Restoring an Old Metal Vise
When we first moved into this house, the space where my current small workshop is located was originally a little garden shed. The previous owners left behind a bunch of stuff, most of which wasn't worth saving, howeover there was one thing which I kept: an old metal vise.
I figured it would come in handy and one day.... I would clean it up and restore it a bit. Ever since, it's been sitting on the counter, I've used it a few times, however it was quite grimy and dirty and could definitely use a good cleaning.
When we first moved into this house, the space where my current small workshop is located was originally a little garden shed. The previous owners left behind a bunch of stuff, most of which wasn't worth saving, howeover there was one thing which I kept: an old metal vise.
I figured it would come in handy and one day.... I would clean it up and restore it a bit. Ever since, it's been sitting on the counter, I've used it a few times, however it was quite grimy and dirty and could definitely use a good cleaning.
I didn't know too much about the vise. It had a small sign on it which said: "Great Neck no.hdv4". I did a little research and found a new version of it online, howeover it only made me like the old one even more.
To begin with, I took it apart as far as I could, removing all the screws, and gave everything a good scrub.
After cleaning it, it became clear that most of the areas which I thought might have been built up dirt was in fact just paint peeling a bit, so I started sanding. At first I wanted to remove as much as possible, but after a while I became satisfied with simply cleaning it up as much as possible and smoothing out any old paint.
Initially I had thought of painting over the old paint, but then I thought it might be interesting to do a forced patina instead. This is where you create a rust surface which you then neutralize and seal.
I combined 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxiode, 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1 tsp of salt in a spray bottle which I applied on all the metal parts which I hadn't taped to protect. I ended up letting this work over night and a nice patina developed in conjunction with the black paint.
Then I rinsed with water, dried and then brushed with a combination of baking soda and water to neutralize the vinegar. After a final wash and a thorough dry, I sealed all the rusted parts with a water based polyurethane. The last step in this process was to apply our mineral oil and wax polish on all the metal before assembling back together.
After this I did get a brand new vise! I also replaced the metal jaws with wood and leather clad ones instead which I think will be more useful as I intend to use this to hold wood more than leather.
For a better perspective on this process, make sure to watch the video!
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Tiny Keepsake box with Two Bamboo Hinges
After last week’s exploration with wood hinges, a couple of people suggested to me that instead of using wood dowels or metal nails, bamboo skewers might make a good substitute when it came to the pin that moves the hinge. And why not! Bamboo skewers are pretty hard and durable and quite thin too.
After last week’s exploration with wood hinges, a couple of people suggested to me that instead of using wood dowels or metal nails, bamboo skewers might make a good substitute when it came to the pin that moves the hinge. And why not! Bamboo skewers are pretty hard and durable and quite thin too.
I decided to make a tiny box with some 1/4” maple I had on hand, and to really explore this hinge concept I went with two hinges, so two lids that open up. And for closure I made little handles that sit in place.
To make this design work I cut out little ledges on the sides so the lids rests on those. For construction I went with nails again, simply because I wanted to explore the lids design and make sure that worked well and not introduce any other factors that could go wrong!
All in all the little box turned out quite nice and it was a fun little experiment. I think it’s safe to say that bamboo skewers are a good option if you want to make your own hinges - certainly a better option than dowels and they provide more flexibility than nails.
For a full view of the build, make sure to check out the video!
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Making Wooden Hinge Boxes
I always thought that traditional wooden boxes with metal hinges and other hardware are practical, but a little boring. Boxes that you can make on the other hand where the design itself limits hinges, clasps etc... are a bit more interesting. I'm talking sliding dado lids, fitted lids that sit on top, or wedge designs like a Japanese toolbox. None of these boxes require any external hardware, everything you need to complete the project is within the wood.
I always thought that traditional wooden boxes with metal hinges and other hardware are practical, but a little boring. Boxes that you can make on the other hand where the design itself limits hinges, clasps etc... are a bit more interesting. I'm talking sliding dado lids, fitted lids that sit on top, or wedge designs like a Japanese toolbox. None of these boxes require any external hardware, everything you need to complete the project is within the wood.
