In the Workshop – Hints and Tips
- Sawing Aluminium
- When sawing aluminium, cut a piece of scrap steel at the same time. This helps to stop the blade clogging up.
- Finger Saver
- Use a small paint brush to clear cuttings when milling. It saves counting your fingers when you have finished.
- Junior Hacksaw
- Put the blade in the wrong way round, i.e. make it a pull saw. This stops the blade kinking.
- Marking Out
- A nail varnish bottle, washed out and filled with marking-out blue: a bottle with a built-in brush that stays soft.
- Chuck Keys
- Never leave chuck keys in the chucks, not even for a second. A second could be too late.
- Finding The Edge
- To find the edge of a job when milling, damp a strip of paper, stick it to the job face, and move the cutter up to it. When the paper moves, you are there.
- Angel’s Breath
- For trouble-free tapping, mix one part turpentine, two parts white spirit, and three parts olive oil. It works extremely well.
- Chuck Changing
- Clean both the counter bore of the chuck and the spindle nose register before fitting.
- Bowden Cables
- Before cutting Bowden cables, slightly untwist the area to be cut and fill with super glue. Leave for 10 minutes, then cut: no loose strands.
- Right First Time
- Measure twice, cut once.
- Another Finger Saver
- Never hold a job to drill it. Always clamp or bolt it to the table.
- Save The Shine
- When your model is finished and polished, paint it with clear nail varnish: no more polishing.
- Drilling Glass
- You can drill glass using a masonry drill. Use a slow speed and methylated spirit. Do not use hammer action, or centre-pop before you start.
- Storage Trays
- Use plastic seed trays, about 9” × 14” × 3”. They are ideal for drills, screwdrivers, small files, storing all those tins, etc.
- Protect That Valve
- To stop bits getting in the valve on your gas bottle, place an empty tin can over it.