• Wood

    No-nonsense shelf

    Made of scrap material, the same batch was used for a couple of other projects, like the bath mat or the plant stand. The timber was the right length and that way I just had to sand it. I only used 40 and 80-grit discs as it was supposed to be a shelf for tools and not a piece of art. Some of the edges had deep saw marks, but still – quick sanding just to make it flat. Once it was good enough, I recreated the round-over edges with a router. That was followed by hand sanding and drilling…

  • Glass,  Upcycling

    Square gin bottle cut

    Rhubarb gin, very tasty if I may say so, in a bottle that could be used for a few projects. I was lucky with this one as it cracked as planned and gave me 2 parts, the bottom one could be a drinking glass and the top one, probably be some decorative lighting with a wooden base. Thick walls, clear glass, flat bottom. It would be way easier to process it if the bottle was round, but that project was a little more challenging and time-consuming, more rewarding though. As always it was done step by step: removing the labels,…

  • Wood

    Whoa-O Cacao

    Out of nowhere, it’s turning into a series of heads, or whatever it may be called. There is already one on the wall, I call it Bandit, this one is the 2nd, and another project is underway. They are always made as I go, without any plans, maybe just with a blurred vision in my head. One thing in common – they’re made from scrap material and other upcycled items. They also have their names. I started by drilling 2 holes/sockets for the dowels. Not all way through, I left lips to support the dowels on them. Next, I routed…

  • Glass,  Upcycling,  Wood

    USB LED lamp

    This lamp replaced my x-mas lights in a bottle one, as it simply burned out after 2 ½ years of use. The project involved cutting a new bottle and making a wooden base for it. The old bottle finished its life in a recycling bin, it was time to try alternative methods and approaches to making bottle lamps. The challenge was always about inserting a wire through the glass or placing it into the glass (bottle) in a nice and only way, which was from the bottom. There were no safety features to be concerned with because it was using…

  • Wood

    Simple picture frame

    In general, that was a very simple project. Setting the blade to 90º and the mitre gauge to 45º took some time as that had to be done precisely. Once the setup was done, the cutting and glueing were quite straightforward. I lightly clamped the frame with a strap clamp, using very little force and then aligned all 4 corners with small c- and quick-release clamps. I didn’t want any dents in the timber so again I didn’t apply much pressure. Slowly and precisely, there was absolutely no rush and no pressure. Once the glue dried I removed the clamps…

  • Wood

    Thunderbolt

    Just another wall decoration, but if there is nothing complicated in cutting the timber or if the wood joints are simple – the finish has to differentiate the project from many others. In this case, these are the colours and beautifully exposed grain. The thunderbolt comprises only 2 blocks of timber deliberately divided with 2 rounded edges. I started with cutting tapers using my tapering jig. The first board could be placed against the jig’s fence, but the other was held just with the clamps, it was still safe though. I set my mitre gauge to about 83º and cut…

  • Featured,  Wood

    Large round planter

    They are quite expensive to buy and relatively easy to make. Since I could purchase cut-to-length timber, that fitted into my boot at a good price I took up the challenge to make a wooden planter. I got 18 pieces of timber, 529 x 97 x 40 mm cut from 2 full lengths of 4.8 m each. Those were way too long for any car, that’s why it was important to get the timber cut to more manageable sizes. I used 14 pieces for the walls and the remaining 4 were supposed to be used for the bottom. However, I…

  • Wood

    Bandit

    This was the last job for my chain saw as it was sold the very next day. Initially, I was trying to use a reciprocating saw to make these cuts, but eventually, the tool of choice was something more violent, something that leaves deeper saw marks. Cutting and carving at the same time. I made a few straight cuts with and across the grain to get the shape I wanted. To add some character to the end grain sides I made a series of shallow cuts, more like carving with a chain saw. Next, I burnt the wood with a…

  • Tools,  Wood

    Finger joint jig

    This is just an attachment for my table saw sledge, it can’t be used on its own. It’s made of scrap, unused and upcycled materials. Very cheap to make and didn’t take much time. It was one of these jigs that had to be made sooner or later as it is quite essential addition to any shop. There will be a new way to join wood, strong joints that also look good. First I removed one corner from the timber block, and that was only done to get the same height as the backing fence it was going to be…

  • Featured,  Glass,  Upcycling

    Refreshment glasses

    The 710 ml Corona beer bottle and the oil bottle were quite easy to cut and they cracked exactly along the scored lines. After they were cut in half I could say that their walls were uniformly thick and it looked like an easy project. I set up my drill press and started the sanding process, as always using all the grits from 40 to 3000. Of course, I set the drill press at a comfortable height and locked it in that position. I was holding the workpieces in my hands, pressing them against the rotating tools and not the…