Home hacks just as brilliant today as they were 100 years ago

I always had a hard time manipulating my mitre box, the mitre saw and the piece I was cutting all at the same time. So I screwed a piece of 2×2 to the bottom of the mitre box. Now I clamp the 2×2 in a vise and cut clean, accurate mitres every time. — Robert Hartog

Check out these pro-approved tips for tight mitres that we’ve assembled.

A block of rigid foam makes an inexpensive and handy drill bit holder. Just poke the bits into the foam, reusing the same hole each time you return a bit. Push the bits almost all the way to the bottom of the foam block, so the holder won’t be top-heavy and tumble over. — Terry Andrews

Find out clever tool storage ideas that will keep your shop organised.

When ripping a bowed piece of timber with a circular saw, here’s how to keep the strip you’re cutting off a consistent width for the full length of the board: Line up the saw blade with the cut mark at the desired width. Make a pencil mark on the shoe of the saw directly above the board edge. Now when you push the saw the length of the board, just keep the pencil mark on the shoe lined up with the edge of the board. Important: Before cutting one-third of the way, tap a wedge into the cut to keep it from closing up and causing the saw to kick back. — Thomas Roberts.

Add these circular saw tips and techniques to your toolbox, too!

To keep power cords out of my way when I’m working with a portable power tool, I usually secure the cord at my side, using a 6-in. loop of Velcro fastener to attach it to my belt loop. — John Simmelink

My all-time favourite poles for supporting plants, both indoors and outdoors, are sections of brass-plated curtain rods. They’re rust-resistant, inexpensive and attractive. — Carol Crump.

If you need to draw a large circle, and you’re tired of hunting through the kitchen cabinets for the right-sized bowl or plate to trace around, try this: Use a length of heavy-gauge wire or light metal rod. File a pointed tip on the bottom end and bend it slightly one-third of the way from the top. Then attach it securely to a long pencil with duct tape. Bend the wire as needed to give you the size circle you want. — Carol Crump

Keep your long extension cords tangle-free and easily accessible. Cut the top off a plastic milk jug, leaving the handle on for carrying. Cut a hole in the side at the bottom for the receptacle end of the cord, and coil the other end of the cord inside the jug for carrying and storage. — Cathy Livesay

Here’s a simple way to hold a door on edge when you need to plane it or install hinges or a lock. Just make a “V” from two lengths of scrap wood, joining them with one screw. Then screw each piece of wood to the top or bottom of the door, as shown; the horizontal piece should be slightly longer than the angled piece. It’s quick to build and won’t mar the door’s surface. — Allen Stone

When you’re all done, check out these tips to hang a door.

A metal extension ladder makes a great straightedge for long cuts with your circular saw. Clamp the ladder at each end with a wood cleat and a small pipe clamp or bar clamp. — Will Tanis

Cut sheet metal cleanly with a hacksaw by sandwiching the metal between two thin boards. Mark your pattern on the front board, clamp the sandwich in a vise, then saw on the marks through the entire sandwich at once. — Jack Kiser

Find faster ways to cut metal other than using a hacksaw with these tips.