Zip tie hacks that make DIYing a cinch

To keep X-Acto knives from rolling off the table and stabbing you in the foot, put zip ties around them. This trick also works great for preventing short pencils from getting stuck down in narrow tool belt pockets, and carpenter’s pencils from falling through the cracks when used as spacers between deck boards.

Sometimes when working under the kitchen sink, it can be hard to see what you’re doing. Next time you need some light, use zip ties to attach mini flashlights to a pair of safety glasses.

Discover more about tool safety for DIYers.

Safely store extra fluorescent bulbs in jumbo-sized vinyl-clad storage hooks in a handy location near your fixture in the shop, garage or basement. Cut the hooks off one end of a couple of mini bungee cords and use zip ties to attach the severed ends to the top of two vinyl-clad steel storage hooks. Store several fresh bulbs and mark your bad bulbs with a marker and store them until it’s time to recycle.

Try this tool storage technique for all those slender tools and shop accessories. Cut short lengths of PVC pipe (38mm and 50mm-diameter pipes work well for most items) and slide them over pegboard hooks. Then load them up with files, hacksaw blades, zip ties, pencils, stir sticks . . . you get the idea.

Free up your garage space with these storage and workbench hacks.

Focus a bright beam of light on your layout lines when you’re doing fine work on a band saw or scroll saw. All you need is a 38mm round base magnet with a hole in the centre, a Mini Maglite flashlight and a 3mm-thick steel rod. Bend an eyelet in the end of the rod and bolt it to the magnet, then strap the flashlight to the other end with zip ties. The setup will stick to any steel or cast iron surface, so you’ll see what you’re sawing!

Follow our essential guide to jigsaws.

Zip ties are a simple way to string holiday lights on banisters and fences without marring the railing with nail marks. After the holidays, snip the ties off with scissors.

Follow these 8 storage hacks for Christmas decorations.

To repair split chair rungs or spindles, inject glue into the split, and then clamp it together with electrical tie-wraps. Grip the tie-wrap with two pairs of pliers to cinch down on the workpiece. Slip a chip of wood under the wrap to increase the pressure, and simply cut off the wrap when the glue’s dry. Tie-wraps are also great for wrapping wood strips or dowels in bundles, and for fixing a loose connection between the flex hose and the nozzle on your shop vacuum.

Don’t miss our essential guide to clamps.

Whenever you buy something that’s wrapped with zip ties, don’t cut them off and toss them. Instead, remove the ties by inserting the tip of a pocket knife under the ratcheting mechanism of the ties and pulling the end out. You can reuse the ties and never worry about over-tightening one because you can reposition it.

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Source: Family Handyman