Genius Hack of the Century

[cputnam]

My vote goes to Derek's Blue Tape Trick

With failing vision, the increased contrast makes it much easier to the cut line, especially in dark woods. Works equally well for power and hand. Ut's tough to cut to the line when you cannot see the line.

[Derek Cohen]

Thank you Curt. You are very kind ... but ever so biased!


Regards from Perth

Derek

[Philip1231]

There is a nice video from the Highland Woodworker showing Mike Pekovich demonstrating the blue tape trick: its starts at 16:55 on this video link.

Highland Woodworker Video: Mike Pekovich Blue Tape Trick

[Handplanesandmore]

Mike also uses the blue tape trick in mortising. By the way, the video also shows how clever the Barron alignment jig is as Mike tries to explain his two-part "crutch."

Simon

[Derek Cohen]

As petty as this feels to me, I feel obliged to comment, since Mike Pekovich states in the video that he came up with the blue tape tip. He "discovered" this method 2 years after I had posted it on my website and on a number of forums, including here. I did email him after his FWW article, since it would have been polite for him to mention that the method was not "new", and he gave me some gumph about having posted it in videos before. I tracked back every video he made, and the earliest was 2 years after my own article. Just for the record.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Handplanesandmore]

By the time I came to know about this painter's tape trick, both you and Mike have been seen using it. But I agree you started your blog before Mike was known in the social media. Of course, this isn't to suggest that he copied or stole anyone's work (as it is not uncommon the same solution can be found by different people around the same time (esp in the science field)).

There should be little argument, however, that the trick was first shared by you.

Simon

[Derek Cohen]

By the time I came to know about this painter's tape trick, both you and Mike have been seen using it. But I agree you started your blog before Mike was known in the social media. Of course, this isn't to suggest that he copied or stole anyone's work (as it is not uncommon the same solution can be found by different people around the same time (esp in the science field)).

There should be little argument, however, that the trick was first shared by you.

Simon

And I should add, that it is highly likely that there were others that used this method in the years before I did. I do not claim that I invented it, just that I wrote about it. History seems to be re-written by the last person to describe a technique. 

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Rob Young]

The so-called "Barron alignment board" is also not particularly new. While Dave's board is dovetailed together (he sells his dovetail cutting guides after all), the right-angle boards with a lip gizmo has appeared in print going back at least to the 1960's and doubtless further back if I cared to take the time to look. Quite positive I've seen it in Robert Wearing's books as well as "the Practical Woodworker" series (pretty sure that's 1920's but I don't have books at hand to check).

p.s. Quick check of the PDF copy of "The Solution At Hand" which is a collection of articles R.W. wrote over the years, the dovetailed version does appear in there. But I don't see the "lip" along the edge.

[Handplanesandmore]

p.s.  the dovetailed version does appear in there. But I don't see the "lip" along the edge.

I mentioned about Wearing's aid in another thread. There, I called Barron's an improved version of Wearing's as the lip is essential.

I didn't recall seeing the jig in Practical Woodworker. Please share the page # if you found it.

Simon

[daddo]

I remember we used masking tape back in the early 70's to write a mark where the pencils or pens wouldn't. I was teenager then working for an old Dutch carpenter. Boy was he a grouchy old drinker- but a picky carpenter.