Now, the one thing about all those no-hardware boxes is the lids are loose. They don't stay attached to the box, and that's fine for the most. However now and then a lid gets lost, so I was thinking, wouldn't it be neat to make a box with no hardware, AND the lid stays attached.
There's probably a bunch of ways to do this, however I immediately thought of making a wooden hinge. And when you think about it, a hinge is pretty much box joints with a pin or rod through it.
I suppose often when you make a box, you create the sides or the main unit first, and the lid is a secondary part to concern yourself with. In this instance, I first began working on the hinge, in other words, the lid and one of the sides, and then the rest of the box was created from that.
For my first experiment I used a wooden dowel. The smallest one I had on hand was 1/4", which meant I had to use relatively thick wood, so that would be able to drill a 1/4" hole through the joint. I used basic 1x4 pine wood, and went with nails simply for the rest of the construction.
The one thing you do need to pay attention to, is rounding the corner of the joinery where the two pieces intersect. If you don't do this step, the joint won't be able to move once the pin is inserted.
The result was a undoubtedly chunky box, which was charming, although a bit on the unsophisticated side.
If the size of the pin determines the thickness of the wood, I figured I should try to go smaller. I didn't have a metal rod on hand, however I did have nails. This did mean I was limited by the length of the nail in terms of the width of the wood, so I made a rather small box out of 1/4" thick maple.
It was a bit finicky to get straight... and it made me realize that wooden hinges are kind of fun, but not very practical. I rather like them, but from a testing point of view. It's something different for sure, and it would be fun to play with this some more. For more info on this process, make sure to check out the video.
New Wood Lathe + Building a Stand (cutlist)
We recently got a new addition to the workshop - a Grizzly G0844 woodturning lathe. The main reason why I wanted to get a lathe was to make the step of sanding and finishing our spinning tops a little more efficient. The spinning tops are cut on the rotary attachment on our Avid CNC machine, and while the CNC is great for a lot of different jobs, sanding and finishing is not one of them!
We recently got a new addition to the workshop - a Grizzly G0844 woodturning lathe. The main reason why I wanted to get a lathe was to make the step of sanding and finishing our spinning tops a little more efficient. The spinning tops are cut on the rotary attachment on our Avid CNC machine, and while the CNC is great for a lot of different jobs, sanding and finishing is not one of them!
When the tops come off the machine, they have quite a lot of tool marks on them, and in order to get them smooth and balanced, quite a lot of even sanding is required. Ideally, that means the top should spin as you sand. Initially, I placed the tops in a drill chuck and sanded them that way, however it quickly became clear that solution wasn't great for sanding a larger amount of tops. What I really needed was a way to secure the tops very well (like in a chuck), in a machine that spun fast (a lathe).
So, here we are, with a new Grizzly benchtop lathe. It's a great machine with a variable speed control. Being a benchtop lathe, however meant it needed a stand. I'm actually rather partial to benchtop lathes as opposed to larger ones on legs, since a smaller machine gives you the opportunity to use the space underneath for storage.
So we decided to build a basic stand using 2x4s and plywood. It measures 27 by 41 inches, with a height of 30 inches. It has two drawers on drawer slides and 4 heavy duty wheels so you can move the stand when you need to.
Here a cutlist of the pieces for the stand:
2x4 base:
#4 @ 29 1/4" (legs)
#4 @ 16" (short sides)
#4 @ 36 3/4" (long sides)
Top & Sides (3/4" plywood)
#1 @ 41" x 27" (top)
#2 @ 13" x 20" (sides)
Two Drawers
3/4" plywood:
#4 @ 35 1/2" x 4"
#4 @ 19 1/4" x 4"
1/8" plywood
#2 @ 35 1/2" x 19 1/4" (bottom)
The drawers feature box joint construction and are glued together. The base is connected with 5 inch screws, and the top and sides are screwed down as well.
For more information as to how the base is constructed, make sure to watch the video.
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Making a Mini Japanese Toolbox (out of 2x4s)
I was in the mood to get out in the shop and build something simple. For a while I'd been thinking it would be fun to dust off the hand tools and I happened to have some resawed 2x4s on hand. 2x4s obviously aren't fancy, however there is something appealing about the cleanness of the wood and the straightness of the grain. In terms of the project, there's been one type of box I've been wanting to make lately, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity - a mini Japanese toolbox.
