Woodworking

Birdhouse base and doweling example with glue. Birdhouse base edges have dadoes for additional friction for glueing.

Birdhouse front and back with examples for hand cutting birdhouse hole and clamping.

Birdhouse roof with example for dovetail connection along top corner and hinges.

Birdhouse with wood plank post attachment to be placed along fence in backyard.

Birdhouse completed with wax candles melted down and brushed on the roof and all edges.

Birdhouse installed with bracing in rear backyard adjacent to sukkah.

Sukkah

Our sukkah was constructed in 5783 with wood pallets found locally and framed with scrap lumber to make a Kaf shape. In 5785 to preserve our sukkah we sanded, stained, and polyurathaned each wood member and we hand cut locally sourced bamboo from a fellow neighbor in Pennsylvania as support for our schach. Zevi hand painted decorations and laminated the art in wax for outdoor use. My mother created and sewed fabric daisy chain and burlap chag banner. Wood benches and tables were crafted and polyuranthaned by Zevi and I to fit the space and aesthetic. Leveling the benches was particularly difficult by hand. Stain is early American.

Dreidel Crafting

A scrap piece of pine 2x4 was utilized to make wooden dreidels for Chanukah. If possible, soft wood is not recommended as we noted in several occasions the tops may snap despite careful wood whittling or sawing; however, soft wood is fantastic for engraving with colored pencils as shown in the photos. We also utilized wood engraving with a soldering iron and wood carving kit with great success for labeling each side of the dreidel. Instead of carving a single section of wood, I found it easier to utilize a dowel or carve a small wood section for the top (1/4 inch diameter and 1/2 inch tall) and wood glue it on. For the bottom section I sawed the pine section into a cube nearly 1 inch in each dimension. On the lower third of each bottom end I sawed off at an angle to the center bottom of the dreidel and sanded to make an appropriate spinning surface. We tested out these dreidels about an hour after the tops were glued to see if further sanding or sawing was required. If you do not see at least two of each character after about ten spins you may need to be further modification.

Mezuzah Crafting

A section of 3/4 inch pine board was utilized to make wooden mezuzot for our home. Pine board was cut at nearly 3/4 inch wide and 6 inch high. The back of the pine section was scored and carved with the grain of the wood for nearly 1/4 inch deep and 4 inches long to place our scroll. The front of the wooden mezuzot were traced with shins and a wood engraver was utilized to burn our design. A small drill was utilized for nails to ensure no splitting. Slight sanding was utilized to ensure the surfaces and corners were not sharp. We tested different angled cuts into a mezuzah but liked the more robust look of the other cut sections. Stain is early American. Polyurethane coating to be utilized at a later time.

Kitchen Shelving Cabinet: Dovetails and Dados

Three quarter inch thick, eight inch wide pine wood was utilized to create a kitchen shelving cabinet. The challenge of this project was to only utilize hand tools without hardware other than glue. Dovetails connecting the sides and top of this cabinet were the aesthetic focus for this furniture and my first attempt in dovetail cuts. A pull saw, coping saw, hand chisel, hammer, clamps, pencil, measuring tools, and cardboard dovetail pattern were needed to complete these cuts. Vintage woodworking books were utilized to develop a pattern for the dovetail cutout. Dovetails were cut with a simple pull saw once the tail was stenciled. A coping saw was utilized to groove into the edge of the dovetail cut and remove the waste material. The tail section was utilized to stencil into the pin board and the same process for cutting was utilized. Hand chisel was used after dry fit to ensure the sections would attach. Dovetails were exceptionally strong and the first corner that was completed appeared to be structurally sound without any glue. Dados were created on each shelving edge to create a structurally sound connection with the same hand tools as the dovetail cuts. As each dado section was hand cut nearly a quarter inch into the pine board, careful chiseling of dado was conducted. The cabinet measures 4 feet long, 8 inch wide, 33 inch tall with varying shelf heights between 6 to 14 inches. Sanding is still required and a hand planer is to be utilized on dovetails for a more uniform aesthetic. Stain and finish is not yet applied.

