Threaded inserts for hard and soft wood. Know the difference and learn how to install them quick and easy.

Threaded inserts have many uses both in final projects and in the workshop.

In the workshop, threaded inserts are great for adjustable jigs, sleds and templates. If you have a jig that needs to be adjusted for different sizes or fine tuning parts, a threaded insert can be the key to accurate and easy adjustments.

Having a threaded knob that extends through a jig brace to adjust a pivoting guide makes for easy adjustments and if  used for miter joints, you can fine tune the guide to cut perfect tight joints.

Another great place to use threaded inserts is to make assembly easy and/or tight and ridged. Unassembly is also possible without breaking glue joints or damage.

Our threaded inserts come in both metric and standard sizes for both hard and soft wood. Watch the video below to see just how easy they are to install and use.

No nail sawtooth hangers. Hard vs soft wood. How to know the difference and how to install them.

One of our most popular products are our no nail saw tooth hangers. They are easy to use and install, save time, and are cost effective.

Whether it’s a photo frame or wall hanging, you can use a no nail sawtooth hanger if the project being used on isn’t too heavy and is thick enough to pound the hanger into.

The main difference between no nail hangers is hardwood vs soft wood style. It is easy to tell them apart. The hardwood hangers have a yellow/gold finish and the soft wood hangers are silver.

Watch this short video to see how easy they are to use and install.

Clock Inserts / Fit-Ups vs Movements…how are they different and how to install / use them

We have another blog post that tries to explain the difference between clock inserts, also called fit-ups and movements that tries to explain why they are so difficult to order the right ones. Fit-ups are the most difficult because the way they are sized is based on the bezel size, but people tend to size them by the size hole you drill to install them in.

Now, we have made a short video to help explain the differences, how they are sized, and how to install them.

As always, if you have questions, call or email and we will help you to pick the clock part that is right for your project.

Sanding pads, better and easier to use than regular sand paper

New wood item problems for China

China has taken over most of the wood items used in woodworking such as finials, wheels, axles, pegs and other turned items. Now China is having wood problems. Their trees to be harvested is running low so the China government is limiting the wood use. So in return they are now importing wood from the USA and Canada to meet their needs. So having to import wood, they are raising the prices on the wood items. So this makes what few USA companies making these items look better. Hopefully we can get our supplies to be made here again.

Extra cutting speed on Scroll Saw Blade

A trick to make a scroll saw blade cut faster and easier is to put a small bend in the blade. First be aware that this will weaken the blade and it will break faster, but it does make cutting faster. It also helps on cutting very hard wood. Make a small bend to the right and then bend it back so the ends are straight up and down. You only need about 1/16 of a bend. If you have dull blades laying around they make a great practice blade.

I found this trick by having a blade bend on me and rather than throw it out, I tried to straighten it. I was not doing anything special and was not able to get the cutting area back to perfectly straight. I put it back in anyway and it really was like cutting softwood.

Once you get on to the bend and straightening, you can cut and not even know the bent blade was used on the finished piece.

Pre-Treat Your Paintbrushes Before Use for Easier Clean Up

To help speed up brush cleanup dip the brush in the correct solvent up to the top of the bristles before use. This will help draw solvent deep into the brush and make cleanup a little easier at the end of the project.

The “correct solvent” depends on the finish you plan to use. The directions on the can should provide more details. As a general rule use water for water based finishes. Oil based finishes such as oil-based paint, polyurethane, and varnish, should be dipped in mineral spirits. Lacquer thinner should be used with lacquer and alcohol with shellac.

Formula II Creme Brush Cleaner

Make clean up even easier and make you brushes last longer with J.W. Etc. Brush Cleaner.

J.W. etc. Formula II Creme Brush Cleaner is an effective cleaner for both oil and acrylic paint. It can even remove paint stains from clothes!

Formula II revitalizes old brushes (natural or synthetic) and restores the fine chisel. It is non-petroleum based and is non-toxic with a fresh aroma. The cleaner contains lanolin and is safe and kind to your hands. Dirty brushes can be dressed in Formula II and placed in a plastic bag for clean-up later. Repeated use will not harm your finest brushes.

Easy to use. First clean with soap and water to remove most of the paint or stain. Then work Formula II into the bristles to remove all traces of paint or stain.

No Lint Finishing Tip

When you apply a wipe-on finish with a regular cotton cloth it can leave little bits of fuzz in the finish.

To prevent this, take an old pair of nylon tights and roll them up into a ball. The nylon holds lots of finish and applies it without leaving any lint behind. It really works great!

Don’t forget to try our J.W. Etc. Craftsman’s Blend Water Based Wood Stain and Sealer. Available in colors here.

A quick tip for fixing miter joints with No Wood Putty!

If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of discovering that “little gap” on the outside of your miter joint, you’ll appreciate this quick tip.

Woodworkers often try to hide these gaps with wood putties or other fillers, but there’s a faster and easier way to solve this problem.

If the gap is small, you can use the edge of a screwdriver to subtly round over the corners. The corners will close in and mask the gap. The effect is very subtle but effective.

Clogged Forstner Bits

If you have ever wandered around your local hardware/woodworking store, you have probably noticed a wide array of forstner bits available. One thing I’ve noticed through the years is that some of the bits tend to clog with wood chips more than others do, especially in the larger sizes. This is annoying because you have to stop the drill and clean out the bit.

When I started comparing the bits, I discovered that the “mouth” of the bits weren’t all the same. On the bits that clogged, the sides of the mouth were nearly parallel. On the other bits, the mouth tapered out toward the top to eject the chips cleanly.

In order to create more room for the chips, I modified bits that clogged by “opening” up the mouth. To do this, file or grind back the top edges of the opening, see drawings.

There’s one thing to watch out for. Just be sure you don’t file or grind any of the cutting edges of the bit.