I was in the mood to get out in the shop and build something simple. For a while I'd been thinking it would be fun to dust off the handtools and I happened to have some resawed 2x4s on hand. 2x4s obviously aren't fancy, however there is something appealing about the cleanness of the wood and the straightness of the grain.
In terms of the project, there's been one type of box I've been wanting to make lately, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity - a mini Japanese toolbox.
A couple of years ago I made a larger Japanese style toolbox. I made it out of pine and painted some parts of it a light grey. It's a bit chunky, and I kept tools in it for a while, and lately it's been holding my Moonlander Lego (another project I need to get to and reassemble.)
But! Ever since I built that box, I've been playing with the idea of exploring the concept some more, and particularly to bring it down in size.
At the heart of a Japanese toolbox, we have a fascinating lid construction which ties directly in with the main box design, as it goes underneath the "brackets" attached to the sides of the top. In essense we have a wedge for a closing mechanism, but this box isn't just about a wedge, it's about how it all comes together.
The wood I was working with certainly had imperfections in it, and I really didn’t mind. Actually I think this type of wood lends itself very well to the Japanese, almost Scandinavian style where you use a lot of pine and a lot of fir. Since the wood is resawed 2x4s which feature a width of 3.5 inches, that's the size I had at my disposal. And with that as my starting point I built the design and took the measurements from that point.
Traditionally, the sides sit inset on a Japanese toolbox. You attach a handle on each side which comes flush with the long sides and that in turn creates an indention where your hands can go to hold the box. It's a rather simple detail, but I always liked it a lot and how it ties in with the lid design.
Now this wood is quite thin, about 3/8 of an inch. I was debating about the construction: in the past I used screws which I capped with dowels for my larger japanese tool box. I was thinking for a moment if I should do real joinery with through tenons, but in the end I decided to go with glue and nails, because I think simple is fitting here. It fits this box somehow. Now since the wood is so thin, I was a little concerned about splitting it, however predrilling will take care of that.
The tricky part about this project is definitely the lid. It's a precise fit, the lid is going to fit underneath the side brackets and it needs to be long enough to cover the opening, yet short enough to actually fit.
Then we need three more pieces of wood related to the lid. Two which will glue on and one, the wedge, which will be loose.
The wedge piece will fit perfectly into the opening, if everything is assembled correctly and lock the lid in place.
Now, the only negative about this design, I think, is you're left with an odd wedge piece of wood when the box is open. That's not really a problem, unless you keep the box open for some time and you forget where that odd piece of wood should go (it has happened to me once or twice)! It almost looks like a piece of scrap, right. So I was thinking, it wouldn't be a bad idea to differentiate the wedge somehow. You could certainly paint it or use a piece of contrasting wood, however I rather like the simpleness of the pine here.
So, instead I decided to sew on a little leather flap which you could pull on if you wanted, and it also just adds a nice little visual clue.
Basically, I think it's really refreshing that you can make something that has this aesthetic appeal, without using any fancy wood whatsoever.
And there we go. A very simple box, yet intriguing at the same time. Watch the video for more detail on the build.
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Making Spinning Tops
The spinning top journey has been a fun one! They are now stocked in the shoppe if you’d like to pick one up, and I have a video ready all about the process thus far. When we first started playing around with the idea of making the tops, the project was centered around just that. Making different designs, cutting in different woods etc… Since then, we’ve tried out a lot of different concepts, ventured into making dishes and perfectly sized keepsake boxes,
The spinning top journey has been a fun one! They are now stocked in the shoppe if you’d like to pick one up, and I have a video ready all about the process thus far.
When we first started playing around with the idea of making the tops, the project was centered around just that. Making different designs, cutting in different woods etc… Since then, we’ve tried out a lot of different concepts, ventured into making dishes and perfectly sized keepsake boxes,
The process of making the tops themselves have also gone into quite a lot different directions. In terms of software I use Aspire by Vectric whenever I use the CNC. This has been great in my experience both from cutting flat things on the cnc table as well as using the rotary. However, when you design round things, there is a little bit of a learning curve and you have to think about the design in a slightly different way. Imagine you roll a piece of paper up into a cylinder. Now let's unroll that cylinder and we have a rectangle. That rectangle is what you need to design in order to actually cut something round.
