Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Tips for making last minute Christmas gifts

Everyone loves your hand-made gifts: some have probably even come to expect them. It makes sense because each gift is one-of-a-kind and people love to have things no one else has.
Stress not. Here are a few tips to relieve a little of the gift-building anxiety you may be feeling as we near December 25th.
1. Make simple projects that you can complete in a day or two. Keep assemblies small and manageable. You cant go wrong with picture frames, for instance. They are easy to make and you can make multiples at the same time. You can let your imagination soar with unique profiles and include a special photo in the frame.
2. Make projects that people will actually use. Ask yourself, "If I didnt make this, would the recipient still like it?" Heres another thought: a step stool. Most can be cranked out with a few boards in a couple hours. Everyone needs a step stool.
3. Skip the toys. There are exceptions, but in general young children do not care for handmade toys. At least not since 1950. People who like and appreciate handmade wood toys are adults. I actually have a book on making super nice toys. Beautiful, intricate toys that probably end up on a "look but dont touch" display shelf in the childs room. Face it, we cant compete with electronics.
4. Dont waste time trying to impress people with your woodworking prowess. Unfortunately, the only people who really care about your hand-cut dovetails are other woodworkers. Use basic techniques that you are comfortable with and let the overall project speak for itself. You might consider an exotic wood though. Most people do marvel at unusual wood.
These are just a few ideas off the top of my head. There are certainly times when we enjoy working on something truly special for someone truly special and will put days or weeks into it. But if you enjoy woodworking — duh, you are reading this blog — dont let Christmas gift-making become a chore and ruin the joy of woodworking. Keep things simple and think about the recipient while you are building in the shop. Not a lot of people take the time to make gifts anymore. Watching someones face light up when you give him or her something truly unique is priceless.
Here are a few simple projects that can be made very quickly and will be well received:
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Easy Wood Projects For Beginners Wooden Ideas
easy wood projects for beginners Woodworking Projects Magic Wine Bottle Holder PDF Download
easy wood projects for beginners
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Saturday, March 1, 2014
Changes For A New Year
With a New Year right around the corner, I thought it was time to make some blog changes so please be patient with me as I try to upgrade our look a little. Im not technical and these things take me forever.
But I wanted to make the design a little more us, simple. :)
New Years Resolutions......
Mine is to try not to stress and worry so much. Easier said than done, right?
Oh, and Im going to TRY to eliminate sugar from my diet. Im pretty sure I will break that one on January 2. :) Any tips?
And to just have more fun and celebrate life.
My hubbys birthday is tomorrow, so Im planning a party. :) I love making him feel special.
What about you? What are your New Years resolutions? Id love to hear them!
Have a great day and a wonderful New Year~
Diana
Monday, February 17, 2014
Free Woodworking Plans For Tables Woodworking Plans
Free Woodworking Plans For Tables
Woodworking Plans
Do-it-Yourself Patterns and Crafts, Woodworking kits, Furniture Plans Plus Much, Much More. Will Show You How to Make 16,000 Different Woodworking Plans. Use The Plans For Fun, Functionality or Profit!Free Woodworking Plans For Tables. Wood is one of the most wonderful, sturdy and versatile materials that you can work with whilst on a do it your self project. The beauty of a cabinet door that is completed in wood cannot be matched by any other material no matter if all-natural or man created. As with any project, you would need a detailed set of plans when you function with wood and wood based materials. This is why it is advised that you use a detailed set of woodworking plans as soon as you program to extensively use wood primarily based components to comprehensive the project that you have embarked on.
Now let us examine why woodworking plans are essential in any wood primarily based do it oneself project. To start with, these plans aid you get rid of waste. If you start a woodworking project devoid of a firm program, the chances are that you would finish up making use of more wood that you initially intended to. Most of the wood primarily based projects would call for extensive assemblies and sub assemblies.
When you begin your project, you would be ideally functioning with person members of wood and finishing them individually just before assembling them. If you do not have the appropriate woodwork plans, you could finish up with mismatching wood members at the time of assembly. This could bring about costly price and time overruns in the project. All these complications can be avoided by using a effectively laid out set of wood plans.
The other benefit that you could have if you use woodworking plans are that you would be prepared with all the tools and implements that you would demand for finishing the wood based project. Typically we uncover that we do not have access to a particular tool in the middle of a woodworking project. This circumstance could lead to a loss of time and from time to time you may perhaps even have to abandon the project in case a distinct tool is not accessible. All these troubles can be avoided if you have a detailed plan at the onset. Free Woodworking Plans For Tables
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Consistent Advertising - The romance of woodworking will need to have to be balanced with the constant advertising and marketing and advertising vital to retain the operate coming in. In time, phrase of mouth brings in a lot of operate if you develop a fantastic popularity. Till finally then, you will require to get the phrase out routinely. Following the perform arrives in you have to have fantastic manufacturing systems so you can comprehensive the tasks promptly and continue to keep the money flowing. If jobs take into consideration also very extended and the dollars movement stops, it can turn into tricky to shell out the expenses. Talking of funds flow, you should really develop and adhere to standard assortment methods. This is 1 area where by a number of woodworkers fail. The payment for the execute will require to be as significant as the execute by itself. If you are lax in accumulating, you will run into prospects who fall quick to shell out you and this will lead to definitely really serious revenue movement troubles.The Little company - Even on the other hand you like woodworking, you will need to do the house enterprise if you are to make a dwelling at it. Great outcomes generally calls for an in-depth info of both woodworking and business management. If you by no means have each, I recommend you hesitate to leap in till you have honed your enterprise abilities.
Hunting back once more I recognize that my lack of understanding in the course of my startup really a handful of decades back could have been offset with some typical details and yet another person to advise me.Sadly I had to learn most elements by trial and error.
Just about each and every and every and every single week, I take the time to go through the comments that my viewers make about my woodworking web page. 1st of all I want to them for taking the time to comment, I certainly worth all of the comments and ideas. This prior week there was a comment from a gentleman, who expressed a require to get into woodworking. As a man who is passionate about woodworking, I want to welcome him to the fold. And I want to present you him all of the ideas and encouragement probable in his endeavors.Free Woodworking Plans For Tables
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Top 6 Woodwork Plans You Should Make Time For During Vacation

