Got an email from Darrin Larson suggesting I make a spice rack for January Junk month. If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, having spices handy is important. We used to keep our spices in the pantry where it was always a challenge to find the one needed.
A spice rack for people who actually use their spices. And use them a lot.Quite a while ago I made this spice rack that takes advantage of wall space above the countertops backsplash. We bought special jars to contain the spices, printed out labels for them, and arranged them alphabetically. Transferring store-bought spices from the odd and various-sized containers they come in makes it much easier to store. Best of all, since the shelves are only one jar deep, nothing gets lost or hidden.
I absolutely love this system. It transformed the way I cook.
These pictures should give you an idea of how to build it. Nothing too complicated: just some oak shelves and sides and a quarter-inch back panel. The biggest expense of this project is buying the jars, which can be quite expensive.
You should also consider whether you want clear or dark jars. Having clear jars makes it easy to quickly identify a spice and grab it, plus all the colors make a nice display. However, I have read that spices should be stored in opaque containers to keep them fresh longer. From my experience I can tell you that parsley, oregano, basil, and cayenne pepper do tend to fade in color over time, but I havent noticed any discernible change in flavor.
Update: Heres a SketchUp drawing. 

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Floor vent follow up

A little about cheap router bits.In general, Ryobi bits work fine for light work, but I broke two of them while making the vent covers this week. It was a real test of their strength and explains why they are inexpensive.
I found an unmarked steel bit in my collection that had no trouble completing the project.
If you are going to do some heavy routing like this, you will definitely save time and money by buying a higher quality bit. My guess is that Ryobi bits arent designed to withstand the amount of heat I was generating my making those slots.
But for light routing, I have never had troubles with Ryobi bits.They work great for roundovers, edge routing, and the like.
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Mere MinutesGearing up for Christmas / Vent covers follow-up

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Restoration

Don Gottschalk sent over a couple of before-and-after pictures of a bench that he just restored. Took it all apart and did lots of sanding. Its really beautiful.
Ive restored a few pieces in the past and find the process quite rewarding. Especially in this disposable age we live.
Just a thought as we are in the midst of gift-building season. Breathing new life into something youve found or have had for years might make for a very special present.

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Chess boards

Posted by chun | 0 comments | 10:57 AM

Seems a lot of people have been making chess boards lately.
Bill Wilson is such a prolific woodworker. Im always impressed at the volume of projects he cranks out. Heres his multi-use chess board: chess, checkers and dominoes. I love the chess pieces.

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Jim Allgeier from Cape Charles, VA built this chess board based on my design from a few years ago. He used Maple and Cherry (I like that combination for a chess board) and gave this to his ten-year-old son for Christmas.

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Over on Facebook, Bert Collett posted his chess board made with black walnut and curly maple. The box is black walnut. The base and drawers are old heart pine. Just gorgeous.

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Unrelated to chess (but using a similar technique to create the grid pattern) I just completed my first cutting board. I kind of screwed up the alignment of the pattern, but Im still fairly satisfied. 

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Build a stomp box

Posted by chun | 0 comments | 2:48 AM

Soon after I made my cajon last year, someone mentioned that I should consider making a stomp box. I had never heard of a stomp box before, but after looking at lots of examples, I was intrigued. I really like projects that can take on so many different interpretations.
In addition to providing a cool beat-box for my son, I wanted to add my own spin to the instrument. Eventually I came up with this box that can be played electronically or acoustically. It serves as a mini-cajon, a hand-held drum, a tambourine, and of course, a stomp box!
If you are interested in making one,  you will need a Piezo Transducer (an electronic pickup). There are various types available in many places such as Amazon.com. If you want to buy one locally, heres one you can get at Radio Shack.  You will need a 1/4" phone jack to hook the box to an amplifier.

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Advent calendar and other gift ideas

Posted by chun | 0 comments | 1:39 AM

Terry Dahlquist has been cranking out advent calendars this year!

If you didnt see my video last year, here it is again. If you would like to make one, you have just two weekends left before December! And heres a cutting template.

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