Am Try project: March 2014

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Turned Bullet Box

Found the pattern for this bullet box on the internet and had to give it a try. Made in Red Oak and Walnut.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

In addition to my "real" chair I made for the fair this year, I have also entered into the "decorate a chair" category. In this competition, you take an existing chair and decorate it however you like. Believe it or not, its one of the most popular competitions in the Marin County Fair.

Although I have already entered, I havent actually started on the chair yet. The actual chair is due in two weeks.

Ive been searching Craigslist for free chairs and havent been lucky. I have a couple of old outdoor chairs I may have to use.

The fairs theme this year is "Going Global". Yeah, all right, I live in a weird place; this is par for the course.

So heres my idea: "Glowing Gobel". You remember George Gobel? Well, I figured I would take a chair and plaster it all over with glowing images of George. I dont expect to actually win, but I thought at least someone in Northern California might have a sense of humor!

My problem is that I cant find a high-resolution image of George Gobel. Ive found a bunch on Google Images, but they are all really tiny. Any ideas?

Die stool

Daniel Pozzobon talked about making some "dice" tables a while back. He ended up making this stool that he gave to his professor. Very clever project, made just using a circular saw.

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Mere Minutes

Fibonacci gauge

I admit to recognizing the name Fibonacci, but was unfamiliar with his eponymous gauge, which is funny, because if you do crosswords long enough you learn fun words like eponymous, yet somehow let Fibonacci gauge slip through the cracks.

Ian W. made one. Its beautiful and here it is:

No doubt a quick trip over to Wikipedia would clear this all up. Dear God, its math:

But wait, suddenly it all became clear. I remember learning about this from the greatest math video every made: Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land, which taught me more about math than any math teacher. It is a must-see video that thoroughly explains the deal with Fibonacci and the Golden Ratio. The Golden Ratio is an ancient formula used to determine and describe aesthetically pleasing proportions in everything from nature to art. Art? Oh yeah, like woodworking!

Its a completely mind-blowing and fascinating subject. So much so, that I am thinking about making a Fibonacci Gauge this weekend. It has all sorts of uses in the real world. Say you want to make a jewelry box. You can use the gauge to lay out the dimensions in a manner that will be the most pleasing to our sensibilities. Something about the Golden Ratio is hard-wired in our brains.

Be sure and check out Ians blog, and Ian: thanks for sending this over.

What inspires Sheila Landry

Sheila Landry, based in Nova Scotia, Canada, is one of the most prolific scroll saw woodworkers, designers, and artists today. She has been a Contribiting Editor to Creative Woodworks and Crafts Magazine for 15 years.

The variety and scope of patterns available on SheilaLandryDesigns.com, is astounding. Be sure to stop by and pick her latest catalog.

This article is also available in a printer-friendly pdf.

Inspiration.

When I was first approached to write an article on the subject of inspiration, I thought it would be easy. There are many sources where I find inspiration and I am constantly full of new ideas. It seems that my biggest challenge that I experience is finding the time to implement all the ideas I come up with and convert them from ideas into reality. But as I sit here and begin to write, I find that talking about what inspires is a somewhat daunting task, as I realize that because there is no one single thing or place inspires me, it is a bit difficult for me to organize my thoughts and present them to you in an orderly manner.

Inspiration is all around us. We only need to train ourselves to sit back and observe and allow our senses to recognize it for what it is. That is not always automatic or easy.

Some of us are born with the longing to create.

I know I was. Some of my earliest memories from my childhood are of me sitting on the porch of my Chicago home and embroidering designs on my grandmother’s tea towels. I was always a busy child and my grandmother had some iron-on transfers and pretty colors of DMC embroidery thread and she taught me all the basic stitches in hopes of keeping me busy. To this day I still remember her telling me that “good embroidery is judged not only how the front of the piece looks, but also how neat the back looks.” It is funny how those words have followed me all throughout my life, and to this day I take care with being sure that my projects not only look good from the front side, but from the back as well. It was an idea that was instilled in me at an early age, and it became something that set a standard for my lifetime.

As I grew up, I found the satisfaction of ‘making things.’ From coloring, to bead work and even sewing - the more I made things, the better and more accomplished I felt. We didnt have a lot growing up, but we always kept busy by doing assorted crafts and making things to play with that we didnt have the money to buy.

During my grammar school days, my best friend and I would also spend hours making things. We drew flip books and made hand-sewn toys and puppets out of scraps or old clothing, or we made jewelry out of bead kits that were inexpensive and easy to find. It was then that I discovered painting too and found that I liked to replicate things through painting. There was something amazing about being able to re-create things around us and creating became an important part of my life.

