Back To The Board-Room

Reinforcements Have Arrived

2012-07-05T17:57:00.002-07:00

It has been a few weeks since my last update. The main reason for this is I've been busy and haven't had much time for any new projects. However, now that track season is over, my summer is free. I already have my next project lined up for this weekend. Stay tuned for that.

Also, I made a trip back to Pennsylvania this week. I brought back a few things that should help....

Sure beats just a hand saw.

Past Projects: Socker Solar Lanterns (Remix)

2012-06-14T18:27:00.001-07:00

Past Projects will be a fairly regular post (until I no longer have any Past Projects to discuss) that will deal with various projects I have completed in the past.

Date Made: April 2012

Surprise! Here's a non-wooden project. The original plans/idea for this project can be found here. As you may have noticed, I made a few changes to the original design.

Used a slightly different solar light. As you can see, my solar light protrudes a bit higher from the top of the lantern. At first I thought this would be distracting, but I actually like the extra layer it adds and it is unnoticeable at night. The original article does not specify which type of light they used so I just bought the cheapest (~$2) solar light at Wal-Mart.
Drilled holes around the center for more light exposure. I’m not sure if the light used in the original design was some super bright, but after constructing my lantern, I soon realized the light produced by the solar light was barely noticeable and the lantern just looked like a hanging pot, even at night model. Drilling these holes gives the lantern a more decorative look during the day and exposes more light at night.

Still looks good in the day

Tied end of the 3 ropes to an S-hook. This makes it really easy to take down and move the lantern whenever I need to.
Did not glue the solar light onto the lantern. After day 1, I realized my porch does not get enough light exposure to charge the solar light throughout the day. Since the solar light is not glued to the lantern, when the battery dies, I am able to simply take the light out in the morning and put it in the sun without having to take down the entire lantern.
Spray-painted the exterior. The original document’s final product appears to be bronze, but the document instructions makes no mention of spray-painting the lantern. I didn’t like the shiny aluminum look of the Socker pot so I decided to spray-paint mine a textured bronze.

Any questions? Feel free to contact me through Twitter or e-mail

Project: 12”/18” Plyo Box

2012-05-29T15:43:00.001-07:00

Such a beautiful paint job.

What home gym is complete without a plyometric box or two? As you’ll soon be able to see, my original design for this project was a simple 12” box. However, I was hit with inspiration in the middle of production and realized I could essentially make my plyo box into a 2-for-1 box.

For what can be considered 2 plyometric boxes, the cost was surprisingly cheap. The basic frame is made of simple 2x4s, which I purchased at Home Depot for only $2.04 thanks to a good selection in their culled wood area (leftover scrap wood they sell for $0.51 each). The plywood used for the top(s) was the most expensive piece at nearly $12. Throw in a can of spray paint for $0.97 (optional) and the total cost of this project was just about $15.

Original design.

Materials:

(1) 20"x17.5"x.5"
(1) 20"x12"x5"
(4) 1.5"x3.5"x11.5"
(4) 1.5"x3.5"x17"
(4) 1.5"x3.5"x10.5"
Screws/Nails
(Optional) Paint

As you can see, there is a bit of a discrepancy between my original design and the list of materials. As I was assembling my box, I realized I could easily convert the box to a dual purpose 12" AND 18" Plyo Box in just a few steps. I increased the width of the box from 14" to 17.5" by switching out the 7" middle boards with 10.5" boards. Then I just added another plywood board to the front adding the extra 1/2" to make it an even 18". See pictures below.

Basic frame.

12" Plyo Box.

Add another plywood board to side.

Now we have ourselves an 18" Plyo Box.

Just wanted to show my sweet painting skills again.

Any questions? Feel free to contact me through Twitter or e-mail.

Past Projects: Hidden Storage Clock

2012-05-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

Past Projects will be a fairly regular post (until I no longer have any Past Projects to discuss) that will deal with various projects I have completed in the past.

Behold, the power of hidden storage. Pull the top off this magical clock and
store any number of things inside: money, jewels, candy, tiny elves...

Date Made: 2000

This was one of the first projects I completed during my 3 years of high school woodshop. As you can probably guess, as a teenager, the idea of a hidden compartment captured my imagination so I was immediately drawn to this project. I knew I was so clever and sneaky, putting this seemingly ordinary clock right there on the fireplace mantle, sitting right in plain sight, and those fools I called friends and family never knew it had ~$10 just sitting right there…in plain sight (evil laugh).

As you may have noticed, the actual clock set inside this housing is laughably small. This is actually due to two rather glaring mistakes I made when creating this piece. First, I read the measurements wrong when creating the middle section, causing the housing to be 1 ½” taller than intended. Second, I purchased a clock that was too small because it looked much larger in the magazine (who needs actual measurements? Hint: Not this guy).

