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64K views 205 replies 59 participants last post by  joebob1611 
#1 ·
Vape pen stand

As an amputee I have intense phantom pain that only a relief vape can stop. If you lay them on their side all the juice pools on the side instead of at the base of the wick. The vape pens themselves have a small, tippy, footprint that easily falls over even if your hand is steady enough to balance it in the first place.

I took a length of 2Ă—2 select pine and planed the mill marks off it. Then some drill press work and I have a pen stand. I chamfered all the holes and waxed it with Johnson's paste floor wax.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas Varnish


I try to do a little project every day or so. Being 'the hump with the stump and the pump' and retired means I have to keep busy even if the project is trivial.

M
 

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#2 ·
Vape pen stand

As an amputee I have intense phantom pain that only a relief vape can stop. If you lay them on their side all the juice pools on the side instead of at the base of the wick. The vape pens themselves have a small, tippy, footprint that easily falls over even if your hand is steady enough to balance it in the first place.

I took a length of 2Ă—2 select pine and planed the mill marks off it. Then some drill press work and I have a pen stand. I chamfered all the holes and waxed it with Johnson's paste floor wax.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas Varnish


I try to do a little project every day or so. Being 'the hump with the stump and the pump' and retired means I have to keep busy even if the project is trivial.

M
Nice. Seems like the shop that likes the purple heart bowls would want them too. Maybe a smaller one with only one or two slots.
 

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#3 ·
Small Oak Tool Tray

The better half doesn't always say anything but I know my leaving small hand tools on her coffee table irks her to no end. To preserve the peace I made this little (12" x 8" x 3-1/2") oak tool caddy to toss my stuff in one place instead of being scattered to-hell-and-gone.
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Table Varnish


I had a couple of 1/4" x 3-1/2" x 36" pieces of store bought (BORG) oak kicking around and this seemed like a good project.

I cut the boards into six 11-3/4" pieces. The bottom is two pieces, the center handle a third, the two long sides a fourth and the short ends and dividers the fifth. The sixth piece is left over for another project.

The sides and ends are middle rips so their height worked out to 1-9/16". I trim ripped all pieces to the same width as there was about 3/32" width variance between the raw boards.

A 1" Forstner bit in the drill press made fast work of drilling the handle and the band saw easily cut the tapers.

The dividers required the the sides, bottoms, and both sides of the middle be dadoed 1/8" x 1/4". Due to symmetry each piece is cut between miter gauge shifts. On a normal miter fence cutting all of the dado perfectly would require a dado set that I don't have. Fortunately the Incra M1000 miter gauge saves the day.

A little light sanding and everything was ready for glue ups. In my urge to conserve materials I'd gotten three 11-3/4" pieces out of a 36" not realizing this would make the overall project 12-1/4"-a @#$%&()! 1/4" too big for my 12" clamps! Thankfully I'd just bought another pair of 18" clamps. Good thing too, as I'd previously only had two 18"s and for this I needed three!

M
 

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#4 ·
Small Oak Tool Tray

The better half doesn't always say anything but I know my leaving small hand tools on her coffee table irks her to no end. To preserve the peace I made this little (12" x 8" x 3-1/2") oak tool caddy to toss my stuff in one place instead of being scattered to-hell-and-gone.
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Table Varnish


I had a couple of 1/4" x 3-1/2" x 36" pieces of store bought (BORG) oak kicking around and this seemed like a good project.

I cut the boards into six 11-3/4" pieces. The bottom is two pieces, the center handle a third, the two long sides a fourth and the short ends and dividers the fifth. The sixth piece is left over for another project.

The sides and ends are middle rips so their height worked out to 1-9/16". I trim ripped all pieces to the same width as there was about 3/32" width variance between the raw boards.

A 1" Forstner bit in the drill press made fast work of drilling the handle and the band saw easily cut the tapers.

The dividers required the the sides, bottoms, and both sides of the middle be dadoed 1/8" x 1/4". Due to symmetry each piece is cut between miter gauge shifts. On a normal miter fence cutting all of the dado perfectly would require a dado set that I don't have. Fortunately the Incra M1000 miter gauge saves the day.

A little light sanding and everything was ready for glue ups. In my urge to conserve materials I'd gotten three 11-3/4" pieces out of a 36" not realizing this would make the overall project 12-1/4"-a @#$%&()! 1/4" too big for my 12" clamps! Thankfully I'd just bought another pair of 18" clamps. Good thing too, as I'd previously only had two 18"s and for this I needed three!

M
Better watch it Madm'... soon SWMBO will get you picking up your dirty washing!

Notice no room for the alcohol… guess you don't leave that scattered all over the place.
 

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#5 ·
Cherry Insulin box

As I diabetic I need vials of insulin, needles and alcohol pads to be handy at all times especially when traveling. This little cherry tote box is 3" x 3" x 7" out of resawn 1/4" stock. It holds two vials of insulin, eight syringes and a good supply of alcohol pads.
Brown Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plywood


I actually made this in 2016 and its held up well. My laser engraver was working then and I engraved the lid to suggest the contents.
Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood


The sliding lid has what I like to call a 'perfect' fit. That is, if the lid is closed by gravity, the lid self locks and will not open when inverted.

It is finished with two coats of 50%-50% semigloss poly.

M
 

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#6 ·
Cherry Insulin box

As I diabetic I need vials of insulin, needles and alcohol pads to be handy at all times especially when traveling. This little cherry tote box is 3" x 3" x 7" out of resawn 1/4" stock. It holds two vials of insulin, eight syringes and a good supply of alcohol pads.
Brown Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plywood


I actually made this in 2016 and its held up well. My laser engraver was working then and I engraved the lid to suggest the contents.
Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood


The sliding lid has what I like to call a 'perfect' fit. That is, if the lid is closed by gravity, the lid self locks and will not open when inverted.

It is finished with two coats of 50%-50% semigloss poly.

M
Good to hear your on top of it… and that is a neat little box.

A lasered lid always makes the box stand out. Should try to bring the laser back to life.

I only have type 2, so no need for insulin… however those alcohol thingies sound good.
 

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#7 ·
Short Dog Gate

The better half grooms our seven (7!) dogs and this often requires keeping one or more dogs in or out of the rooms. Our dogs are Shih Tzu's and therefore fairly small.

Sometimes the goal is to keep the dogs in, sometimes to keep them out. Toward that end the gate is both double sided with metal screen, and it is also double hinged. It swings in either direction like a pair of old western saloon doors.
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Countertop


The screens are stapled on with my air stapler and 3/8Ă—1/2 staples.

There is a dead bolt on top that hard pins the gate so it won't move in either direction. The walls were protected from the hinges or dead bolt from scarring the sheetrock by placing 1Ă—4 x 18" eustucion boards. This made it easy to install to the wall with countersunk 3" screws and then mount the hinges and bolt strike to them. The corners were beveled and the whole piece edge routed for visual interest and to cast a shadow line.

The 2" fixed caster is mounted on a piece of 1Ă—3x3 scrap which is half lapped into the bottom support to prevent sagging.

