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When I posted Alains French/English clamp rack video last week, I mentioned that there seemed to be serious lack of woodworking on the web in French. Well Nicolas, set me straight and let me know about his French woodworking site "Friend of Woodchips". Some cool stuff and some really fun videos!
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Then I heard from Manuel in France. Check out his web site too. (I use Chrome, and Google seems to to a pretty good job translating web pages, BTW.)
Manuel also clued me onto this spectacular router table video from a Russian woodworker. It even converts into a horizontal router table!
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Heres a quick little jig that Bill Wilson (the Cajone king) made for centering dowel holes on the edge of a board. Just two dowels and a hole all lined up. Place the dowels on each side of an edge and drill through the center hole. Voilà!
And since its gift-building season, Bill also sent over a picture of a project he built. The snow is flour.
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Heres another gift idea...a slit drum. Dave Hecker says his biggest woodworking challenge is getting wood into his basement...it has to go through the house to get there! Slit drums are fun projects.
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Kenneth Hockenberry posted this most incredible video over on Facebook today. (If youre not signed up the the Mere Mortals Facebook page, check it out. Lots of really cool discussions, sometimes about wood, sometimes about football on Sundays. Plus, if you arent there, we talk about you behind your back.)
At any rate, there is so much that is cool about this video, I wont spoil anything before you watch.
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Tim Charles is something of a hybrid woodworker, combining woodworking and more recently metalworking and blacksmithing. (I love this video on making a railroad spike drawknife.)
His videos illustrate a can-do spirit with everything he builds. A large portion of his work focuses on using pallet wood and repurposing other objects, such as making a card scraper from an old saw blade.
I am fascinated by his blacksmith videos, something I knew nothing about until Tim began experimenting with the craft. I hope he continues to combine metal and wood in his projects. Its a great angle.
Subscribe to Tims A Slice of Wood Workshop on YouTube and add his show to your regular viewing.
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I hope the weather is heating up wherever you live! Few people will deny how idyllic spring can feel. Theres a sense of starting something new. Even the air smells fresher. This must be even more pronounced for those of you who are emerging from a cold and snowy winter.
Ive been concentrating on building outdoor woodworking projects. Its great to build an entire project under the sun rather than under fluorescent tubes. This week, Ive built an herb garden, or, my wife tells me its more correctly called a kitchen garden. Either way, its a fun and easy project to make: I think I completed mine in record time. Would be a good way for you to get out into the light and spend a relaxing afternoon with power tools. Look for video and plans on Friday.
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Whirligig Wars
And to remind you that spring may take a pass and move right on into summer, start thinking about entering this years Whirligig Wars contest. Its been an annual summer tradition dating back to 2012. This year the competition is going to be greater and the prizes are going to be bigger. I heard that the grand prize might be an all-expense paid trip to the Bahamas. Either that or a $15 gift card to Applebees. Of course, this is all just in the planning stages and will most likely change.
Look: heres Laney and me in the latest issue of Scrollsaw Woodworking & Crafts magazine. If youd like to get a head start, here is how I wade a simple whirligig. They are fun and easy to make! More info on the contest coming soon.
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While out basking in the springtime sun I got a note from Andor Rábay to remind me that Hungary has yet to get the memo about spring. Here is a bird feeder he made with scrap wood. This is a photo taken last week of a robin enjoying fruits and seeds. Now Im cold again.
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Wil Wilson is certainly in the springtime spirit. Heres a great little childrens picnic table he just completed. Picnic tables make great outdoor projects: they are relatively easy to build and highly useful.
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And since Ive been on my build-it-for-free pallet kick lately, Heath Fitts sent me over what he calls a cowboy cooler, made from pallets. Really great idea for entertaining on the deck or patio.
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I recently mentioned an idea of making something using an old wine crate, in which I currently store old computer cables and connectors that I will most likely never use. Heres a really cool idea: Nicholas Pelliccione makes serving trays out of them. Love this idea!
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Finally, while not an outdoor or springtime project, Jim Jarvis sent of this picture of a stand he made to hold bracelets and necklaces. Would work as a cup holder too. When I see it, it makes me shiver a bit as I am reminded of one of my most dreaded projects: my hat rack! Ug. I like Jims approach to making a stand better...and less stressful!
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Reminders:
Watch the progress of this weeks herb garden project on Keek or Twitter.
Latest pictures on Instagram.
Ideas for projects and more on Pinterest.
Dont forget to follow me over on my Facebook Page!
