10 Useful Tools You Can Make From Recycled Parts


1 A Depth Gauge From a Broken Tape Measure


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2 A Table-Saw Pushstick From Scrap Wood

What to do with small scrap pieces from the wood shop? You could burn them, use them decoratively, or turn them into table-saw pushsticks. A pushstick keeps your hand a safe distance from the blade while allowing you feed the item at a consistent rate through the saw. By design they're sacrificial—they often pass through the blade, especially when ripping narrow pieces—so stock up on a few different shapes and sizes. You'll save your fingers and give your wood scraps a second life.

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3 Scratch Stock From a Band-Saw Blade



4 Adjustable Marking Gauge From a Drywall Screw

Carpenters use marking gauges to make consistent layout marks along the edges of furniture and other woodworking projects. Make a quick-and-dirty version by driving a drywall screw into a scrap of wood. The outside edge of the screw head acts as the marking blade. Adjust the distance simply by turning the screw. For better results, sharpen the edge of the screw head with a sanding block. We'd never use this tool for setting up dovetails, but it's fine for creating reference marks on a door jam prior to installing casing.

5 Saw Drywall Using a Broken Jigsaw Blade

Next time you destroy a jigsaw blade, don't ditch it. Instead, snip it so it extends only 5/8-inch past your jigsaw's shoe.

The shortened blade will quickly cut through drywall, but won't cut deep enough to harm your leaving electrical cables, plumbing, and framing members. It's well suited for projects where a utility knife isn't practical, such as cutting large or odd-shaped holes. Be warned, though: It'll kick up a ton of dust, so wear goggles and a mask.

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6 Marking Knife From a Broken Reciprocating-Saw Blade

An old reciprocating-saw blade is a perfect piece of high-carbon steel for making a marking knife. No need to use a bimetal blade or other fancy type.

Take a 5- or 6-inch-long piece of blade and then cut and grind its tip so that it forms a point; grind a bevel on one edge. For a handle, take two pieces of scrap-wood blocks, cut a shallow recess in both, sandwich them around the blade, epoxy together, and shape to fit your hand. Or simply wrap the handle in duct tape.

7 Glue Dispenser From a Dish-Detergent Bottle

You'll save money buying PVA wood glue in bulk, but you'll need a dispenser. Use an empty dish-detergent bottle with an extendable cap. It will distribute a measured amount of adhesive—just enough for edge-gluing boards. Plus, closing the cap when not in use keeps the glue from drying out and clogging up the dispenser.

Water bottles with sports caps work even better, but they're hard to find these days. Squeezy condiment bottles work too.

While you're at it, grab an expired credit card—it makes a great glue spreader. It'll offer just the right amount of flexibility for spreading a thin, consistent layer of glue and will clean up easily if using a water-based adhesive.

8 Drill Perfect Holes Using a Broken Mirror

Without a drill press, it's tricky to drill deep holes and remain perfectly perpendicular to the work surface. For help, here's a trick from the May 1934 issue of Popular Mechanics: Take an old piece of mirror and position it against the drill bit. Then adjust the position of the drill until the bit and its reflection combine to appear in a perfectly straight line. To make that broken mirror piece a little safer, wrap any dangerous sharp edges with electrical tape.

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9 Make a Layout Square From a Corner Piece of Plywood


10 Carry Tools in an Old 5-Gallon Bucket

A 5-gallon bucket with a hole in the bottom is no good for carrying or mixing liquids, but it's sturdy and spacious enough to haul a cordless drill, a charger, a circular saw, a bunch of hand tools, and some hardware—in other words, a complete DIY set. Plus, home centers now sell tool organizers made specifically for 5-gallon buckets.