M
 

Attachments

#8 ·
Short Dog Gate

The better half grooms our seven (7!) dogs and this often requires keeping one or more dogs in or out of the rooms. Our dogs are Shih Tzu's and therefore fairly small.

Sometimes the goal is to keep the dogs in, sometimes to keep them out. Toward that end the gate is both double sided with metal screen, and it is also double hinged. It swings in either direction like a pair of old western saloon doors.
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Countertop


The screens are stapled on with my air stapler and 3/8Ă—1/2 staples.

There is a dead bolt on top that hard pins the gate so it won't move in either direction. The walls were protected from the hinges or dead bolt from scarring the sheetrock by placing 1Ă—4 x 18" eustucion boards. This made it easy to install to the wall with countersunk 3" screws and then mount the hinges and bolt strike to them. The corners were beveled and the whole piece edge routed for visual interest and to cast a shadow line.

The 2" fixed caster is mounted on a piece of 1Ă—3x3 scrap which is half lapped into the bottom support to prevent sagging.

M
Sorry Madm', some idiot has to say it!

What's a Shih Tzu's... a zoo without animals
 

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#9 ·
Tall Dog Gate

While I love dogs, they need to be kept out of the kitchen. The opening to the kitchen is over 4' wide and needs to be closed off. However a long gate's swing is too much for the confines of the kitchen. I came up with this bifold gate. The metal screen prevents the dogs from pushing thru.
Furniture Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


The two sections of the gate are hand mortised for the hinges for a tight, clean join. Each section has a 2" caster to prevent sagging and hinge pullout.
Wood Automotive radiator part Grille Rectangle Gas


Latching the gate was more of a problem than I anticipated. Initially I used a strong rated cabinet magnetic latch. The dogs beat it.

I added a 2nd, larger double magnetic catch. The dogs beat it.

I put in a deadbolt to hold the gate tight against the latch. The dogs figured out if they pulled the center the gate would fold and open.

I added a spring between the sections to make it harder to pull forward. This made the gate so rigid it started to pull free of the wall so that didn't work.

I put a small hasp on the top. The dogs jiggled it loose.

FINALLY I installed a clevis pin into the hasp. THAT they haven't beat - YET!
Wood Gas Door Metal Machine


M
 

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#10 ·
Tall Dog Gate

While I love dogs, they need to be kept out of the kitchen. The opening to the kitchen is over 4' wide and needs to be closed off. However a long gate's swing is too much for the confines of the kitchen. I came up with this bifold gate. The metal screen prevents the dogs from pushing thru.
Furniture Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


The two sections of the gate are hand mortised for the hinges for a tight, clean join. Each section has a 2" caster to prevent sagging and hinge pullout.
Wood Automotive radiator part Grille Rectangle Gas


Latching the gate was more of a problem than I anticipated. Initially I used a strong rated cabinet magnetic latch. The dogs beat it.

I added a 2nd, larger double magnetic catch. The dogs beat it.

I put in a deadbolt to hold the gate tight against the latch. The dogs figured out if they pulled the center the gate would fold and open.

I added a spring between the sections to make it harder to pull forward. This made the gate so rigid it started to pull free of the wall so that didn't work.

I put a small hasp on the top. The dogs jiggled it loose.

FINALLY I installed a clevis pin into the hasp. THAT they haven't beat - YET!
Wood Gas Door Metal Machine


M
Dogs can be persistent!...and smart. :)

I like the metal screen. Looks really nice. Could you add a picture with it open?
 

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#13 ·
Dog Feeder

Dogs! We have two sizes, small and bigger. Roscoe is an English bulldog who doesn't like to share with the other, smaller, dogs. Due to extreme inbreeding Roscoe can't eat if the bowl is flat on the floor. The better half had been holding his dish by hand twice a day until I built this simple dog bowl stand.
Dog Carnivore Dog breed Liver Scale


It's just at the right height for him. It was built out of some 2Ă—10 and 1Ă—12 scraps. I beveled the corners of the sides to make it less of an ankle biter.

I didn't have a compass (or I have one but couldn't find it) so I had to lay out the circles with a ruler. I marked the center and then radius marks every 45° or so and hand connected the segments. The result was a little ragged in spots but all is covered by the bowl lip.
 

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#14 ·
Dog Feeder

Dogs! We have two sizes, small and bigger. Roscoe is an English bulldog who doesn't like to share with the other, smaller, dogs. Due to extreme inbreeding Roscoe can't eat if the bowl is flat on the floor. The better half had been holding his dish by hand twice a day until I built this simple dog bowl stand.
Dog Carnivore Dog breed Liver Scale


It's just at the right height for him. It was built out of some 2Ă—10 and 1Ă—12 scraps. I beveled the corners of the sides to make it less of an ankle biter.

I didn't have a compass (or I have one but couldn't find it) so I had to lay out the circles with a ruler. I marked the center and then radius marks every 45° or so and hand connected the segments. The result was a little ragged in spots but all is covered by the bowl lip.
Looks like he likes it! Always nice to be able to build what you need (with custom height, etc). Nice!
 

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#16 ·
Clamp Stand

A clamp rack was about the first thing I put up. Nine months later I've got more clamps and the old rack was overloaded.

I built this rack out of 8' of 1Ă—4, 8' of 1Ă—2 and a couple of feet of 2Ă—2.
Gas Composite material Machine Cooking Spinning

Completed project

The clamps hang by their handles and the 1Ă—2 acts both as the hanger and end stops for the different clamp lengths. Spring clamps and the smaller clamps are on the sides. The whole thing is on wheels so I can move it around when needed.

Initially I just screwed the feet to the sides but the 4' lever was too much force. I half lapped the foot into the side and it is much stabler.
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Automotive exterior

Foot detail
 

Attachments

#17 ·
Clamp Stand

A clamp rack was about the first thing I put up. Nine months later I've got more clamps and the old rack was overloaded.

I built this rack out of 8' of 1Ă—4, 8' of 1Ă—2 and a couple of feet of 2Ă—2.
Gas Composite material Machine Cooking Spinning

Completed project

The clamps hang by their handles and the 1Ă—2 acts both as the hanger and end stops for the different clamp lengths. Spring clamps and the smaller clamps are on the sides. The whole thing is on wheels so I can move it around when needed.

Initially I just screwed the feet to the sides but the 4' lever was too much force. I half lapped the foot into the side and it is much stabler.
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Automotive exterior

Foot detail
You can never have enough clamps… I think clamps should be renamed rabbits...

If you took this picture yesterday, you'll probably need a bigger stand next week… and if you took the picture last week, you probably already need a bigger stand.
 

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#18 ·
Jatoba and Marble Plant Stand

This is a project I made about 20 years ago. It's out of jatoba with a "Tito's Green" marble floor tile inset into the top. The wood is finished with Johnson's paste floor wax and the jatoba has darkened to the lovely burgundy color you see here:
Furniture Cabinetry Drawer Wood Chair

Jatoba Plant Stand

Marble is porous and watering spills will be absorbed and evaporate. Being a floor tile instead of a wall tile it is thicker and heavier than a wall tile.