Standing Shelving Units

Three quarter inch thick pine wood was utilized to create standing shelves for our office. Only hand tools were utilized to create these shelves without any hardware other than glue. Dovetails connecting the sides and top of this cabinet were the aesthetic focus for this furniture. A pull saw, coping saw, hand chisel, hammer, clamps, pencil, measuring tools, and cardboard dovetail pattern were needed to complete these cuts. Dovetails and dado cuts were completed with the same steps as shown in the kitchen shelving cabinet. The tallest standing shelf is 36 inch high, 11 inch deep, and 20 inch wide and the shorter standing shelf is 31 inch high, 9 inch deep, and 22 inch wide. Shelving sections vary between 14 inch, 16 inch, and 4 inch deep and are intended to hold large knitting and drawing supplies. Sanding is still required and a hand planer is to be utilized on dovetails for a more uniform aesthetic. Stain and finish is not yet applied.

Box Crafting: Recipe Box and Toolbox

Scrap sections of plywood were utilized to trace, saw, sand, chisel, and glue to create these designs for a recipe box and toolbox. All boxes shown were created with hand tools only and did not utilize any hardware elements other than glue. The recipe box was created with thin plywood with 3 ply sections designed to fit several hundred index cards at 3 inch by 5 inch dimensioning. The recipe box utilized dado rabbets along the edge of the bottom plywood to utilize friction and wood glue to sustain good adhesion between plywood sections. The top of each plywood was cut nearly an eigth of an inch to create a dado for the lid to open and close shut through friction. Triangle cuts were cut with a hexagon to create a star of david on the top of the box. The toolbox utilized thicker plywood scraps with 5 ply sections. Dovetail cuts, although unusual for plywood, were handcut on all edge sections and a dado was created a quarter inch from the bottom to create a stable bottom. Dovetails were carefully cut as plywood easily chips if not carefully prepared during chiseling or sawing. A dowel was utilized as a handle and utilized a circular hand chiseled section to ensure the dowel was in place. Wood glue was key for this project to ensure any gaps from dovetails and the dado adhered to plywood sections to hold heavy weights from tools in this box. The interior of the toolbox is nearly 14 inch by 7 inch. Careful clamping was essential during gluing to ensure dimensions and structural integrity were met. A small simple box similar to the recipe box was quickly created to hold small hardware and tools. Stain and finish is not yet applied.

Small Table with Shelving

Small wood slab sections were found at a flea market with antique bracing. The wood appeared to be from a very old chestnut tree and several tacks were discovered during refinishing. Lumber was utilized as legs and a smaller wood slab was installed as shelving and for structural integrity. Note how much darker the chestnut is compared to the pine after only one round of staining - the last image shows the design of the top slab. Stain is early American.

Shelving

Bracing found at flea markets were installed into CMU blocks and studs with stained lumber sections.  Wood shown appears to be pine. Stain is early American.

Large Shelving Unit

Spare lumber sections donated by our community were utilized to create shelving units in our basement. Lumber sections appear to include 2 by 4 inch pine sections and 3/4 x 4 inch pine sections. The base of the structure was created with 2 by 4 inch pine and the 3/4 x 4 inch pine were utilized as slats for the shelving surface. The shelving unit has three different storage levels and is approximately 32 inch high, 38 inch wide, and 20 inch deep. Steel corner bracing with screws were utilized at each corner but we noted that screws supporting the 2 by 4 inch pine sections may have been enough to support the intended weight for camping and recreational gear in a closet. Shelving will be painted at a later time.

Staining

Variety of staining patterns from various wood cabinets, shelves, and night stands we finished in the house but built by others. Wood shown appears to be pine. Stain is early American.

Refinishing with Paint and Stain

Cabinet found on the street with a layer of sunshine yellow paint and several other layers underneath. We stripped and sanded the cabinet and all wood hardware was removed and refinished with stain. Glass was removed and will be reinstalled at a later time. Paint is mint green. Stain is early American.