28 Odd But Useful Tips All DIYers Need to Know
Mia Lopez
Published Apr 05, 2026
18/28
Lubricate Your Glue Caps and Lids
Caps on certain adhesives/glues, like rubber cement and super glue, have a habit of getting stuck or glued on no matter how hard you try and keep them clean. This can be prevented by simply smearing a little coating of petroleum jelly onto the threads of the tube or lid.
You just need a small dab of the petroleum jelly to prevent even more of a mess. Be sure to smear a little bit on before putting the cap back on the glue and it should prevent the cap from cementing on over time. So the next time you go to use your super glue, you’ll be able to open it with ease and get right to work!
You can also get the same effect by spraying a little squirt of WD-40 inside the cap. Check out these 20 brilliant ways to use WD-40.
19/28
New Parts For Old Tools
I’ve bought a lot of old, used power tools, woodworking machines and outdoor power equipment on craigslist.org. And more often than not, they’re missing parts or parts are broken. I can’t always get replacement parts from the manufacturers because they’re out of stock or discontinued. That’s when I turn to a handful of different websites for hard- to-find parts.
My favorite site for power tool parts is Ereplacementparts.com. It stocks parts for just about every major power tool manufacturer and ships them quickly. Toolpartsdirect.com, mikestools.com and partstree.com are also good sites.
If I still can’t find what I need, I turn to industrial machine component suppliers like essentracomponents.com (formerly Reid Supply). But you can’t just indicate what machine you have and order a replacement part.
It takes some digging around on the website to track down a part that’ll work for you. Essentra has good photos and detailed drawings with exact measurements for everything it sells.
Check out Essentra the next time you need an unusual part like a clamping handle, handwheel, knob or bearing. — Jason White
20/28
How to Get Dents Out of Wood
Dents in wood surfaces can be annoying. But fret not, they can be fixed!
- Simply soak a washcloth in water and ring it out a bit so it’s not sopping wet.
- Put the damp washcloth on the affected area. The water will wick through the wood, and that’s fine.
- Now, with your iron on its highest setting, place it on the damp washcloth over the affected area, and make small movements back and forth and in circles.
- Press down firmly and continue until your washcloth is dry. It won’t take long to evaporate.
At this point, the wood fibers are absorbing the water and should expand back to where they were originally. Continue this process and repeat by adding more water until the dents rise up to be flush with the rest of the material. Here are more instant fixes for nagging problems around the house.
