One thing Ive noticed about the workflow in my shop is that setting up for finishing or painting can mean a lot of walking back and forth. For a paint job, I will grab a few acrylics and take them to my workbench. Then I need to get brushes, rags, water, waxed paper for mixing colors. I thought it would be nice to have most of these supplies in one portable cart that I could wheel wherever needed.Shelves on 2 sidesI have always found that things tend to get lost in deep shelves. It seems that what you are looking for is in the back! So I designed this work cart with shelves and doors on two sides, allowing for shallow shelves on one side and shelves a little deeper on the other. I arranged them to suit me: sized for brushes, spray cans, quart and pint sized cans, and thinners.
If you make this project, figure out what you want to store and modify the plans accordingly. You could, of course, install adjustable shelving. Personally, I am not a fan of adjustable shelves because once I set them it seems I never bother to adjust them again.
My cart will be stored next to a utility sink, so I used a piece of melamine for the top so I can easily wipe off liquids. In the plans, I included the top in the cut list as part of the 3/4" plywood needed for the project. If you wanted to save some money, I see no reason why you couldnt use 1/2" ply for the entire project. Its not meant to be carrying heavy loads.Download free plans
- WWMM Painting and finishing cart (PDF)
- SketchUp file
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Make a rustic potting bench for your garden
| 0 comments |Labels: a, bench, for, garden, make, potting, rustic, Woodworking, your
Shipping pallets are readily available for free. Check Craigslists free section and you will be able to find some. Or ask local businesses who are often eager to rid themselves of pallets.
All it takes is a little elbow grease to break them apart. See last weeks Rustic Side Table video to see my easy method.
I designed this potting bench to be super simple to build. Anyone can make it with almost no woodworking experience and a few tools. All you will need is a saw (any kind you want...a jigsaw or circular saw would be great), a hammer, glue and nails. It looks great and is useful if you enjoy gardening.
Watch the progressAll week Ive been shooting short videos showing the progress of this project, from my initial idea, to design and modifications, to building and completing this weeks video. If you are interested, you can watch them all by searching #pottingbench on Keek or Twitter.
- Rustic potting bench plans (pdf)
- SketchUp file
Make a miter sled for your table saw
| 0 comments |Labels: a, for, make, miter, saw, sled, table, Woodworking, your
I didnt have time to work on a project last weekend but spent a lot of time this week figuring out what I wanted to make this weekend. I think Im going to make a bed tray for a laptop computer. Basically, a breakfast-in-bed kind of tray. I had a viewer ask me about such a tray a while ago, so I decided to make it.
As I played with the design, I realized I would need to make mitered corners. Every time I think about making miters, I cringe. Especially since this tray is going to be made with oak. I have a notoriously difficult time making decent miters in oak using my miter saw.
So this morning I decided to finally make a miter saw sled for my table saw. Its a project Ive been meaning to make for years.
This was the fastest project and video I ever put together. I prowled through my wood and started building this around 11:00 this morning. I built it, shot the video and finished editing it by 4:00! Woohoo!
And its one the the most useful jigs I have ever made. It is incredibly simple to build, yet extremely accurate. There are a lot of different kinds of miter sleds, but mostly I just need to cut 45 degree angles. So if making picture frames drives you crazy, give this sled a shot.
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As I played with the design, I realized I would need to make mitered corners. Every time I think about making miters, I cringe. Especially since this tray is going to be made with oak. I have a notoriously difficult time making decent miters in oak using my miter saw.
So this morning I decided to finally make a miter saw sled for my table saw. Its a project Ive been meaning to make for years.
This was the fastest project and video I ever put together. I prowled through my wood and started building this around 11:00 this morning. I built it, shot the video and finished editing it by 4:00! Woohoo!
And its one the the most useful jigs I have ever made. It is incredibly simple to build, yet extremely accurate. There are a lot of different kinds of miter sleds, but mostly I just need to cut 45 degree angles. So if making picture frames drives you crazy, give this sled a shot.
Build your own router table
| 0 comments |Labels: build, own, router, table, Woodworking, your
I wanted it to be sturdy, and have a reasonably large work surface. I think when I finish the top, it will probably be 34" wide by about 26" deep. I also wanted it higher than most tables. This one stands at 42" high which makes if very comfortable for me.I decided to make a full cabinet to hold accessories and bits, too. I think Ill even include drill bits.
Finally, I wanted a router table that was relatively inexpensive to make, yet have some design style to it. The frame and panel construction is pretty easy and just required a bunch of 1x3s and some 1/4" plywood.
Next week, Ill work on the top and build a fence and runner system.
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