Hi, I have a small shop. I’ve made musical instruments and some furniture but I can only spend limited time woodworking and want to make small items other than boxes with which I have saturated family and friends. Any ideas for other small useful items?
Replies
Stools
Chairs
Mirror frames
Clocks
Wall shelves
End tables
Spice box
Wine racks
Cutting boards
Chairs
Toys
Jigsaw puzzles
That should get you started.
Thanks people. That is a useful response. I will to it without further ado!!!
All the best to all
Tis the season! Make some toys and give them to your local homeless shelter or mission. There are kids there that would put them to good use, I'm sure.
A fun little gadget is the inlay bit sets for routers. I got a great deal on some cheap cutting boards and simply inlaid walnut hearts into them and people loved them.
It is a quick and easy way to make things unique and use up scrap for making inlays.
If you spring for the lettering setup for routing, you can do extra personalized gifts such as nameplates, house number plates, etc.
Course you can always just giftwrap your scrap and tell them it's custom milled firewood.
One year I made stepstools 8" high from red oak held together with countersunk 2" STMS and plugged with padauk or purpleheart. Short women loved them for getting to the higher kitchen shelves.
Thanks to all for those ideas. I can't wait to get started.
Best wishes to all
jacksa...
just how small is your shop....??
mine is 7 1/2 x 11 1/2 ft.... and that hasn't limited me to the size of project I build.... I've done bookcases, tables, storage units, blanket boxes, and a double bed nearing completion...
lack of space needn't be a limiting factor if your imagination can compensate. What it does do is force you to think very carefully about what machinery you need; that stuff eats shop space in a hurry....
Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
jacksa,
I don't like building small stuff..it's scary using power tools with fingers so close and I can't use some of my favorite hand tools...like most of the planes.
I do enjoy however, putting an interesting funtional twist in the design of a piece, small or otherwise, and, perhaps, that is where your question was focused. My wife loves the spice rack that is attached to the inside of the cabinet door...and kinda raps around the shelf when closed...providing three shelves for spices...saves a lot of hassel. My 90 year old aunt loves the 5 1/2" high kitchen step stool with the turned 36" long handle....light, dovetailed all around, handle is same height as counter top..easy to step up on, handle helps and secure.
PS. Mike is an elf...gets lotta outsourced work from you know who...
PS. Mike is an elf...gets lotta outsourced work from you know who...
That explains why the only payment I get is milk an cookies.... sheesh....
;)Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
My first shop was a 6x 8 foot closet that opened onto a deck. I built a Georgian secretary and a dining room table out there. They got assembled and finished in the living room. I had an understanding wife.
Frank
If you've got a lathe, try turning Christmas trees from scraps.
Basically a series of decreasing diameter cones. Great skew chisel workout.
jacksa,
I hesitate to suggest ANYTHING to anybody here, as their skill will greatly eclipse mine, but as a roofing contractor dabbling as a woodworker in my spare time----------
I just completed a small project that might work well for you.
small end table/telephone stand. Table top approx. 20 inches by 20 inches. Made from cherry, tapered legs, apron mortised into the legs. table top has a piece of slate approx. 15 inches by 15 inches inset into the top.
The color of the cherrywith a light oil finish combined with the slight figuring of the grain complimented by the sea green slate worked out well.
most of my previous woodworking had been pretty heavily influenced by lots of oak and craftsman styling so I don't know where this idea came from. I have never personally seen anything really like it .
I was just talking to my wife about a lamp she had bought and pow!!! the whole concept came to me almost entirely formed.
I would post a picture if I could-----but the whole project would take you not more than a day and a half or so( excluding rubbing numerous coats of oil into the finish)--------and the material costs were negligeable.
Stephen
post it anyways, I would like to see it
willybez,
I would be happy to post picture ----however,
you must understand I am something of a Luddite and incompetent when it comes to operating a computer ( or cameras for that matter LOL)
so---unless I could ever figure out how to post a poloroid picture here-------- we are S.O.L.
I could of course snail mail ya a poloroid------------
also---since I am doing this for fun---I can do things in a less practical manner---just because I want to. On this project I cut the mortises into the legs with a router for the first time ------hated the router experience---so I will return to chopping them by hand---which I enjoy.
And ---despite the success of cutting the tapers with a simple home made tapering jig on the table saw-------I don't really like the table saw(too noisey--like the router)
so the next one I will try a ryoba
and since I really like planes----I am looking for a modest quality rabbet cutting plane
Now--- one of the interesting things about this project was the interplay of the color between the wood and the slate. This particular slate will appear different colors in different light or with different colored objects on it----rangeing from soft blue through light greys on to deep sea green.
I also have some purple slate that I think would work well with something like quarter sawn ash or maybe oak.
also---on the way to the bank yesterday---- got an idea for a longer more oblong table---same hieght though----using a more free form burl type top possibly walnut----with a straight back edge and a free form ,oblong front and 2 ends. I am interested in the ---whats the right word ??? incongruity?---between the free form top and a more regular rectalinear base---the top will almost float on the mostly un-noticed base.
Stephen
BTW---I almost forgot to mention----the cherry, I realized had a bit of figuring in it when I bought it. what I wasn't prepared for was what happened as I rubbed oil into it-----the way it seems to now be "lighted from with in" if I am describing it right---that glow that it seems to generate on its own????
Edited 12/4/2004 10:53 am ET by Stephen_Haz
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