It was at this time that I began to look at the world around me in a different way. No longer were clouds just “clouds”. They were soft transitions of colors and they had depth and thickness and soft shapes. I would look at a sky and think of the colors I would need to paint them in a painting. I would look at the transparency of a cat’s ear and wonder how I would translate it to a painting or even a drawing and still show its sheerness and delicacy. These were all the types of things that began to fill my mind on a regular basis.

Looking at wood differently

As I began woodworking, I looked at wood differently as well. The beautiful curve in the legs of a table. The intricate pattern of the crown moulding in an old building. The inlay work on my old bedroom set that was built in the 1940’s. I noticed so much more than I had previously when I looked at something, and I found it made me want to learn more and create more and replicate what I had seen.

I started doing scrollwork over fifteen years ago. Like many, I began using patterns that were created by others. One of the first projects that I decided to make was an 18” spandrel for my best friend who was remodeling her kitchen. I had just purchased a scroll saw and couldnt wait to see what I would be able to make with it. I found a pattern for a jewelry box in a book and the pattern on the lid of the box was just what I was envisioning for the spandrel, so I enlarged it and used it for the project. Little did I know that would be the beginning of my career designing woodworking patterns.

There was much to learn with scroll sawing. During those first years of woodworking, each project brought with it more valuable knowledge that enabled me to advance. As my skills improved, so did my dissatisfaction of patterns that were available. Soon I began changing others’ patterns more and more to suit my needs and before long I was designing projects completely on my own, using my own ideas and techniques. Without realizing it, I had crossed an imaginary line and went from being a student to teaching others. I set up my website and began selling my patterns and contributing designs to woodworking magazines.

Fifteen years later, I am still here designing. I have more ideas than ever and I only hope that there will be enough hours in each day for me to accomplish what I set out to do. Many times I have people ask me where I get my ideas from, and the only way I can truthfully answer them is with one word - everywhere!

Mallard Duck Forest Leaf Plaque

We only need to open our eyes and look around us.

Inspiration is everywhere. I find it as I walk through the woods near my house. The shape of the leaves. The sound of the birds singing. The toad stools growing on the fallen logs. I am inspired by smells and sounds and shapes of all that are around me. A single idea, such as a fallen leaf, can lead to an entire series of designs.

There are other places which inspire me as well. Growing up in the Chicago area, I was able to see and appreciate all the beautiful architecture that the city had to offer. In my early 20’s, I worked for Continental Bank, which at the time operated out of eight buildings in the downtown Chicago area. I loved working in the big city, and will never forget that first day when I walked in to the lobby of the bank. I was taken aback by the stunning design of the building, and I felt as if I had gone back in time. In working at the bank, I was exposed to many of their different buildings, including the Rookery Building, which was designed in part by Frank Lloyd Wright (In 1905, Wright was commissioned to update the interior of the light court and lobbies.) The beautiful lines and appointments of buildings not only in Chicago, but all over the world have made a huge impression on me, and has inspired many of my designs.

The Rookery Building, Chicago

Wright Inspired Candle Tray

Classic shapes from nature, as well as animals, flowers, and even seashells inspire me. I like to take a form from nature and transform it into wood. I found that adding simple embellishments such as pearls or crystals really made even a simple project look polished and finished.

Fretwork Candle Tray

I find that I am very inspired by nostalgic items as well. There is a certain amount of comfort that I feel when recreating simple items from days gone by. I think that people relate to these items and the projects help to bring them back to what they perceive as simpler times. These replicas evoke feelings of security and reassurance to many, especially in these uncertain times.

Polar Bear Pull Toy

Functionality also feeds my inspiration. Items of necessity are very popular, as they not only look aesthetically pleasing, but they also provide a service. Items like boxes, cheese and candle trays, eyeglass holders and other useful items prove to be a wonderful basis for finding inspiration. I look at similar items and think how I can make them unique and the result can be anywhere from classical...

Cheese Please Tray

...to comical:

See Creature White Tail Deer

Additionally, I do find inspiration from different holidays. Whether nostalgic or modern, people love to celebrate and decorate for the holidays. Surrounding ourselves with pieces that depict certain holidays can bring to surface all those feeling of holidays past with our family and friends. Inspirations include cards, movies, a song, or even a group of holiday colors that bring thoughts of a certain season. Translating these inspirations into wood working project is both fun and exciting. I just never know what I will be inspired to do next!

