Shop Tips

These knobs are made by cutting a circle out of a square blank but then using the scraps, connecting them with two sticks in the middle that are joined with a simple lap joint.

To quickly clear jams in a shop vac hose, use an electrician’s wire-fishing tape, which is often sold as “fish tape." After a few pokes with the end of the tape, the clog will fall out of the hose.

To prevent a mattress from sliding around on a platform bed, mix a nonskid additive into some of the finish used on the bed and apply it to the platform with a roller.