The unit was quite heavy as I just planed the 4/4 stock just enough to give me a clean surface and left it thick. Plus, of course, the weight of the marble. A friend who was helping me move commented that it was surprisingly heavy.

The legs are tapered on two sides. The drawer front is full thickness jatoba with a half insert dovetailed to the oak drawer frame. The bottom of the drawer is 1/4" ply. The sides and back are all the same height but the back is raised 1/2" to allow the bottom to be inserted. The raised back also acts as a catch so that if the drawer is pulled fully forward and released the drawer will not fall out.

The bottom gingerbread shape was drawn in AutoCAD and printed out 1:1. I glued the pattern down with rubber cement and cut it out with the band saw. After sanding the curves the front edge was routed with a round over bit. The same bit was used on the table edge.

The brass pull is the only metal in this project.
 

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#19 ·
Purpleheart Burial Flag Box

A veteran friend of mine, Bert, recently passed and I'm making a flag box for his burial flag out of purpleheart. While appearing simple to make, computing the dimensions from just the 17-1/2" side of the folded flag is a challenge. You have to take into account the diagonal lengths (the length of a 45° miter on 3/4" stock is 1-1/16")

The neat thing is that the three pieces:
Rectangle Wood Textile Grey Tablecloth

Pieces mitered, rabbeted and grooved.

When stood together the pieces hold their form on their own.
Wood Flooring Floor Gas Audio equipment

No fasteners or glue.

Waiting on the lexan for the front. Will update when completed.
 

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#20 ·
Purpleheart Burial Flag Box

A veteran friend of mine, Bert, recently passed and I'm making a flag box for his burial flag out of purpleheart. While appearing simple to make, computing the dimensions from just the 17-1/2" side of the folded flag is a challenge. You have to take into account the diagonal lengths (the length of a 45° miter on 3/4" stock is 1-1/16")

The neat thing is that the three pieces:
Rectangle Wood Textile Grey Tablecloth

Pieces mitered, rabbeted and grooved.

When stood together the pieces hold their form on their own.
Wood Flooring Floor Gas Audio equipment

No fasteners or glue.

Waiting on the lexan for the front. Will update when completed.
Have you had any exposure to SketchUp (though there are probably many others out there that I haven't tried or familiar with)?

Using SketchUp, you can draw internal dimensions and when the outsides are sketched in you can measure appropriate sides to get an exact length… Then you get a chance to stuff up those exact measurements when you start cutting!
 

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#25 ·
Lathe practice - Dog bone

Roscoe, our English Bulldog:
Dog Carnivore Dog breed Working animal Ear


Has a fondness for chewing. I had recently remade the post caps for the end of the bed because the dogs had chewed the corners. I even went so far as to put brass corners on it to protect the wood:
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Composite material


Undeterred, Roscoe thought the metal was even better to chew than the wood:
Wood Wood stain Floor Flooring Hardwood


He's banished from the bed but to help with his wood gnawing compulsion (and to protect the rest of the woodwork) I turned him a nice bone out of some scrap 2Ă—2 pine. I left the ends square so it won't roll away from him. I rounded the center and added grooves for him to really get down on.
Wood Tool Artifact Auto part Automotive tire


I thought about smearing a little beef fat on it as a lure but he likes it fine just as is.
 

Attachments

#26 ·
Lathe practice - Dog bone

Roscoe, our English Bulldog:
Dog Carnivore Dog breed Working animal Ear


Has a fondness for chewing. I had recently remade the post caps for the end of the bed because the dogs had chewed the corners. I even went so far as to put brass corners on it to protect the wood:
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Composite material


Undeterred, Roscoe thought the metal was even better to chew than the wood:
Wood Wood stain Floor Flooring Hardwood


He's banished from the bed but to help with his wood gnawing compulsion (and to protect the rest of the woodwork) I turned him a nice bone out of some scrap 2Ă—2 pine. I left the ends square so it won't roll away from him. I rounded the center and added grooves for him to really get down on.
Wood Tool Artifact Auto part Automotive tire


I thought about smearing a little beef fat on it as a lure but he likes it fine just as is.
Lots of nice little projects. Not too sure about the pine dog chew though. Maybe better to get him a bone at the pet shop. Chewing wood is not good for dogs. https://www.cuteness.com/article/dangers-dog-chewing-pine-wood
 

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#27 ·
Sofa stops

We have blinds on the front window with a sofa backing onto them. The better half was forever pulling the sofa out of the blinds every time she opened or closed them. Simple solution:
Wood Table Wood stain Floor Flooring

Sofa Stops

A couple of pieces of pine 1Ă—6, a little bandsaw work and some sanding and volia a pair of sofa stops. The notch holds the back legs of the sofa and keeps them away from the wall just enough to stay out of the blinds. This would also prevent the sofa from rubbing on a painted wall.

Finished with Johnson's paste floor wax.

The better half mentioned to me, out of the blue, how nice they worked. A brownie point for the kid! LOL
 

Attachments

#28 ·
Sofa stops

We have blinds on the front window with a sofa backing onto them. The better half was forever pulling the sofa out of the blinds every time she opened or closed them. Simple solution:
Wood Table Wood stain Floor Flooring

Sofa Stops

A couple of pieces of pine 1Ă—6, a little bandsaw work and some sanding and volia a pair of sofa stops. The notch holds the back legs of the sofa and keeps them away from the wall just enough to stay out of the blinds. This would also prevent the sofa from rubbing on a painted wall.

Finished with Johnson's paste floor wax.

The better half mentioned to me, out of the blue, how nice they worked. A brownie point for the kid! LOL
Like projects that solve a problem…customized for your situation.
 

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#30 ·
Wonderbread Pipe

Trying to get creative with a new prototype pipe:
Musical instrument Natural material Wood Creative arts Fashion accessory


Started with a chunk of 5/4 jatoba, cut square, 4" long. The 5/8"-7/16" stepped bowl and 3/16" stem were drilled to produce a viable pipe blank. I make these blanks a half dozen at a time, each winds up as a unique 'art pipe'. This set of blanks was oriented so that the sides are quartersawn, crown up.

I drilled the blank randomly with both a 3/16" and 1/8" bit, each about 1/4" deep. Some of the holes intersected in interesting ways. On the first production unit (still in roughing stage) I added shallow 5/16" forstner drills as well.

Bought a basic selection of Testor's model paints and supplies and filled in the holes randomly. It needs two coats, especially for the light colors; white, yellow, pale blue.

Important tip: Let the paint dry overnight before sanding or blowing off dust with an air hose. DAMHIKT!

Once the paint was fully dry (see above) the shaping sanding took off any paint slop and produced interesting effects on the rims of the holes.

A couple of coats of Johnson's Paste Floor Wax and some elbow grease buffing and it is as you see it here.
 

Attachments

#31 ·
Wonderbread Pipe

Trying to get creative with a new prototype pipe:
Musical instrument Natural material Wood Creative arts Fashion accessory


Started with a chunk of 5/4 jatoba, cut square, 4" long. The 5/8"-7/16" stepped bowl and 3/16" stem were drilled to produce a viable pipe blank. I make these blanks a half dozen at a time, each winds up as a unique 'art pipe'. This set of blanks was oriented so that the sides are quartersawn, crown up.

I drilled the blank randomly with both a 3/16" and 1/8" bit, each about 1/4" deep. Some of the holes intersected in interesting ways. On the first production unit (still in roughing stage) I added shallow 5/16" forstner drills as well.

Bought a basic selection of Testor's model paints and supplies and filled in the holes randomly. It needs two coats, especially for the light colors; white, yellow, pale blue.

Important tip: Let the paint dry overnight before sanding or blowing off dust with an air hose. DAMHIKT!

Once the paint was fully dry (see above) the shaping sanding took off any paint slop and produced interesting effects on the rims of the holes.

A couple of coats of Johnson's Paste Floor Wax and some elbow grease buffing and it is as you see it here.
That jatoba looks nice under wax. I'm a big fan of wax finishes.
 

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#32 ·
Covered Pipe

In an ongoing effort to come up with new pipe ideas (and because the customer specifically asked) here is a pipe with a lid.
Sculpture Wood Trunk Hardwood Statue


The pipe started as 5/4 jatoba that I was ripping square profile slabs for pipe blanks. The last piece left about a 3/8" grain matched cutoff.

I used a little glue and a piece of newspaper to tie the cutoff back onto the pipe once the bowl and stem were drilled. Once the glue dried I was able to drill and tap a 6-32 hole about 5/8" deep thru both pieces. Jatoba is tough enough to be threaded and hold stainless steel machine screws.

After shaping on the belt sander and working up from 120, 240, and 400 grit the paper separated on it's own from the 5" ROS vibration on the top of the lid. At this point the hole in the lid was enlarged to 3/16" (#6 clearance hole). This means that the friction of the lid motion cen be tweaked by SLIGHTLY tightening the cap screw.

A little final sanding to get the remains of the paper off and then two coats of wax to finish it off.
Wood Hardwood Trunk Art Wood stain
 

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#33 ·
Covered Pipe

In an ongoing effort to come up with new pipe ideas (and because the customer specifically asked) here is a pipe with a lid.
Sculpture Wood Trunk Hardwood Statue


The pipe started as 5/4 jatoba that I was ripping square profile slabs for pipe blanks. The last piece left about a 3/8" grain matched cutoff.

I used a little glue and a piece of newspaper to tie the cutoff back onto the pipe once the bowl and stem were drilled. Once the glue dried I was able to drill and tap a 6-32 hole about 5/8" deep thru both pieces. Jatoba is tough enough to be threaded and hold stainless steel machine screws.

After shaping on the belt sander and working up from 120, 240, and 400 grit the paper separated on it's own from the 5" ROS vibration on the top of the lid. At this point the hole in the lid was enlarged to 3/16" (#6 clearance hole). This means that the friction of the lid motion cen be tweaked by SLIGHTLY tightening the cap screw.

A little final sanding to get the remains of the paper off and then two coats of wax to finish it off.
Wood Hardwood Trunk Art Wood stain
Pretty cool especially for using up small pieces. I would countersink the hex screw but that's just me.
 

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#35 ·
Child Proof Puzzle Pipe

I had a wild idea hit me the other day, a pipe that won't light unless you know the secret.

I was thinking about making more wonderbread or swiss cheese pipes when it dawned on me that if I intentionally drill thru the stem the bowl won't draw. So the only way to light the pipe is to cover the two holes that intersect the stem.
Natural material Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank


Such a simple idea! The rest of the holes are decoys and decorations.
 

Attachments

#36 ·
Child Proof Puzzle Pipe

I had a wild idea hit me the other day, a pipe that won't light unless you know the secret.

I was thinking about making more wonderbread or swiss cheese pipes when it dawned on me that if I intentionally drill thru the stem the bowl won't draw. So the only way to light the pipe is to cover the two holes that intersect the stem.
Natural material Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank


Such a simple idea! The rest of the holes are decoys and decorations.
Hey MM... maybe I'm dumb, behind the times, naive or just an old fart… but, what are these pipes you keep referring to.

Even extrapolating my dark mispent youth, what I've seen from your pictures, they don't seem to resemble any bong I've had the pleasure of.
 

Attachments

#37 ·
Model Paint Organizer

To make the wonderbread pipes I needed small volumes of several different colors. A trip to the hobby store and I'm now the proud owner of a bunch of small Testor's paint vials, thinner and brushes. Needless to say in my (admittedly) cluttered shop keeping the paints and stuff in one place quickly becomes an issue. But hey! I'm a woodworker! I can fix that!

I rummaged around for a few scraps and built this:
Toy Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain


The bottom is oak (it was the only piece of 3-1/2" wide stock I had), the sides and brush block are pine. The box is 4" x 4-1/2" x 1-3/16" high. The paint vials are 1" x 1" and the thinner is 1-1/2" square. The brush holes are 3/16", chamfered at the top to make it easier to insert the brushes.

Here it is almost filled:
Wood Packaging and labeling Storage basket Box Shipping box

The vials are upside down to seal

I even signed, dated and waxed it. Finish is usually omitted on shop projects. The final touch is felt feet:
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Gas Wood stain


I know its not a big project, but its useful and gave me something to do for the afternoon! LOL
 

Attachments

#38 ·
Jatoba stash box

Made this box to hold a pipe, lighter, and sealed stash container out of some scrap 1/4" x 4" x 20" jatoba.

Goofed a little and cut the lid too short (1/4" +-.002", I make very precise mistakes!)

Takes about an hour and produces negligible scrap.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle Gas

Sized to hold a pipe, lighter & stash

Rectangle Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring

Closed tight

Musical instrument Wood Rectangle Musical instrument accessory Hardwood

The makers mark
 

Attachments

#39 ·
Glass Pipe Accessory Stand

My customer sells a variety of pipes and smoking accessories and needs various display stands for the oddly shaped bits and bobs.
Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Rectangle

It's a 'whatzis' stand

This is the second stand I made for them. The first was similar but had three rows of 1/2" posts whereas this version has two rows of 3/4" posts. I dropped off the first one yesterday and my customer was so pleased they immediately ordered the 2nd one.

The beveled edge detail is common to both stands as is the 10-1/2" width. The bevel was cut 3/8" x 45° with the 1/2" 3-1/2 hp Milwaukee table router.

They both have the makers mark and felt feet on the bottom. No scratching the customers counters.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Rectangle Plank

I had a rubber stamp made - LOTS cheaper than a branding iron and no warm up!

They are finished with two generous coats of Johnson's Paste Floor Wax and lightly hand buffed.

They each took and hour or so to make and cost about $5 in clear pine and dowels.
 

Attachments

#40 ·
Devlin's First Tool Box

Devlin is a young man that lives nearby that has shown an interest in woodworking. Here is one of his first projects - the classic carpenter's tool box.
Jeans Smile Hairstyle Sleeve Cool

Devlin and his tool kit.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plywood Classic

Naturally I had to seed the tool kit …
 

Attachments

#41 ·
Devlin's First Tool Box

Devlin is a young man that lives nearby that has shown an interest in woodworking. Here is one of his first projects - the classic carpenter's tool box.
Jeans Smile Hairstyle Sleeve Cool

Devlin and his tool kit.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plywood Classic

Naturally I had to seed the tool kit …
A TRUE LUMBERJOCK'S OPPORTUNITY Let's help this young man with his journey.

