Small crate hardware can wander at the worst moment. A handle looks centered during layout, then one screw starts at a slight angle and the plate creeps before the second screw is seated. The fix does not have to be fancy.
Keep one square scrap block near the bench as a screw-start guide. Mark a clean reference edge on it, then use that edge against the side, lid or rail while you hold the hardware in place. The block gives your hand something firm to register against instead of relying on a floating pencil mark alone.
For repeated parts, add a pencil tick on the block for the common setback you use. That turns the scrap into a quick story stick for handles, small hinges, corner plates or label frames. If the job changes, cross out the old tick and mark a new one so nobody mistakes the setup later.
Before driving the final screws, use an awl or fine drill bit to make a shallow starter point through the hardware hole. The goal is only to give the screw a clean seat. Do not force a deep pilot into thin slats unless you have checked the thickness first.
This is a quiet habit, but it saves rework. Hardware that begins straight usually stays straighter, and a simple guide block keeps both hands calmer when a small crate or retail display piece is already sanded and ready for finish.
Practical takeaway: save one square offcut as a screw-start block, mark the setback you need, and use it to hold crate hardware steady while you make the first starter point.
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