Top Six Ideal Woodwork Plans for Vacation
Woodwork Plans for Adirondack Furniture - Tables, chairs, stools, and other patio furniture that belong to this category are characterized by its intricate details and its great need for precision. If you intend to accomplish a woodwork plan for Adirondack future, do expect to spend longer time than usual in completing this project. Make sure that you follow instructions carefully and completely for this particular woodwork plan to come into being perfectly.
Woodwork Plans for Birdhouses - Birdhouses are always a great addition to anyones garden or yard at any time of the year. If its migrating season for birds, you can simply use your birdhouse as an ornament at your place.
As there are various types of birdhouse woodwork plans available in the Internet, make sure that you choose one which also fits the overall design of your garden or yard. If you dont find anything to your liking, consider making adjustments and modifications until you end up with something ideal. Make sure of course that you use durable wood for your birdhouse because it generally has great exposure to all elements of nature and can therefore be prone to damage.
Woodwork Plans for Doghouses - For your beloved pets birthday or Christmas gift, why not give him a labor of love in the form of a new and better doghouse? If you dont find any woodwork plan thats ideal for your dogs size and breed, just make the necessary adjustments regarding the doghouses width, length, and height. Take into consideration any particular habits your dog may have as well and which of these you can accommodate by incorporating them with the woodwork plan.
Woodwork Plans for Wine Racks - Begin the much - needed makeover for your wine cellar at the basement by finding a woodwork plan to replace your ancient and presently rotting wine rack.
When searching for woodwork plans for wine racks, consider the number of bottles you typically store in a year, the size of these bottles, and the amount of space youre working with. If youll be installing the wine cellar at your basement, consider using laminated wood to make it more resistant to moisture damage.
Woodwork Plans for Foldable Picnic Tables - Building anything foldable is always a challenge to woodwork enthusiasts because of the amount of hard work and careful calculations it require. Besides making sure that you place everything correctly, you also need to ensure that the object will fold and unfold in relative ease.
When selecting a woodwork plan for a foldable picnic table, consider how many in average would be using the table together, their respective sizes and girth, and the type of wood youll use.
Woodwork Plans for Cabinets - Lastly, you can use your vacation time to build yourself a cabinet to store clothes, objects, and other possessions that are right now cluttering your home. To properly stimulate your mind, however, consider making wooden cabinets that make use of more detail and curves.
Have fun working on these woodwork plans!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
One for the Andy Rooney Crowd
Im making a concerted effort to keep this blog on topic and not let it devolve into my personal soapbox. This post is, however, only marginally connected to woodworking. So there you go...youve been warned.
The woodworking connection is that I won a #5 1/2 jack plane off eBay two weeks ago and it still hasnt arrived. Yes, the seller took about three days to ship it but thats not unheard of. The real issue here is the US Postal Service. Check out the tracking info:

Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Lamp Makeover for Master Bedroom

