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Classic crate, a practice piece
Building a lightweight but strong enough crate to store canned food, was the plan when I started making this one. Most importantly, I wanted to test out my new nail gun and explore new joinery techniques, specifically using brad nails and glue. This explains the title of this post – “a practice piece”. I needed a crate for storing kitchen items, as the one I had seemed to be too bulky and had an excess of fasteners. This new crate was the opposite of the old one, providing a much-needed upgrade. I purchased two lengths of 9 mm thick mouldings…
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Revived wood planter
Created from reclaimed wood that was brought back to life after being discarded and left in the bushes for about 18 months. Not everything could be reused, but I managed to save a few boards that were tucked deeper in the pile and had less damage from the weather and nature. They still needed cleaning and drying, but after the prep work was done, they were fine for small outdoor projects. I checked them for staples, nails, and embedded stones, and once I was satisfied, I gave them a second chance. Most of them were decking boards and 2x4s –…
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Coffee filter holder
A simple and quick project, put together using scrap materials and finished with leftover paint. Thanks to the good weather, both the glue and paint dried quickly, speeding up the project’s completion. This fast turnaround offered a nice change from my usual more complex tasks. I was lucky to find a plywood sheet on the offcut shelf that was a perfect fit for the box, which meant less waste and less work. All the pieces were glued together with the better side facing inward, and the outside was given a bit of wood filler before being painted. I used the…
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Plywood box with moulding-covered edges
The body of the box was crafted from five plywood panels, simply butt-joined and secured with glue and nails. This approach proved to be both quick and effective, providing ample strength for its intended purpose. To enhance the aesthetic appeal and user-friendliness of the box, I covered the sharp corners and exposed plywood edges with tasteful mouldings. The time I saved by simplifying the plywood body construction was redirected towards experimenting with novel techniques for addressing a common issue with cheap plywood – its often imperfect and void-ridden edges. While numerous methods remained unexplored for future projects, I opted for…
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Lean-to roof
Probably the biggest project I’ve ever undertaken, both in terms of dimensions and cost. I had to acquire new skills and familiarise myself with new terminology, but fortunately, I already had most of the necessary tools in my workshop. I was aware that constructing a sturdy frame could pose a challenge, but it had to be done correctly. It needed to strike a balance between solidity and visual lightness, complementing the shed it was going to be attached to. Maintaining visual consistency between the existing structure and the new addition was one of the key objectives. Additionally, the lean-to had…
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Heatwave tools, edition 2023
The recent heatwave pushed me away from my workshop to my garden, where I could enjoy all the benefits of sunshine and fresh air. It was also a good time to travel and to BBQ. The woodworking and workshop tools were used a little less on behalf of garden tools and garden equipment. Still, some work was done and I didn’t let my tools rust. Please let me present a few of them that joined my tool collection recently. DeWalt DWE7492 is my 3rd table saw. It is also the largest – it uses a 10″ blade, just like my…
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Mini shipping crate
It’s built very similar to a full-size shipping crate but due to the size of the parts, it’s glued together and not nailed. Most importantly, each side is made of plywood and is reinforced with timber braces but also, the original idea of built-in forklift slots somehow remains. I made many of these full-size shipping crates in my day job and was always impressed with the simplicity of their construction and the way they were put together. Just nails, screws and exposed plywood edges – I wanted to recreate a box like this, just scaled down but using a similar…
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Fruit fence
This simple fence was built to prop up laden blackcurrant branches and to keep them off the ground. The bush was growing in every direction, towards the greenhouse, through the property fence and it was taking up an unnecessary amount of space. The fence I built solved all these problems and brought a breath of fresh air into that corner of the garden. It looks rustic yet professional and the bush seems to be under control and well looked after. The job was straightforward and fun, I generally love making garden projects because of all the benefits of sunshine and…
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Soft-start module on DeWalt DWE7492
This is a fairly inexpensive upgrade that is quite easy to implement and, most importantly, significantly prolongs the saw’s lifespan. With this soft-start module installed, the saw starts slowly and gains speed gradually, which helps save the bearings and the motor. The whole process can be reversed to the factory setup, ensuring that the warranty isn’t voided. All the pictures shown below can be viewed in full size to make understanding each step even easier. Additionally, at the end of the post, I have included a short video to demonstrate the difference between before and after the module was installed.…
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Garden bench drink holder
This is one of those projects that can be built in just 15 minutes, on a whim. Although similar holders can be found online in almost every Far East marketplace, my project competes in both price and delivery time. Additionally, it can be customized to fit any garden bench and accommodate preferred drink containers, such as cans, bottles, or travel mugs, making it a winner in this competition. The drink holder is built with galvanized steel banding and angle brackets, both of which are widely available at any hardware shop. It is held together with rivets and requires no finishing.…
