-
Box joint jig
This box joint jig (also called a finger joint jig) is made from reclaimed wood and a strap hinge. This project involved making a carriage and cutting slots in the router table. To be honest I didn’t expect it to be that challenging. The first slot is slightly too wide (I’m working on the solution), but the second one is OK. A utility knife and sandpaper were more than helpful. The holes in the hinge were drilled and countersunk. Making the fence wasn’t complicated. Cutting the slot was the first thing to do. Next, I cut the peg and the…
-
Table saw push block
If you want to buy a push block it can be quite expensive. I had some scrap material so I decided to make one myself and save some money. That was the first time I used my hole saw set. No power tools were used during sanding. To make sure it is nice in touch I used a round-over router bit. This type of tool has to be built without any metal fasteners. I used 8 mm dowels. Glueing an end-grain wood needs some tricks but it can be done. It looked OK with the dowels sticking out, but eventually,…
-
Table saw tray
Its purpose is to facilitate putting the saw back in place after use and to move it with ease around the shed. Steel and wood along with 4 castors make the frame. Quick planing first. Cutting to length. Drilling holes in wood and metal. Making sure everything is square. Temporary M8 bolts and a socket wrench were used to check if the castors can be easily installed. I totally forgot about this curved edge. The assembly will be held together with 7 bolts, not 8. Looks good even without the castors. Applying wood oil wasn’t necessary but I couldn’t leave…
-
X-mas tools, edition 2017
Katsu 800 W Air Blower. It helps to clean my tools without any effort. It’s quick and powerful. The blowing speed can be adjusted also the unit can be transformed into a hoover. Table Saw Bosch PTS 10. Powerful 1400 W motor with soft-start and quick-stop for a safer job with less vibration. It is equipped with 2 extension bars, to the back and to the right with a parallel guide. A stop block can be attached to the fence. On-board storage for a blade and a spanner. It also features a blade guard and a push stick. It is…
-
Paint storage platform
Getting the most out of the storage space I have. This platform will be used for storing paint and it will be placed just above the lawn mower. These will be the legs: They will be supported by 2 bars across the unit’s front and back. The next day started with sanding and preparing for the pocket holes. I used screws for outdoor use just because I had to get rid of them. The platform will never be exposed to the rain, but those screws were under my feet. Front and back supporting bars were next. Top – cutting, sanding…
-
Leaning bookcase
I decided to prepare the wood prior to cutting. Planing wasn’t working for some reason. Sanding with 40 and 150-grit sandpaper was the thing to do. It worked. Some elements were sanded in groups but mostly one by one. Cleaning the shed at the end of day one. This 4-tier leaning bookcase was meant to be built entirely on a table saw. That was the first time I tried my new purchase. It wasn’t exactly obvious how to cut a plank at a 72º angle. I managed that by using my speed square. The next step was the shelves, 11 x…
-
The inner edges
The sanding starts from 240 grit. Coarse sandpaper, like 120 and lower, would only cause chipping. These small sanding bands come only in very few grits, so I actually don’t have too much choice. The 240 one is followed by 400 grit. Cleaning the bands is necessary. This little brush does the job perfectly. The bands have to be replaced from time to time. When the sanding is completed it is time to use felt wands and a polishing compound. The last stage is always wet. Cerium oxide has never failed. After a few hours it’s ready. If it’s not…
-
Oil bottles
This wasn’t the first attempt to cut these square oil bottles. I’ve been using this oil for a while for 2 reasons – it is good oil and of course to get the bottles themselves. Surprisingly this time I successfully cut all of them! No rejects! I didn’t remove the labels because it had always failed. But not this time – I still can’t believe it – 100% success! The DIY dry grinding station was set and ready to go. Some dust was created and trapped by cobwebs. The top and outside edges are smooth and polished. Sandpaper from 40…
-
Marking knife
It is always a good idea to have one and it is very satisfying to make one! All you need is a knife that is about to end in a bin. And some tools. Cut and prepared for polishing. The knife doesn’t have to be insanely sharp. It’s just a marking knife, single bevel because I’m right-handed. The drill rotates slower than the angle grinder and this is crucial to get a fine polish. Grits from 40 to 3000 were used. It works. A quite nice line is marked and ready for cutting or chiselling.
-
Budget thickness sander
Its capacity is 60 x 5 cm (width x height). This should be OK for most of my future projects, however, there is an easy way to increase these dimensions. The nuts shown in the picture below will be replaced by butterfly wing nuts in the coming days, these were just easier to get at my local store. It’s made from upcycled workbench from LIDL. The original top is replaced by a homemade angle grinder table top. Cutting the MDF is producing a lot of dust. Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of wearing a dust mask. The borders can…
