Making a quick and dirty OSB storage box for my rotary tool bits

Tools and materials:

Rotary Tool Accessories Kit

Table saw

Cordless drill

Cordless Impact Driver

Angle grinder

Air compressor, nail and staple gun kit

Piano hinge

I made this box out of 15mm OSB stock I had in the shop. It will help me keep my rotary tool bits organised and easy to find them when I need them. 

I begun my laying out all the bits I use. 

Then I cut my stock to size on the table saw. I set a stop block on my cross cut sled. With a series of cross cuts I created half lap joints. 

I glued and nailed the 4 sides of my box. I trimmed the excess material on my table saw. 

Once I glued and nailed the two last pieces in place, I cut the box open on the table saw. 

I used the grinder to cut a piano hinge to size and I screwed the hinge on the box.  I also installed a simple closing mechanism in place. 

At this point it was time to make the compartments of my box. I temporarily nailed the same pieces together so I could cut all the notches at once. 

I glued and nailed the compartments in place.

For my small drill bits I just screwed their casing on the cap.

For the chuck keys,  just epoxied a magnet in place. 

I used a chord to create a stop mechanism for the cap. 

For my carving bits and my chucks I created a couple of blocks. This way I can find them much easier, since I use these pieces all the time. 

My little box came out nice. Hopefully all the different bits and accessories will now be much easier to find and use.

But that was it. See you soon with a new project video. 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

How to make a DIY jig for your router in order to use it as a planer

Tools and materials:

Table saw

Bandsaw

Cordless drill

Cordless Impact Driver

Angle grinder

Hole saw

Plunge router

Stick welder

Air compressor, nail and staple gun kit

I know many garage woodworkers don't have access to a thickness planer. Make this simple jig to help you flatten your boards. You can even use it on end grain which is something you can't do with a thickness planer.

I made my jig out 15mm birch plywood.

I begun by making the base. I cut my pieces to size on the table saw.

I glued the pieces together. I used my nail gun to nail the pieces in place, while the glue dried. I predrilled pilot holes and counter sunked them. I then added the screws. 

To secure my material in place while routing, I made a small clamp out of a big nut and a metal angle. I had these pieces from an old project, so I cleaned them up a little bit with my angle grinder. 

I then used my stick welder to weld the metal pieces together. Then I did a couple of fine tunings with the grinder. 

I made a handle for the clamp from an old nail. I hammered one side to make a head so it could  not escape from the threaded rod. 

Then I screwed the clamp in place.

I sanded the rails of my base so they could run a bit smoother. 

Then I had to make the piece that is screwed on my router’s base. I used my router’s plastic base as a template to mark my hole positions. Using a hole saw I drilled the main hole. Then I drilled the rest of the holes and counter sunked them. I then cut the pieces to size based on my jig. I didn’t want extra material to carry around. 

To plane the wood I just use the largest straight bit I have in my shop. I try not to go deeper than 4mm per pass. If the router can’t go deep enough, I like to use a flat surface underneath my stock to lift it up a little bit. Usually I use MDF, plywood or plexiglass.

I screw a stop block from one side and then I use the clamp to secure the material in place. 

My jigs works really nice, you have to do a little sanding after you are done with the router, but the surface you get is pretty flat.

Anyway I hope you found my little jig useful, because that was it, see you soon with a new project video.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Turning a box with a threaded cap, out of bitter orange and apricot wood

Tools and materials I propose:

Lathe

Bowl gouge

Live center

Wood turning tools set

Thread Cutting Set

Thread Tool Support

Flat jaws for bowl bottoms

Chuck kit

Mineral oil

Caliper set

Wire Burning Kit

Drill Chuck

Forstner bit set

These kind of boxes are really cool for storing jewellery or stuff that is important to you.  Ofcourse they are a really cool excuse for all of us hobbyists woodturners to make something on the lathe.

I begun by turning my blank true, between centres using a roughing gouge. Then I squared both it’s ends with a bowl gouge. 

I filled any cracks with super glue and wood savings. 

Using a square carbide cutter and a skew I created the tenon for my chuck. 

I then mounted the blank on my chuck and using a parting tool I separated the cap from the body. 

To hollow my box I first removed material using forstner bits. The lathe was set at it’s lowest speed and I opened up my hole by gradually increasing the size of my forstner bit. 

Using the hook tool I removed material from my boxe’s sides. Then I used a round carbide scraper to finish hollowing. This is a really hard wood and I was hollowing end grain. So I really took my time here. 