Below, I have recreated the layouts for this particular project and I have included the original dimensions. So if you actually follow the proper dimensions and buy a normal sized clock (I suggest 3-4” diameter), this could actually be a pretty nice clock to display in your house…and hide things in.

INSTRUCTIONS

A – (2) 5 ½” x 5” x ¾”
B – (2) 5 ½” x 6 ½” x ¾”
C – (2) 5 x 3 x ¾”

1. Cut wood to dimensions listed above.
2. If desired, use router or table saw to design edges. Note: Edging should be performed on the top of both (B)s and on the 5” sides of both (A)s. See image below for reference.
3. Drill hole in center of A1. Obviously, the size is dependent on the clock you are installing.

This particular clock used 2" diameter drill bit.

4. Glue both (C)s between the (A)s. See Top-down view of middle section above.
5. Glue bottom on.
6. Stain/Varnish pieces as desired.
7. Install clips to hold top in place.

Any questions? Feel free to contact me through Twitter or e-mail

Past Projects: Country Shelf

2012-05-12T11:26:00.001-07:00

Past Projects will be a fairly regular post (until I no longer have any Past Projects to discuss) that will deal with various projects I have completed in the past.

Date Made: 8th grade (1999ish)

If memory serves me well, this is the first real woodworking project I ever finished; if not the first, certainly in the top 3. This is one of three projects I completed in 8th grade woodshop and the only one I still have today. The other two, a wooden dog and water-pump shaped lamp, have been broken (wooden dogs don’t survive 10 foot drops) or been a gift to loved ones (you are welcome, mom).

This is a pretty simple shelf to make but it has been a useful contributor to every living space I have occupied since its creation. Throughout high school and college, it was home to various athletic trophies, medals, and awards. When I moved into my own apartment, it was home to some pretty sweet hats and various seasonal decorations. And as you can see now, it is home to various keepsakes from my wedding and still home to some pretty sweet hats.

As I said earlier, it is a pretty simple shelf so there isn’t a lot to say about it or how it was made. It was made too long ago for me to really remember any details of working on it. Pictures/Dimensions below for anybody who may want to recreate this particular shelf:

Dimensions
Top Board: 19"x3 1/2"x3/4"

Bottom Board: 17 3/4"x3 1/2"x3/4"

Top View

Rear View

Front View

Any questions? Feel free to contact me through Twitter or e-mail

Project: Sawhorses

2012-05-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

I finally purchased the materials for the sawhorses (plus a few extra boards for my next project).

Overall, this was a pretty simple project so I won't go into too much detail.
Materials:
1.5"x3.5"x30" board (8)
1.5"x3.5"x33" board (2)
Sawhorse brackets (4)

Nails

Finished product:

I'll no longer have to do all my work on the floor, which is the main reason I decided to make these sawhorses. I can throw a sheet of plywood or a couple 2x4s over them to make a temporary table until I get a workbench in my garage. Plus, now I have a place to set my barbell whenever I want to do squats in my garage. :)

Introduction

2012-05-04T14:54:00.001-07:00

It has been nearly 5 years since I last picked up a piece of wood with any intention of turning it in to something useful (unless you count the 2x4 I set down on my garage floor to indicate when my wife’s car is fully inside). 5 years ago, I moved out of my parents’ house and started my first “real job” (let’s face it, working part-time at K-Mart is not a real job) and since then I have not had the space, time, and/or tools to do any serious woodworking.

During that brief post-college, pre-employment period of my life, I began manufacturing a complete set of Tetris shelves so I could have a unique storage center in my new apartment. Unfortunately, I never made it past purchasing and cutting the boards. Every apartment I have lived in has had one closet shelf devoted to storing a stack of high-quality oak and every time I see that shelf I can’t help but see an unfinished task.

Sunday night, while looking for a book I seem to have lost, I once again ‘found’ my collection of woodworking books and magazines sitting on the bottom of my bookshelf. While skimming through a few of these books, I was hit with a flash of inspiration when I discovered plans for a simple workbench. Suddenly I realized I now have the time, space, and even tools to work on a lot of simple woodworking projects again.

I also had the idea that it would probably be interesting to chronicle my future woodworking endeavors. That is where this blog comes into the picture. Over the future weeks/months/years, I hope to keep fairly detailed records of all my various projects (wood and other mediums included) and hope that they will be useful to somebody somewhere.

The ultimate goal is to one-day finish those Tetris shelves I started 5 years ago, but I have a long way to go before my workshop is capable of handling that project. Right now, I have no work bench and just a few basic tools in my apartment, but that will all change as time goes on.

My first project has already been decided and will begin this weekend: building a pair of sawhorses so I can build that workbench and have a place to work.