strength magnet on the inside and running it across the table will allow you to collect all the metal parts and screw in no time. For a larger woodworking shop, it would also be feasible to invest in a magnet roller.