SOAPY THREADS
If you are trying to thread a screw into a plywood or hardwood block—for example, for a landing-gear strap—it is often hard to thread the screw into place without wearing out the screw head. The best way to make the screw go into the tight-fitting hole is to apply some bar soap to the threads. The soap lubricates the threads and makes the job much easier. It also helps when it is time to remove the screw.
MAGNETIC SCREWDRIVER
High-powered magnets are available everywhere, from online to most home-improvement stores. They are strong and compact, and if you attach one to a metal screwdriver, you’ve just made a magnetic screwdriver that will hold a screw in place. This makes feeding the screw into place in your airplane (like for servo mounts) a piece of cake. As an added bonus, they make it easy to pick up loose screws, pins, and nuts on the workbench.
PAINT DRIPS
An easy way to avoid messy paint drips around the workshop is to take a rubber band and slip it over the paint can as shown. You can now dip in the brush and wipe the excess paint off the bristles by pulling them over the rubber band, which is stretched over the can’s opening. This tip is great for all brush-on paints, including dope and epoxy paints.
THINK SMALL
When you are custom-mixing paints, such as when you are trying to match a camouflage color, think in small amounts. By mixing up small batches using glass jars and measuring cups, you can fine-tune your mixtures without wasting too much paint. If you get it wrong, you throw out an ounce at a time, not pints or quarts. When you do get the ratios correct, write them down and then you can multiply the ratios to mix larger quantities.