In many ways, it's all about what kind of profile you want to create. The smallest change in angle or curve will create massive changes in the final project. I think one of my favorite parts of this software is how you can model designs before even cutting, so you can play with different changes and then see how it will end up looking in reality, without starting to even cut.
So it's nice to be able to test out ideas without having to actually go through the process of cutting them every time, just to get an idea of what they'll look like. Of course, in the end, there's nothing like actually cutting the piece in order to get a sense for if you like the design or not, and if it feels good in the hand.
In terms of making these, at first it started with using primarily the CNC. However, while the rotary is great for a lot of things, the one thing it doesn't do is spin really fast like a traditional lathe. So when it became time to shape the top that you hold on to (which can't really be cut too much on the CNC because then it breaks), we went through different options. My first idea was to simply hand carve each one by hand, however it's hard to get a very clean look and they're not consistent either. Next up we mounted each top in the drill in order to spin it to sand it and try to shape it. In the end we realized, the traditional lathe would probably be the best choice here. Now the lathe is great because you can mount the top very securely in the chuck, and you have a lot of control when sanding and shaping.
Once we started using the lathe however, we also realized that the order of mount the lathe properly, the best idea would be to first cut a round side on the blank on the lathe before mounting it onto the rotary on the cnc. Then you cut it on the CNC, and then put it back on the lathe, using the same rounded side that chucks up nicely in order to give you a lot of control.
Now we have a new Grizzly benchtop lathe for this purpose in the shop. It's got a new stand (which will be a project video coming out soon), and I think we're getting the process down pretty good of making these tops quite nicely.
Oh – another thing, after putting some tape on the tops to try to get a better grip when you spin, I figured that it might not be a bad idea to dip the handle part in paint. It seems to provide a better grip to get a good spin going, and it looks quite nice too!
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Making Classic Wax Pots
Some projects or concepts just speak to you right away. The wax pot was one of those for me If you’re not familiar, a wax pot (aka a greasepot) is an old fashioned object that the woodworker kept on the bench or in their apron. It’s a small wooden box filled with some sort of lubricant - either wax polish or tallow.
Some projects or concepts just speak to you right away. The wax pot was one of those for me. (in the shoppe here)
If you’re not familiar, a wax pot (aka a greasepot) is an old fashioned object that the woodworker kept on the bench or in their apron. It’s a small wooden box filled with some sort of lubricant - either wax polish or tallow.
As soon as I heard of this idea I knew immediately I wanted to make a few. Seeing as we make beeswax polish that we sell, I thought it would be first of all, a really interesting project to get in to, and secondly, a great addition for our shoppe.
Now, this was something I first got into last year and I ended up selling a limited run of wooden wax pots made here in our shoppe. It was a really great experience because other people seemed as intrigued by the concept as I was, and we ended up selling every single one we made.
This year, for the holiday season, I thought it would be fun to revisit the concept. Last year I made all the pots in maple, but this time around I thought it would be a nice idea to offer some different kinds of wood species, so now we have them in maple but also cherry, mahogany, cedar and greenheart.
I also changed some other things around a bit including the logo and design on top of the box.
But all of those changes, including how I actually go about making these wax pots are included in my new Youtube video. Feel free to watch it and let me know if you have any thoughts or questions in the comments!
If you want to check them out in the shoppe, they’re available here: waxpots
Inside each wax pot you will find our special mineral oil wax polish, and each order also comes with an additional tin of wax polish so you can refill your pot as you use it up.
I made a small run of about 20 wax pots, and there are a select few in each type of wood. So if you’d like a special one, these are the only ones I have.
As always, I find modern concepts and techniques fascinating, but there’s nothing that beats old fashioned ideas. That definitely rings true for this wax pot! It’s a tactile, hands-on little object that belongs on your workbench or in your shop apron - or in the kitchen as the polish is perfect for refinishing cutting boards and wooden spoons.
So if this is something that speaks to you, you can pick one up for yourself, or gather inspiration and make one in your workshop!
A Small Table Out of Flooring
Are you the type of person who sometimes have projects laying around for a long time, mid way through finished? Well, I certainly am. Sometimes projects go by real fast and sometimes you get distracted, or other things take priority.
