Who hasn’t thought about picking up that dated piece of wood furniture and bringing it new life? Is it worth it? In this article I’ll show you how to refinish wood furniture and breathe new life into it. I’ll show you my process for how I go about refinishing wood furniture.

This project contains a paid product integration from Minwax. All opinions are herein are my own. Visit my disclosure page for more information on affiliate and compensation this site accepts. 

Step #1: SAND!

I know what you’re thinking, “I hate sanding!”. I know. Trust me, so do I. However, if you want to have a quality finish when it’s all said and done, you have to do a good job with your prep. Depending on the piece of furniture you’re working with and the finish you are planning to add on top of the current, this could either be fast or incredibly painstaking. If you’re going to be painting over the current finish, a light sand is probably enough. However, if you’re going to be re-staining, it’s best to get down to the raw wood and that takes time and effort.

I always start with 80-grit and remove as much of the old clear coat and stain as possible. Once I’ve got most of the material removed, then I’ll move on to 120-grit before doing another pass at 220-grit. 220-grit is sufficient for most finishes but I’ll occasionally go up to 400-grit on tabletops and desks.

Paint vs Stain

Paint:

• Painting requires less sanding. Often times just scuffing up the existing finish is adequate to prep the surface.
• Always use a quality primer over the existing finish before adding your new paint finish.

Stain:

• Requires more prep work and sanding. Often sanding all surfaces down to 220 grit and removing any existing stain.
• Occasionally you can stain a darker color over a lighter color without as much sanding.

STEP #2: Pre-Condition

With the majority of the sanding out of the way you’re ready for a new finish….almost! Don’t overlook a quality pre-conditioner if you’re going to be using a stain. ESPECIALLY if you’re refinishing a piece of furniture made out of a soft wood (pine, alder, etc). If you’re going to be staining a soft wood (and even some hardwoods), get in the habit of using a pre-conditioner. For this project, I used Minwax Water Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner. Pre-conditioning helps even out stains so you don’t end up with blotchy spots. Pre-conditioner can also help with spots you may not have been able to fully remove the old finish. It just helps even out the finish and is a great habit to get into using.

Step #3: Choosing a Stain

Choosing the right stain is essential for the success of your finished product. There are a bunch of variables to consider including the final color of the piece. One of the biggest things to consider is:

Oil-Based vs Water-Based:

Oil-Based:

• Pro: Oil based finishes are typically more durable
• Pro: Oil based finishes usually don’t raise grain require additional sanding
• Con: Oil based have longer drying time and heavy odors
• Con: Oil based are less eco-friendly and require solvents/thinners to clean up

Water Based: 

• Pro: Water-based are easy to work with and clean up
• Pro: Water-based stains are UV resistant
• Pro: Water-based stains are more forgiving and easily fixed if a mistake is made
• Pro: Fast dry time and low odor
• Con: Water-based often raises grain in wood projects requiring sanding between coats
• Con: Water-based are not as durable as oil-based

Choosing the proper finish is largely a matter of preference and what is available. Typically water-based is more forgiving for the average DIY because it requires less patience between coats, and is typically easier to work with.

In this case I’m using the new color stains from Minwax, specifically Minwax Semi-Transparent Color Stain in the color Royal Pine. These stains come in both a solid color and semi-transparent color. The solid color is more like a paint in that it doesn’t show as much wood grain. The semi-transparent allows more wood grain to show through the finish color. What’s really unique about these stains is that you can tint them to over 240+ colors!

Step #4: Applying the Stain

Each stain and finish varies a little bit in its suggested application. Make sure you take the time to read the label on your stain or finish to make sure you are applying it correctly. Some stains suggest a foam brush or rag while others recommend a specific type of brush for best application. Check out this other article to dive into the differences between spraying, brushing, and wiping on. Other things to consider are making sure you are in a well ventilated space and making sure you are staining/finishing in the proper temperature window for your finish. Again, this should all be outlined on the packaging of your stain/finish

Step #5: Sealing or Top Coating

Typically when you’re finished staining a piece of furniture, you’ll want to apply a top coat/clear coat for protection and/or shine. Typical finishes for clear coats are Satin, Semi-Gloss, and Gloss. These are just a matter of personal preference for your project. There are a large variety of finishes for your top coat typically in the form of a “urethane”.

Make sure you choose one based on the location of the finished product (indoor/outdoor), and in the sheen you want for your project. Also, you CAN apply an oil-based polyurethane or similar over top of a water based stain. However, this requires that your water-based stain is COMPLETELY dry and cured. I DO NOT recommend applying a water based finish over an oil-based stain. I used Minwax One Coat Polyurethane.

Waxing 

Occasionally I may use a paste wax as the final finish instead of or in addition to a polyurethane finish. The wax also offers protection to the furniture/finish but it doesn’t harden to the consistency of a urethane top coat. You can apply a paste wax over a urethane finish pending you add it in thin layers and buff between each. Keep in mind that the wax may alter the sheen of your urethane finish.

Step #6: Be Patient

Refinishing a piece of furniture is a lot of work and not for the faint of heart. But if it was easy you wouldn’t be able to find these old wooden pieces for free or cheap. It takes time to get the finish you want. After all, they don’t make them like they used to!

