The last couple of Farmer’s Markets have been very successful, but my inventory has dropped. So I’ve spent the last month building some stock back up (cutting boards, phone & tablet holders, etc.) as well as producing some new products (Wood BlueTooth speakers, small dovetailed boxes). Just about done with assembly and cleanup, then its …
I’ve got a lot of projects going at the same time, which in a small shop can run into each other. In this case, I’ve got some phone stands that I made (I was out of inventory) and now they need to be finished. So its a coat of 50/50 Shellac to “raise the grain” …
Well, finally got back to the joinery bench, after working on some other projects. The idea for this is to create a taller bench for doing detailed work (dovetailing, carving, etc.). It will also be somewhat “portable” so I could take it to craft shows/farmer’s markets to demo on. Here its shown upside down, with …
One of the challenges of working in a small shop is the need to apply finish to a project in an area that is covered with dust. Every time you walk, you stir it up, and it ends up on your finish. Large shops typically have a s completely separate room for finishing, and often …
Once a month, usually the first weekend of the month, I try to do a “shop project” or shop improvement. It might be a jig, it might be a new type of storage, or just general preventive maintenance on tools. The idea is to continually improve the function and flow of the shop. In this …
Often when you are working in the shop, you need to create some sort of apparatus or “jig” to control the item while you are cutting, routing, drilling or generally working on the item. It helps to make the work more accurate and/or safer. Oftentimes a woodworker will have a host of jigs in their …
With the Craft Show season over, and heading into the winter, its time to clean up and reorganize the shop to get it ready for winter projects. Provided your shop has heat, the winter is an excellent time to build items and prepare for the new year. Typically, after I get done with a major …
One of the issues with any sort of hand labor (carpentry, automotive, etc.) is there is a danger from the tools you use. You need to always be on guard, especially with powered equipment (like Table saws, miter saws, etc.). Whenever I’m working with powered equipment, I make sure the guards are on, and I …
After a lot of dovetailing, measuring, cutting and gluing up, the joinery bench top is pretty much done (still need to do some planning and sanding to clean it up). It’s got a nice Moxon vise for the front to do dovetailing, cutting tenons, etc. I’ve also got a small “tool well” in the back …
Well, the next project is a joinery bench for the shop, which will enable me to do certain work up high, where its easier to see and cut/chisel/adjust. Think Dovetails, carving, etc. To make the workbench top, I’ve had to joint two faces (make them flat and square to each other) plane them down to …
Creating the laminated top for the joinery bench Read More »
