• Tools,  Upcycling

    Tape holder

    Its body was made from a plastic pipe, that was part of an intake/exhaust gas boiler shaft. However, not its origin, but its diameter was more important to me, the pipe could go inside the masking tape roll and surprisingly it could store some insulation tape inside. The scrap pipe I had was too long, I had to cut it to size using a hand saw and a mitre box, and next, all the sharp edges had to be sanded down. Once that was done I started drilling holes. As that project was very simple, there were only 2 steps…

  • Wood

    Two-chimney tiny house

    I have to admit that this miniature house is a replica of a project I found on the Internet. According to one of the sources (social media), this little house is made by architect Leif Larsen from Denmark and the original is 8 cm high. My version is slightly different and almost 3 times bigger but the idea remains the same. It’s rough timber, a gable roof and most importantly an ascending staircase that ends up with a door opening. My staircase is “plastered”, I also replaced a single chimney in the centre with twin chimneys. It’s still close to…

  • Upcycling

    Metal paper plane

    I only guess that everyone would like to ask a question: “Does it fly?”. Just in case if anyone does – I haven’t tried. It could and probably would fall down, leaving scratches on the painted surface. It would be also too dangerous for anyone around. It wasn’t my intention to build a weapon, I wanted to make something that I used to make every day when I was a little boy. Only this time I used more advanced material. Childhood memories and the beauty of flying – that’s all this project is about. Recalling happy memories – one of…

  • Wood

    Set of 2 drawers

    That set was an upgrade to the existing project – a nightstand that I made sometime in the past. There was some unused storage space left in between those 2 tiers and I had to change that. One of the solutions to the problem was a conversion to a cabinet by simply adding panels and a door, possibly with shelves inside. The other solution was to add 1 bigger or 2 smaller drawers and only use half of the space, leaving the bottom tier as it was. I made the decision in the shop when I found the perfect pine…

  • Wood

    Wooden Polish flag

    Earlier that summer I made a set of oversized mouldings, that could be used in many applications. Due to their size and shape, they could find some use as structural elements, for example, legs, corner connectors etc. or as decorative mouldings. They were strong, straight and thick, also the grain was almost knot-free. All they needed was a thorough sanding, getting rid of saw marks and other imperfections left by a router. I took one of these mouldings and decided to make some art – something decorative and patriotic. Now that it’s finished, it looks like a white and red…

  • Wood

    Birch plywood bookcase

    The jigsaw cabriole legs couldn’t wait forever for their second half. Sooner or later I had to have that bookcase finished, all I needed was the proper material to start the project. I couldn’t find any good plywood locally so I ordered it online. Cut to size and surprisingly at a good price too. There wasn’t much left to do with a product like this, however, some steps had to be finished to enjoy my new bookcase. Some of the sheets had to be cut to get a couple of strips for the mounting pads. They could be ordered like…

  • Glass,  Upcycling

    Purple portable lamp

    This project is a remake of something that was made earlier and wasn’t used too much. It was called a bottleneck vessel and was made from an old champagne bottle. Cutting and polishing the bottle was briefly explained in that post, so I can now focus on part 2 of the making. The easiest way to insert a cable to the inside, and not do it from the top, obviously, is to drill a hole on the side. Another way is to cut off the bottom as I do every so often. But in this project, I drilled a hole…

  • Wood

    Jigsaw cabriole legs

    This base has 2 cabriole legs in the front and 2 regular legs at the back. It’s made that way because only the front ones will be visible. That was a project which I postponed for a long time, looking for the right tool for the job. The most obvious choice would be a band saw, of course, which I don’t have. But I like to complicate things and try alternative tools and methods to make stuff. The jigsaw, I used, was powerful and heavy-duty and could cut up to 150 mm (almost 6″) through the wood! It accepts blades…

  • Tools,  Wood

    Mini shooting board

    Never mind its look, because it’s made from scraps. It works great, though, and even if it’s not made of very durable materials, it should last for a while. I wanted to see if I need one, and how does it improve my work? I used MDF, plywood and some off-cuts to make it. All glued together, reinforced with nails. A simple jig, used in combination with a block plane to trim and square up ends of boards. I think it does the job, can be quickly pulled out for a project and easily stored on a shelf. It was…

  • Wood

    3-handled crate

    A couple of years ago I made a panel that served as a simple shelf hidden from human sight. It was made of pallet wood, that’s why I double-checked for embedded stones and metal again. I liked the texture of the wood, the visible glue squeeze-out and all stains, but for that project, it had to be altered. The panel was a little cupped at the edge, but when I cut off 1 of the 5 boards it was made of, it looked not too bad. It was still a bit too wide for the planer, so I had to…