Fretwork Masks

Share with other creative people

Finally, I find a great deal of inspiration from other people around me. As an artist and designer, I surround myself with other positive and creative people. I find that the best way to be creative and inspired is to share ideas with others who share your passion for creating. It doesnt have to be people who have your exact interests. Besides woodworking, I also do a bit of painting and I find that both groups of people are a very positive influence in my life and keep me motivated and excited and passionate about what I do.

Finding the right people either in nearby clubs or classes can be very stimulating, and communicating with others who have similar interests as yourself is a wonderful way to keep those creative juices flowing. We are fortunate to live in a time when we have access to many wonderful social groups and classes though the internet. Especially for those who are like myself and live in a remote area, these groups are imperative for social interaction and I believe they do a great deal to inspire creativity. Many groups have wonderful exchanges and things of that nature which allow you to share your creativity with others who enjoy it. The feedback and resources these types of interactions allow is something that is very important to many, and many depend on it to keep a positive outlook and keep motivated.

So what happens when we just don’t feel inspired?

Everyone has those days, I am afraid. It seems that sometimes (usually when you need it most!) you just can’t seem to come up with an idea that you feel is good enough to move you forward. You may have a deadline for a show. You may have a birthday or special occasion that is approaching and you NEED to come up with something new and unique for the event. It feels as if the walls are closing in and you arent able to think of anything that strikes your fancy. It is not a good place to be!

While many feel that trying harder is the answer when this occurs, I find that the opposite has helped me more than not. When I have a deadline to come up with an idea and I have been wracking my brain as to what to do, I find that ‘disconnecting’ for a while and changing gears does wonders to help me get back on the creative track.

Sometimes I go for a walk, and try not to think about anything in particular. Other times I take off and head for the beach, where the sound of the waves and the warmth of the sun are the only things that I am aware of. Sometimes spending time alone, with only yourself and your thoughts, is the best way to give yourself the rest you need and get those creative juices flowing.

Stop and disconnect

While being connected to the world is definitely a plus, there are times when we feel overwhelmed and overloaded and we just need to stop and disconnect. Our heads are so full of family, chores, work, bills, and countless other worries that it is difficult for us to relax and focus on ourselves. I regularly take ‘quiet’ time where I try to have as little input as possible to give my head a rest. My early morning times are a great time for me to quietly contemplate what I wish to accomplish for the day. I guard that precious time fiercely and I try to allow some time to be thoughtful every single day. I am amazed at how well this short time of quiet clears my head and allows me to ‘reboot’ and feel as if I am starting fresh. I find that most of my best ideas come to me during these quiet times.

Finally, I am going to close with a bit of advice about your inspirations. I suggest you keep a small notebook near you, and use it to record any thoughts or ideas you may have regarding projects. Even if an idea seems silly at the time, you may look back on it later on and it could be a springboard for something else. This also helps you be more aware of things around you and helps you see the inspirations that are always there for the taking.

There is inspiration all around us! All we need to do is to open our eyes, be aware of it, and allow it to come into our hearts and souls. While what inspires each individual is unique, we live in such a wondrous world that there is plenty of inspiration for all of us. We only need to allow it to find us.

My office: the beach!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Bookcase Plans

This set of free bookcase plans stems from a furniture project that went into my home office. My wife needed a bookshelf to store some of the kids school things, but it needed to fit on a certain wall in the room. It also needed to be pretty tall to maximize the amount of storage space available.

As I was developing the bookshelf plans, I tried to make it simple to build. But I also wanted it to have a little more character than just a box with a bunch of 3/4" shelves in it. The result is now sitting in my office, packed full of stuff, and I think it fits the bill pretty well.
Size As I mentioned, the bookshelf needed to fit a certain wall in my office and be as large as possible. An overall width of 28" and height of 82" worked great.

Often, bookcase plans call for a depth of only 12". This seemed too small to me. I extended the depth to 14" to accommodate even the largest of books. The plans can be adjusted to nearly any size you like, as long as the shelves dont become too long to support their load without sagging.

Normally I suggest avoiding shelves that are more than 36" long. In this case however, you should be safe extending them to 48". The addition of a panel (or valance) along the front edge of the shelves serves to stiffen them. It also gives the bookshelf a bit more character than plain old 3/4" shelving.

Design A common practice with simple furniture designs, like bookcases and dressers, is to extend the wall ends to the floor. Then, a slightly recessed toekick is installed just below the bottom shelf, between the wall ends.

I like this look and it helps prevent the unit from tipping forward. So, I included it in the bookcase plans.

This bookcase could easily have been built as a simple box, much like a cabinet. But the recessed toekick gave me the idea to add the same detail to the top and to the adjustable shelves. You can leave off the valances, but they do add a nice detail without a lot of extra effort.

