Improvising On-Site with Few Tools
Proof that you don’t need a shop full of fancy tools in order to make things: This week we get a rare look at one of Jimmy DiResta’s onsite builds, where travels to a tradeshow in Arizona with only a bag of hand tools. He creates a display counter out of construction lumber and palette wood using a handsaw, a block plane, a gouge, a drill/driver and a whole lot of improv. (Funny story: On the “Making It” podcast, Jimmy revealed that after he finished sawing all of the 2x4s by hand–an exhausting task–he looked down and discovered that someone had left a circular saw by his feet.)
Pedal to the Metal
Speaking of the “Making It” podcast, Jimmy’s co-host Bob Clagett wanted a quick way to mute his microphone, so that viewers don’t have to listen to a coughing fit or a bout of throat-clearing. Here he shows you how he created a mute pedal from scratch and wired it up:
DIY Wood Lathe
Just another week for Matthias Wandel and another of his crazy engineering experiments: Is it possible he could build a DIY lathe, primarily out of wood? Well, you’ve seen Wandel’s videos before, so what do you think?
Circular Saw Sled on a Turntable
Speaking of crazy experiments, this week Izzy Swan continues tinkering with the turntable he built last time. This time, he attaches a circular saw above it and discovers he can not only plane the surface, but cut this impossible circular cove pattern:
Enormous Khaya Breakfast Bar
Frank Howarth continues building out his breakfast bar, this time wrangling some enormous pieces of khaya wood–and contending with a couple of potentially disastrous errors right from the get-go. Some of the best learning comes from watching how people get themselves out of jams, and I’m always thankful when builders leave the mistakes and Oh crap moments in their videos.
Tung in Chic
If there’s a dark art in working wood, it’s finishing. Between oils, varnishes, lacquers and polyurethanes, which is the best material to apply to a workbench? Here Jesse de Geest explains his Keep-It-Simple-Stupid approach and favorite finishing product:
Portable LED Lighting on a Budget
I love my Festool Syslite, which has come in handy on a lot of occasions; but I won mine in a raffle and didn’t have to pay the steep $200 asking price. For those of you looking for similar functionality at a profoundly cheaper cost–just $30 to $45–here Ron Paulk shows you an alternative from FastCap:
Tiny House Attached Storage Shed
Ana and Jacob White cap the back of their mobile tiny house with a storage shed. Along the way, they share a couple of mistakes they made, in hopes you’ll avoid them if building something similar:
Benchtop Small Parts Organization
Got tons of small parts that you need organized? Here Linn of the Darbin Orvar YouTube channel shows you how she knocked up her “Ultimate DIY Small Parts Organization Caddy:”
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