THE WORKERS: March 2014

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Felix the Cat miniature guitar

Bill Wilson sent me some pictures of a miniature model he made. Its a hollow-body Felix the Cat themed guitar. Not only that, but he built a case to keep it in. I love working on miniature projects. Nice work Bill! Heres his process:

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First I made two copies of the guitar one normal one reversed. Glued them both on the walnut, one on each side. I used the reversed picture as a guide line to hollow out the body

Using the fret board picture for a pattern of the frets, I glued it to some thin walnut. Then, using a spiral blade, cut the grooves for the frets. I glued the fret board to guitar and bottom to guitar base, then cut out guitar shape.

I used guitar strings and lock tight gel glue for the frets, and used nail heads hammered flat for the tuners and screw heads. Push tacks were used for the guitar strap holder. Gold thread for strings.

I used wax to finish guitar. Some shaping was done for the neck and bridge. I tried to make this as close as possible to the origanal all the way down to the sound hole label.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Furniture Lab Tech Cabinet Grand Finale

John Tetreault, Associate Art Director 4 users recommend

Learn About the Entire Tech Cabinet Build
What is Furniture Lab?Recycling Found Objects into Fine FurnitureTech Cabinet: Part 1Tech Cabinet: Part 2
This project didnt come to be without its fair share of problem situations that required smart solutions. Trying to cut precise joinery with wood that has largely been left untouched (ie: un-milled) can be quite difficult, to say the least, but all the trial-and-error, finagling, and head-scratching were worth it. The contrasts that abound on this piece make it what it is, and I think its fair to say that there arent too many cabinets quite like it.
See my gallery of photos for a detailed description on the construction process. And dont forget to check back for more Furniture Lab projects from other Fine Woodworking staffers. Who knows, I might throw myself back in the mix too--sooner than you think!
Watch the Furniture Lab Junkyard Visit
Be sure to read Asa Christianas story outlining the original idea and intent of Furniture Lab, plus, watch our original Furniture Lab junkyard visit. John Tetreault, Tom McKenna, and Anatole Burkin visited an old salvage yard for some quirky design inspiration.

Inspired by the steampunk and recylced furniture movements, Furniture Lab allows the editors of Fine Woodworking magazine and FineWoodworking.com to really let their hair down.
Here, youll find us cooking up all manner of design experiments. We aim to incorporate salvaged and recylced items into our furniture and will be veering way off the traditional path of Fine Woodworking.

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A Christmas Open House

Hey there! This past weekend our local downtown area had their Holiday Open House. All of the amazing businesses participated and we were thrilled to be a part of that since our shop is now located in this beautiful area.

I dont know about you but I absolutely love decorating for Christmas and decorating our shop was just as much fun as decorating our home. I really wanted the Holiday decor to reflect who we are and what our shop is so I put a lot of thought into it.

I really wanted to create a Christmas tree that was unique but vintage and industrial so I told my hubby to keep his eyes open on his picking trips for something that we could repurpose into a tree.

He definitely didnt disappoint, though he never does. I woke up one Saturday morning to find this sitting in the back yard.

At first I thought to myself what the heck is that doing in the back yard? So, I asked him what it was for and he told me he thought it was the perfect Christmas tree shape. Perfect!

Heres what I turned it into....

I wrapped the entire base in white wedding lights and then attached lots of vintage Christmas and Thanksgiving post cards from 1900-1904 with tiny wooden clothes pins. Each card has actual messages written on the back from the sender and reading all the sweet sentiments from a time gone by makes them even more special.

For the star, I bought two metal barn stars from our local farm store, glued them together and then cut out a small hole in the bottom with metal cutters, then inserted a small dowel rod and glued in place with hot glue. Then I inserted that into the hole that was already at the top of the base that held the part of the wind mill that blows around, and it fit perfectly. It was the perfect Christmas tree to represent our shop.

For the other tree on the table, I wanted to keep it very understated, natural and simple so I placed it inside a vintage wooden egg crate, wrapped it in very wide burlap ribbon, added lights and a vintage wooden star topper. I love the look of the tree sitting in the crate.

To add to the decor, I decided to make my own snow globes, so, I rummaged through our storage and found a case of old Kerr canning jars.

To make the snow "globes", I sprayed the inside of the jars very lightly with spray snow and let dry. To do this, make sure to keep the jar quite a distance from the spray snow or you will end up with globs of it on the jar instead of a light mist. I placed the jars on the ground and then stood above them and sprayed, letting the "snow" fall into the jars.

I found some little mini street lights in the Christmas miniatures section of the craft store. I hot glued each one to the bottom of the jar and then covered with fake snow, not the spray snow. Next I spray painted the jar lids with antique brass spray paint. To give the jars a sparkly effect, I sprayed the lids with silver skin glitter spray that I found in the Halloween costume section.

After everything was dry, I drilled a small hole in the center of each lid and threaded a piece of hemp twine through the hole, knotted it, and then hung in varying heights from a very old wooden ladder that we hung from the ceiling. I absolutely loved the look. Very magical and who doesnt love tiny scenes inside jars.

I also made a few with tiny white Christmas trees, also found in the same section of the craft store. You could also find these in the play train section.

I have to admit, the lamps are my favorite.....

I had so much fun decorating but even more fun at the Open House. I spent the night before making cookies and caramel apple cider for our customers.

Throughout the afternoon, we literally had 100s of people come in and we felt so blessed. It is such a joy talking with our customers and finding out what special treasures they are looking for. Finding those treasures is very important to my hubby.

It really couldnt have been a better day. :)

A very special thank you to all our customers who visited us and who continue to return to our little shop. This new adventure we are on has exceeded our wildest expectations and that couldnt have been possible without YOU. Many, many thanks!

P.S. If youd like, you can follow along with our shop, as well as, find info such as the location and hours by liking our Vintage Accents Facebook page. :)

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Make Christmas stocking holders

I decided to make some stocking holders just about a year ago, when we hauled out our Christmas decorations and hung our stockings from the mantel. It has always been a problem, because most stocking holders are not really designed to hold stockings. Or at least once Santa fills them with goodies. The hook is on the front of the holder, causing it to tip.

To be functional, the hanger needs to be recessed beneath the mantel. I made the hooks using flat steel bar from the hardware store. These are strong enough to fill your stockings all the way!

Once I figured out the basic design for these, I decided to make it also function as a candle holder. When lit, the light shines through the trees and creates a nice glow.

Heres a cutting template if you would like to make your own.

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Baseball is Safer

Do you remember a few years ago there was a lot of talk about baseball bats breaking and flying around the field, potentially injuring players and fans? Have you heard much about it this year? Probably not, because the incidents of broken bats are down by half in Major League Baseball.

Thanks to a partnership with Major League Baseball and the USDA Forest Service that began three years ago, there has been a 50 % reduction in multiple-piece failure (MPF) rates. Research engineer, Dave Kretschmann, at the Forest Products Laboratory has studied video of every shattered bat since 2009 and examined hundreds of those bats. Most of his recommendations address “slope of grain issues” which refers to the straightness of the wood grain along the length of a bat. A straighter grain is less likely to break.

Also, MPF is fairly new to the game, partly because of changes in the geometry of the bats. One favorite among players is a thick barrel tapering quickly to a much thinner handle. Because MLB bats must weigh about the same, these bats need to use a lower density of wood which is also weaker. Over-drying during the process can also create weaknesses.

Because of these findings, in 2010 limits were placed on bat geometry, wood density restrictions and wood drying recommendations. According to Kretschmann, “One change made to address [the slope of grain] issue, that players and fans can easily see, is a small ink dot placed on the face-grain of bat handles. This helps identify grain characteristics at just a glance.”

The Forest Products Laboratory and MLB will continue to work closely to continue this trend of fewer broken bats. And I’m going to look for that ink dot on the bat the next time I’m watching a game.

Click Here and Start WoodWorking

Monday, March 3, 2014

Lighthouse Pattern

I developed this lighthouse pattern for a wooden house number I made for my mom. She needed a replacement for an old wooden number that had weathered beyond repair.

Since she loves lighthouses I wanted to engrave one, along with the number itself, on my CNC router. I searched online for suitable vector images of lighthouses, but couldnt find one simple enough to meet my needs. So I created my own.

It was specifically designed to be v-carved with a 90 degree v-carving router bit. I imported the DXF file into Vectrics VCarve Pro to generate toolpaths for my CNC router. However, it could also be used as a woodburning pattern or even for stained glass.

Truthfully, I debated whether or not it was even worth posting to the site since its so simple. However, a huge reason I have this site is because I hate to see design work, regardless of its simplicity, go to waste. My hope is that someone out there can put this to good use, rather than me just using it once and tossing it aside.

File Formats This pattern was originally created as a DXF, but Ive included several other file types for download. These are available in a ZIP file containing the lighthouse pattern in PDF, DXF (AutoCAD), AI (Adobe Illustrator), and JPG file formats. To download a copy to your computer, right click the "ZIP File" link below and then "save-as".