If you enjoyed this content, please check out some of these other articles you might enjoy.

An Idiot’s Guide to Wood Finishing

Restoring a Backyard Playset

I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of an addict for new tools! I’m constantly buying tools just to test them out or because they seem like a cool product or can save me time. I’m also fortunate to do this as a business and I occasionally get some sent to me for review pro bono! (I LOVE when this happens). With that said, I’m always discovering new *to me* tools that I think are awesome and that quickly become some of my “go-to” tools for a job.

I thought I would put together a list of tools I’ve gotten to use a lot in 2020 that I absolutely love in case you’re looking for some tools for yourself or the tool lover in your life this fall. This list is ever changing, but so far in 2020, these tools have my vote for favorites I’ve used this year!

Here’s the full list of tools via my Amazon storefront if you’d like to purchase any of them. You don’t pay any extra and it helps support the Mrfixitdiy brand.

1.) Collins Tool Co. Miter Spring Clamps

Collings Tool Miter Spring Clamps – <$50

These things are freaking excellent! Whether you’re doing interior trim work around the house or woodworking in the shop, these tools have become a staple for me anytime I’m doing any type of miter work. These are perfect for baseboards, window and door casings, hobby woodworking projects, you name it! If you’re looking to get something for yourself or the woodworker in your life under $50 then these are a no brainer in my opinion. You’ll find endless uses for them once you have them in your toolbox.

2.) Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18v Cordless Router

Milwaukee FUEL 18v Cordless Router – $200+

Of all the cordless lineups out there, the M18 Fuel lineup is by far my favorite (and I’m not paid to say that). The tremendous amount of tools that have been released that all run on the same battery platform is absolutely awesome in my opinion. Rather than extra chargers and different batteries each time you buy a new tool, you can buy the tool only if you already have other tools in the FUEL lineup. The router is the latest tool I’ve purchased to add to my arsenal of FUEL tools and it is A BEAST. It does everything it’s corded alternative did for me and the portability and ease of use makes it my go to anytime I need a router now. This is a must have for anyone that finds themselves working on the go or just wants a strong, reliable router for woodworking, trim, etc.

3.) Micro-Jig MATCHFIT Dovetail Clamps

Micro-Jig MATCHFIT Dovetail Clamps – $30

Every woodworker knows you can never have too many clamps. No matter how many you own, your newest project seems to involve every clamp you own. What’s awesome about these is you can create your own woodworking jigs and clamp rigs however and whenever you need them using any 14° dovetail router bit. You don’t need to spend a bunch of money on T-track or something to create a jig to hold your workpiece. These clamps slide into any dovetail channel and are super strong and easy to use. Their uses are almost limitless and having a versatile tool like them is really useful especially if you have a smaller workshop.

4.) Paslode Cordless XP 30° Framing Nailer

Paslode Cordless 30° Framing Nailer – $350+

Alright so this one I’ve had for several years now BUT I’ve continued to use it a lot this year and it continues to be one of my favorite all-time tool purchases. This thing just performs! Is it pricey? Absolutely. (Not that different than buying a compressor, hose, and a pneumatic gun though) It’s more than paid for itself in the amount of time it has saved me from lugging around and using an air compressor. It keeps the job site cleaner and safer (no tripping on hoses). The gas canisters last a really long time as does the battery. I honestly have zero complaints about this tool and I’m so glad I have it!  I also use it for cement composite siding projects. I’d highly recommend this tool for any framing or remodel projects you’re doing.

5.) WEN Variable Speed Drywall Sander

WEN Variable Speed Drywall Sander – $120

It’s no secret that I HATE drywall. I’ve been pretty vocal about how much I despise taping, mudding, and sanding drywall. Well that hasn’t really changed much, BUT I did invest in a drywall sander this year and it’s made keeping the annoying drywall dust under control MUCH easier. I always assumed a drywall sander was really expensive, but I found this WEN drywall sander very affordable and it was such a big help when I was working on the drywall for my office remodel this year. It’s one of those tools that I’m not sure how I’ve gone without. Needless to say, I won’t be doing drywall without it ever again!

6.) Rolgear 15 in 1 SILENT Ratchet Screwdriver

Rolgear 15 in 1 SILENT Ratchet Screwdriver – $30

A screwdriver is just a screwdriver, right? Well yeah, except for when it’s this one. I’ve actually had a set of these for a few years, but I started using this screwdriver all the time on my projects this year. With 15 interchangeable bits for every type of screw, and a super easy adjustment for ratcheting tight or loose, this screwdriver is awesome. And it’s completely silent so no ratchet clicking noise. It’s super comfortable in the hand, well balanced, and ergonomic. This tool is perfect for all sorts of applications but I use it a lot for electrical and mechanical maintenance projects around the house. If you’re looking for a “one size fits all” multi-purpose screwdriver I encourage you to check this one out.

7.) Kreg Crown Pro – Crown Molding Cutting Tool

Kreg Crown Pro – Crown Molding Cutting Tool – $30

This one is a bit of a specialty item. Do you need it? Well no, probably not if you’re not doing a bunch of crown molding. But if you have at least one room of crown molding to do like I did this year, it’s worth the investment. Finding the spring angle and setting up a jig for cutting crown molding on your miter saw can be a time suck and be a pain in the butt. This jig takes out all the guesswork and makes it a quick and easy setup. For $30, it’s well worth it simply to save yourself a headache. Crown molding takes some time to get used to and can be challenging so anything that helps simplify the process is worth it in my book!

8.) Aquor Water Systems House Hydrant

Aquor Water Systems House Hydrant – $80+

Ok so maybe this is more of a product than a tool, I don’t know. Regardless, I installed one of these this year as a how-to project video and I love it! It’s a slick modern upgrade to the traditional hose bib. What’s cool about it is that it’s self draining and the majority of the unit is actually in the wall. If you live in a cold climate, there’s no risk of freezing and breaking in the winter months, and no need to do a season ending water line drain before the frost. If you’re looking to upgrade your hose bibs around the house, I’d highly recommend checking out the House Hydrant.

9.) SENSE Home Energy Monitor

SENSE Home Energy Monitor – $299

This is another one of those “tools” that’s a little different but has been amazing for me in 2020. I installed this monitor on my home about a year ago and it has helped me prioritize money/energy saving projects on the house over the past year. For example, my old fridge was a complete energy suck and was costing a lot of money to run! It also helped me realize exactly how much money I was putting towards HVAC and it made me prioritize re-doing the insulation in my attic before the summer heat this year which has made a noticeable difference in my energy bills. The app interface is easy to use and learns your home over time to help identify each item and how much power they draw. I highly recommend it.

10.) Gerber Center-Drive Multi-Tool

Gerber Center-Drive Multi-Tool – $125

I was never much for a multi-tool as an everyday carry tool until this year. I got my hands on the Center-Drive from Gerber and I immediately fell in love with it. It has a lot of the features people love about a multi-tool in a small package and also has a built in screwdriver with a variety of interchangeable bits. It’s awesome to know that you have a tool in your pocket that can tackle a huge array of jobs.The only thing it’s missing in my opinion is a pocket clip!

So that’s it for this list! I hope you guys enjoyed checking out some of my favorites and I hope it helps you if you’re considering some new tools this year. As I mentioned, this is an every evolving list so I’ll do my best to share some more of my favorites as I come across them.

Here are some recent projects I’ve done utilizing some of the tools I mentioned above.

How to Monitor Your Home’s Energy Usage

How to Upgrade to a Modern Water Spigot

DIY Giant Toy Box

If you have kids, you know how quickly toys can pile up and completely make a mess of your home. Having a toy box for them and keeping them organized is a huge part of keeping your sanity.

Today I’m going to show you how I built this toy box utilizing the new lineup of Craftsman V20 tools. Craftsman is the official sponsor of this project so thank you to Craftsman for making this project possible. So without further ado, let’s dive into the project!

Disclosure: This video and article contains paid and product promotion by Craftsman. Check out their new line of V20 tools here: https://bit.ly/2DoDfAD

#1: Plan Out Your Design

This toy box is huge! It’s 90” long by 42” tall and serves a multitude of functions. Obviously it holds a lot of toys, but it also acts as a complete entertainment center

I made my plans in Sketchup, and if you’d like to follow along with this project step-by-step, there are free downloadable plans for it on my website. While you’re at it, check out some of the links to some of the other free project plans I have too!

#2: Create a Template

First, I created a template for the uprights of the toy box. This project is basically the same shape repeated over and over, so I needed a good template. I used a piece of MDF to measure and layout the shape I wanted. Then, I cut the shape out using the Craftsman V20 jigsaw. I used a straight edge as a guide to keep the lines nice and clean.

Taking a piece of ¾” paint grade plywood, I cut a similar shape slightly larger with the jigsaw. I used a flush trim router bit on my Craftsman router, following the template to create 1 finished panel. Then I just had to repeat this process 6 more times. It takes a little while but the template makes it easily repeatable.

#3: Interlocking the Pieces

Once all 6 were cut out, I ripped a piece of plywood to serve as the top and bottom. From there, it was all about dados. And I mean a lot of dados. I chose to use dados because it gives a lot of strength to the build, because each piece interlocks and supports the whole. It adds quite a bit to the workload, but if kids are going to be climbing on it or playing near it, it needs to be sturdy. If I did this project again, I would probably use 1/2″ plywood instead of ¾” because it got to be pretty heavy by the end.

Once the pieces were all in place, I took it apart bit by bit and glued it up and shot it together with the 16 gauge Craftsman V20 brad nailer.

#4: Assembly

Once I finally had the whole carcass put together, I could put the front face frames on. The design is laid out so that each piece can be mitered at 45 degrees to make it easy and repeatable on the table saw. I glued and fastened these in place with brad nails. Once that was finished I added some iron on edge banding to cover up the exposed edges of the plywood. This helps clean up the edges and make it easy for the paint to look uniform without having to add a bunch of coats. Then I could patch the brad holes with some wood filler and prep it for paint.

I also added some adjustable leveling feet to the bottom of the toy box. I glued some 2” wood blocks in the corners and added a threaded insert. Then I used my angle grinder to slice a line in the end of a carriage bolt. This allows you to use a flathead screwdriver to raise or lower the toy box to make it level.

Lastly, I sprayed several coats of wood sealing primer with my paint sprayer before spraying a couple coats of exterior semi-gloss white to finish it off. I chose exterior because I figured it’d be a little more durable than interior. I also added a thin piece of ¼” plywood on the back to finish off the piece.

I’m really happy with the way this toy box came out. Hopefully you enjoyed this project, and if you’d like more detailed measurements and step-by-step instructions on how to build your own, be sure to download the free plans on my website.

I want to say thank you to Craftsman for sponsoring this project and providing the V20 lineup of tools I used in this video. And as always I encourage you to leave me a comment down below and let me know what you thought of the project and what type of project you’d like to see me tackle next.

Thanks so much for checking out this project. I hope you enjoyed it! If you did like it, you might also enjoy some of these other free downloadable project plans. 

Basic DIY Workbench Plans

DIY Sliding Barn Door Plans

Workshop Base Cabinet Plans

In this DIY tool restoration project I’ll show you how to restore old hand planes as I take some of my Grandfather’s old hand planes and give them a new life in my workshop.

My Mom came out to visit a few months back and she brought me a couple old hand planes that belonged to my grandfather (A Stanley #78 and a Stanley #60 1/2). My grandfather was a carpenter, but he passed away long before I got really interested in woodworking. I don’t do a ton of hand tool work, but I still felt the desire to restore them and give them new life. I’ve become accustom to using hand tools a bit more over the last couple years so I’m excited to restore them and incorporate them in some of my future projects. Watch the video above to follow along to see how I did it.

Disclosure: This post contains a paid product placement by The WD40 Company. All views and opinions are my own. 

Disassembling the Planes

The hand planes have been sitting in my uncle’s toolbox for years, and they’re covered with rust, grime, and the general wear and tear of all those years in the woodshop. I started by taking them apart. Some areas were in worse shape than others a couple of the knobs and screws were a little lodged in with rust, so I used some WD40 Specialist Rust Release Penetrant Spray to loosen them.

In particular, the brass adjustment wheel on the front of the 60 1/2 was pretty seized up. I didn’t want to damage it, so I took an old work glove that was ready to be thrown away and cut a couple of the fingers off. Then I slipped those over the pliers to protect the brass while I broke it loose. This protected the knob, and in addition to the spray worked really wheel to loosening the wheel.

Cleaning & Honing

Next, I took all the loose parts and set them in a plastic tub and poured some WD40 Specialist Rust Remover Soak for a couple hours. This helped loosen the surface rust on the tools. Then I pulled each piece and scrubbed them down with a wire brush and some 000 steel wool. The parts were already looking really good.

With the rust removed, it was time to hone the plane bodies. The soles of the planes needed to be flattened out, so I took a Sharpie and made some reference lines across the soles of each plane. Then, I used some spray adhesive to secure three separate sandpapers to a microflat stone I have (120, 220, 320 grit) You could use any flat surface to do this, I just happen to have a microflat stone that was left at my house when I moved in. So I worked the plane bodies across the various grits until I was able to flatten them. The sharpie lines give you reference for your progress.

Once the bodies were honed, I considered spray painting them. But after speaking to a friend about it, he said it took my grandfather like 30 years to get them that way. So I decided that I liked the character that the used look gave them and left them as is. I care about the function of the tool, not necessarily if it looks brand new.

Sharpening the Irons

Luckily the irons were in pretty decent shape, save for a couple chips here and there. I admit, I’m no expert on sharpening blades. So I had to do a lot of research and I found some great tutorials by the likes of Paul Sellers and Ron Hock (“The Perfect Edge”) which really helped me. I went to Rockler and picked up a few Japanese combination water stones. I also bought a honing guide and went to town sharpening the irons. Starting on the low side of the first stone (250 grit) I worked to take off the chips. Then I worked my way up to the 6000 grit stone. I used the Ron Hock ruler trick to flatten the backs of the irons. To finish off the sharpening, I ran the irons against a piece of leather to remove the final burr.

I managed to get them in really good shape and nice and sharp. This is actually my first time sharpening irons so I’m confident if I can do it, so can you.

Reassembly & Finished Planes!

I put them back together with a screwdriver and messed around setting the blade depths on the cutting irons.

Then I tested them out on a scrap piece of cherry, and I’m happy to report that they work great! It’s pretty cool to have my grandfather’s tools as a part of my shop. I’m still trying to track down a few little missing parts to round out the planes but they work as is for now. I look forward to incorporating them in future projects!

If you liked this project, check out some of the other cool stuff I’ve worked on!

Restoring an Old Wheelbarrow

Wooden Banksy Wall Art

And of course, thank you for checking out this tutorial. I hope to see you guys next time!

In this DIY woodworking project tutorial, I’ll show you how to build a beautiful wooden memorial flag display case for an American flag to honor a fallen hero.

