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Tips & Techniques

Tips & Techniques is a collection of methods, tools, and jigs that our readers have devised to get things done on their own construction projects. Email photos and descriptions of your tips to us at [email protected]; post them with the #FineHomebuildingTips hashtag on Instagram; or upload them to FineHomebuilding.com/reader-tips for a chance to have them featured in an issue of Fine Homebuilding Magazine. Plus, we pay for any tips we publish.

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Clear Concrete Holes

A bulb-style syringe battery filler is an inexpensive and effective way to clear dust and debris from holes in concrete and masonry.
Tighten Loose Screws

A wooden chopstick makes a handy plug for a stripped-out screw hole.
Jab-Saw Stand-in

A sawblade and locking pliers make an improvised tool for cutting drywall.
Towel-Holder Tape Dispenser

A paper-towel holder conveniently stores a variety of construction tapes.
Temporary Trash Can

Rolled-up cardboard floor protection makes a handy trash-bag holder on the job site.
Quick Corner Radius

Use a Forstner bit to easily cut curved corners when mortising locksets.
How to Make Acute Cuts With a Miter Saw

One way to cut an angle beyond the capability of your compound miter saw is to use a 90-degree jig. Here’s how to make one.
How to Enlarge a Hole With a Hole Saw

Use this reader-submitted tip to safely align your drill with an existing hole that's larger than the pilot bit on your hole saw.
Cutting Narrow Strips of Drywall

Use an inexpensive plastic speed square to quickly and accurately score pieces without a chalkline or straightedge.
Cut Pipes From the Inside

When there are too many obstructions, a modified washer-head screw helps make cuts from a different angle.