Short pieces of wood are often the fiddliest parts of a crate repair. A narrow slat, divider strip, or handle spacer can slide around just when the saw needs to stay calm and square.
A simple bench hook gives those small cuts a steadier place to happen. It can be as basic as a flat scrap board with one cleat underneath to catch the front edge of the bench and another cleat on top to stop the workpiece from moving forward.
Set the hook near the edge of the bench, press the crate part against the top cleat, and let the lower cleat do the holding. The work stays put without needing a clamp for every quick trim.
The trick is to keep the bench hook humble. Make it from scrap, mark it clearly, and do not worry when the saw nicks it. Those shallow kerfs become useful reference lines for future square cuts.
It is also a good reminder to slow down around short stock. If a piece feels too tiny to hold safely, make a longer blank first, cut the detail while there is still material to grip, and trim it to final length last.
Practical takeaway: keep one rough bench hook within reach of the hand-saw area. For small crate parts, it turns a slippery cut into a controlled one without adding much setup time.
Hand ToolsShop SafetyCrate Repairs