Are you the type of person who sometimes have projects laying around for a long time, mid way through finished? Well, I certainly am. Sometimes projects go by real fast and sometimes you get distracted, or other things take priority. I suppose that's one way to look at this little end table project which I just finished, however started a couple of years back.
It's a round side / end / coffee table, and the top is made out of flooring. Years ago when we first moved here to Virginia we picked up a good amount of utility grade tongue and groove flooring which has been used for.... well, flooring :) as well as other projects (counter, table tops, blackboard frames and a whole bunch more).
When you think about, hardwood flooring makes a lot of sense to use for projects, if you happen to have some extra laying around. After all it already has the tongue and grooves and just needs to be glued together and maybe sanded a bit.
So a couple of years back I glued up this oak board and cut it round on the router by creating a simple jig, sanded it etc... and then it's just been sitting there in a corner of the workshop, waiting for some attention I guess.
And then the other day I was thinking about how I really need a little side table, and that's right, I forgot I had that thing sitting around the shop. So! Time to make some legs and attach them. I designed some round, slightly tapering legs and cut them out of maple on the CNC, and then spent a little time attaching them to the table top.
I love when you can see how something is constructed so I opted to drill holes right through the top and have the legs come through. It's visual and maybe not for all, but I like how utilitarian it is.
I'm glad to say that this little forgotten oak board now has been properly tended to and in its place we have a useful little table.
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A Very Custom Leather and Wood Case for Coffee Equipment
If you like coffee, and the process of making coffee, then you may appreciate the opportunity of being able to set up a brewing station in different places. In other words, the ability to take out your fancy coffee equipment and set up camp whether at a park or a winery or just in the backyard.
If you like coffee, and the process of making coffee, then you may appreciate the opportunity of being able to set up a brewing station in different places. In other words, the ability to take out your fancy coffee equipment and set up camp whether at a park or a winery or just in the backyard. You may argue that you could just make coffee at home, pour it into a thermos and be on your way, but I rather like the idea of being able to do this process when out on adventure.
When I first gathered all my coffee periphenelia that I use on a day to day basis, I quickly realized, there's quite a lot of stuff to cover. We have a kettle, a gas burner, a scale, a grinder, coffee beans, water bottle, pour over system and a cup or two to drink the coffee out of. None of those things can really be scaled back on, if you want to have a flexible system where you could make more if you want to.
So what would be the best way to make a secure, practical system to bring everything along with you? You can obviously make a regular bag in fabric, however that feels a bit flimsy. Wood is always good, but a little heavy when you build something on a larger scale (and that you want to be portable). I always look at leather as the in between when it comes to wood and fabric. It's dense and durable, yet a lot lighter than wood. It's malleable and you can bend it into different shapes, so you have a lot of flexibility in terms of design. Now, in terms of material, leather alone can certainly be used, but I was thinking that adding some wood on the sides of this case would be a great way to add some stability and it would form the basis of the structure.
Leather
There are different thicknesses of leather, and for this project we needed a rather large and thick piece. Thicker leather obviously adds more weight, however it's also a lot less heavy than wood. The piece we're using is veg tanned, and doesn't have any added color to start. I was thinking that we're going to be using oak for the sides, so it would be neat to have some contrast in terms of color. To achieve this we ended up first applying one coat of water based dye, and then another one in a slightly different shade.
Wood
For the sides, we're adding some pieces that the leather will attach to. The wood in question is rough sawn white oak which was milled up, and then cut up into two equal pieces on the CNC. The sides are oval, but not quite even in terms of geometry, but designed for the leather to attach to. As always, I used Aspire by Vectric for software to design the pieces on, and my Avid CNC machine to cut the pieces on.
Construction
In many ways, this is an appealing project because the construction itself is quite simple in its genius sort of way. The one large piece of leather is attached on the sides to the wood which allows the leather to wrap around and be secured to itself with straps.
To secure the leather to the wood, we're drilling through the leather and the wood and putting in brass screws. Once the first piece is attached, it's repeated with the second piece, holding it in place with tape and also clamps while securing in place.
To add a little more structure to this whole case, we're also adding a piece of oak to the inside of the bottom flap where the two pieces will connect. This will give it more rigidity while also providing a space that a handle can be attached to.
