Easter is on its way

Just in time for Easter, Randy Cosgrove sent me over this picture of a project he made. Unlike chocolate eggs, this one is much better hollow! Love the little chick inside.

*****

Easter is all about kids, so heres a cute kids, awww... shot! Greg Tokleys daughters are standing on a two-person version of my two-step stool. Great for brushing teeth as well as watching TV.

*****

Need a quick gift idea? Of course...another Quarto game! Bill Wilson made this one travel-sized. Maple and mahogany pieces, polar and oak board, it is under five inches square.

*****

Programming note

In addition to this Fridays regular WWMM episode, be sure to tune in next Monday for a bonus video!

Read More..

Its Australia week!

A lot of cool woodworkers down under. Crazy, because they dont have shops. They have "sheds". And theres your first lesson in speaking Australian.
Heres some pictures of Stephen Pariss shed. Steve lives in Tropical Cairns, Queensland. Hes one guy who has no problem remembering his wedding anniversary. Its on Australia Day! Pretty nice set-up youve got there, mate.
*****

*****

And a bit more about Australia:

Its a spring loaded spindle!

George Fulford works in a self-proclaimed "meager little shop" but is gettin it done. He sent pictures of a box he made and then had the inspiration to crank out some embellishment on his scroll saw. I think this is a great idea. Crank out some fancy stuff on that scroll saw!

******
Mere MinutesI  think need test screeners for my videos. I had so many people ask me how the toilet paper roll fits into my TP holder. Im always intrigued by reading comments about key points I neglected to include. In this case, I should have shown my spindle. Nothing fancy: just a plastic, store-bought, spring-loaded spindle.
Oh, and I fixed my window.

Read More..

More Valentine heart ideas and project preview Its a heart

Jack Read, the box-making king, checks in with this heart-shaped box made from orange agate and redwood. Just gorgeous!

*****

Dean Morrell made a bandsaw box for each of his children on their 5th birthday. (Such a cool idea.) This one is redwood and douglas fir. The drawer handle is made from a foam brush handle. 

*****

Keith Mealy made this butternut box about 25 years ago and based it on one found on an ancient Greek shipwreck. 

*****

Paul Brown made two of these tea light candle holders for his nieces when they got engaged. 

*****

Sergeant First Class Ron Sims tried out my ink-jet transfer method on this heart he made for his wife. I have yet to try that technique on anything besides black ink yet. Looks like it works well! Neat stand, too.

*****

Very cool double-heart display with engraved "I love You" by Stefans Holzwerkstatt.

Finally, not really a heart box, but wow, such a beautiful carving by Matic Marholt.

*****

Project preview

And you probably guessed it...Ive got a heart-shaped box this week too!

Read More..

Vikings router tables stools and yes its Dutch

I really need to check stuff out before I go blathering on. I thought yesterdays video was in German. I have an untrained ear. Thank you everyone who informed me that it is Dutch, or more specifically, Belgian Dutch: Flemish. Sorry!
Peter the Clown is awesome though. I like him in any language.
There seems to be a large number of Northern European Mere Mortal woodworkers. Ive really never been anywhere, but Scandinavia is one of those places that just fascinates me: I would love to visit. Vikings rule! (Hey, maybe that accounts for the hardiness of Minnesotans.)Martien de Boer, who is Dutch, sent me this joke about his southern neighbors:

How can you keep a Belgium guy busy for months? Tell him theres a bag of chips in the corner of the circle shaped room.

This is "vlaamse friet", served at a special booth called a"frietkot". According to Martien, "realBelgium chips are the most delicious chips in the world".But wait...that comes with beer??? Im there!!!

Hey you Vikings...send me pictures of your projects. Id love to see them and post them here. Like to see your shops too.
******
Mere Minutes

Read More..

Math clamps Its science!

But before that, I wanted to show off this bench made by Dan, in Wheeling, West Virginia. For his beefy version, he used some old 4x4s he had lying around. Best part?

"If a tornado comes we can all hang on the bench. Its not going anywhere!!"

Ha! Definitely looks sturdy. Thanks Dan!

*****

Heres a really cool idea from Brian over at GarageWoodworks.com. He calls it a Bernoulli Spiral Shell Clamp. I remember my first lesson in the golden ratio, Phi, and Fibonacci, a little over a year ago when I made a Fibonacci Gauge. (Which I still find very useful.)
It seems Bernoulli is another name associated with some sort of math that I really cant comprehend, yet find incredibly fascinating. 

Whatever the math and science involved, check out these clamps which are supremely clever and quite useful.

*****Reminder. Win Kreg stuff in the Mere Mortals video contest! Video entries due by Sunday.

Read More..