My Grandfather served in the Army during World War II and passed away several years ago, and to honor his memory and service I decided to build this Memorial Flag Display Case as a gift to give to my Dad for Father’s Day.

For this project, I’ll be basing this case off of plans I found online with some modifications. To check out those plans, click here.

Milling Up the Lumber

For this project I’ll be using some beautiful 3/4 Walnut with some nice figure on it. To get started, I’m ripping the walnut into 3″ strips on my table saw. Next I can cut the angles on the pieces to create the mitered triangle shape. To do that, I have to make a quick tenoning jig for my table saw because I can’t create that angle with my existing tools.

Tenoning Jig

The tenoning jig is made of a few pieces of plywood so that the pieces can stand vertically as they pass through the saw, which allows you to cut more acute angles than are usually possible on a table saw. If you’d like more info on how to build a tenoning jig, you can find out how to build your own here.

Cutting the Rabbets

Before I glue up the mitered pieces, I’m using my dado stack to cut a 1/8″ deep by 1/4″ wide rabbet into each piece so I can inset the back panel into the case later. Once that is cut, I can glue up the main body.

Building the Face Frame

I’m modifying from the plans I made above because I want to have a hinged face frame for this case. I rip some 1.5″ strips on the tablesaw and then cut the miters into them to create the triangle shape. Then I use the dado stack to cut a rabbet onto the inside edge of each piece so that I can inset a piece of tempered glass into the case later on.

Next I used my trim router to cut a profile into the inner edge of each piece. This would be a good job for a router table if you have one. Then I can glue up the face frame.

From there I can lay out and mark where the hinges are going to attach on the face frame and main case body. I found these little brass hinges in the hardware section at Home Depot. I trace out the hinges on the body and then chisel out the mortises so they sit flush with the case.

Rough Assembly

With the mortises cut, I can use the small screws to attach the face frame to the case body. And then I can rough sand the whole case with some 120 grit sandpaper, before working my way up to 220 by hand.

To latch the case closed, I decided to add a rare earth magnet into the case body and face frame that would be hidden in a 3/8″ recess into the case. I drilled this

hole out and then epoxied the magnets in place so that when the case it closed there is no visible latch from the outside.

Finishing the Case

I want a really clean finish on this case so I’m using a Tung Oil finish which hardens inside the wood. I ap

ply the first coat, then lightly sand with 500 grit. Then I add the second coat of Tung Oil before sanding once again to 600 grit. Then lastly apply a third finish coat of Tung Oil.

For the backing of the case I cut a piece of hardboard to fit in the triangle shaped rabbet in the back of the case and then I had a piece of tempered glass cut to fit the face frame at a local glass place. It only cost me $7. To attach the glass, I used a thin bead of clear silicone and a couple window glazing retaining clips.

Finished Case

That’s it for this project! I hope you enjoyed it. This project made a wonderful gift for my Dad and I’m happy that I could help honor my Grandfather’s memory and service to the country.

If you liked this project, you may like some of my other woodworking projects that you can check out here:

DIY Walnut Bath Caddy

Wooden Kitchen Utensils with the Shaper Origin

Over a year ago, me and the rest of the guys of SoCal Woodshop put in an order for the Shaper Origin as a club from their pre-order batch, and after waiting for what seemed like forever for it to arrive it finally showed up a few months ago. Needless to say we’ve been very excited to test it out. This tool is a handheld router that acts like a CNC machine with a built in computer that lays out the shape for you to follow. As you work your way around the shape, the tool autocorrects it’s position as it goes making sure you always have the exact cut you’re going for. It’s a seriously impressive tool and so I thought I’d take a crack at actually using it to build a wooden kitchen utensil set.

You’re really only limited by your imagination with this tool but for my first project with it, I decided to test it out with one of the project files available from the Shaper website. I downloaded the file for these kitchen utensils to my creator hub and it automatically synced to the tool via wifi so all I had to do was load it up.

Milling the Work Piece

But first, I needed to prep some material to cut the shapes from. I had a good sized piece of 8/4 cherry that I decided to use so I took it to the bandsaw and resawed it in half. Next I planed it down slightly so both pieces were uniform thickness around 3/4″. Then I laid the 2 pieces together and clamped them to my workbench.

How the Shaper Origin Works

In order to reference the piece and the shape you’re cutting, the machine uses a camera to read this domino looking tape that you lay out on or around the work surface. How much tape and at what spacing depends on the size of the project you’re working on. Since this is a smaller project, I needed to add the tape every few inches so the tool had plenty to reference.

Once laid out, I could move the tool around to scan my work area and place the file image on the work surface to be cut out.

Next it’s time to make sure the right bit was installed in the router. In addition to the design file, the Shaper website also has detailed instructions on every step of cutting out the shapes which you can follow along with.

Cutting Out the Design

Once through the prompts on the machine to get started, I’m ready to cut. It’s literally as easy as following the lines on the screen to cut out the shapes.  

One issue I’ve come across while cutting out the shapes is that once I cut through much of the tape, the machine starts to lose it’s orientation. I added another surrounding piece of the same thickness and some additional tape and rescanned the work area. It didn’t lose where my file was placed so it didn’t end up affecting anything. I’d suggest that you try and place the tape around the workpiece you’re working on rather than on the cut area itself to avoid this with your project. 