To be able to close the case, we're adding straps connected to the leather which will attach to the other side with buckles. There will also be straps on the sides of the wood so you have a way to carry the case.
Now, once the basic case was created, we had a skeleton of sorts. But, we still needed a way to secure all the different coffee equipment inside it. You wouldn't want everything to be falling all over and scratching up the surfaces. So, to create an internal system we ended up using a thinner piece of leather, elastic straps and also added some dividers made with hardstock covered in leather, secured with glue. This whole system was glued into the bottom of the bag.
For hardware, we used some brass pieces that were secured to the bag with brass screws. We used a handles as well as buckles and it all contrasted nicely with the dark leather and oak.
Here are most of the coffee equipment pieces that fit inside the case:
Favorite coffee equipment (affiliate):
Watch the video of the project here!
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Spinning Tops: The Beginning
So for the last couple of weeks, I've been working on a concept that started out quite simple, and has evolved from there into many different aspects. What is it? It's a spinning top. You know the classic toy that kids have played with for ages (quite a few adults too I may add.) It's been a rather fun object to work on, and I'm not done yet. But, let me share what's been going on with this project and where I am right now.
So for the last couple of weeks, I've been working on a concept that started out quite simple, and has evolved from there into many different aspects. What is it? It's a spinning top. You know the classic toy that kids have played with for ages (quite a few adults too I may add.) It's been a rather fun object to work on, and I'm not done yet. But, let me share what's been going on with this project and where I am right now.
I suppose in some ways, this project actually began years ago when I carved two small tops on the lathe for my then two year old son as a present. Spinning toys are after all quite amusing, there's something about trying to make it spin as long and evenly as possible, and I thought my kid would enjoy this. The designs I carved back then were quite small, and actually featured a rather different shape than what I'm working with right now.
The first spinning top made on the lathe
Those initial tops have been laying around the house since then, on the coffee table, on the desk etc... and every now and then we take them out and play with them a little bit. However, a while ago, it struck me that it would be interesting to take this concept further and develop a new design that was more substantial and that could spin longer. After all, the initial tops were neat looking, but they didn't work all that great.
You can only spin in this configuration
A few things struck me as problematic with them. The first one was quite small in size, and I was thinking it would be neat to increase the mass here dramatically, which would give you something quite chunky to play with (and after taking a brief look online, any spinning tops you may come across to buy are very small).
We also have the shape to deal with. This one, while interesting looking is rather off in terms of balance. The narrow edge needs to go on top and that's what you hold on to when you spin (not great for getting a good spin going), you can't turn it around even though it kind of looks like you could (and that was my intention initially), because the balance doesn't work then. It's kind of cute visually, but not really that functional, even though you can make it work.
The second top has a different shape but is problematic in other ways. I noticed, the distance between the point that spins and the large rounder mass around it isn’t quite large enough. That makes it so the edges of the round easily touch the table surface if you don't get a perfect spin going. You can still get spinning, but it’s a little harder.
So that was my starting point. One top that had too much of a distance between the point that touches the table and the round, and one that had too little. The other thing to notice was how these tops spun. Neither one spun especially straight, however the 2nd one did it a little better. And after playing around with different shapes, I’ve realized that some tops can spin quite straight and narrow, while others can start moving around in a circle and sometimes wander off the table. It depends on the design, and also how you spin it.
Size was something that concerned me right away. There was something appealing about having a larger top. However a larger size overall, means you need a larger piece of wood to work with in the first place. So I started looking over my wood supply trying find large pieces that would accommodate a re-design in a larger scale, and I realized I needed blocks that were at least 2 1/2 inches in diameter (quite a large piece in other words!)
In terms of tools, while it's fun to use a lathe for one off pieces, I think it's rather interesting to design something that's repeatable, and for that the rotary attachment on my Avid CNC is perfect. It's pretty much a lathe in most regards, and what you do is, design a piece of 3d dimensional software and let the spindle cut it out from there. Of course what's so appealing about this, is you can start out with a design, cut it out, try the top out, and then make small adjustments. Next up you cut out a new version etc..... and continuously improve your previous version.
