Ran into an old carpenter at the Habitat ReStore who gave me advice I still think about

I was at the ReStore in Portland last month digging through a bin of random hinges when this guy in his 70s walks up and says "you know, you don't need a fancy jig to get those lined up right." He showed me how to use a simple piece of painter's tape and a pencil to mark hinge placement on a cabinet door. He said he learned it from his dad in 1962 and has never used a store-bought jig since. Has anyone else picked up a tool-free trick from a stranger that just works better than the expensive stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

xenarobinson1mo ago

That painter's tape trick sounds genius, I do the same with a credit card edge for drawer pulls.

angelac631mo ago

Love how @xenarobinson uses a credit card edge too, it's basically the same thing with everyday tools. I've noticed this whole trend where people use random stuff from their kitchen or wallet to fix furniture problems like it's some secret life hack. For me it's the same with sticking felt pads on the bottom of chairs to stop scratching floors, I just cut up an old mouse pad instead of buying the expensive ones. It's wild how many home repairs you can do with tape, cards, and old fabric if you just think about it.