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Update:Richard Burman has entered a pitch contest and needs your vote to get his "Working Hands" project underway. Check it out and help him out!
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Making toys is very rewarding.
Paul Jobbins made this "bead board" sorter for his son Zach. Any of you with toddlers know that toys such as this fascinate little ones. Its open-ended play fuels their imaginations.
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Bill Bumpus sent over this picture of a head band holder that I found very clever. Makes me want to try making a wood headband, too.
Not only that, but hes been cranking out trivets too!
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Benjamin Zupancic from Slovenia is back with more versions of my projects. He modeled this one after my sliding-lid box, but added a magnetic lid.
And yes, he made a garden bench, too. I really like his modifications and the ways he shaped it.
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And heres Don Robertos bench with a new, beefier take on the backrest.
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Not enough benches you say? Ha. Simion Horatiu from Romania built these two. One similar to mine and the other with a cool storage area in the seat.
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Heres Dan Cooks version of my Shaker style coat rack I made just about a year ago. He made his out of cedar and it looks gorgeous.
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Finally, Hans S. from the Czech Republic clued me onto this video from Festool showing a really cool home-made round peg jig. This one looks easy to make and a lot of fun to try. (If you dont speak German, youll have no trouble getting the gist of this video.)
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Want to make a
really simple garden bench? Check out this one
Shannon Bickel from Timberlake Ohio made a few years ago, based on plans in Family Handyman Magazine. Make it in 15 minutes!
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Dezri Dean recently met a woodworker cartoonist at a garage sale. Check out Liggys cartoons over at Woodlaughs.com.
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In my last video, I mentioned the possibility of making a zombie-themed whirligig. Well wouldnt you know it, of course theres one on YouTube! Check this out:
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I subscribe to a lot of YouTube channels. 213 to be exact. At least half of those are woodworkers. I try to make it a point to subscribe to (and watch) every woodworker who makes videos. There are many reasons to subscribe to channels you enjoy, but mostly because it shows support for that creator and motivates him or her to create more. Remember, most of these people are making videos in their spare time while juggling day jobs. From a practical standpoint, when you subscribe to a channel you will be notified when new videos are released.
Subscribing also gets you involved in the world of YouTube and will lead you to many more discoveries. Each channel you support has its own community you can become a part of. The tips and ideas you will pick up from so many diverse woodworkers becomes the ultimate woodworking course. And you dont have to pay a dime for the instruction.
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Ultimate table saw cabinetDrew Short began his show, Rock-n H Woodshop, last year and has been producing videos on a pretty regular basis. Hes been spending a lot of time working on an amazing mobile cabinet for his table saw which he just completed. There are a lot of features on it, enough to give you some great ideas. I dont think Ive ever seen a table saw cabinet with so much storage! Check out the whole series of videos on the build.
Im looking forward to seeing what Rock-n H Woodshop has in store for season two.
Visit and subscribe to Drews channel here. If you like what you see, give him a thumbs up and leave a positive comment too.
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Paul Balm from The Netherlands is studying furniture making in Amsterdam. (Plus, hes a homebrewer. Two pluses!)
Think youve got a small wood shop? Check out Pauls. Its in his bedroom! Thats woodworking dedication.
As I mentioned before, Vikings are crazy about their woodworking. And crazy good at it.
Happy New Year! 
As we enter 2014, here are a few tips for you to consider implementing in your workshop. None of these will cost you a cent and may help you to focus on woodworking rather than its trappings.
1. AVOID BUYING TOOLSDont buy a tool because you want it, but only if you absolutely need it. Even then, try find creative solutions using tools you already own first.
2. LEND YOUR TOOLS TO PEOPLE WHO ASKBe a Good Guy Woodworker. Ditch the arrogant, "dont even look at them" mentality. Friendships and goodwill are more valuable than objects. 4. CREATE, DONT COLLECTIf you have tools that serve only to gather dust, sell them or give them away. Avoid emotional attachments to tools which can lead to hoarding and stifle productivity. Decluttering your shop will declutter your mind. 5. DESIGN YOUR OWN If youve only built projects from plans, try to create something on your own. It doesnt have to be fancy or complicated, maybe a new style of bookcase or storage container. You will learn and discover techniques and build your skills faster.
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1) Accidents happen. Thats why theyre called accidents. Seasoned veterans injure themselves from time to time. If you are a reasonably intelligent human, your instincts will tell you that a spinning saw blade is something to be cautious around. If I tell you to "be careful" will it avert an accident? No. Instead:
