Making Picture Frames Like an Expert

Read Time: 5 mins

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Making picture frames seems like an easy job, you set your mitre saw or table saw blades at 45 degrees,  measure 4 pieces of wood ... cut them then fasten them together. Except, often when it comes to fastening them together, the first 3 sides go together fine, but the last one the corners don't line up. You check your saw, yup it's set correctly, so you go about trying to fix that one last corner that is off. After a few attempts you probably have only made it worse.
Sound familiar ... well, that's describes my attempts at making picture frames. Then one day I had an epiphany ... maybe it's my sides being all slightly different lengths that's the problem. So I devised a simple, fool-proof little jig to see if that could be the problem. Sure enough on my very first attempt, guess what ... a perfect cornered picture frame. Like everything, it seems so easy when you know how, and when you try it and it works, it seems like magic.

 Next I needed to figure out an easy way of making picture frames a specific size since my rudimentary form of estimating was eating up more material than I liked ...

Making a Presentation Plaque

Read Time: 6 mins

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Everyone likes to get recognition for things they have done a good job on. These recognitions can come in a variety of ways. Sometimes they are formal, as in someone is presented with some sort of a trophy, plaque or other form of recognition, while in other cases someone is recognized for their talents simply by being asked to do something.

What I mean by that, is that sometimes woodworkers are asked to make special presentation pieces that will be presented to others, but the fact that one woodworker is singled out is also another form of recognition. It means that someone thinks enough of their work that they are even asked to make something for others. Along the way, the woodworkers are very often recognized during the ceremony for their hard works and efforts.

Making Trophies, plaques, presentation boxes, pens and many other forms of giftware is a very common part of being a woodworker. What's fun about it is that you get to work on something and add your own artistic flare to it ... well, usually you are, and even if you aren't, we do anyway don't we. I my case I was given some very beautiful and detailed solid silver, miniature pick and shovel ornaments that were to be mounted on some sort of a background.

How to Build a Camera Storage and Carry Box

Read Time: 7 mins

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I love making videos "in the field" so to speak, at others work shops and other special sites. The problem with doing this is I often need a few extra pieces of photographic gear ... which I have, but for some reason I always seem to leave back in the workshop. I purchased this gear to make my life easier and to make the videos better ... then I go and leave it at home. Time for me to get organized.

I have looked, for a few months, at a variety of camera bags. It's very irritating. Most of the ones shown on-line don't show you what they look like inside, nor to they even give dimensions. The ones I have seen in person have not been suitable for a number of reasons, poor quality, wrong sizes, insides don't work etc.

Time for me to solve my own frustrations and make my own storage and carry case. I started off with a small sheet of Baltic Birch Plywood. This is excellent plywood, even thought it is only 1/2" thick it's seven plys. Very strong, good quality wood and no voids, so that when I cut through it, I don't have to worry that somewhere in the middle will be a big soft spot, or a place where the wood doesn't come together which makes it very hard to join edges.

I decided the best size ... at least for now, is 10" x 10" x 16". This will hold and store the gear I need, and it will also hold my 2 smaller soft carry cases. The bonus to this is I can easily find them and if I use them in the box they help protect the cameras and lenses from bumping together. I really liked this advantage ...

How To Build A Shelving Unit or Book Case

Read Time: 6 mins

Hits: 7062

I seem to spend my life needing more and more storage. If it isn't boxes to store things, it shelves to store the boxes on. At one time I need book cases to store all my books but now with so much information on-line, I thought I could start dispensing with most of my book cases ... no, no, no ... now they are re-purposed as storage shelves and I still need more of them.

I have made a number of book cases over the years and despite the fact that there are few pieces and the build is fairly simple, I am always amazed at how long it take to build these things. I think a big part of it is the finishing. In the past I have always finished book shelves after they are built and it's a real pain trying to get paint, varnish, stain, dye ... what have you, into all the angles and sides ... so this time. I vowed to PRE-finish all the piece.

 But to start off with, I really needed some wood ... so for this build I selected something called "utility" Pine. All the boards were about 10" wide and were all one piece, that is to say none of the pieces were laminated together, which is both good and bad ...