Wouldn't it be good to help Devlin with his tool skills garden, think how he could grow. I think the LJ's have a very large seed bank to draw from, that can help him on his journey. For him, think of this as an opportunity, a lifelong hobby, a "can do" confidence builder, or future career skills. The basic hand tools. Not new, but user items that will need some attention. If he has to put some effort into cleaning, and tuning them, he may truly own them.

We can PM madmark for a shipping address, he can keep a running list of the seeds. It's springtime, let's start a community garden.

I'm in!
 

Attachments

#56 ·
Dog Platforms

Have too many dogs running around. We have drafty tile floors throughout and mostly Shih-Tzu's and they don't like the cold floor to sleep on. The better half wanted little platforms to put the dog beds on.

These are 2'x2' pieces of 3/4" ply on 6" high 2"x4" legs. For stability the 2"x4" feet have the front feet parallel to the sides and the back feet are mounted parallel to the back.
Dog Carnivore Dog breed Companion dog Fawn

The first pair were clear coated and very plain.

On the second pair I added trim to the front and sides to cover the edges of the plywood. The trim was beveled instead of mitered to soften the sharp corners. I was spraying white the day I built the 2nd pair and ran the gun out on the platforms.
Automotive tire Tread Bumper Automotive exterior Wood
 

Attachments

#57 ·
Dog Platforms

Have too many dogs running around. We have drafty tile floors throughout and mostly Shih-Tzu's and they don't like the cold floor to sleep on. The better half wanted little platforms to put the dog beds on.

These are 2'x2' pieces of 3/4" ply on 6" high 2"x4" legs. For stability the 2"x4" feet have the front feet parallel to the sides and the back feet are mounted parallel to the back.
Dog Carnivore Dog breed Companion dog Fawn

The first pair were clear coated and very plain.

On the second pair I added trim to the front and sides to cover the edges of the plywood. The trim was beveled instead of mitered to soften the sharp corners. I was spraying white the day I built the 2nd pair and ran the gun out on the platforms.
Automotive tire Tread Bumper Automotive exterior Wood
Nice! Maybe you can scrounge up about six times the wood and build me one for this big boy so I can have my outdoor couch back!
 

Attachments

#58 ·
Jigsaw Stand

Bought a jigsaw to cut out for a dog bowl five or six years ago. Have only used it once since (interestingly enough to cut another dog bowl).

Jigsaws have that stupid blade sticking out and I know for a fact if I remove the blade the next time I go to use it (in another five or six years) I'll never find the blade. I know I have a blade assortment that I bought when I bought the jigsaw but I have no clue where they might be.

The blade means you can't stand the jig saw up and varying length blades make sizing an upright stand difficult. The height above the deck is fixed and an upsidedown hold make sense.

I had a scrap of 1/2" ply that I band sawed a 1-1/2" x 6" slot into. The planer squared up a 1/2 ripped 2Ă—4 (poor man's 2Ă—2) into a nice 1-3/8" square blank. I love how the planer skims all the mill marks and grading stamps off.

I chop sawed the "2Ă—2" into four roughly 11" legs, fine trimmed on the TS and the leg blanks were ready.

Each leg was dado'd 1/2" sq an inch or so from one end. Each leg had each end 1/4" 45° beveled for style on the router.
Table Wood Wood stain Plank Flooring

Jigsaw Shop Stand

I used the saw fence, assembly corner and wooden clamp to make an assembly jig. Once positioned I used my new Grizzly 2" brad nailer (T21347) to shoot a few Brad's in from the side and top to secure the legs to the ply.
Table Wood Computer desk Automotive design Gas

Fits like it was made for it - because it was! - LOL
 

Attachments

#59 ·
No Ruler Hexagonal Door Knob Stop

Roscoe, our English bulldog, decided that the spring doorstop was something good to chew on. In fact it was so good he pulled it out of the moulding. Next thing you know we've got a doorknob shaped dent in the sheetrock. Woodworking to the rescue! Yayyy!

I bought one of those round wall stops, but they're about the same diameter as the knob and won't easily mount to the dent (which is obviously exactly where it needs to mount.)
Dishware Font Tableware Wood Serveware

Round Stop

I had a nice chunk of oak 1Ă—6 in the bin and I eyeballed about 8" or so. Next was square cutting one end and then marking the approximate center of the far end.

Note that nothing is ruler measured, the center was found by holding a pencil steady and marking in from both sides. Splitting the difference by eye was accurate enough and the fixed stop made sure everything comes out perfect without using a rule.

I set the miter gauge to 30° and adjusted the stop so the center mark of the wood was just past the edge of the ZCI. I cut the first miter, flipped the stock, and cut the second miter without changing the settings. This gave me a perfect hex point on one end. Had the miter gauge angle been off, the miters would still center, but the ends will be elongated or shortened proportionately.

Using the piece as a guide I set the rip fence to the exact width of the stock - no ruler needed. Holding one of the miters to the rip fence I cut the opposite miter. Flipping the final miter against the rip fence gave me a perfect hexagon - all without a ruler.

Using an ogee bit I routed a profile on all six sides. Depth was set by eye for about a 1/16" lip.

The mounting holes needed to be clearance for #8 so I chucked a 3/16" bit in the drill press and drilled a pair of holes an inch or so in from the edges. Again the "steady pencil" method was used to mark both locations evenly. Same-same for centering the holes.

Drawing lines point-to-opposite-point set the center location for the stop mount - again no ruler, just a straightedge. To mount the round stop I needed a #6 pilot hole. Unthinkingly I used the same 3/16" clearance drill as the pilot - oops! I have a ton of 1/4-20 hardware and after drilling both the round stop and the board with the #7 1/4-20 pilot I was able to tap both and mount with a 1/2" screw.

The remaining two mounting holes were 3/8" x 1/4" countersunk with a Forstner bit. The countersink depth was set using a couple small pieces of 1/4" scrap to quickly approximate a 1/4" depth in 3/4" stock - again, no ruler.

The oak was sanded to 240 grit and finished before assembly. The finish is two coats of Johnson's paste floor wax.

Before mounting I took the project critical step of asking the better half if she wanted it installed tall way or side way!

The required location was (naturally) not on a stud so plastic wall anchors were the order of the day. They're not my favorite mounting method but I had them on hand. The screws were threaded thru the stock until just the tips exposed. Setting the wood over the dent and a bump with a rubber mallet and the mounting hole locations were set without measuring.

After mounting I covered the countersunk holes with oak caps. I love having little stuff like the oak caps in stock.

Wood Household hardware Rectangle Dead bolt Wood stain

The better half liked it!
You can't go wrong with that! LOL

When you enumerate all the steps and such even a seemingly trivial project can be satisfyingly complex.
 