To view just the PDF, click on the "PDF Only" link. 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 PDF Only

Download ZIP File Including PDF, DXF, AI, And JPG File Formats

Return from Lighthouse Pattern
to Free Woodworking Patterns

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Isint it good Lithuanian Wood

Embracing Old

I received an amusing email recently from my dad regarding a comment I made in my bracelet post:

Antique lathe? Hhmpf. Its not that old!

or is it?

You see, my lathe was was originally his, probably built in the 1940s. Understandably, it must seem a bit disconcerting to have something younger than yourself referred to as antique.

In this age of Moores Law, wherein technology becomes obsolete in a couple of years, its comforting to know that woodworking remains essentially the same as it has been for centuries or even longer. Our tools never become obsolete.

At its core, a lathe is a lathe is a lathe: its a tool that spins wood rapidly. Sure, a brand new, state-of-the-art lathe will come with features mine lacks, but if you look at a finished candlestick you wont be able to tell on which machine it was turned.

This is about as basic as it gets. Two pointy things grip the ends of the wood. One of them spins.

I have an external motor that I clamp to my bench. To change the speed, I attach the drive belt to different diameter pulleys.

We seem to associate the word antique with frail, or even useless: something valuable to collectors and for display only. Another term would be vintage, which implies improvement with age. My lathe hasnt improved since it was manufactured, but continues to function as it was intended. The best term is one that is scorned: old.

Heres a word game. Read these adjectives and see if any trigger an emotional reaction:

Tall
Round
Flat
Blue
Fast
Sharp
Old

Of course, its old. As soon as we hear or read that word, our minds draw negative connotations.Think of all the phrases we modify with old: old fart, old junk, old news, old goat...

Its no wonder we live in a disposable culture in which we seem to value little that is old. When people reach some vague, unspecific age we throw condescending euphemisms at them. We avoid old at all costs and call people seniors or mature and tell them that they are in their golden years. We are terrified of using a perfectly accurate word: old.

So Im here to take back the word old and embrace it for all the good it implies.

My lathe is old and gets the job done. Half of my hand tools are old, but I wouldnt trade them for anything. I have touched redwood trees that are 1000 years old, yet they still provide shade. Grandma Moses didnt begin painting until she was in her seventies and continued for nearly 30 years.

So Dad, you were right. I shouldnt have defiled the true nature of my lathe by calling it antique. It is proudly old. And thats coming from one old guy to another.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Diy Woodwork Projects Wooden Ideas

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Wood Shelving Plans Wooden Ideas

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An Antique Cabinet Redo

My hubby brought home this piece of furniture last week, but honestly, we werent sure what it was. It looked like something that perhaps at one time, went in a bathroom? At least thats what the medicine cabinet, pile of very old linens and old mirror suggested. Heres a look at it.

I thought the base cabinet was amazing, but, I could do without all the "stuff" up above, at least not on the cabinet anyway. So, off it came. I saved the mirror and medicine cabinet and removed the scroll work. Ill be doing something with those, just not sure what yet..

I removed all the hardware, and gave it a good coat of Kilz because it did have that "old" smell that I didnt want in our home. One coat took care of that. Next, I painted it Valspar Ultra White and then sanded the edges to distress it a bit.

I liked the original hardware, but wanted something a little different that would be more in keeping with things in our home, so, I made a trip to Lowes and picked up some new drawer pulls. I did keep the original hinges on the little door. This lovely piece went in the dining room next to a chair that hubby also brought home.

It still had the original porcelain castors that I think are amazing. (Yep, my floor is dirty......)

I am crazy about this piece and now all I have to do is find the perfect piece of art to hang on the wall above it.

What do you think? And if anyone knows exactly what this piece was originally, wed love to know.

My next redo is a chair we picked up at a yard sale for 8 bucks. It got a complete transformation that is a bit of a departure for me but Im crazy about it!

Im getting my shop ready for Christmas and so Ive designed a few new bread boards to show you within the next week. Im very excited about them and hope you will be too! Stay tuned!

Thinking about Christmas makes me want to decorate for Christmas and, therefore, start Christmas baking! Anyone else feel that way? I love love love making goodie baskets during the holidays for friends. Nothing eases holiday stress and anxiety for me better than doing something for someone else. And if you have a friend to spend the day baking with, well, thats even better! And so, Ive got another giveaway planned! Check back soon for that, too!