Now some people could probably do this rather exactly on the lathe, but the CNC is neat because of the exactness of the design, as well as the possible repeatability.
Over the past couple of weeks now, we've been cutting a fair amount of tops in different kinds of woods, making minor changes over time. The question quickly became: how long can you make a top spin? Of course that question is not entirely simple. Every design decision regarding the top affects its ability to spin, but it almost always comes back to balance. Where is the weight located? How balanced is it? How pointy should the point touching the table be? How steep should the angle be from the larger round? What should the upper section be like where you hold on to create the spin etc.... All of those are things to consider and in the next couple of posts (and later in a detailed video) I will go into the process and the problems associated to this project.
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YouTube Livestreams
Lately I've been getting into hosting livestreams on YouTube about different maker-related subjects. It's been a fun opportunity to connect with people and to explore ideas and projects in a more relaxed way.
Here are the latest ones:
SUNJOY Gazebos, Pergolas & Outdoor furniture 13% off with Discount Code "DARBINORVAR"
It's almost spring and summer and high time to start thinking about your outdoor spaces. While building a pergola or gazebo can be a fun project (I've done it! You can do it!), sometimes, you really just want to pick something up that makes life a little easier and where you just have to do some assembling.
If you're thinking about buying a gazebo, pergola, canopy or really any other outdoor furniture or structures, then I just wanted to share that I have a great discount code for ALL Sunjoy products (this code is valid on all non-sale items). The code is "DARBINORVAR" and will give a 13% discount!
I'm going to put up my own SUNJOY wood and metal gazebo in a couple of weeks, but I just wanted to share the discount code ahead of time, in case anyone else is getting started on their spring planning.
Queen Bed Cut List
Cut List
Four Main Boxes
8 - 29x12x0.75 inches (736x304x19mm) - sides
2 - 28.5x12x0.75 (724x304x19mm) - middle
4 - 31.5x12.0.5 (800x304x12mm) - backs
4 - 33x29x0.5 (838x736x12mm) - tops
8 - 15.38x3x0.5 (391x76x12mm) - bracing pieces
Four Drawers
8 - 23x10x0.75 inches (584x254x19mm) - sides
8 - 12.875x10x0.5 (305x254x12mm) - front & back
4 - 15.125x11.25x0.5 (384x286x12mm) - drawer faces
4 - 22.5x13.38x0.25 (578x340x6mm) - bottoms
Front Boxes w/ Basket Area
2 - 29x12.5x0.5 inches (736x317.5x12mm) - tops
4 - 29x12x0.5 (736x304x12) - bottoms & back
2 - 12x11.5x0.75 (304x279x19) - sides
2 - 11.5x2.2 (292x50x50) - posts
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Wall Organizer
When planning out this project, I really wanted to create the ultimate home office system where various objects had a home, especially my beautiful typewriter, electronics devices, laptop and odds and ends. At the same time I wanted to make the space feel airy and light, so I decided to distribute the various shelves, cubbies etc... on the entire wall. Here are some more in-depth pictures of how it turned out.
The overall unit
The oversized pegboard or dowel board, is definitely one of my favorite pieces!
The cubby unit holds various odds and ends.
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Building an Articulated LED Task Lamp
This project is all about building a useful task lamp with led strip lights that are really easy to work with. In this build I use baltic birch plywood but any wood will be fine. Below are some links to the products I either used to make this project or tools that were very helpful.
