• Wood

    Cascade shelf

    This project is entirely made from scrap material – timber off-cuts I acquired last year and a wooden dowel. The off-cuts had different lengths, from 60 to 90 cm (2 – 3 feet) and I had to get shorter pieces out of them, anything from 10 to 50 cm (4 – 20 inches). I tried not to cut them into 2 identical lengths, also not to produce too short pieces. All that came down to the planning which took much longer than cutting itself. Anyways, eventually I had it done and the next step was to recreate the rounded over…

  • Wood

    MDF box

    I’ve always wanted to give those corners a shot and see how they perform. I still had some scrap material to build them from and also I had a 6 mm MDF board (1/4″) that was perfect for the walls and the bottom. The corners looked a little complex to build, but when all the cuts were done in the right order, there was really nothing complicated about them. Easy and safe to cut, using just a couple of basic tools like a table saw and a router. Here’s how it started. First I rip-cut the timber to the desired…

  • Wood

    Circus flautist

    It’s like addiction, making these heads of The Wall Heads series. There was no plan for this one, just a blurred vision that changed a few times during the build. It’s got its name because it looks like a flute and it uses the colours of a clown’s make-up. I started with drilling holes, the eyes were first, then the finger holes and lastly the mounting holes at the back. Each group of holes was drilled with a different bit – 30, 15 and 25 mm. Once I finished with the drill I pulled out my circular saw and cut…

  • Proxxon 28092 Scroll Saw
    Tools

    New Year tools, edition 2021

    Let me present 2 tools that I bought recently and which are a handy-dandy addition to my tool collection. They make my work easier, faster and more precise. Also, when it comes to cleaning – it takes less time. Speed and ease. Proxxon 28092 Scroll Saw was bought because of 2 reasons – one – it’s Proxxon, which speaks for itself – good quality, good design and very robust; two – it had a square table – love from the 1st sight! When it arrived I had to convert its plug from a 2-pin EU to a 3-pin UK one.…

  • Wood

    Sycamore coasters

    That sycamore (maple) tree was cut in late 2018. I saved a couple of logs, split in half with an axe on a site. I’ve never considered milling them into boards just because they’re so irregular, and I’d need a jig, or a fixture, to cut them with a bandsaw. They seemed to be perfect for small projects using block-shaped wood, single-part projects, art etc. Just like coasters. Yes, another set of coasters, with no holes in the bottom for a change (see “3 button coasters”). They should be great for drinks, hot and cold, but also for large candles…

  • Tools,  Wood

    Horizontal belt sanding station

    It works just like a vertical belt sander, that has a tool rest, or a small tilting table, except my sanding station is horizontal and the tool rest doesn’t tilt. It always stays at a 90º angle and it’s rather quite big for a rest. On the other hand, is relatively small for a table. But that’s not a problem, if I need a bigger table I mount the sander in a different position. This setup works great for sanding small parts, I can rest a workpiece vertically, against the wooden block, or keep it flat and still use that…

  • Wood

    Egghead

    Yet another project from the series of The Wall Heads. This one is simple, it has a moustache and a beard. No hair though, thus the name – Egghead. I really like making them, they’re very original and let me practice skills, create projects with no plans (on the go) and upcycle expendable hardware. It’s also very enjoyable, and it takes a lot of time – a process of thinking their names up. I started by cutting a beard. I used a finger joint router bit and the trick was to use different techniques for each side. Side one –…

  • Wood

    Light-duty rustic shelf

    It was built to make use of unused space behind my bandsaw. There was another shelf there in the past, which left a couple of ready-to-go holes, already drilled and fitted with wall plugs. I only had to buy some brackets and cut a board to size. I had some pallet wood boards lying around and I wanted to give them a shot. To be honest, I had no choice but to slightly complicate the build, otherwise, it couldn’t be called a project. Buying things and putting them together is not a project. It’s different when you dismantle a pallet…

  • Wood

    Finger joint tray

    A simple organizer, used mostly for storing personal protective equipment like work gloves, safety glasses and hearing protection. That determined its size, but also or maybe most importantly it had to fit under the shelving unit. I was very excited to try out the jig and the glue with a longer clamping time. First I cut the timber to length using my table saw. Then I attached the jig and started cutting the joints. They were on the loose side, but I was happy to be able to experiment with them. Last time they were too tight and the glue…

  • Glass,  Upcycling,  Wood

    Gin bottle lamp

    This is a continuation of my latest project – square gin bottle cut – largely about woodworking as the glass was already cut and ready to go. With the right tool, which was my new bandsaw, cutting the base was easy and accurate. I cut it just outside the line and removed the rest of the material with my belt sander. I also eased the edges with sandpaper, the top one just a bit and the bottom one quite much. I usually do the same for table tops, platforms and such, but I use my router instead of a sanding…