I also broke from the instructions a little bit and decided to make my utensils a little thicker than what’s written. Rather than cutting all the way through the cherry to release them, I’m releasing them by resawing them again on the bandsaw.

 Finishing the Wooden Kitchen Utensil Set

All that’s left to do is finish them up! I did a little shaping for the beveled edges on my benchtop sander first. Then I did some additional shaping with the oscillating sander. I also added a round over on the larger implements at the router table before final sanding them by hand.

To finish the utensils, I applied a coat of our SoCal Woodshop Board Wax which really brought out the color and grain of the Cherry. Myself and the rest of SoCal Woodshop make each batch of this wax by hand. It’s 100% food safe so it’s perfect for kitchen projects like this, as well as cutting boards, and butcher blocks. If you’re interested in testing it out for yourself, you can find it here. 

I think my favorite piece is the tiny little spread knife. I don’t know why I like it so much but I haven’t seen anything like it before.

And here are the finished cherry kitchen utensils. I’m really happy with the way these came out. I’ve never made a set like this before and as a first project with the Shaper, I couldn’t be happier. This tool is definitely something that has a ton of possibilities. Any software that can create SVG files can be used to create working files for the tool. The designs can be scaled to virtually any size you can imagine. You’re not limited to how big you can make something.

I hope you guys enjoyed this project and getting a look at what the Shaper Origin is capable of. If you did enjoy this project, here are a few other woodworking projects you might enjoy. 

DIY Cheese Cutting Board

Wooden Banksy Wall Art

Thank you so much for checking out this project and I’ll see you next time!  

This week I participated in the #WoodArtChallenge through Instagram with a BUNCH of my fellow creators and I created this piece of Wooden Banksy Wall Art inspired by everyone’s favorite street artist, Banksy. The challenge for this project was pretty simple and open-ended, create a piece of square wooden wall art. Naturally my brain started churning with ideas and I ultimately settled on this iconic image for my project. This project incorporated a few new things for me including my first epoxy inlay. Check out the video to follow along and see how I created this piece AND make sure you check out the links at the end of the article to check out some of the other projects created by other creators.

Building The Panel

To get started with this project, first I built the panel that would serve as the main body of the build and be the surface I’ll CNC my design out of. I started by resawing some 7/4 Maple on the bandsaw into pieces just under 3/4.

Then I ran them through the planer to uniform thickness about 5/8″ thick. Next I ripped them on the table saw into strips. I did this because I wanted to vary up the grain pattern for the glue up. The overall dimensions of the rough panel was 16″x16″.

For the glue up of this project I used my Aluminum Rockler clamps and Titebond 2 wood glue. Once the glue set up I scraped the excess and then planed the panel to it’s final thickness of 1/2″. I had to use a friend’s planer because my planer can’t handle a 16″x16″ panel.

CNCing the Inlay

About a year ago I purchased an Iconic CNC machine along with the rest of the guys from SoCal Woodshop. It’s been a tremendous tool to have and I’ve only just cracked the surface with it. I haven’t had much time to incorporate it into projects but I’m hoping to do more of it in the future. This was my first attempt at cutting an inlay on it. The machine uses Vcarve to program in tool paths which can be created from nearly any image. It’s a really intuitive, and powerful workflow once you get used to it.

Epoxy Inlay

The epoxy I used for this build is the West Systems Epoxy and the Trans Tint dyes. I used a combination of black, yellow, and blue (although I wish I had used a brighter color with the yellow for the flowers). The blue got a little lost and looks almost black. The two part epoxy system works really well and sets up in few hours. After that it’s able to be sanded down flush with the panel surface.

Building the Frame

For the frame around the panel I used a piece of walnut that I cut into 1 1/4″ strips and turned edge-wise. I cut a 1/2″ dado that was 1/4″ deep into all the sides to house the inlayed panel. Then I put a small chamfer on the inside edge to give the frame a finished look. The panel insets so there is a cavity behind to add mounting hardware/picture frame hanging hardware on the back. Once the pieces were cut, I glued the miters and used my Bessey strap clamp to hold everything together.

Finishing

To finish this project I felt it was only appropriate to use a spray can polyurethane seeing as how the whole thing is kind of an homage to an artist whose primary medium is spray paint. Normally I don’t use spray polyurethanes that often but I made an exception this time. If you want some more tips on how to finish your woodworking projects, make sure you check out my Idiot’s Guide to Wood Finishing.

Thanks for checking out this Wooden Banksy Wall Art project. Be sure to check out the other awesome creations for the Wood Art Challenge by:

Sawdust 2 Stitches, Lazy Guy DIY, Jamie Costiglio, 3×3 Custom, Wood Work Life, Ugly Duckling House, Jen Woodhouse, The DIY Village, Addicted to DIY, Remodelaholic, Reality Daydream, Pneumatic Addict, Her Toolbelt, Merrypad, My Repurposed Life, My Love to Create, Shades of Blue Interiors, DIY Huntress, Chatfield Court, Hazel + Gold Designs, House Becoming Home, Anika’s DIY Life, Bower Power Blog, Evan and Katelyn, Create & Babble, 100 Things 2 Do, One Project Closer

Surface Preparation is Key!