Parts Used in this Build
- LED Strip Lights - http://amzn.to/1Ubz6BC
- Remote Control - http://amzn.to/1nuiQ1F
- 12v Power Supply - http://amzn.to/1M4Y8Md
- Soldering Iron - http://amzn.to/1TIpUWV
- Variable Power Supply - http://amzn.to/1UbzMHc
- Plexiglass - http://amzn.to/22GeDI2
- Plywood - http://amzn.to/1VFWSqy
- Lamp Magnets - http://amzn.to/1VFX88P
- 6 - 2 inch 1/4" bolts
- 12 - 1/4" flat washers
- 12 - 1/4" lock washers
- 6 - 1/4" wing nuts
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Ultimate DIY Small Parts Organization Caddy
Desktop Organizer - Parts Used (Affiliate Links)
Dewalt Table Saw - http://amzn.to/1PC1Iy7 (This is the model I use)
Dewalt 611 Router - http://amzn.to/23aS27S
23 Gauge Pin Nailer - http://amzn.to/1PC1yH8
De-Waxed Shellac - http://amzn.to/1PC1BTk
Water-Based Poly - http://amzn.to/1PmCzqT
Cut List
Using 1/2" MDF
1 @ 25" x 37" - Base
2 @ 7 1/2" x 8" - Sides
2 @ 36 1/2 x 8" - Shelves
1 @ 3/4" x 36" - Top Railing
2 @ 3/4" x 8" - Side Railings
2 @ 3/4" x 17" - Base Stops
2 @ 3" x 8" - Bottom Supports
Using 1/4" MDF
18 @ 2 1/4" x 8" - Cubbie Dividers
20 @ 2 3/4" x 7 1/2" - Drawer Bottoms
40 @ 1 7/8" x 7 1/2" - Drawer Sides
40 @ 1 7/8" x 3 1/4" - Drawer Fronts & Backs
1 @ 37" x 8 3/4" - Back of Organizer
How To Make a Dimmer for a Light Fixture w/ High-Powered LEDs
With the following parts, including some aluminium and walnut I made an LED lighting fixture with a PWM dimmer switch.
The code at the bottom will run on any arduino, although I used a 5 volt Adafruit trinket running at 8 mhz to control the switching on the transistor.
LED Lighting Fixture Parts - (Affiliate Links)
- Adafruit Trinket - http://amzn.to/1UPAyYx
- LEDs - http://amzn.to/1KdHh91
- Voltage Booster - http://amzn.to/1UPAkR2
- Pigtail Connectors - http://amzn.to/1KdHwAU
- Heat Sinks - http://amzn.to/1UPAp7k
- Thermal Adhesive - http://amzn.to/1KdHAAH
- AC/DC Adapter - http://amzn.to/1UPACYb
- Circuit Board - http://amzn.to/1UPAR5z
- Tip31 Transistor - http://amzn.to/1Rm84aS
Arduino-Based Dimmer Code for the Light
const byte potIn = 2; // reads the value from the potentiometer
const byte ledOut = 0; // assigns the output to pin #0 on the trinket
int potValue;
int ledValue;
void setup() {
pinMode(ledOut, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
potValue = analogRead(potIn); // reads value of the potentiometer
ledValue = map(potValue, 0, 1024, 0, 255); // assigns a number relative to the voltage output
analogWrite(ledOut, ledValue); // outputs a voltage number to the led
}
Women in Woodworking (3rd Podcast)
Itunes: https://itun.es/i6Sx4jF
Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/darbinorvar
RSS Feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:153407357/sounds.rss
In many ways, ever since I began woodworking seriously I have been wondering why there weren't more women involved in making things. I mean woodworking, but also building anything with metal, cnc and engineering too.
I don't think it is a surprise to anyone that women are not generally associated with woodworking. I mean there are examples, but for the most part women are bunched in with the softer crafts like sewing, cooking and home décor. If instagram is any indication though, there are a lot of women giving woodworking and design a new life that is both nuanced and practical.
I think the focus here in my mind is where are things going from here. I try not to pay too much attention to the past, I am future-oriented and am really excited to see where the new-found freedom in building, engineering and design goes. I come from one basic perspective, people behave based on what is around themselves. If you expose men and women, boys and girls to building many will be interested, if we do not then they are unlikely to think about it as a way to express themselves.
I don't agree that we should accept the concept of gender-based behaviors as they are assumed to relate to woodworking and building. I believe things are learned, learned through our environments, and our environments are vast and complicated. Lets agree there is no “building gene”, and that lots of people would benefit from the experience and pleasure of building and woodworking, if only it was presented in a way to attract more interest.
It seems like we often impose barriers to subjects on ourselves or others all the time. Many of these preferences are because of a wrong perspective, like that certain people can do math, and some cannot. Other subjects just seem more male, which can bar women from thinking about them as an option as well. It is more likely that these environments we either create ourselves or adopt from our families are just wrong. I believe that if you want to be a good example and encourage others to learn to express themselves in woodworking, making or even science you must watch out how you yourself believe about these subjects. You are really more of an influence on others than you realize.
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