-
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…
-
Traditional shelf
Classic, timeless and elegant look, plus of course only 2 screws are required to hang it on the wall. Less mess and quicker installation, which includes dust and noise generated during drilling in concrete. I added some trims to the project to balance the simplicity and cover the nail holes. There were 2 nails used in this project, but not as fastenings – they were rather hanging pins. For joinery, I used glue and dowels. During this build I again had a chance to practice my scrolling skills, one step further to master this art. That wasn’t easy, and not…
-
Back-to-school tools, edition 2021
This year, 2021, is about going cordless, at least for me. Many tools and appliances in my household have been changed from noisy and corded to quiet cordless ones. But the noise wasn’t the main reason I did some upgrades. Portability and ease of use, which often means no preparation before the job. In the past, time after time, I didn’t use a tool at all and skipped the task just because I saw all the cable work in my head, plugin in, changing sockets, being careful not to go over the cable etc. Many tasks started and immediately finished…
-
Double shelf
All the materials I used for this project were reclaimed. That includes the steel bar – a part of a broken quick-release clamp. A quite simple and minimalistic shelf, made of 2 boards and 2 brackets, yet unique and original. Rounded corners make the difference, a few extra moments spent on making can be clearly seen and appreciated later on. When I make a shelf, I always try to hang it on the wall with only 2 screws. If it’s heavy – I use 2 heavy-duty screws or concrete anchors, if it’s light – I usually drill two 8 mm…
-
Table saw stand
It has the proper height for my table saw, which gives me 874 mm (34 13/32 inches) from the floor to the top of the saw. It’s a heavy-duty and heavyweight construction, made from upcycled material and put together using glue, screws and braces. I had to prepare the timber before cutting, remove nails, embedded stones and dried concrete from its surface. The legs were built first, and the process started with rip-cutting and planing the timber. I simply cut one board in half and the other in 4 equal pieces. During the planing, I only removed what had to…
-
2-4-6-8 block
It’s a replica of a project I viewed recently in an online art gallery, the original one was made of concrete, and it was quite expensive to buy. I used different materials and also painted all 4 sides and the back. The way I see this piece of art determined the name I made up for my clone, the notches I cut were 2, 4, 6 and 8 cm long. My version is made of ash wood, and it’s already served as a simple mobile tray. I removed castors and gave it a second if not the 3rd, life. Even…
-
Simple weathervane
It’s made of scrap dowels, a scrap metal handle and a toolbox divider. If there was a need to cut wood, I used a hand saw. The arrow was built first and tested for a couple of weeks, using a temporary stand. It worked great, and I decided to make a proper mount for it. Coincidentally, I had some scrap metal handles lying around that I no longer needed for the device they came from. They were used for the mount. Surprisingly, my chamfering bit turned out good for wood and metal, and it saved me some time in part…
-
2-tier bedside table
The timber that I selected for the top and the shelf wasn’t high quality, the boards were cupped and full of loose knots. That had to be worked out somehow. On the other hand, the timber used for legs, apron and lower shelf support was good to go straight away. The only joinery used in this project was butt joints reinforced with dowels. Simple to do and strong enough. I started with rip-cutting boards in half, that way I visually removed some cup and stiffened up the boards crosswise of the grain for the thickness planer. Wide, cupped boards have…
-
Summer tools, edition 2021
The first tool, which is a thickness planer, helps me to get smooth and evenly thick boards in no time. Three other Bosch tools, give me the ability to take them with me anywhere and 3 big batteries last long, so I can be sure the job will be finished. The last one is my 3rd hand in many situations and also serves as a workbench. I’ve always wanted to have this tool, but due to the limited storage space, I couldn’t buy it. Luckily, my storage room has magically stretched and finally, I could purchase this wonderful machine. This…
-
Tree stump platform
A quick project that took just over an hour to complete, and was rather spontaneous than planned. The materials I used were pallet wood for the top, scrap pressure-treated wood for the beams and a single piece of scrap, kiln-dried timber for the levelling block. I cut everything with a hand saw, and most of the alignment and spacing were simply eye-balled. The 4 corner brackets, I used, were galvanised, heavy-duty and long-lasting products. I’ve used them in my other outdoor projects, and they last years, absolutely rust-free. This construction is something between a tree platform, decking, a shelf and…