First, the piece has to be ready for a respectable finish. By and large, I will sand up to about 220 grit and call it good. But I take the time to thoroughly sand up through the grits and get all swirl marks out as I go. It can be fun to play around with sanding to as high of a grit as you can, upwards of 600, 800, 1000 and so on. I suggest doing this on practice pieces where you can see when you’ve burnished the wood, not made any noticeable difference, or gone too far. You can also play around with a fine water spray and get the grain to “stand up” or “raise” then sand it back down. Playing around with these techniques will prove invaluable as you will get to know and understand the grain in a way that no article could ever tell you. But for the most part, 220 is good enough for most cases. Then with compressed air, I like to remove the heavy dust particles. Next I use a clean cloth damp with thinner to grab and remove the smaller particles that you would otherwise see and curse over as you watch your product cure. Also, a tack cloth works well to remove fine dust right before you go to apply your product. It should go without saying that dust management is paramount in the finishing process. Sometimes it may be necessary to hang plastic, visqueen, or some sort of barrier to keep the dust out.

To Stain, or Not to Stain?

As a personal rule, I aim to avoid staining wood and rather look for reasons to not stain as opposed to looking for excuses to stain. From Alder to Zebrawood, I find beauty in it all. I love to bring out the look and figure of the grain naturally whenever possible. But sometimes the job just calls for color. Again, I love General Finishes and have used just about all of their products. I like their stains a lot, and would recommend them to anyone looking to stain wood. The first thing that I consider when staining is what kind of wood I am working with. A natural wonder such as Walnut, Pau ferro, Cocobolo, or the like? Not happening. If you apply stain to any such exotic or beautifully figured dark wood, hang up the tools and find a new hobby. If it is a particularly hardwood like hard maple, oak, or hickory for example, the stain applies really well directly on the wood. Think of it as spreading an even coat of water onto a granite counter top with a squeegee. You have a lot of control over where and how much stain gets applied. The drawback is that is doesn’t always absorb much stain, leaving it a lighter shade of the desired color. Sometimes you can apply more coats of the stain and achieve a darker shade, but often you find there is a max capacity of color that can be absorbed. This is sometimes for me where the General Finishes Dye stains come in. They typically are far more potent than a Varathane or Minwax product.

Staining Soft Woods

Softer woods often require the application of a stain control product prior to staining which helps them to take the stain without being left with a blotchy, ugly stain application. But whenever I can, I like to avoid the stain and accentuate the natural beauty of the wood. My favorite product that does this is Maloof Oil. Sam Maloof used this on his chairs and I have used it for years. It is magical on just about any species. It really makes the wood pop and come alive. Walnut oil and mineral oil works really well on items that will come in contact with food. Those can easily be finished off or combined with beeswax to assist in sealing and providing a nice sheen.

At SoCal Woodshop we use our own blend of beeswax and walnut oil for the finish on many of our cutting boards, wood cutlery, and other food safe boards called Board Wax which is available in a 4oz tin on our website. We’ve found it adds a beautiful, food safe finish to many of our projects and people seem to really like it. (Shameless plug intended)

Lacquer, Linseed oil, Polycrylic, Polyurethane?

There is a seemingly endless list of finish options. For the most part, I follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Any halfway decent company has at least one person on staff that spent many years in school figuring out the best compounds so that we wouldn’t have to. It’s comical to me to see woodworkers attempt to improve a product by thinning it or adding other stuff to it.

Interior vs Exterior Finishes

Interior finishes are for interior purposes. They harden on the wood to protect them from spills and chemicals. Exterior finishes are typically designed to be more flexible to allow moisture to enter and evaporate out of the wood, but they require sunlight to evaporate. I used to think that exterior products must be better and more durable since they are designed for exterior uses. That is not the case. In fact, many interior use products are really excellent on table tops, floors, and other applications where they stand to be exposed to heavy wear and chemicals.

Water based vs. Oil based

A favorite finish of mine is Arm-R-Seal by General Finishes. It is oil based and really enhances the look of the wood, but is also easy to apply and very durable. Oil based products tend to yellow or amber the wood and take significantly longer to dry and cure, often 12 to 24 hours. Water based products dry very quickly and maintain the original, natural color of the wood. However, there are some water based products that act much like oil based ones in that they dry slowly and amber the wood. For water based applications, I often use a box store product like Minwax polycrylic, wipe on polys, or General Finishes Enduro. It depends on the intended use and sometimes profit margins. If it is a wall hanging piece that will likely be left alone, or if I am on a very tight budget, I’ll go with a box store product. All other times, I’ll opt for a General Finishes product.

Spray, Brush, or Wipe?

Spraying

Oil based products can be much more tedious to clean off of the fine parts of an HVLP gun. I prefer to spray water based products because they dry faster, making them more prone to show the brush strokes. Also, water based products are far easier to clean. Simple soap and water or thinner will clean the gun easily. Take the time to play around with the spray patterns and volume knobs before using it on your work piece. You will save a tremendous amount of time, and learn a ton all at once.

