My Dad was a carpenter. For many years, he kept a household candle in his toolbox. It was speckled with sawdust and had a couple of grooves cut around it. It seemed a rather sad and neglected item to have sitting in the top drawer of his toolbox, but he kept it for a very good reason.

I counted myself very lucky to remember the dusty candle when I was having trouble with a bathroom door. I’d fitted a new laminate floor in my bedroom and the result was – yes, very pretty, but sadly – rather thicker than the ugly-arse carpet that had been its predecessor. I needed to take half an inch off the bottom of the bathroom door.

Dangit, the wood was dense and angry. No matter how irate I was with the wood-saw, it would not cut straight.

And then I remembered the candle. And this is my gift to you.

If you’re trying to saw wood which is uncooperative, run the blade of the saw along a candle a couple of times. The slight vestige of wax on the blade will help the saw to run more smoothly.

Oof, knowledge.