DIY Drum Sander
Backstory: We took down a red oak a couple years ago (Part 1 and Part 2) and I got it milled up for projects. Wifey wants a desk but the grain is a little tricky and my thickness planer just…
Category Woodworking
Outline an Image for Laser Cutting in Inkscape
Here’s how I start with a screenshot (bitmap) of a vector image and prepare it for laser cutting. Usually for cutting I need one path around the outside of the image (for the cut path), and then other paths that…
How to Make Deckels
What’s a Deckel? A Deckel is a lid for a drink. It fits over a glass (like one of those large German Maas mugs or a red solo cup) to identify it as your own and to keep the flies…
Custom DIY Storage Banquette
I built this banquette over the weekend, posted it on Facebook, and now I have a few people asking for plans. While I don’t have any plans specifically, I did take a lot of pictures along the way to show…
A DIY $15 Collapsible Organizer for Mazda CX-5
We got a Mazda CX-5 and so far we’re pretty happy with it. We wanted an organizer in the back, though, to help prevent things from falling over and rolling around, and we wanted it to be easy to collapse…
Online Cut List Generator / Optimizer
Here’s a great, free, and easy to use online cutting list optimizer and generator for panels or boards. Input cut setting like kerf and trim sizes, the sizes of the stock panels, and the parts you need, and it’ll generate…
Clamp Attachment for Securing Rods and Dowels
At our last 3D Printer Club meeting, the kids on the team started cutting threaded rods. We were clamping the rods to a table with a standard bar clamp to keep them in place. The problem was that they were…
Metric to Letter and Wire Gauge Conversion Chart
It’s not easy to find metric drill bits in the United States. For a lot of applications, letter, fractional, or wire gauge drill bits are accurate enough, are more commonly available, and are much more reasonably priced. This tables shows…
Reader-built Chess Boards
I love getting photos of chess and checker boards that people have built using my tutorial (), or after being inspired by it, and so I’ve decided to start asking permission to post those photos and the stories behind them…
DIY $3 Scrap Wood PCB Clamp
I’m still not fully convinced of the wisdom of a wooden soldering station clamp/vise, but it’s been serving me well nonetheless. It’s my DIY PanaVise! Why buy something if you can make it yourself, right? 🙂 The frame is made…