- Make customized wood filler
When working with specific types of wood, save some of the finest sawdust produced by your sanders. Mix a handful of the sawdust with ordinary woodworking adhesive until it becomes a thick paste, and then overfills the crack. Let it dry, then lightly sand. Note: cracks filled with adhesive-based filler will not accept stain in the same way that solid wood does.
- Instant wood filler
If you need some wood filler in a hurry for an emergency repair on an inexpensive piece of furniture, mix a couple of tablespoons of ready-mixed all-purpose filler with instant coffee until you achieve the desired shade of brown. Fill in the crack and smooth with a damp rag.
- Pluck some filler
An old guitar plectrum makes a great tool for applying small amounts of filler to fill nail holes and small cracks in wood. An easy solution with no strings attached!
- Soften wood filler
Acetone-based cellulose wood fillers are designed to dry quickly. If you notice that your acetone filler has started to solidify in the can, you can soften it by adding a little acetone nail polish remover. Stir in just enough to bring the filler to the right consistency or it will become too runny to use. Note: it is not possible to save filler that has already hardened.
- Get rid of glue with vinegar
Don’t despair when you get a hardened glob of adhesive on your woodwork. Cover it with a rag soaked in warm white vinegar then leave it overnight. The adhesive will slide off with ease in the morning. Vinegar will also soften old glued joints — and even that last bit of wood-working adhesive that’s hardening in the bottom of the bottle. Just add a few drops of vinegar to the bottle and let it sit for an hour or two. Shake well, drain the vinegar and repeat the process as necessary.
- The last straw for glue spills
Keep some plastic drinking straws nearby when working with wood; they come in handy when working with adhesives and lubricants. If you use too much wood adhesive along a seam, for instance, simply fold a straw in half and use the folded edge to scoop up the excess.
- Flip a stripped finish
Stop off in the kitchen before stripping a piece of furniture. The flat, flexible blade on an old plastic spatula is exactly what you need to scrape off used stripper. Hold the spatula by the blade in a reverse position and push it in a straight, steady motion to remove the old finish.
- Better ways to stain
Put old pairs of pantihose to work when staining furniture. Rolled-up pantihose or stockings make a great alternative to a cotton cloth or a rag. Not only do they drip less, but they also won’t leave any lint behind.
A spare paint roller also makes a terrific stain applicator. Cut a 22-cm roller into three equal pieces. Whether fixed to an applicator or held in your hand, a roller holds more stain than a brush and applies it more evenly than a rag.
- Stop stripper drips
The next time you need to strip a table or a chair, place the legs inside cleaned, empty soup or baked bean cans. The cans will catch the drips, which, besides keeping your work space cleaner, will allow you to re-use the stripper for a second coat.
- Baby oil the end grain
If you’d like to save a couple of dollars, don’t spend them on a proprietary sealer when finishing your next woodworking project.
Instead, seal the end grain with unscented baby oil. It will work just as well as the stuff that you can buy from a hardware shop. It keeps the colour uniform by preventing the end from soaking up too much stain.
- The easy way to sand around curves
Wrap a tennis ball in sandpaper and use it to sand curves when refinishing furniture. A tennis ball is just the right shape and size to fit comfortably in your hand.