Ive been looking for a pair of lamps or one to go with the existing lamp in the bedroom for a while now. Home Goods used to be my go to source for lamps when we lived in Tennessee, but since California doesnt have one, I have been out of luck.
All of the lamps that I like are $100 and up, I dont mind investing in a good quality lamp, but since we will be most likely moving every 2 -5 years for Davids job, and only get a limited amount of weight covered in a move - it makes sense hold off on more expensive pieces until we have a more permanent home.
I plan to sell a lot of furniture/accessories prior to moving to reduce weight ... and if they dont sell - I wont have to worry about expensive things getting broken by the movers!
Enter the lamps that I found on Craigslist for $5 each

In need of a little - okay A LOT of updating! but they have a good shape and nothing that a can of spray paint and new lamp shades cant fix

I scuffed up the metal and with steel wool and taped off the top and cord

Sprayed with primer - let dry for about an hour - lightly sanded with extra fine sandpaper (320 grit) - wiped off with a microfiber cloth
I then sprayed it with RustOleum - Ivory Bisque - Semi Gloss (two coats - allowing to dry about 45 minutes in between)
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I had already purchased lampshades a while back - so after I put those on they were ready to go!

It is amazing what a little spray paint and a new shade can do - they look completely different!
and lastly, Annabelle checking out the dresser that we picked up over the weekend for $15 - Ive been looking a while for another dresser for the other side of the bed with no luck - it is too short so last night David made it taller so that it would be the same height as the other dresser. He also fixed the drawer.
for $25 - Craigslist pulled through this weekend - now the bedroom is almost done. After I finish the dresser and swap the overhead light, it will be complete!

This post doesnt address any of the projects that I talked about on Friday - but they are still in the works and I promise to share photos when there are updates - too many project too little time!
Today I will be painting this dresser - check back to see updates and to see how we made it taller!
Monday, February 10, 2014
Doors for the built in


Dollhouse for Peaches Day 7 5 Part II
Boxes for shipping and shipping and shipping

I was hoping to have the books out by now but a quick call placed to Popular Woodworking Books yesterday confirmed my shipment was sent last week so Im expecting them today or tomorrow. I appreciate every ones patience with this. Its funny when I read about people on other wood working sites making comments on it after already receiving it. If you pre-ordered it from Pop. Wood and live within the continental USA then youve probably already leafed through it by now-I hope you enjoy it and welcome your comments.
For everyone else who pre-ordered here from me, you should be seeing your signed copies in the next little while. Just a reminder for anyone that hasnt yet sent in their shipping funds for your pre-ordered copy- the sooner I get it the sooner youll get it!
Besides this endless sea of address confirmation and Paypal buttons Ive been busy like a bee on the book boxes and making my final cut lists for the sharpening bench Im building. I also have two potential commissions and five more articles to write...maybe I should start getting up at 4am. instead of 5!
With that, thanks again for your understanding and patience with the shipping, I hope itll be worth the wait. If I had a few people here working with me on it Im sure the turn around times would be faster but hey, thats life in a one-man wood working shop, you get to wear a lot of hats from the design table to the marketing board, the sales desk to the pricing....not to mention the actual techniques and bench time and then back again on-line answering emails and trying to spread the word....working wood- youve gotta love it !
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Present for Louis
Louis has been complaining for a while now. It all started after I replaced our carpet with bamboo flooring. The new floor is smooth and slippery, and has made one of his favorite activities much too hard. Heres a shot of the problem:

See how those scratchers arent lined up properly? That will never do! Louis is a persnickity cat!
So finally, after months of protest, I have fixed the problem for him:

Does he approve? Yes!
Does he still complain? Yes! "What took you so long?"

Its just a simple tray with rabbeted and pegged corner joints, plywood bottom trapped in grooves, and mitered, applied moulding. The moulding was nailed and glued. After the glue dried I sunk the nails even further, drilled out the nail holes down to the heads, and then plugged the holes with dowels (bamboo skewers actually).
To hold things steady while I cleaned up the pegs I used a system of batten and wedges with my bench dogs. Heres a picture of the dog and batten on one side (other end of batten is clamped to back of bench with a hand clamp):

And here is the other side, with double wedges:

To adjust for the shorter dimension of the tray, I added a piece of scrap:

The only problem now, is that Louis is even less inclined to share with his brother Gerald...
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Guide woodworking ideas for christmas gifts
Useful woodworking ideas for christmas gifts Best choice
Christmas woodworking ideas | ehow - ehow | how to videos, Completing christmas woodworking projects gives you the opportunity to expand your own collection of christmas décor or craft cute, handmade gifts for the family. Woodworking ideas for christmas - youtube, This episode is the teaser for a mini series of woodworking projects geared towards helping you with xmas gift ideas that you can make for friends and.