Woodworking DIY

[treserious]

I'm getting into wood working, design, and using reclaimed materials.

Currently working on a lamp project that consists of reclaimed wood, and much design.

it is inspired by this style lamp, and old wooden tripods like this.

in the end it will be all wood, but something like this, but scratch built, and a bit simpler.

when you have access to good tools, free wood, and an imagination, it becomes addicting.

the next project will likely involve a lot of reclaimed wood.
I want to make a table, similar to this concept, but a different design. I was thinking a low long coffee table.


what kinds of DIY projects do you guys have going, or have accomplished?

 

[SpiderManTat]

I'm making bibs/messenger bags out of grocery bags. Where do you get reclaimed wood?

 

[Urizen]

A good subject, and stickied.:thmbsp:

 

[treserious]

Where do you get reclaimed wood?

anywhere you can find it.
find some beat up furniture out on the curb, haul it home, someone doing reno and tossing stuff out, grab it. good quality pallets...the local eco center, old doors, window frames, etc. anywhere there is trash, there is reusable wood.

I have some walnut, mahogany, maple, oak, pine, spruce, birch ply, all saved from the scrap heap. most pieces are usable for something.

the lamp I am building is primarily reclaimed materials. picked up some 16" round bent plywood things in the trash I found interesting a few years ago, didnt know what to do with them. that is until inspiration struck.
also hauled home a beat up walnut bed frame, which I am using the wood for the tripod concept legs.

what kind of grocery bags BTW? the reusable kind?

 

[treserious]

A good subject, and stickied.:thmbsp:

:thmbsp:

 

[SpiderManTat]

Yeah, if you fold and iron them, they fuse together forming a super strong waterproof rectangle that you can sew.

 

[240sx4u]

Very cool thread guys, I am not so great at woodworking so seeing this stuff is pretty inspirational. I love that laminated table deal.

 

[PioneerGuy75]

Thanks for makin it a sticky :thmbsp:

I love woodworking!

Oh yeah and speakers too :yes:

 

[treserious]

the lamp build is complete, just needs finishing now. little bit of sanding, and varnish(waterborne non yellowing type).

I was going for a different look, something mid century inspired, a little industrial in details, and a somewhat contemporary.

here is a pic.

 

[Jailtime]

Nice work! I wish I had the tools and skills to do some serious woodworking. It would be really nice to build speaker cabs and custom wood cases for gear.

 

[bliss53]

Great work. I like woodworking as well. Here is my version of a tripod lamp. A future project may be a small bent wood lamp to light up turntable.

 

[treserious]

cool, skis. :yes:

 

[Urizen]

Moved to DIY. PM the forum moderator about it becoming a sticky, or an admin about a sub-forum here.

 

[borus]

Go see Lumberjocks

If you guy's have not looked at the Lumberjocks website you should give youselves a gift and take a look.
You will not believe what these guys can do

http://lumberjocks.com/

Borus

 

[Andyman]

If you guy's have not looked at the Lumberjocks website you should give youselves a gift and take a look.
You will not believe what these guys can do

http://lumberjocks.com/

Borus

Looks nice!!
There's always some fantastic looking stuff in the "Fine Woodworking" Reader's Gallery projects pages too...

http://www.finewoodworking.com/gallery

I'm planning on building a custom plinth for my Dual 1219 this winter using some of the scrap veneer and MDF laying about here.

 

[shelly_d]

Nice work! I wish I had the tools and skills to do some serious woodworking. It would be really nice to build speaker cabs and custom wood cases for gear.

I'm like you until I picked up a few tools and a few tips that I'm now using to build a set of speakers for my bedroom.

Tools:

Garage Sale Router - $15
Circular Saw (Black and Decker on sale - or garage sale) Price not remembered.
Saw horses (couple of 2x4's at home depot and "kit" to assemble them)

This guide to cutting a straight line:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH5dW-QcgeI&feature=related

This video for some other real good cutting tips as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYdGlwP3R6o&NR=1

His technique and jig work well and is really good.

Clamps are from Harbor Freight.

I know adding all this up will come up a little expensive at first, but the tools will last you a very long time.


Shelly_D

 

[Andyman]

Yep. old stereo gear isn't the only treasure out at garage sales..

I've picked up $10 Milwaukee circular saws, 14V DeWalt cordless drills, Bosch sanders, bench grinders, jigsaws, a scroll saw, a couple routers, including my Porter Cable 690 in a plunge body for $75 w/ bits, and dozen or so bench planes, and armfuls of pipe and Jorgensen Pony clamps. Even bought a Forrest Woodworker 10" saw blade in sweet shape for $5

Hell, I've even picked up wood. I've got some nice walnut, teak, maple, mahogany, and poplar out in the shop and a couple rolls of veneer, including some sweet bird's eye maple.

 

[aussiedan]

I made this buffet/hutch a couple of years ago, from old school desks.

The desks were at least 50 years old, but were falling apart. Too much nice timber to waste. I think its mountain ash. There is some old graffiti on the inside and an ink well hole in the middle shelf.
I stained it then used a mix of 1/3 beeswax, 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 turpentine and lots of buffing.
As we have kids in the house, the glazing is polycarbonate.

A belt sander is a nice thing to have for ripping the old surface from weathered timber. Its easy to take too much off though.

There are a lot of chineese power tools available cheap. If you only plan to do one or two projects, they are worth considering. They usually only have enough life to do one or two projects, but sometimes you can luck a good one that lasts.

I have found working with re-claimed timbers, sometimes you have to change the design to suit what timber you have, or plan the project arround the quality/length of the stuff you can find.

Danny.

 

[audiozaz]

Where do you get reclaimed wood?

I don't know in the US, but we Québécois are a wasteful nation, such things are easy to find! But I should not be too proud of that maybe.... I sure try to do my part by re-using as much as I can for DIY, and salute treserious, or anyone else, anywhere, who does the same!

az

 

[westend]

There are a lot of sources for free lumber, asking whoever owns it or is in charge of disposal is polite and nets good results.
Construction sites, the dumpster or fenced bin, is an excellent resource. Most carpenters are OK with this as long as you look like you have been around a construction site, it enables them to load more in the refuse bin. I always pick up around the dumpster a bit so that a subsequent trip is possible.
Pallets, they are all over and most businesses are glad to have them out of their way. Especially seek out flooring stores as pallets from the exporting countries can be made from the same exotic hardwoods as the flooring.
Cabinet shops, if your projects are small and you can reach an agreement with a shop, there is a lot of good stuff being thrown.
Lastly, (one I am reluctant to reveal, lol) liquor stores, for wine boxes. The wooden boxes are becoming rare and are sought after, folks like them for the embossed panels or storage capability. I build small legged tables from them, using cheap spindles found at the big box stores. I'll try to get some pics up later.

Cool projects are being posted, keep 'em coming.