Why UHMW Tape Belongs in Every Woodworker’s Shop

The Smart Wood Shop has thirty-two drawers, but this six-foot clamp drawer is the one I rely on every day. In early 2025 I redesigned it for better access: dividers for clamps, a sliding tray for bench dogs, and a layout that keeps everything visible and within reach while I work at the Smart Bench or Smart Station. The workflow improvement was huge, but one problem remained. The drawer was heavy enough that pulling it out felt like a workout. In this video I walk through the redesign, show how the drawer fits into my daily setup, and explain why organizing clamps and accessories where I can see and grab them improves efficiency on every woodworking project. Then I tackle the one issue that held the drawer back: friction. Moving the weight to a different drawer would undo the whole system, so I looked for a smarter solution. That led me to UHMW tape. It is a thin, ultra-slick film with adhesive on one side, and it turned out to be the perfect upgrade for this style of drawer construction. I installed two strips along the bearing surfaces and the results were immediate. The effort to open and close the drawer dropped by more than half. In the video I show the installation, the before-and-after feel, and why this simple fix worked so well. If you build the Smart Workbench, Smart Station, Smart Cartridge, or any Smart System plans, this quick upgrade can dramatically improve heavy drawers without adding hardware. UHMW Tape: https://amzn.to/47S8D7S Smart Plans https://thesmartwoodshop.com