Crafting wood can be a complex and rewarding task, but often times beginners may find themselves frustrated with their results. But no matter where you are in your woodworking journey, there are always tips and tricks that can help you create something beautiful – without breaking the bank. We’re going to look at woodworking tips and tricks for makers of all skill levels so even if you feel like it’s too overwhelming to attempt your own project, we’ll provide some guidance so don’t give up just yet!
Everybody’s favorite slingshot aficionado, Jörg Sprave, is at it again. Got an old set of steak knives sitting around the house collecting dust? Why not turn them into a battery-powered whirligig of doom? Using a battery powered drill, some MDF, and a timing belt, Jörg constructed one mean looking rotary slicer.
Sculptor Tom Sachs made this wonderful seven-and-a-half minute film about his loved for the wondrous properties of plywood.
An “Alley Cat,” made entirely from would-be-trash wood, is an entrant in the Project Remake Contest. Do you upcycle, remake, or reuse components in your projects? Submit your project and you too could win!
If you don’t reclaim enough pallet lumber to justify a specialized prybar for the purpose, it is of course possible to knock down shipping pallets using everyday hand tools. But don’t pry – that’ll just split the wood. Instead, knock out the boards and nails from behind with a hammer. Or better yet, a pair of hammers. YouTuber miscpro shows us how it’s done.
Each time I have to break down a pallet, I am surprised at how much work is involved. If I had to do it very often, I would spring for a purpose-made tool. Several commercial models can be found for sale online using Googlons like “pallet buster” and “deck wrecker,” but I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for the maker-made Pallet Reclamation Bar from Cargo Cycles of Norwich, UK.
WikiHouse is an open source construction set: a pool of 3D models of houses and a plugin to help convert them into CNC cutting files, shared under Creative Commons.
Matthias Wandel’s Woodgears.ca may be my favorite personal maker website. It’s clean, well organized, packed with resources, and every click brings new inspiration. I can get stuck there for hours, so be careful when you click through. This time it’s Matthias’s homemade 3D pantograph carving machine / pattern duplicator that I’m fixated on.
