A Clever Clamp Hack
Here Izzy Swan demonstrates something the rest of us are idiots for not realizing: You can use an inexpensive caulking gun to replace an expensive clamp.
Build a Better Mousetrap
Matthias Wandel has created more detailed plans for his gravity-based mousetrap, and here shows you how he built it. He’s also got suggestions for lethal vs. non-lethal options. “If you’d like to make the mouse someone else’s problem….”
Wooden Ellipse
Bit of a geometry problem here for Frank Howarth, who has to figure out how to make a wooden ellipse from a segmented glue-up:
Sanding Basics
Here Steve Ramsey runs down all of your basic sanding options, from manual to power tool to benchtop machine. He also touches on the three grits he finds best for his projects, and while not all will agree that you can only get away with three, it’s certainly good enough to get you started:
Backlit LED Sign
April Wilkerson creates a backlit sign, etching into plastic with a rotary tool in order to create a light-catching surface. Since things often go wrong with DIY projects and require on-the-fly solutions, we dig the part where she shows how she improvised her way out of the Sharpie problem:
Mobile Air Cleaner Cart
This week Jay Bates tackles building an air cleaner for his shop. He explains why he’s opted for a floor-borne rolling cart rather than the typical ceiling-mounted approach, and as per his usual efficiency, uses the new cart to also support his planer, which allows him to get rid of an older cart and maintain the same amount of space in his shop:
Ulu Knife and Dished Cutting Board
The end of this video will make you hungry! This week David Picciuto produce an Ulu knife, and cutting board with a corresponding radius, for an Austria-based cooking show. At the end we get to see the knife in action, preparing what look to be delicious dishes.
Dual Desks That Fold Into One Dining Table
This is a pretty darned creative solution. Faced with very limited space and a pesky wheel well in the way, Ana White had to figure out how to get two desks and a dining table into her mobile tiny house trailer. Here’s what she came up with, and she’s also kindly provided free plans for the design on her website:
How to Make a Silicone Rubber Mold for Casting Epoxy Resin
Need to duplicate something? Here Bob Clagett, using climbing-wall handholds as an example, shows you how to create silicone rubber molds which you can then use to repeatedly cast objects out of epoxy resin:
Integrating a T-Track Table in a Crowded Shop
Laura Kampf recently received one of Rockler’s T-Track Tables, meaning holddown will now be a snap for her. But with limited shop space, first she’s got to figure out where she can possibly fit it. Here we see the benefit of careful forethought, as she makes a couple of smart decisions to ensure the tabletop will not interfere with her future workflow. She ends the video with some Q&A and a music recommendation:
http://www.core77.com/posts/53501/How-to-Make-an-LED-Sign-Build-a-Desk-that-Transforms-Into-a-Dining-Table-and-Learn-Sanding-Basics-in-This-Weeks-Makers-Roundup