Hammer Toy

Last Import-0, originally uploaded by Richard Magbanua.

    I found a neat post on SawmillCreek.org about this toy so I used some scraps to make one for Ryan. He seems to really enjoy it. The cool thing is he's getting good practice with important motor skills. After he drives the nails down he can turn the bench over and do it all over again.
    The "bench" is southern yellow pine and the hammer is cherry and poplar. Joinery included dados with Miller dowels for the bench and a through wedged tenon for the hammer head. I used screws for the hammer holder and finished it all with boiled linseed oil. I used white oak dowels for the pegs which were actually over-sized for the holes I drilled. To get the right friction for the toy to work, I used my band saw to saw a kerf down the middle of the dowel about 3/4 of the length. Then, I cut in from the other end after turning it 90 deg and made a kerf 3/4 of that length. This allows the peg to compress enough to pass through the hole as long as it's hit hard enough with the hammer.
    This was an easy and quick project that I would recommend for anyone with kids. The rewards of seeing them use it is really worth the time.

Father's Day Grill Cart

IMG_6007, originally uploaded by Richard Magbanua.

This is a Father's Day present for Chuck, the grillin' master.
The base was milled from SYP lumber snatched from the Home Depot free pile. The top was made from Redwood. The surface is two pieces of 18" square tile set in loose. All joinery is mortise and tenon in the base and dados in the top. No nails or screws. I originally intended to have wheels on the end opposite the handle but afterward I thought they looked out of place. It wouldn't be moved much anyways. It is finished in water-based Behr cedar outdoor varnish.

Walnut Tote

Walnut Tote project-2, originally uploaded by Richard Magbanua.

    I wanted a quick project to practice my hand tool skills and this is what I came up with. I started it while I was on vacation on the Ohio River. We were staying in a cabin in Derby, Indiana which is about a half hour east of Tell City. It started out as a box which seemed too big, so after I got home I had the idea to make a divider with a handle. To make it more challenging I attached this partition to the box using through tenons. Those turned out better than the dovetails. The handle was pretty easy. Two holes with the bit and brace joined together with the coping saw. I cleaned it up with some spoke shaves and files . I don't yet have a rasp. Maybe I'll save up for some Auriou's?
It is finished with Linseed oil and wax. I added some rubber feet to the bottom and now it's being used as a tote for art supplies.

Turned Mallet

Turned Mallet, originally uploaded by Richard Magbanua.

I turned a mallet out of a crab-apple tree branch cut from the neighbor's tree last year. This wood is amazing and I need to make more things from the stack of logs drying in the wood shed. It looked nice after I turned it but it really popped after I put on the linseed oil. After it dries I may put on a wiping varnish or just wax it. This was so easy to make that I wish I had done it earlier. I may just have a mallet collection in my future.

Dovetailed box

Dovetails 0809, originally uploaded by Richard Magbanua.

This is the finished dovetailed box. I Decided to make a bottom from walnut and rabbeted it in so I could use my shoulder plane. It was finished with amber shellac and wax. I think the amber shellac was alright. I would really like more of a reddish tone to warm up the walnut though. It seems a bit too yellow as it is. I've been interested in trying aniline dye and may pick up some reddish brown at Rockler or woodcraft. I've read that adding a few drops to the shellac is just right for walnut. I may use this for marking knives/ gauges or give as a gift to hold chocolates.

Dovetails

Dovetails, originally uploaded by Richard Magbanua.

This is one of several boxes I've made while learning to cut dovetails by hand. The dovetails aren't getting much better as a whole. Some are really good while others look like, well, crap. I made a nice dovetailing layout guide out of some apple wood that works really well and speeds up layouts and I changed my coping saw so it cuts on the push which I like better. I think I need improve how I clean up the cuts with the chisels as well as sawing to the line. Now I have to figure out what I'm gonna use this one for. Box, shelf, planter...?