Attachments

#60 ·
No Ruler Hexagonal Door Knob Stop

Roscoe, our English bulldog, decided that the spring doorstop was something good to chew on. In fact it was so good he pulled it out of the moulding. Next thing you know we've got a doorknob shaped dent in the sheetrock. Woodworking to the rescue! Yayyy!

I bought one of those round wall stops, but they're about the same diameter as the knob and won't easily mount to the dent (which is obviously exactly where it needs to mount.)
Dishware Font Tableware Wood Serveware

Round Stop

I had a nice chunk of oak 1Ă—6 in the bin and I eyeballed about 8" or so. Next was square cutting one end and then marking the approximate center of the far end.

Note that nothing is ruler measured, the center was found by holding a pencil steady and marking in from both sides. Splitting the difference by eye was accurate enough and the fixed stop made sure everything comes out perfect without using a rule.

I set the miter gauge to 30° and adjusted the stop so the center mark of the wood was just past the edge of the ZCI. I cut the first miter, flipped the stock, and cut the second miter without changing the settings. This gave me a perfect hex point on one end. Had the miter gauge angle been off, the miters would still center, but the ends will be elongated or shortened proportionately.

Using the piece as a guide I set the rip fence to the exact width of the stock - no ruler needed. Holding one of the miters to the rip fence I cut the opposite miter. Flipping the final miter against the rip fence gave me a perfect hexagon - all without a ruler.

Using an ogee bit I routed a profile on all six sides. Depth was set by eye for about a 1/16" lip.

The mounting holes needed to be clearance for #8 so I chucked a 3/16" bit in the drill press and drilled a pair of holes an inch or so in from the edges. Again the "steady pencil" method was used to mark both locations evenly. Same-same for centering the holes.

Drawing lines point-to-opposite-point set the center location for the stop mount - again no ruler, just a straightedge. To mount the round stop I needed a #6 pilot hole. Unthinkingly I used the same 3/16" clearance drill as the pilot - oops! I have a ton of 1/4-20 hardware and after drilling both the round stop and the board with the #7 1/4-20 pilot I was able to tap both and mount with a 1/2" screw.

The remaining two mounting holes were 3/8" x 1/4" countersunk with a Forstner bit. The countersink depth was set using a couple small pieces of 1/4" scrap to quickly approximate a 1/4" depth in 3/4" stock - again, no ruler.

The oak was sanded to 240 grit and finished before assembly. The finish is two coats of Johnson's paste floor wax.

Before mounting I took the project critical step of asking the better half if she wanted it installed tall way or side way!

The required location was (naturally) not on a stud so plastic wall anchors were the order of the day. They're not my favorite mounting method but I had them on hand. The screws were threaded thru the stock until just the tips exposed. Setting the wood over the dent and a bump with a rubber mallet and the mounting hole locations were set without measuring.

After mounting I covered the countersunk holes with oak caps. I love having little stuff like the oak caps in stock.

Wood Household hardware Rectangle Dead bolt Wood stain

The better half liked it!
You can't go wrong with that! LOL

When you enumerate all the steps and such even a seemingly trivial project can be satisfyingly complex.
I like it. Reminds me of when I drilled a hole for a birdcage mount way back when and nicked a waterline. An attractive 12" molded escutcheon fixed the problem nicely and covered the water damage.
 

Attachments

#61 ·
*4* Black Limba Dugouts *4*

For those following this blog you know I have a Smoke Shop for a client. Last time I was there she asked if I could make a dugout with a sliding, not rotating, lid. I told her I'd give it a shot and here are the results.

I just recently bought some 2Ă—2x12 wood turning blanks and one that I bought on a flyer was black limba, a wood I've never used. Turns out it's very light and soft and not at all suitable for pipe making. However it is just right for dugout making.

Now rotating top dugouts are dead easy to make, drill a couple of holes, screw on a top, and call it good. Only problem is the screw mounted swivel lid loosens and spills the content - not good.

The plan is to make an "ice cream sandwich" with the two interior compartments skinned with two slab sides for the grooves for the sliding lid.
Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Composite material


I sliced four 5/32 slabs off one side of the 2Ă—2 (actual) block. These were planed to 1/8" (actually .135") for the eight, 4", sides.

I took the remainder and laid out the interior chambers on both ends. For those who don't know a dugout has two chambers, one for the smoking device and the other for the smoking material.
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Plank Wood stain

Parts is parts

Cutting the layout on both ends and then band saw ripping the large piece yielded four middle layers. The bandsaw sawn faces were planed flat to 3/8". Each middle layer combines both sides, the center divider, and bottom, into one piece. Although I could have made the sides, divider and bottom as separate pieces, I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to glue it up!
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Shelf Gas

This is how I could figure out to glue it!

Using a couple pieces of scrap and three clamps each makes for a nice tight glue up. Each face was held in place until the glue started to grab using the bottom side as a reference. This was critical to making sure that the middle layer didn't intrude into the lid groove - potentially ruining the pieces.
Planer Wood Automotive tire Saw Tool

Three clamps each for tight joints.

Fortunately I had enough clamps to make four at a time. And the better half wants to know why I need more clamps. LOL
Automotive tire Motor vehicle Wood Automotive design Tire


After a couple hours (dinner break, I ain't on the clock! LOL) the boxes came out of the clamps, were coarse (80) and fine (240) sanded and then finished with two coats of Johnson's paste floor wax.
Wood Rectangle Chair Hardwood Flooring

Ready for lids.

The lids were a bit tricky to cut due to their small size (1/8" x 17/32" x 1-15/16"). The saw left a nice 1/16" groove in the bottom of my push pad as I cut two 17/32" strips. Cutting to length was easy and I had all of 1/8" of length to spare. The top edges of the sliders were beveled slightly on the belt sander to fit in the grooves. This was necessary as the lid stock was .135" trying to slide in a .125" groove.
Musical instrument Wood Flooring Floor Outdoor furniture

The lids are small!

They're all fit and finished ready for packaging.
Rectangle Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood

All finished

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain Plywood

Packaged for retail.
 

Attachments

#62 ·
*4* Black Limba Dugouts *4*

For those following this blog you know I have a Smoke Shop for a client. Last time I was there she asked if I could make a dugout with a sliding, not rotating, lid. I told her I'd give it a shot and here are the results.

I just recently bought some 2Ă—2x12 wood turning blanks and one that I bought on a flyer was black limba, a wood I've never used. Turns out it's very light and soft and not at all suitable for pipe making. However it is just right for dugout making.

Now rotating top dugouts are dead easy to make, drill a couple of holes, screw on a top, and call it good. Only problem is the screw mounted swivel lid loosens and spills the content - not good.

The plan is to make an "ice cream sandwich" with the two interior compartments skinned with two slab sides for the grooves for the sliding lid.
Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Composite material


I sliced four 5/32 slabs off one side of the 2Ă—2 (actual) block. These were planed to 1/8" (actually .135") for the eight, 4", sides.

I took the remainder and laid out the interior chambers on both ends. For those who don't know a dugout has two chambers, one for the smoking device and the other for the smoking material.
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Plank Wood stain

Parts is parts

Cutting the layout on both ends and then band saw ripping the large piece yielded four middle layers. The bandsaw sawn faces were planed flat to 3/8". Each middle layer combines both sides, the center divider, and bottom, into one piece. Although I could have made the sides, divider and bottom as separate pieces, I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to glue it up!
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Shelf Gas

This is how I could figure out to glue it!

Using a couple pieces of scrap and three clamps each makes for a nice tight glue up. Each face was held in place until the glue started to grab using the bottom side as a reference. This was critical to making sure that the middle layer didn't intrude into the lid groove - potentially ruining the pieces.
Planer Wood Automotive tire Saw Tool

Three clamps each for tight joints.

Fortunately I had enough clamps to make four at a time. And the better half wants to know why I need more clamps. LOL
Automotive tire Motor vehicle Wood Automotive design Tire


After a couple hours (dinner break, I ain't on the clock! LOL) the boxes came out of the clamps, were coarse (80) and fine (240) sanded and then finished with two coats of Johnson's paste floor wax.
Wood Rectangle Chair Hardwood Flooring

Ready for lids.

The lids were a bit tricky to cut due to their small size (1/8" x 17/32" x 1-15/16"). The saw left a nice 1/16" groove in the bottom of my push pad as I cut two 17/32" strips. Cutting to length was easy and I had all of 1/8" of length to spare. The top edges of the sliders were beveled slightly on the belt sander to fit in the grooves. This was necessary as the lid stock was .135" trying to slide in a .125" groove.
Musical instrument Wood Flooring Floor Outdoor furniture

The lids are small!

They're all fit and finished ready for packaging.
Rectangle Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood

All finished

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain Plywood

Packaged for retail.
Thanks for this information. I am a researcher at https://eduprojecttopics.com/ (educational blog) been making research on woods so I came across this page. thanks for sharing
 

Attachments

#64 ·
Purpleheart Gun Box

Been burning thru my purpleheart inventory making pipes. So I just ordered more from Craftsmen Supply in Ybor City (Tampa) Fl. They have a great selection of exotics and are good folx to deal with.

One of the pieces was calling to me to make a box out of it. Looking around I found the better half's hawgleg 1873 .45 Colt revolver and a project began.
Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood

It's 2-3/8" X 5-1/2" X 12" of 1/4" purpleheart

The piece of purpleheart started out as 15/16" x 7-3/4" x 24" rough. I got all six sides and the ammo block out of 18" x 5-1/2" after trim.
Wood Tool Revolver Household hardware Hand tool

The ammo block holds 14 rounds plus six in the weapon for 20 total.

Material Prep:
The top, bottom and sides were resawn on the TS from a 15/16" x 12" x 5-1/2" block. Cutting in from both edges allowed resawing the 5-1/2" width but leaves a mismatch ridge in the cut face. The slabs were cut at 9/32" and planed flat to remove the resaw ridge. The outer faces were placed against the fence and the middle slab is a bit undersized and ridged on both faces. The thinnest (middle) slab was designated the bottom.

One of the thicker three wide slabs was ripped into two 2-3/8" sides with about 1/4" to spare.

The 6" not used for the top, bottom and sides was reserved for the two ends and the ammo block. The ammo block portion was cut first and then the remaining width was resawn to make the two ends. The undersized middle slab was given to scrap. The resaw side of each end piece was placed facing out during assembly so the ridges could be sanded out as part of initial sanding.

Cutting the Pieces:
The bottom is one side thickness narrower than the top. Using the top as a guide, the rip fence was set. Placing one of the sides between the fence and the bottom gave an exact spacing with no measuring and the bottom was ripped to width.

One of the sides was used to set the miter gauge stop block. Placing the two end pieces against the stop offset the bottom piece the correct amount as it was crosscut to length. Again no measuring.

The bottom width and the end widths must match. Using the bottom piece width as a guide, the miter gauge stop is set and the two sides are crosscut.

The groove for the lid is a little complex to cut. The lip on the lid is nominally 1/8" sq. In order for the lid to slide easily, the side grooves need to be 5/32" or so. However the groove on the end of the box is left at 1/8" and the lower edge of the lid is beveled by sanding to fit. This allows the lid to close and hold against gravity by the friction fit.

Brag: Having an Incra fence makes cutting accurate 1/8" and 5/32" grooves with a 3/32" blade trivial. Ditto for the Digital Height Indicator for setting the blade height.

One end piece is not grooved, rather the end is cut flush with the bottom of the side grooves. This allows the lid to slide in. The piece of scrap from this cut isn't. Retain the cutoff as it will be glued to the end of the lid as a handle in a later step.

The two sides and one end of the top is rabbeted 1/8" leaving a 1/8" thickness. Check the lip is a loose fit in the side and tight or nogo on the end. Do not try to fully insert the end as this will be addressed later.

Assembly:
All of the interior faces of all pieces are sanded to 240 grit. Sanding dust is blown & wiped off prior to gluing.

An assembly corner is clamped to the locked fence and the piece is dry fit. Once the fit is verified the pieces are assembled in this order:
  • L side
  • Grooved end
  • Bottom
  • Short end
  • R side

As each piece is added it is held under hand pressure for 20S or so to let the glue start to grab. After the last piece is added wait a minute or two before unclamping the assembly block and moving the fence leaving the box alone on the saw. This allows the first clamps to be added without moving the assembly too much.

(an hour passes …)

Once the glue had set the box was removed from the clamps and rough sanded.

Ammo Block:
Now it is time to fit the ammo block.

Starting with a 4Ă—5 block of the full 15/16" thickness purpleheart it was positioned in the LRHC of the box. The revolver was lain on top and traced onto the block. A little bandsaw work and sanding and the block was contoured to fit.

Next came a little quick layout work for the .45 Colt rounds on a 1" grid. Some adjustment was made for better spacing. A few minutes on the drill press with a 1/2" carbide Forstner bit and the ammo block was ready for initial sanding.

The router was used to profile the ammo block with a roundover on the inside contour. Completing that, the router was then used to cut the decorative bead around the base of the box.
Wood Font Gas Recreation Circle

Ammo Block detail.

Brown Rectangle Wood Wood stain Hardwood

End detail showing decorative bottom bead.

After final sanding the ammo block to 240 grit, it was glued in place and clamped. For simplicity the block was only glued on the bottom.

Perfecting the Lid:
To make it easier to insert the lid the rabbeted end corners are sanded to about a 3/32" radius.

The rabbeted end of the lid is sanded on a bevel just to the point the lip will start into the groove. It should NOT bottom out in the groove but rather jam slighty to hold the lid in place. The fit should be overly snug (almost tight) but not impossible to open, the fit will loosen after the wax finish is applied.

Once the lid is holding properly when closed, the underside is marked and trimmed to be flush with the outside.

The cutoff saved from trimming the end piece is sanded to length and glued to the square end of the lid. This gives an easy grip for opening the box.

Final Finish:
The box was final sanded to 240 grit.

Two coats of Johnson's paste floor wax and a set of four brown felt feet complete the project.
Brown Purple Rectangle Wood Violet

I just love the look of purpleheart!
 

