All DIYers need to know these timeless tips and tricks

When I started woodworking, I thought hand screw clamps were old-fashioned school-shop tools, not something any modern woodworker would use. Boy, was I wrong. Sure, fast-action metal clamps are better for most jobs, but for anything out of the ordinary, reach for a couple of hand screws. Why? First, the jaws can clamp tapered parts or parts that aren’t parallel. And second, because they’re made from wood, you can cut them, drill them and screw stuff to them. Here’s just one example: This oval stool seat would be tough to clamp with standard clamps. But with hanger screws driven into a hand screw clamp, it’s easy. Drill a couple of holes into the seat, insert the hanger screws and squeeze the split seat together. Ken Collier, Editor in Chief

A woodworker’s vice is the best way to hold boards on edge. But a pair of hand screws works almost as well. Depending on how you set it up, you may want to insert strips of cardboard under the board to protect it from the hand screws’ sharp threads.

To bore a perfectly perpendicular hole, you need either a drill press or a couple of scraps of wood screwed together. The corner created by the scraps will steer the bit straight in every time. But if you’re looking for an excuse to buy a drill press, forget you ever saw this tip.

Simple T-blocks have endless uses. They support long boards, raise projects off your workbench so you can work more comfortably, prop up assemblies so you can slip clamps under them, make a drying rack for finishing projects – the list goes on and on. Build a few from scrap wood and you’ll find uses we haven’t even thought of.

An old hollow-core door isn’t landfill; it’s the perfect portable worktable. Set it on a couple of sawhorses and you’ve got a surface that’s flat and strong but lightweight and easy to store. — Hank Huff.

Check out these other super-simple workbenches you can build.

Cordless tools are the greatest advance in human history. Well, at least for some of us. But they’ve also brought charger chaos. We recommend herding all your chargers into one place and plugging them into a power strip. You’ll get organisation, surge protection and an instant way to switch them all off after the batteries are charged.

This old trick could save you hundreds of dropped screws over your DIY lifetime. Grab a magnet and rub it along the shaft of a screwdriver a dozen times or so. Rub in one direction only, kind of like sharpening a knife. In about 10 seconds, you’ll have a magnetic screwdriver. Repeat as needed. Add a magnetic strip to the workshop for an even better use of magnets.

A roller lays on paint fast, but a brush leaves a smoother finish. To get the best of both, roll on the paint then immediately brush it out. The quicker you get to the brushwork, the better. In warm, dry conditions, the paint will start to dry and lose its self-levelling ability in a minute or two.

Next, learn the best-kept secrets of professional painters.

A belt sander is a great tool for sending boards flying across your shop. If you don’t want that to happen, clamp a stop block to your workbench. A block of the same thickness as your board will also prevent the sander from tipping down and tapering the end of your workpiece.

When there’s no room for a hammer, sink the nail with a C-clamp. This trick works for plumbing and electrical straps, junction boxes and even joist hangers.

Learn everything you need to know about clamping here.