Happy Easter!

More Spring project ideasKevin Schlomas has been one busy guy in his yard. heres a curved fire-pit bench he made "using a zillion pocket-hole screws".

Kevin also made this pair of cedar, tile-top side tables from plans he got at woodsmithshop.com. Also built using pocket hole screws. The top is a standard 12"x12" ceramic tile.

*****

Robert Naylor, up in Montreal, tells me that the arrival of Spring is a big deal: no more snow. Hes still "road testing" his portable outdoor work station...complete with beer fridge! Says Robert, 

 I made it on big wheels so I can "wheel-barrel" it into my shed to keep it out of the elements. Basically I use it with a coleman 2 burner camp stove in conjunction with my regular BBQ. So basically all the prepwork and cooking is done outside! The top is tiled but its not evident in the pictures.

*****

John in Hadley got the plans for his porch swing from Wood Magazine. (Check out Woods outdoor seating plans. Good stuff.)

"The arm rests are scrap plywood, the uprights for the arm rests are left over 2x4, The supports for the slats came from the neighbors firewood pile, and the slats were from a futon we were throwing away. I did buy the chain though. This was only 4 beer project and is so simple that you can make them as house warming gifts. The next time I paint it I will make one change. Note the top (with hearts) and bottom are cut from the same piece. I will recut the bottom to be straight so legs dont hit it."

*****

What says "Spring" better thank a lemonade stand? Morry Hansen made this classic stand for his grandkids.

*****

Id like to build something like this bench Jason Piper made. I think it would be just so cozy in a garden nook. Especially with vines growing on that lattice.

Jason also built this Adirondack chair set from plans he got at WoodcraftPlans.com They recline and Hason says they are very comfortable. 

Read More..

Happy Halloween!

I just heard from Alexander Lutz, in Bavaria who tells me people really enjoyed his skull & crossbones candy dispenser at his Halloween party. He modified it by angling the hole for the moth so that all the candy is dispensed, and he added a lid on the top for refilling.

*****

And Don Steffens, (who made the original skull dispenser) is already thinking ahead with these Thanksgiving turkey dispensers!

*****

And this just in from Steve Schafehen in Wisconsin. He painted it using dry brush techniques and an airbrush. Thanks Steve!

*****

Mere Minutes:

Handy woodworking tip time!

Read More..

Happy Independence Day!

Just some pictures from our local parade this morning.

Pini Hardware. I practically live here!

Pinis toilet car.
The employees in the background are the plunger brigade.

There is some basset hound group with exactly three gazillion

dogs in the parade. I dont think they like it. Bassets are kind

of the slackers of dogs. 

ZOMBIES!!

Gotta love the druids. Didnt they build Stonehenge?

Wine barrel car!

*****

Mere Minutes

Happy Australia Day!

Hope you folks down under are enjoying your holiday. Tune in tomorrow for the Mere Mortals Australia Day Extravaganza. Make it a four-day weekend!
For those of you elsewhere, here are a couple of informative videos to watch before the Mere Mortals Australia Day Extravaganza. Think of it as your homework.
*****

Read More..

Happy Labor Day

I hope all of you here in the U.S. are enjoying the three-day weekend. Good day for a barbecue or picnic. Speaking of which, here are a couple of versions of my picnic tote from a week ago.
Michael Beilner really expanded on my design to hold lots more stuff:

I spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out a way to add a handle to my caddy. Bill Bumpus had a great solution with a semi-circle wedge on the back.

*****

Got more mallets, you ask? Why sure. Heres 16-year-old Adam Howarths ash and lignum vitae mallet. Nope...I hadnt heard of that wood before, but it sounds very hard. Adam salvaged it from an old lawn bowling ball. 

*****
Check out this mirror stand made by Mike Speakman with very limited tools and showing some great detailing created using a Dremel tool.

*****

Finally, here is one awesome race car bed Josh Phillips made for his grandson. Wow, I would have loved a bed like that when I was a boy! Whats also cool is that Josh took pictures along the way and has shared them in this photo album. Well worth looking at. 

In his email, Josh described himself  as "an occasional woodworker, with fair skills, and no mania for perfection". 

I absolutely love that phrase, "No mania for perfection."  Beautiful. If I ever start to get manic about perfection, I suspect I may lose a little of the fun in woodworking.

*****

Mere Minutes. A little bit more on my shishi-odoshi fountain.

Read More..

Happy New Year!

Well, we made it through the holiday season. I am so ready for life to get back to normal!
Lets see if I can start by catching up on stuff you guys have sent over.
First of all, Mike Keeling took the time to make up a SketchUp design of my tortilla press. Its really a great little project, and one that is very useful in the kitchen. Glad someone made some plans! Check it out here. Thanks Mike!
*****
Mike Conolly is aware that one of the projects I plan on building soon is a scrap wood holder. Heres a great bin Mike made using wood from old pallets. Love using wood that a lot of people consider waste!

*****

Yeah, I know the gift building season is over, but just think about this: Valentines Day is coming up in a little over a month! Ha! Bert Aarssen is an infantry officer in the Dutch Army and likes to do a little woodworking in his free time. Heres how he interpreted my candle holder. Very chic!

*****

Ive been spending my time trying to design some sort of iPad/Tablet stand. After thinking about it a while. I would like it to be a wood case that converts into a stand. To that end, I made a mock-up of my wifes Kindle Fire, so I dont have to keep bringing the device into my shop. I dubbed it the iWood Tablet. Or even better, The Kindling.

*****

Mere Minutes. 

Read More..

Pen giveaway free plans and happy birds

Note: The Inspiration Project will return next Tuesday.*****
Got a note from 14-year-old Marcus Vandendaele from Harrisonville, Missouri who has been woodworking for two years. He makes a variety of projects, but has been earning an income selling his hand made pens. Hes already sold over 60 of them!

One of the toughest parts of running a business is getting the word out about what you do. Marcus doesnt have a web site, but maintains a Facebook page and is encouraging people to like it by holding a giveaway. All you need to do is like his page by August 31 and hell randomly select three winners. Whats he giving away? These two pens and a keychain. Head over and support him!

Wait, whats this? Marcus made one of my porch swing bird feeders too! 

Not only is it a fun project build, but it makes for a smooth transition into...

*****

Frank Tartes outhouse bird feeder! Hes been making and selling these for about $40. 

He also took the time to make up some free plans. Download them now, go forth and build bird feeders!

*****

And finally, heres something that may give you some more avian inspiration. Bill Wilson sent me over a picture of some wacky bird houses his uncle makes. (Another porch swing bird feeder in there too!) But I just love these houses. They remind me of Dr. Seuss.

Read More..