Been playing around with a small hobby CNC machine. Made some quick upgrades — including the spindle & mount, end stops, and the emergency stop button. I’ve been doing some test cuts, but I’m excited to continue learning and creating with it.
The second iteration of my crosscut sled, which has thoroughly replaced my mitre saw for most tasks. Just over 20 1/2" deep and constructed from 3/4" plywood it — combined with the extra infeed support on my table saw cart — allows me to crosscut some pretty wide stock. The end stop was carried over from my previous sled, but the hold-down clamps are new and already proving useful.
The third iteration of my table saw cart. I don’t have the space for a proper table saw, but I’ve had great luck with this DeWalt DWE7485 job site saw. I added outfeed support with mitre slot extensions, side wings, and infeed support. All of which fold down for storage. Combined with the Bow Xtender fence, I’ve been able to cut some sizeable stock on this setup.
Continuing my obsession with chunky items, I built a picture frame for my partner’s fabulous artwork. I used some nice maple, cut a bevel on the inside, and cut down some acrylic for the “glass.” First time trying out the point driver, which worked out quite well.
The boy likes to skate. We made a rink out of 1/4" plywood, some homemade stakes, a tarp, and a bit of luck.
Quick shot of my previous dust collection setup. The good ol' “shop-vac and cyclone on a bucket” setup served me well for a very long time. I added a twist by 3D-printing a wye and some blast gates, which let me swap between a long hose for the big tools (table saw, router table, etc) and handheld tools at the bench. I’ve since added a dedicated dust collector for the big stuff.
My son was loving bean-bag toss games, so I decided to surprise him with this. Constructed almost entirely out of plywood scraps I had lying around. The numbers are 3D-printed. It was a big hit.
Glued up three oak boards and took a run at my first round tabletop. I used a palm router (beefed up with some aftermarket handles) and a circle jig, which turned out really well. I attempted a spray poly finish, but could have done more sanding between coats. The midges loved the poly, which didn’t help. I attached the legs to the bottom of the tabletop — next time I’ll explore some alternatives.
Another chunky box. I finished it with spray-on poly, buffing with Kraft paper in-between coats. I managed to refine my half-laps and added the angled handle to the lid.
Sometimes you just want a box that’s small and chunky. This was my first time practicing half-lap joints on the table saw. The box lives on in my son’s room, containing various knick-knacks.
When we moved into this house, the backyard had a rickety chainlink gate that was falling over. I enlisted some help from my Dad to get the 6x6 posts set, then another two weekends to build the gates and mount them. Pretty enough to please the neighbours, but wide enough to drive a camper through.
Farmhouse-style bench for the back patio, built from Home Depot 2x4 material. My finishing/staining technique has improved considerably since completing this project, but it has held up well for more than two years.
Sometimes, in life, you have a tiny person in your care who likes to run. And then you need a gate.