Puzzle boxHave any of you ever made any puzzle boxes? They always just fascinate me and one of these days I want to get around to designing something. Ryan Umber sent over pictures of one he made out of walnut and bodark. Its very clever. If youd like to see details, heres his SketchUp file. Thanks Ryan!
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Christmas is right around the corner!
Heres a crazy thought: Christmas is now within sight. Its a good time to start in on any gifts youve been thinking about making. Karl Taylor over at Scroll Saw Video is already in the Christmas spirit. Heres a free PDF download for us Mere Mortals containing seven of his original ornament patterns. Thanks Karl! Let me know if any of you make any of these.
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Wood chain
Heres a preview of tomorrows video. Yup, its a wood chain. No idea what to do with it, but its pretty easy to make.
Last week I posted a jigsaw puzzle that Stephen Dickinson made. I think its a really great project and an easy one to make for Christmas. Stephen sent over a complete how-to of the process. Thanks man! This looks like a fun project that anyone would love to receive.*****
I cut out some 1/8” Baltic birch plywood that will leave at least a quarter inch border around the card. It is best to cut them a little large because you will need to even up the edges as one of the last steps. Give them a good sanding with some fine paper and a coat or two of lacquer but no spray on the sides that will be glued together.
I cut the card in half, apply glue to the back of the front of the card and apply it to the plywood I have chosen for the puzzle.
After the glue dries I put a tiny entrance hole for the scroll saw blade. I use puzzle blades I buy from Mike at http://www.mikesworkshop.com/. There are other suppliers but that is the one I use.
I cut out the puzzle area with a couple of tabs to lock it to the frame. These tabs also give the person putting the puzzle some Idea of the orientation of the puzzle to the frame.
Making sure the frame is right side up, I glue it to the backer. In this case I use another piece of 1/8” bb plywood. I have used thin masonite before and that works well too. Trial and lots of error has taught me to make sure there is plenty of wood under the frame and to have the frame right side up. It isn’t fun when you discover the glued up puzzle back is only going to end up with 1/16” border on one corner.
Cut the puzzle and try to have a lock at each side that faces another piece. In this case I didn’t do that. I wanted the balls to be loose in these cards. It’s your puzzle, cut it the way you want. There are no lines to follow unless you want to. It may not come out the way you had had it planned but the recipient won’t know that. They will probably be pleased with a cool Christmas card.
After the frame part has the glue cured I use my 1” belt sander to even up the edges. Don’t go too fast grinding off the wood. It will come of real fast and you may find the border is getting real thin. I’m not a perfectionist but I don’t like making mistakes. I have to keep reminding myself that these can look home made. They are.
Next I give the frame a couple coats of spray on lacquer front back and sides.
The backs of the pieces may have a little fuzz from the scroll saw so give them a little rubbing on some sand paper. I glued a piece of 120 to some masonite and rub the back of the pieces across that in a circular pattern.
You need to assemble the puzzle in the frame to make sure you haven’t misplaced any of the pieces.
I never really know what to do with all the holiday cards that will soon start to roll in. Usually we tape them to the wall and after a few days they start falling down. So this year I came up with a way to display them and store them. Here is a PDF with a few templates you can cut out, if youd like to give this a shot.
Stephen Dickinson is making jigsaw puzzles out of Christmas cards. Who wouldnt love an interactive card?
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Walter Melis, from Antwerp, Belgium made this nativity scene using empty wine boxes.
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And speaking of wine, Alan Falk makes some really nice bottle stoppers. (Check out his web site for more!)
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Heres a gift almost anyone could use. Jim Jarvis made this step stool with a storage area.
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This one falls into the "aww" category. Winnie the Pooh made by Desri Dean. My favorite Pooh quote: "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”
You just gotta love this little reindeer Robert Flores made. Plus, he was kind enough to draw up a sketch if youd like to make your own. (PDF) I may give this a try.
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Have friends or family that use those K-cup coffee makers? Randy Dressen made this slick looking dispenser.
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Michael Dower had the suggestion to make a spice rack. Well, Michael, heres one I made quite some time ago. Its keeps the spices really handy and out of the cabinet. (I hated having to fish around for them.) The most expensive part was buying all the jars. But they are all labeled and in alphabetical order!
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Over on Facebook, Peter Van Winden posted this really great idea. Its a greeting card he made for his wife. Pretty cool...a card someone will want to actually save!
Lets see. Today is the 11th of December. That means Christmas is two weeks away. No need to panic: there are still a couple weekends left to make gifts. And dont forget, this Friday is the Mere Mortals Very Special Christmas Special! Dont miss it if you can.
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Heres what some viewers have been up to.
Randy Cosgrove has been cranking out the wood snowflakes. These came out great!
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Heres Steve Pretsch working on a train. Trains make for great outdoor decorations too.
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Heres a cool idea from Corey Turner. A guitar-shaped cutting board!
And hes been making frames: always great gifts. Heres one similar to one I made in a video a while back. Hey, is that Chuck Berry in there?
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And check out this rustic frame from Dallas Diehl. Its made from a juniper fence pole that has been holding up barbed wire for 100 years.
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Heres Joe Dandys entry into the advent calendar club! Too late to make one for use this year, but heres an idea: make one now and have the kids paint the ornaments on Christmas Eve. Then youll have it all ready for next December 1st!
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And from Bill Wilson, the busiest woodworker around, this tongue drum made with paduik and maple. These are really fun to make and are great gifts for kids or adults.
As I like to say all year long, its never too soon to start in on Christmas gifts. Youll be sitting back and chuckling as the rest of us are scrambling to build gifts in December! Jarrid OBryan did just this, in a way. He made a set of Christmas ornaments as a unique wedding gift for a couple whose last name is Ramsey. No relation, but naturally, I had to show this off! The ornaments are turned from cherry, the box is maple ambrosia with a hand turned, walnut and oak knob and a features a simple sliding top. Jarrid burned the lettering by hand and finished with poly. I think Christmas ornaments make for a perfect wedding gift. Every December when its cold and gray, the couple will be reminded of their wedding and your handiwork.
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Then, after the newlyweds are together for a while, you can start in on a project like this. Alan Ward made this beautiful dolls crib for a friends granddaughter. Its built with mahogany, oak, and ash. Alans wife made the bedding. This will become an heirloom piece for the family, Im sure. I like gifts that keep on giving.
But wait! In the upper left corner observant viewers might notice a version of my flower-pot swing from 2010. Thanks Alan!
***** I havent heard from very many people who have made that swing but oddly, the very next day Justin Stiltner sent over a picture of his BIG version. Five feet high and three feet wide! Made from old pallets.
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Mere Minutes
As an update for those of you who have been following along with my vegetable garden this summer, I decided to shoot a quick video showing a couple of salsas I made with my tomatillos and tomatoes. This hasnt been the most productive summer for vegetables, but what I have are really tasty!
Speaking of cooking, Hilah Johnson, my absolute favorite cooking diva is going to be making tostones using the tosonera I made a while back. A couple months ago I sent it to her to see what magic she can create. Ill let you know when her video is out.
Just a little song Alex Harris and I put together for Christmas. If you dont know Alex, youre missing out on a lot. Check out his web site, This Woodwork, and subscribe to his YouTube channel. MerryChristmas!
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.
Cut the puzzle and try to have a lock at each side that faces another piece. In this case I didn’t do that. I wanted the balls to be loose in these cards. It’s your puzzle, cut it the way you want. There are no lines to follow unless you want to. It may not come out the way you had had it planned but the recipient won’t know that. They will probably be pleased with a cool Christmas card.
Next I give the frame a couple coats of spray on lacquer front back and sides.