I like to make my inner threads first. First I flattened the sides of my box’s lips. Then I used a special purpose scraper to open up a groove behind my threads. This way the thread cutter had some room to move. Then with the lathe set a low speed I begun thread chasing. Once you gently do the start then the chaser kind of falls into place and gradually creates the threads. 

To make the threads on the cap I first measured the inner diameter of my box. Then I roughly shaped the cap’s tenon slightly oversized.  With the parting tool again I created a relief groove behind my threads. As with the inner threads it’s nice to start at a diagonal. This way you create a chamfered threaded edge which makes it easier to close the cap. I created the male threads. I kept testing my fit back and forth until the cap fitted nicely in the box. 

I then closed the box and finished it’s shaping.  I added two decorative lines. I first opened a groove with the skew and then burned the lines with my metal wire. I parted the piece off the lathe.

At this point I added my bowl bottom cleaning jaws on my chuck and cleaned the bottom and the cap of my box. 

I sanded the piece until 320 grit. On the sides of the box I hand sanded parallel to the grain to avoid scratches. 

Next i mounted a piece of apricot on my pen blank jaws. I used the skew to shape the finial of my box. 

I glued the finial in my cap.

I finished my box with mineral oil!

My box was now ready. I hope you’ve enjoyed this project, because that was it. See you soon with a new project video.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Making a baby rattle with two captive rings out of mulberry wood

Tools and materials I propose:

Lathe

Wood turning tools set

Chuck kit

Mineral oil

Caliper set

Wire Burning Kit

Drill Chuck

This is a cool little woodturning project with a few interesting touches. This video will be part of a video series I am launching. The videos will be longer and more detailed. I will create premieres for the videos and I will be live in the chat while the videos premiere. This way we can talk live about the project. 

I begun with  a square piece of mulberry. After finding it’s centres I mounted the piece between centres on the lathe. I used my roughing gouge to turn the piece true. 

Using my skew I created a dovetailed tenon to fit my chuck’s jaws.

I divided my blank into four sections based on it’s radius. 

Then with the flat carbide tool, I removed material fast. 

I shaped the curved parts with my spindle gouge. 

At this point I sanded the piece as much as I could before I release the rings. 

I used the skew to create a groove. And then I burned a decorative line using a metal wire. 

With the pointy carbide cutter I removed as much material as I could. Then I used a small tool I made out of an allen key to part the ring almost off. I broke the ring free with my hand. 

I secured the rings in place with tape. And then I cleaned the inner spindle. 

To sand the rings, I used the rattle itself as a sander. I used zip ties to wrap sandpaper on the rattle’s spindle. And this way I sanded the interior of the rings. 

I parted the rattle off and I sanded it. 

I finished the rattle with food safe mineral oil.

It sounds and looks really great. But that was it, see you soon with a new project video. 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Making a mini winged box out of a spruce dowel and a scrap iroko piece

Tools and materials I propose:

Bowl gouge

Lathe

Wood turning tools set

Chuck kit

Forstner bit set

Block plane

Mineral oil

Gooseneck scraper

You can get NAGU carbide cutting tools from my friend and fellow woodturner Kostas Annikas Deftereos here.

These kind of boxes are interesting to turn. It is hard to sand their curves. So your tools need to be sharp and you should pay attention to the direction of the grain. This way you get clean cuts and as a result you will need less sanding.

First of all I flattened the bottom of my dowel with my block plane. This way I could mount it a bit easier between centres on the lathe 

I then marked the centre of my dowel and mounted it on the lathe. Using my bowl gouge I started shaping the exterior of my box. Try to follow the direction of the grain in order to reduce tear out. The cleaner your cuts, the less sanding you’ll have to do.

I created the tenon for my chuck with my carbide cutters. I sanded the piece with 100grit.

Then I reversed chucked the piece. I used the bowl gouge again to finish my shaping. I hollowed my box with a forstner bit. 

Using my block plane, I planed the tenon flat. I also used the plane to shape my wings a little bit. 

With a gooseneck scraper I cleaned any tear out I had. I then sanded the piece with 100, 220 and 320 grit.

On the table saw I cut a piece of iroko to make my finial / cap. 

I mounted the piece on my pen turning jaws. I used the roughing gouge to turn the finial true. 

With the carbide flat scraper I created the cap’s tenon. 

Then I used the skew to create the basic cone of my finial. 

I came back and forth between the skew and a spindle gouge until I had the shape I wanted. 

In these small and delicate finials I like to use my finger as support while I push the tools against the wood. I also took light cuts.

Once I was happy with my shape, I sanded it and parted the piece off.

I finished my little box with mineral oil.

This was an interesting little project and I really enjoyed it.

But anyway, I hope you liked it, because that was it, see you soon with a new project video.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.