Wipe On & Brushing

Oils dry and cure slower making them more forgiving to be brushed or wiped on. I don’t like using foam brushes as they tend to break apart mid application, leaving evil little bits of foam on my pieces. I prefer to wipe or brush oil products as they can be more difficult to clean. When brushing, whenever possible, use long, straight, length of the surface strokes in the direction of the grain. Forget the karate kid’s short and brisk strokes. Challenge yourself to be as smooth as you can. With that, buy yourself a nice brush. A $2 brush will leave a $2 finish and about .33 cents worth of brush hairs in your surface.

Be Patient!

Meet the Author/Woodworker:

Pete Tagliere is the President of SoCal Woodshop, a collective of woodworkers in Los Angeles, CA with this mission of furthering the craft of carpentry through sharing knowledge, experience, and skills in a friendly, community atmosphere.

This year for Valentine’s Day I decided to make my fiance a bath caddy for the tub. I’ve been wanting to make this project for quite a while and I thought Valentine’s Day was the perfect excuse. Check out the video to follow along and see how I made it!

This project requires buying some hardware from a kit from Wood River which is available at Woodcraft.com

I purchased the large cheese slicer kit in black finish for $12, which you can pick up here: Large Cheese Slicer Kit

They also have kits available in a smaller size and chrome finish option.Here’s the rest of the stuff you’ll need to tackle this project on your own:

DIY Cheese Cutting Board Tools:

• Tablesaw
• Chop saw or miter saw
• 1/4″ drill bit
• Wood glue
• Drill press or cordless drill
• Planer (Optional)
• Orbital sander
• Palm Router & Round over bit (Optional)

Step #1: Prep Materials

The first thing to do is to get all the wood you’re going to be using ripped and cut to rough dimension. You’ll need enough wood for basically a 10″ x 6″ x 1″ rough rectangle to start with which we’ll later cut down to 9 1/2″ x 5 3/4″ x 3/4″. This is the recommended size that comes in the instructions with the kit. (I decided to make mine a little thicker for the finished board so I ended with a 1″ board and started with my boards at 1 1/4″. For my project I used off cuts and scrap pieces from previous builds and had 4 different types of wood (maple, walnut, cherry, and mahogany). You can use any type of wood that you have available or even use one solid piece of wood if you wanted to instead of the multi-colored board I made.

Rip the pieces of wood to your desired thickness and then cross-cut them down to roughly 10″ long.

Step #2: Glue Up

I’m using DAP’s Rapid Fuse for this project because it’s very fast setting and I’m working to get this done quickly (and full disclosure they are a sponsor of mine so I like to use their products as much as possible). It works great for this project because it’s a small glue up so I don’t need a ton of working time to get it done. Keep in mind if you’re using Rapid Fuse you don’t need nearly as much as traditional yellow glue.

The clamps I’m using are Jet Parallel clamps and a Dewalt trigger clamp. The total set up time is about a half hour but the Rapid Fuse sets in about 3 minutes so you have to work a little quickly.

STEP 3: Dimensioning & Planing

Next you’ll need to cut your cutting board down to it’s finished dimensions and either plane or sand it down to it’s final thickness. The order in which you do these 2 things doesn’t really matter. In the video, I cut the board down to size and then planed it down but you could do it the other way around if you wanted to.

Again, the final dimensions I went with were 9 1/2″ x 5 3/4″ x 1″. If you don’t have a planer you could just sand the board down which would take a bit more time, but totally doable if you don’t have a planer.

Step #4: Kerf Cut & Drilling & Adding Hardware

Next you’ll need to make the kerf cut for the wire to pass through. The instructions call for this to be 3″ from the right end of the board at 3/8″ deep. Because I made my board slightly thicker I adjusted the blade depth to 1/2″ for my cut.

With the kerf cut, it’s time to drill out the 1/4″ diameter hole for the arm to go in.
This is the trickiest part of the whole build because it requires drilling a 90 degree hole in the end of the board 3 7/8″ deep. I actually had to chuck my drill bit at it’s very end in order to make it deep enough because the bit I had wasn’t that long. If you don’t have a drill press this can be a little tricky but Izzy Swan has a pretty good video on how to drill a 90 degree hole without a drill press that you can check out here. 

I test fitted the hardware and found that the arm and wire didn’t quite line up with the kerf I cut, but I bent the arm slightly and it lined up perfectly. It was pretty easy to adjust.

Step #5: Finishing

I used a palm router and a 1/4″ round over bit to clean up the edges on the board before sanding it down to 220 grit with the orbital sander. You could skip the router if you don’t have one or maybe just want a more rectangular board. You could also just knock the corners down with the sander. Up to you.

Lastly I added a couple coats of Howard’s Butcher Block Conditioner to bring out the grain and seal the board and reinstalled the hardware and this project is finished!

Thank you for checking out this project! I hope it inspires you to tackle your own cheese board! Please tag me in your projects on instagram mrfixitdiy so I can follow along!