- Clamps from the car
If you have an old set of jump leads just lying around collecting dust, cut off the battery clips and use them in your workshop. They make excellent spring clamps and can accommodate objects up to 40mm thick.
You could also use a car hose clamp (Jubilee clip) to secure a cracked wooden leg or spindle while you re-glue it. Just be sure to put a piece of cloth between the clamp and the wood so that you don’t risk gouging the surface.
- Pour on the pressure
It’s almost impossible to clamp irregularly shaped items and fragile objects when gluing them back together, but there’s an easy way to provide adequate pressure. Fill a small plastic bag with sand to weigh down repairs on small, fragile items so it shapes itself to the item being glued, without undue pressure.
- True grit
To extend the life of sanding belts and get the most use out of each sheet of sandpaper, back them with strips of gaffer tape. The tape will prevent the paper from tearing and take some of the stress off the belts. Write down the grit size of the paper and the direction of the belt on the tape using a permanent marker.
- Resizing sandpaper
Many sanding jobs require the use of sandpaper in odd shapes or sizes. Here are a few household items you can use to get the job done:
- Pencils and pencil erasers
- Section of garden hose
- A wood block secured to a sponge mop holder (for walls and ceilings)