I admit it, I'm cheap.

But, more than that, it's a long way to town and I might not find what I'm looking for anyway.

What use do you other frugal woodworkers make of everyday items. For instance. I use cut up pop cans for shims. If that isn't enough, I have a chain of old Formica samples that work.

My digital calipers have been retired...at least for gauging  thickness out of the planer. Now I use open end wrenches. For odd height and spacing of router bits, I use drill bits. That's when my keyway stock isn't sufficient. Got a bunch of keyway shorts from a machinist's cutoff bin. $5.00 and sizes from 1/8 through 3/4 by 1/6ths. Sure beats those brass bars for price and utility.

Got tired of paying big bucks for ceramic band saw guides, so I made my own from oak. Soaked them in used motor oil and they work great.

A few sptrizes of 409 or Simple Green and my saw blades and router bits look like new.

Recently, I decided I'd had enough of cleaning up behind my SCMS so I built a dust catcher. Dollar store $4.00 large plastic storage container on it's side. 4" Toilet Flange through the side (now the bottom). Lockable sliding sleeve attached to the back (the orig. bottom). 2X3 post fits in the sleeve. 45* cutoffs for feet. Attach the DC hose to the toilet flange. Total cost.....about $10.00 and some scrap wood and all thread. 
Works like a charm.

Now, don't get me wrong. When it comes to tools and safety, I don't scrimp.

I'm sure there are a lot of you guys and gals that resist opening your wallets or purses and have lots of frugal tips to share. So, how about it?

 

 

 

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

Great ideas Gene! I try to save where I can. I have a junk drawer where I keep all the odds and ends of hardware that accumulate in my garage and I go there first before going to the store. I use plastic milk cartons cut up for glue spreaders. I wash out acid brushes when used for glue.

How about those cheap wood and foam plaster finishing trowels (I think that's what they are) used for pushers on the jointer?

 

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Gene
'The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.' G. K. Chesterton

I don't call it cheap. I call it being inventive and creative. I have always done that too. When working on a project and I need a special tool, I make one if I can.  I save all of my exotic wood scraps and glue them together. I have turned many things that have a beautiful and unusual pattern in them, out of those sometimes very small pieces. 

 

I made a round pizza cutter board and had the four corners left. I put them together with a few pieces of scrap purple hart and came up with something very nice.

I've been collecting newly used skids from work and recycling the runners.

the oak will be used for step stools, and shop cabinets. I usually can get 5-6/4 clear square stock out of them

the maple I plan to use for a bench top. these will stay full depth with the nails in the underside. I should wind up with a 3" thick bench top.

the unuseable sections go to heat the shop

the nice part is these skids contained food grade packaging and are only used to transport it 1 tie for a distance less than 100 miles so I know it's clean lumber.