By adding the valances to the adjustable shelves, you also add a great deal of rigidity to the shelves. This allows you to build a bookcase with longer shelves and they wont sag under the heavy weight of books.

In this case, the extra strength is not needed. So the added valances are really just for looks.

Materials If youre at all familiar with any of my other plans, you wont be surprised to learn that I built the bookcase out of white Melamine. Its durable and easy to work with, but any 3/4" panel will work just fine.

If you choose a wood veneer plywood or particle board, the valance panels at the toekick, top, and adjustable shelves can be made from solid stock to match the veneer.

Something I discovered as I was assembling the bookcase was that I had failed to edge band the top edges of the wall ends. For an 82" tall bookcase its not a big deal since you wont ever see that edge. If you shorten the bookcase plans so that the top is below eye level, then the top edges really should be finished.

Assembly Im kind of in love with my Kreg jig, so thats what I used to assemble the bookcase. If youre not familiar with pocket hole joinery, I encourage you to check out these videos. They do a pretty good job of demonstrating the basics.

In this case, pocket hole screws are particularly useful for joining the valances to the top, shelves, and bottom. I also used them, along with Melamine glue, for attaching the top and bottom to the wall ends. An alternative would be to screw through the wall ends into the top and bottom, but I didnt want visible fasteners in the wall ends.

The "nailers" are sort of a throw back to cabinet construction that serve to help keep the unit straight and square. Theyre glued and screwed to the wall ends, top, and bottom.

Drawing File Overall, its a pretty simple project. With the addition of the valances, and the right material, it will be equally at home in a casual office setting or the front room of your home.

Wherever you decide to put it, to view the plans just click on the link below. If youd like to download a copy to your computer, right click then "save-as". Either way, youll need the Adobe reader to view the file.

View or Download "Bookcase Plans"

Return from Bookcase Plans
to Furniture Plans

Click Here and Start WoodWorking

1000 Page Views

1000 Page views - A nice little milestone for my little blog. Someone must be reading it!

Hopefully people are finding my wood working journey vaguely interesting maybe even benefiting from my mistakes . So this post is a quick thank you to those few people who regularly drop by the blog and offer me advice, and take the time to comment.

On that note, I would like to ask you all - and yes I have read the forums.

Has anyone who has paid big money and purchased a Lie Nielsen plane had buyers remorse and in hindsight wished they had gone the (much cheaper) refurbed Stanley route?

The reason I ask is I am considering purchasing a LN no#5 with two blades (heavily and slightly cambered) to act as my go to plane for smoothing, roughing, shooting end grain and flattening. I like the idea of being able to reduce the mouth without having to remove the blade each time as they are based on the Stanley Bedrock design. They are however - super expensive!

Later and as funds allow Id also like a LN no#7 and these two planes (no#5 & no#7) would cover almost all my needs.

I do already own new (read - poor quality) Stanley no#4 and no#6, which I might sell.

So what are your thoughts or criticisms on the above ideas?

T Chisel changes site

So just a couple days ago I posted about Tommys new Grand Slam site; well today I get an update that the main T-Chisel.com site has now been changed as well. Tommy has moved to http://www.mlwwoodworking.com/

Its not completely done, but the forum is up at http://www.mlwwoodworking.com/forum so be sure to drop in and check that out.

Project ideas for the home and garden

Its been a quiet week for me online. My dad came out for a visit turning this week into a vacation of sorts. But we did manage to put together a quick project for tomorrows video.

Heres what some of you have been up to. Definitely a lot of springtime projects getting made.

Last year I made a picnic tote for storing paper plates and a keeping paper napkins from blowing away. Bill Wilson made this one double sided for holding condiments and utensils.

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Heres a project Ive recently added to my to-do list. Ron Ward made this sign post for his yard with all different sign shapes pointing to important and memorable places in his life. I just love this idea.

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If you are looking for a very simple project to get you into the yard this spring, try making my 2x4 garden bench. You can build it in a weekend. I love seeing how people have modified it too. Check out

Horatiu Simions version in Romania. Love the bright paint and storage area.

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Have you tried any pallet projects yet? Heres Arnold Knoches take on my rustic potting bench. These things are really fun to make.

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And heres a good idea from Bill Kirbym, who made this shoe rack using reclaimed pallet wood. The butterflies and details on this really set it apart.

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Of course, just because its spring doesnt mean you cant make indoor projects! Gregory Morel made one of my charging stations using plywood and exotic lumber. That combination is always interesting.

