Handy Hand Tool Tricks in the Wood-Lover’s Workshop

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, having a useful set of work tricks up your sleeve may save you a trip down to Bunnings the day one of your measures go missing. In this quick article, we take a look at some of the construction/handyman tips the ClassicWorker Channel shares in this video:

3,4,5 Square Trick – Squaring corners with only a tape measure.

In this first example, we learn the 3,4,5 Square Trick. While it’s not the ideal way you’d want to go about squaring your corners, there’s no doubt this works when done right and a tape measure and pencil are all you have around.

How to do it:

• Hook onto one corner and measure out to 3 inches, feet or metres depending on your object size and mark it out.
• Hook onto the other side of your corner and measure out 4 inches, feet or metres (whatever is relative to your previous measurement) and mark it out.
• Now measure the distance between your two markings and if it is perfectly 5 (inches, feet or metres) then the object is squared.
• From here you can screw down a stiff back and make the corner solid.

Square Trick – Measuring whether your planes are parallel with frame squares

Again, while not the ideal way to do this, the Square Trick is a handy way to measure your planes are aligned, all you’ll need is a couple framing squares.

How to do it:

• Simply hold your framing squares parallel with each other, having one on each piece.
• If it’s not parallel, adjust accordingly and remeasure.

Using a Speed Square as an accurate level

The great part about this tip is ‘mother nature doesn’t lie!’ here’s an interesting way to use a speed square and string as a surprisingly accurate level.

How to do it:

• Lay your 45-degree leg on the side you want to check.
• Grab a plumb bob or a washer and piece of string.
• Hold the string through the pivot and if it passes the 45 mark the object is level.

Pro Tip: Using fishing line will make this more accurate and this method is best used for smaller planes less than 3ft.

Straightening Beams with string

Finally here’s another weird and genius trick: a way to straighten two beams of wood is to use a string tied around a couple screws!

How to do it:

• Put a screw or nail in the corner of the beam you’re straightening
• Do the same at the opposite end
• Pull your string across and tie onto the screws so there is no slack.
• From here you’ll be able to tell how far out the beam is.

That’s all the tips for now but be sure to check our Woodworking section for more great tips and tricks to help you in the workshop or out on the job. We hope this helps, and for some words of wisdom from the ClassicWork guy “Get creative with the things you come up with because you’ll amaze yourself with what you can do”.