Mallet

I've wanted to make a mallet from some of the only hardwood I have (oak and one other I don't know). A woodworker nearby was giving away some scraps so I got those two boards and they were just sitting up on the high shelf (good thing I made a step stool).

This is an amalgamation of several ideas I saw when I was researching on YouTube. It's not perfect, and certainly not good enough to give as a gift, but I think I could make it much better the second time around.

I cut the pieces to size the best I could and then set about gluing them together. The handle will slide in from the top and then I'll pin it with a couple of dowels (or I'll give up and use a couple of drywall screws.. :) )

And here it is mostly finished. I sanded it with 220 grit and gave it a coat of paste wax. I'll glue the handle in when I pick up the dowels.

Plywood -> Step Stool

I wanted to get rid of some of the plywood scraps I have (see 4th of July) and when I came across Bob's (I Like to Make Stuff) plywood step stool, I figured it was a great project to try.

I had less than half a sheet, but I managed to make it work. It turned out to be way too heavy (1/2" plywood would have been lighter, I suppose), but I like it anyway.

I gave it a quick sanding and an even quicker coat of spray lacquer just to keep the rough edges down. I doubt it'll ever leave my shop/shed, but it's the perfect height for getting wood down from the shelf.

Some 4th of July Art

My younger daughter's been using the router for a while now, carving shapes into flat boards (cut offs, old fence planks, etc.). She was bored, and we were having lots of family over for the holiday and so I suggested she make some kind of 4th of July art.

I gave her an old piece of terrible plywood. Here's what she came up with: