Scrap Wood Toy Violin
I was working on another rocking horse in the shop today and my son kept picking up a horse leg and pretending it was a violin. I didn’t want the leg to get damaged, but I also wanted him to…
What is CollegeFundware?
Many of the useful tools and utilities you’ll find on this site are released as what I like to call CollegeFundware, which is basically shareware with a bit of a twist. You may use the software for a reasonable period…
Building Amazon Product Links with Affiliate Tags
Amazon’s affiliate program can be big business, and many web sites rely solely on Amazon affiliate program referral frees for their income. It’s a good business model for Amazon.com because it helps drive traffic and sales to their site, and…
Welcome to theFrankes.com!
Welcome to theFrankes.com. This blog has been around for decades now, and I do have a full-time job and family, so please be patient as I get it back up to modern standards. It’s a long, slow process that competes…
Window Cornices
Just call me Martha Stewart. 🙂 I finally got around to making three simple fabric-covered window cornices for our reading room, using all scrap wood and about 1.5 yards of fabric that my wife picked out for about $12. 1/4″…
Bench Tool Storage Shelves
I saw this in Wood magazine a few months ago and it seemed like the perfect solution for my cramped shop. It’s made from maybe a half dozen 2×4’s, some pegboard, some scrap plywood and a little scrap MDF on…
No-frills Tenoning Jig
I finally got around to building one, pressed primarily by another project I’m working on that requires a lot of half-laps in 2×4’s. At first I was thinking of building Black Wallnut’s jig but I decided to take the easy…
Raised Garden
I finally put the last of the mulch down on the raised garden I built for my wife. The darker/moister mulch is what I just put down. Here’s the view from the back — it shows how the wall disappears…
Small Parts Storage with Used Drug Bottles
I used to get a lot of prescription meds for a family member and I often use the old bottles to store small parts. A couple years ago I started drilling holes in 1/4 ply and hanging them from hooks…
How To Build a Chess Board or Checkerboard (Part 3 of 3)
This is Part 3 of a 15-page tutorial (in three parts) that will show you how to build an heirloom-quality, all-wood chess or checkers board with just a few small pieces of lumber. (Use the page navigation at the bottom…