Quick tips - sharpen a knife on the bottom of a ceramic bowl or cup

Doing things, whether it be repairing, building or creating something, you may be forced to think of ways to get around the fact that you don't have, at that very moment, the right tool for the job. There are somethings that I would prefer to not skimp on, i.e. jack stand for working on my car's brakes or exhaust, but often enough we can get by with something at hand.

Here are some of my recent discoveries ( not really recent, nor that much of a discovery, but found the following useful when I was stuck)

• Screwdriver shaft to access terminal when boosting a car
• Melting a glue stick with a lighter
• Wine cork as a floater for fishing
• Acetone or ATF and mineral oil as penetrating oil 
• A tailor's hold pin with a broken tip to change watch bracelet links
• Towels or newspaper wrapped around a large pot/bottle to maintain a temperature ( dyes, mash for homebrewing, keeping food warm )
• A fine cotton cloth and a wire hoop for an excellent sieve (malted barley, coffee, soy drink, almond drink etc.)
• Linseed oil and turpentine for sealing and polishing wood