Maker Projects & Education
This week, we made a quick foldable checkerboard inspired by my youngest child’s love of the game. This basic folding design can expanded and modified to play any board game. Just let your imagination run wild!
This project incorporates measuring, marking boards square, using a hand drill and hand saw, and an all natural, no-fuss stain (although it is stinky!). Super quick, super cheap and super easy for young makers between K – 3rd grade.
This week, I built a 8 box set of stackable makerspace boxes. This design can be accomplished using three power tools (router, miter saw and jigsaw) and the design can be adjusted to fit your space and needs. The dimensions given work for boxes made with 3/4″ plywood. If you use thicker or thinnerContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: Stackable Storage Boxes #Woodworking Project”
It’s not all kid-projects and makerspaces tours in this space. I have a little time for personal projects. After sorting my shop in my recent relocation, I cannibalized the irons from some really terrible (and I mean terrible) hand planes. I’ve reused those planes in three hand planes. I made two smoothers and one blockContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: Wood Hand Planes & Spray Finish”
Sometimes, young (and old…) woodworkers can use a little help sawing a board accurately, especially if the board must have a specific angle or length. A miter box helps a woodworker saw a 90 or 45 degree angle into a piece of wood. They are cheap to make, easy to modify and cut accurately. MiterContinue reading “Home #Makerspace: Miter Boxes for #Woodworking #Makered”
This quick project makes a great starter box for grown woodworkers, but it especially shines as an approachable young person skill builder. This slick box teaches three major skills: measurement, accuracy in manufacture of parts and joinery. A teacher or parent can use this simple project to differentiate between beginning, intermediate and expert woodworkers byContinue reading “Home #Makerspace: The Bread Box Project #woodworking #makerEd”
Cajón drums are wood drums native to South America with deeper roots in the Africa. The cajon is a wood rectangular prism, with two thin faces. One of the thin sides, usually the back, has a large hole to allow sound to travel out. The front face can be struck with the hand, mallets orContinue reading “This Week in the Classroom: Cajón Drums”
Are you in the Houston area? Ever wanted to get started woodworking? Maybe you just enjoy benches as much as I do? Join me for the Wood Workshop at TX/RX Labs on Sat. & Sun. May 26th & 27th (5/26 & 5/27) from 9am-12pm.
Here’s a quick shot of my “draft” top for the dining room table. I’m playing with the paints a bit, yah? Wondering what you think – I’m on the fence about the whole idea but the more I play, the more this stormy landscape comes into being. Just like when I write poetry, I can’tContinue reading “This Week in the Shop: Painting a Table Top”
In preparation for a walkin’ cane project, I built a dirty looking 2×4 shaving horse. It ain’t named Trigger, though I might name it Jimmy Stewart. Whenever I think of the description “long face”, I think of Jimmy Stewart. I’ll walk you through my build after the jump…
It’s that time of week again – I’ve had some personal living arrangements wetness and have been living out of a dufflebag and a smile. Reminds me of college, but at that time I didn’t have two in diapers… At the home workshop, I’ve been banging away. So, in one project, my segmented tube experimentsContinue reading “This Week In the Classroom: Quadracycle In Progress & DIY Wood Bongo Drums”
WSC Designs