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Finally, I wanted to show off some projects from 16-year-old Connor Mcallister in Australia. He recently got a lathe and turned this honey dipper. I told him that is one of those projects I think about every single time i turn something on my lathe. One of these days maybe Ill actually make one!

Connor also took and old wardrobe and converted it into an aviary for his grandfather using pallet wood for the doors. Way to go man.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Media Cabinet Plugging along

Its been a while since I have given an update on progress. Mostly, the progress hasnt been anything too exciting, or exciting enough to write about, but I figured I should anyways. So last time I left off I had made the doors and and had begun to scrape all the glue lines for the top. I have since then finished all the scraping; I had to scrape the bottom platform and all the side pieces...basically anything that I had joined. Next I turned my attention to the two swing out doors. These are for holding games and DVDs. To keep things simple, and looking good, I decided to go with half-blind dovetails to joint the sides to the bottom (there is not top). So I set it all up in my Leigh jig, made a couple test cuts and knocked them out.

From MediaCabinet

I had a little tear out on the first one because I forgot to use a backer board. This joint is on the bottom anyways so it will never be seen.

From MediaCabinet

Next, I figured I would start on the top. It takes a while to glue the boards up so I figured now was a good time to do it because while the glue dries I can work on other items. So, the top is to be about 65" long by 22" deep. I started with a long 12/4 piece of wood. This I will resaw three times to get my three pieces need to make the top. I have an 8" jointer and this board was wider than that so I had to initially flatten it by hand. For those not familiar with doing this, a good way to get started is to use chalk and mark up your board.

From MediaCabinet

This allows you to know the areas that you have, and have not, planed. Then, you use something like a #4 and begin to work up and down the board at a pretty big angle, somewhere between 45 and 60 degrees.

From MediaCabinet

This is a shot of about half way though. You can see the center of the board still has chalk, this tells me that I have not yet gotten the whole thing flat. If you look at the part of the board closest to you, you can also see the plane marks and the angle of approach I am using. As you get it more and more flat, you begin to decrease the angle and then eventually switch to another plane to finish it off.
Here are the three, book matched, boards after being resawn and planed to thickness. By the way, resawing a 12/4 piece of wood 70" long is a real treat!

From MediaCabinet

Its not the greatest picture in the world, but I think you can get an idea for the triple book match. This is something that sets one piece of work apart from others so take note when looking at "antique" furniture and the quality of work.

Next, I needed to layout and begin routing the dados for the vertical panels. Im starting with the two outer most panels, these only come in just over half way as they are part of the swing out door assembly. I always turn into a nervous wreck when I have to do things like this because if you mess it up, all that wood and work are ruined. Anyways, I made the first two with no problem.

From MediaCabinet

So next I need to rout the dados in the swing out doors that house the shelves for the storage. This will be two dados on each side. Once I have those in, I will then glue up the swing out doors and use those to aid me in laying out where the next dados go for the middle, full length, vertical panels. More on that later though!

Be safe!

YouTube woodworking spotlight Jay Bates

There are a lot of people producing free woodworking content on YouTube making this a great time to learn the craft. With so many viewing options, it can very challenging for a video producer to find an audience and get his message out.

This new feature on Woodworking for Mere Mortals will showcase YouTube channels you may not be aware of and encourage you to subscribe. My criteria is simple: spotlighting shows that offer valuable woodworking content on a consistent basis.

Remember: subscribing to YouTube channels is free, shows your support for good content, and keeps you informed whenever a new video is released.

Jay Bates is a DIYer who learned woodworking from free content on the internet. He has over 150 videos and two web sites filled with useful projects and plans. He features a lot of "trash-to-treasure" projects and reveals the beauty in construction grade lumber.

Additionally, Jay produces a fantastic series of SketchUp tutorials that are a must-watch for anyone interested in learning SketchUp, which has become almost a necessity for designing woodworking projects.

Visit and subscribe to Jays YouTube channel
Jays Custom Creations web site
Woodworking with SketchUp web site

Home made TV bracket er no speaker brackets!

Update: I just got an email from Serge pointing out my gaffe. These are intended for wall-mount speakers, not a TV. The velcro on the last picture ensures that the speakers dont move. Of course, the same concept would apply to a TV bracket, but the wood would need to be hardwood and would require stronger anchoring into the wall.

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This is really cool. Like me, Sergio Jimenez experienced sticker shock when he went to the store to buy a bracket for a flat screen TV. I was astonished to discover that fully swiveling brackets can run you over $100. Well, Sergio built his own for about seven bucks. Heres the whole process: