This blog is written by Chris McDowell | 66 entries so far |
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Cutting Board Tablet Stand
I had an oak pallet which I broke down and was able to salvage enough to make two iPad stands. Th...
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Kreg Jig Pen Press
I’ve been using a combination of a quick clamp and the drill press to press pen kits togeth...
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Woodturning a simple candle holder
Before this project, I had never made anything other than pens on the lathe. I had some scrap pie...
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DIY Christmas Tree Stand Cover | Rustic Christmas Tree Box
I didn’t know this was a thing until this month when my wife showed me pictures and asked m...
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Woodturning - Making a Cocobolo Pen
I got a lathe in June 2015. It’s a Rikon mini lathe. For more on it, watch this video. Any...
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Simple Pen Blank Drilling Jig
I got a new lathe in June 2015, but couldn’t use it until I was able to purchase some tools...
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I met Rob Cosman! My first trip to Woodcraft.
I went to Woodcraft for the first time ever in order to get some tools so that I can start doing ...
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My Wife Makes A Pumpkin Door Hanger On The Scroll Saw
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdAK5fz7n3A My wife has picked up the sc...
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Farmhouse Table Build - Construction Grade Lumber
You can see how I built the table in a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL0kh2faVpk ...
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Shop Update #6: New Rikon 70-100 Mini Lathe
I recently did a little belated spring cleaning in the shop. My wife helped me pull out everythin...
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A coffee table made from an old fire pit
View a video of this build here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16o0Ic0RPro We had an old fir...
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Harbor Freight Oscillating Spindle Sander
I bought a Harbor Freight 14” oscillating spindle sander. I had my eye on it for a while a...
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Make a Pallet Sign - DIY Project
Watch the build video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWKm2X-hBqc I’ve made a few ...
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Rustic Wall Sconces
My wife follows shanty-2-chic.com and saw some wall sconces on the website. She decided that she ...
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Cigar Box Guitar | Part 2
I finished up the cigar box guitar I started in the last video, which you can watch here: http://...
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Cigar Box Guitar | Part 1
I have wanted to build a cigar box guitar for over two years from the date of this video. I found...
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Shop Update #5: 2014 Wrap up, Thank you, and 2015 goals
2014 was a good year for woodworking and for YouTube. I was able to complete several projects (I ...
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2x4 Bench: A cheap Pottery Barn knock-off
My sister-in-law sent a picture of a bench and asked if I could make one to go in her entryway. ...
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Last Second Christmas Project - Wooden Soap Dishes
I made 10 wooden soap dishes for a relative. I used cedar from a scrap 4×4 post. These are e...
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Miniature Router Table
I had to roundover the edges of some small work-pieces. I have a router table, but the Craftsman ...
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French Cleat Square & Measuring Tool Storage
All of my measuring and squaring tools were spread out throughout the shop. I wanted them all in ...
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French Cleat Screw Storage / Screw Caddy
As to be expected, do enough woodworking and you will need various sizes of screws for all the di...
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French Cleat Hooks - Repurpose Project
We’ve had this old coat/key rack hanging in our garage collecting dust and whatever else di...
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Shop Update #4: September 2014
Shop update for September 2014. Topics include:Mobile base for planerReclaimed wood desk organ...
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Reclaimed Wood Desk Organizer
Recently, I saw some pieces of wood with holes cut into them for sale online. The asking price w...
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King Size Shutter Headboard #2: Attaching the top, painting, distressing, and the outcome
In this video, I attach the top of the headboard, then I show the painting technique we chose, wh...
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King Size Shutter Headboard #1: Making a Frame and Attaching the Shutters
We were given a king size bed frame and mattresses. We previously had a queen, but with two kids...
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Shop Update #3: August 2014
In this shop update I talk about the king size headboard I am building, which I have been showing...
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iPhone Tripod Mount
I recently made a mount for my iPhone that I could use with a tripod to record video. It was s...
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Shop Update #2: What is up: 07-2014
It’s been a month since my last shop update. In this video, I show some of the things IR...
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Shop Update #1: What is up: 06-2014
I haven’t put out a YouTube video in a couple of months, but I have been busy. In this vide...
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New Planer - DeWalt DW734
I finally added another tool to my shop. It’s my first “big” tool purchase; it&...
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Dovetail a Day #1: Days 1 through 5
I’ve tried dovetails before with the one back saw I had before – a $5 Stanley cross-c...
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Rockler Quick-Release Front Vise Install
I’ve wanted a vise for quite some time. I was finally able to get one with some money I re...
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Miter Sled on the Cheap
I have a few projects coming up that I need to make mitered corners for, like picture frames and ...
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Intro & Shop Tour
I have posted 8 videos on YouTube thus far and have never introduced myself. I enjoy watching oth...
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Desperate Woodworking
Sometimes I just want to make something. I get the woodworking bug so bad I just gotta do someth...
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Organ Leg Coat Rack Video Series #7: Stain and Finish
Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8hT5VQCUSM In this episode, I stain and ...
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Organ Leg Coat Rack Video Series #6: Cutting/shaping the base and legs, gluing the legs
Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDfdmsKaSPo In this episode, I cut the ba...
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Organ Leg Coat Rack Video Series #5: Cutting out legs, flush trimming them
Part 5 of the coat rack build: http://youtu.be/SMbNqkkUldE In this video, I finish up cutting ...
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Organ Leg Coat Rack Video Series #4: Cutting the tenons
Here is part 4 of the video series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_STCn7xmlY In this one, I ...
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Organ Leg Coat Rack Video Series #3: Chopping mortises, cutting leg template
Watch part 3 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2pcOue9ub0 In this episode, I chop the mort...
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Organ Leg Coat Rack Video Series #2: Base prep, Modifying Organ legs
I just posted part 2 of this series on YouTube. Click here to view it. In this episode, I clea...
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Organ Leg Coat Rack Video Series #1: Getting started
In progress: We inherited my father-in-law’s mother’s organ when she passed aw...
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New (old) Router Table
We brought our daughter to her friend’s birthday party yesterday and my friend (the dad) sh...
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Craftsman Style Framed Mirror #4: Inner Frame
All I have left as far as construction goes is the inner frame and muntins. The inner frame will...
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Craftsman Style Framed Mirror #3: Making the corbels & screwing up the cove molding
I had a major screw up in this segment and was so aggravated that I almost scrapped the whole p...
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Craftsman Style Framed Mirror #2: crack repair and cutting a cove on the table saw
At the end of the last post in this series I was beginning to try to repair a crack, or gap, that...
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Craftsman Style Framed Mirror #1: Starting off, mortises, tenons, a curve, some glue, and clamps
I was initially going to post all of my progress when I posted the final project, but there wer...
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Shop Clean Up
My wife is 38 days from her due date. She is in cleaning mode and wants everything clean, includ...
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Table saw is now mobile
My shop (our garage) is basically the only storage room we have in the house. The attic is ridic...
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First Router Action
I finally got to use a router for the first time. I’ve had a router for a few months now (...
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1st Cigar Box Guitar #1: Getting ready
I recently stumbled upon something that I had heard about before, but never gave any thought to u...
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My 1st Crosscut Sled #3: Putting it all together
First, I put some 1” screws into the front fence to help keep the two halves together. Tho...
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My 1st Crosscut Sled #2: Making the fences
My previous post was about making the runners. After they dried I ran both halves through the sa...
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My 1st Crosscut Sled #1: Making the runners
I realized early on after receiving my table saw that I would need a crosscut sled. The miter ga...
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Gifted again - table saw and drill press
So a friend of mine found out I was getting into woodworking. Well, it turns out his father-in-l...
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My pre-woodworking wood projects
I mentioned on my profile page that I’ve had an interest in woodworking for a long time now...
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Scary Sharp - my first attempt ever at sharpening
It took about an hour, but I got my 1” chisel sharpened today, at least the main 25 degree ...
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New, old tools and $40 I didn't know I had
First, the tools… A new friend of mine, who is also a fellow Lumberjock, sent me a packa...
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First joint other than butt joint - mitered half-lap
First, here’s the outcome: Not perfect, but better than I expected on my first try. ...
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side clamping honing guide
I ordered a side-clamping honing guide I found online for $15 that I will use when I sharpen the ...
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My first yard sale woodworking find
First of all, I went to 4 yard sales last weekend and didn’t find squat. So today, my wi...
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Irwin Marples
I had $30 Amazon rewards, so I ordered these: My woodworking budget is nil, so I was looki...
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jig saw jig
So I made a jig for my jig saw. I had the Kreg square-cut jig in mind when I made it. I used a ...
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Greene & Greene finger joint with a jigsaw
I really like the Greene and Greene style design. I watched Marc Spagnuolo make some finger joint...