Attachments

#65 ·
Purpleheart Gun Box

Been burning thru my purpleheart inventory making pipes. So I just ordered more from Craftsmen Supply in Ybor City (Tampa) Fl. They have a great selection of exotics and are good folx to deal with.

One of the pieces was calling to me to make a box out of it. Looking around I found the better half's hawgleg 1873 .45 Colt revolver and a project began.
Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood

It's 2-3/8" X 5-1/2" X 12" of 1/4" purpleheart

The piece of purpleheart started out as 15/16" x 7-3/4" x 24" rough. I got all six sides and the ammo block out of 18" x 5-1/2" after trim.
Wood Tool Revolver Household hardware Hand tool

The ammo block holds 14 rounds plus six in the weapon for 20 total.

Material Prep:
The top, bottom and sides were resawn on the TS from a 15/16" x 12" x 5-1/2" block. Cutting in from both edges allowed resawing the 5-1/2" width but leaves a mismatch ridge in the cut face. The slabs were cut at 9/32" and planed flat to remove the resaw ridge. The outer faces were placed against the fence and the middle slab is a bit undersized and ridged on both faces. The thinnest (middle) slab was designated the bottom.

One of the thicker three wide slabs was ripped into two 2-3/8" sides with about 1/4" to spare.

The 6" not used for the top, bottom and sides was reserved for the two ends and the ammo block. The ammo block portion was cut first and then the remaining width was resawn to make the two ends. The undersized middle slab was given to scrap. The resaw side of each end piece was placed facing out during assembly so the ridges could be sanded out as part of initial sanding.

Cutting the Pieces:
The bottom is one side thickness narrower than the top. Using the top as a guide, the rip fence was set. Placing one of the sides between the fence and the bottom gave an exact spacing with no measuring and the bottom was ripped to width.

One of the sides was used to set the miter gauge stop block. Placing the two end pieces against the stop offset the bottom piece the correct amount as it was crosscut to length. Again no measuring.

The bottom width and the end widths must match. Using the bottom piece width as a guide, the miter gauge stop is set and the two sides are crosscut.

The groove for the lid is a little complex to cut. The lip on the lid is nominally 1/8" sq. In order for the lid to slide easily, the side grooves need to be 5/32" or so. However the groove on the end of the box is left at 1/8" and the lower edge of the lid is beveled by sanding to fit. This allows the lid to close and hold against gravity by the friction fit.

Brag: Having an Incra fence makes cutting accurate 1/8" and 5/32" grooves with a 3/32" blade trivial. Ditto for the Digital Height Indicator for setting the blade height.

One end piece is not grooved, rather the end is cut flush with the bottom of the side grooves. This allows the lid to slide in. The piece of scrap from this cut isn't. Retain the cutoff as it will be glued to the end of the lid as a handle in a later step.

The two sides and one end of the top is rabbeted 1/8" leaving a 1/8" thickness. Check the lip is a loose fit in the side and tight or nogo on the end. Do not try to fully insert the end as this will be addressed later.

Assembly:
All of the interior faces of all pieces are sanded to 240 grit. Sanding dust is blown & wiped off prior to gluing.

An assembly corner is clamped to the locked fence and the piece is dry fit. Once the fit is verified the pieces are assembled in this order:
  • L side
  • Grooved end
  • Bottom
  • Short end
  • R side

As each piece is added it is held under hand pressure for 20S or so to let the glue start to grab. After the last piece is added wait a minute or two before unclamping the assembly block and moving the fence leaving the box alone on the saw. This allows the first clamps to be added without moving the assembly too much.

(an hour passes …)

Once the glue had set the box was removed from the clamps and rough sanded.

Ammo Block:
Now it is time to fit the ammo block.

Starting with a 4Ă—5 block of the full 15/16" thickness purpleheart it was positioned in the LRHC of the box. The revolver was lain on top and traced onto the block. A little bandsaw work and sanding and the block was contoured to fit.

Next came a little quick layout work for the .45 Colt rounds on a 1" grid. Some adjustment was made for better spacing. A few minutes on the drill press with a 1/2" carbide Forstner bit and the ammo block was ready for initial sanding.

The router was used to profile the ammo block with a roundover on the inside contour. Completing that, the router was then used to cut the decorative bead around the base of the box.
Wood Font Gas Recreation Circle

Ammo Block detail.

Brown Rectangle Wood Wood stain Hardwood

End detail showing decorative bottom bead.

After final sanding the ammo block to 240 grit, it was glued in place and clamped. For simplicity the block was only glued on the bottom.

Perfecting the Lid:
To make it easier to insert the lid the rabbeted end corners are sanded to about a 3/32" radius.

The rabbeted end of the lid is sanded on a bevel just to the point the lip will start into the groove. It should NOT bottom out in the groove but rather jam slighty to hold the lid in place. The fit should be overly snug (almost tight) but not impossible to open, the fit will loosen after the wax finish is applied.

Once the lid is holding properly when closed, the underside is marked and trimmed to be flush with the outside.

The cutoff saved from trimming the end piece is sanded to length and glued to the square end of the lid. This gives an easy grip for opening the box.

Final Finish:
The box was final sanded to 240 grit.

Two coats of Johnson's paste floor wax and a set of four brown felt feet complete the project.
Brown Purple Rectangle Wood Violet

I just love the look of purpleheart!
Thanks MadMark you have inspired me. I have been thinking about what projects to do next and this is right up my alley, plus my nephew just bought his first 357 (S&W model 19) and his first 38 (S&W model 10) a few weeks ago. He is interested in woodworking and this would be a great way to get him jump started. That, and I could use a few presentation boxes for my own meager collection
 

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#70 ·
Purpleheart "no leaks" Dugout

My smoke shop client commissioned some "non swivel" dugouts last week. The problem, she explained, was that the tops come loose and they spill their contents.

I made some sliding top dugouts that seemed to work well but the sliders also work loose and may spill (albeit less often).

Turning my engineering brain loose on the need I came up with a solution, the two screw top. One screw acts as a pivot, the other is removable as a lock.
Purple Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood

Who knows what lurks inside?

The top is 1/2" thick for strength even though it is endgrain.

Wood Rectangle Magenta Hardwood Tints and shades

The seam is tight!

And with just a few quick spins of the locking screw the contents is revealed.
Wood Magenta Rectangle Tints and shades Fashion accessory

Voila!
 

Attachments

#71 ·
Purpleheart "no leaks" Dugout

My smoke shop client commissioned some "non swivel" dugouts last week. The problem, she explained, was that the tops come loose and they spill their contents.

I made some sliding top dugouts that seemed to work well but the sliders also work loose and may spill (albeit less often).

Turning my engineering brain loose on the need I came up with a solution, the two screw top. One screw acts as a pivot, the other is removable as a lock.
Purple Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood

Who knows what lurks inside?

The top is 1/2" thick for strength even though it is endgrain.

Wood Rectangle Magenta Hardwood Tints and shades

The seam is tight!

And with just a few quick spins of the locking screw the contents is revealed.
Wood Magenta Rectangle Tints and shades Fashion accessory

Voila!
That's cool and all, but I don't know what lurks inside.
 

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