Wood shims are great for framing, but they are just a pain when it comes to precision woodworking.  Half of them are too thick to use, even at the very thinnest end.  The thin ends break when you try to slip them in place.  They compress too much when you tighten a joint.  The wedge shape messes with alignment.  Composite shims aren't much better.  They are all too thick, and still wedge shaped.

To overcome my frustration with shims, I always keep a deck of playing cards in the shop.
No, I'm not playing cards with the guys to take my mind off of the wood shims - the playing cards are the shims.  Playing cards are a consistant thickness - regulation cards are .010".  That's as thin as I ever need.  The plastic coating makes them slip into gaps easily and the edges don't splinter.  The cards won't split when you drive a screw through them, either.  They can be stacked, torn, trimmed, and folded.  Even with a stack of several cards, there is almost no compression when a joint is clamped or screwed.  They are flat, and they are cheap.

And if you keep track of which cards you've used from the deck, you can be sure to beat your friends at every hand!

If you have other great uses for playing cards, or if you like to use something else for shimming ... leave a comment or send me an email.  When we have a few good ideas, I'll feature them in a follow-up article.

Tags: shims

Categories: Tips & Tricks