Furniture & Woodworking How-Tos
How To: Repair an Old Wooden Chair
Unscrew chair and knock apart gently with a rubber mallet. To fix a broken stretch, use quick dry polyurethane glue, using plenty (better to have too much than too little)
How To: Remove Watermarks from Wooden Surfaces
Everyone has those watermarks when you forgot to use a coaster but the solution is easy!! Here is a little step by step guide and a little video that might help - let me know what you think!
How To: Faux Ebonise Wood
If you have some worn scuffed wood and want to give it a little bit of life. These steps might help you to ebonise, taking half the time!!
How To: Remove a Scratch from an Antique Table
Hi everyone, I have been working on some videos and tips about restoring antique furniture, in this tutorial, I will be showing you how to remove a scratch from a wooden table.
How To: Make a Garden Trug
This is a simple design built from reclaimed wood and purchased ¼” wood slats. It cost very little and only took a couple of hours to complete the build. The goal was light weight, shallow and wide for collecting leafy vegetables, easy to handle and somewhat attractive.
How To: Make a Scroll Saw Pattern
This method can be used on any kind of scroll saw pattern. Animals, people, inanimate objects, etc. Done on paper and scanned onto my computer only to clean them up and color them in to display. Three part series.
How To: Make a Portrait Scroll Saw Pattern
I do mine on paper and in these two videos I will show you how to do them. Doesn't involve a computer unless you want to clean them up and color them in to show others.
How To: Make a Vase from a Slab of Wood Using a Scroll Saw
The video link included shows in text how I do it from start to finish. The description tells a little more. This particular vase is made of Aromatic Cedar and is 10 inches around.
How To: Build a Puzzle Box
Watch the video and animation for to see how it works. The drawing(free PDF download) is included in the description of the videos.
How To: This DIY Burger King "Fly-Thru" Dishes Out Fast Food for the Birds
As our society and population grows, more developments such as housing and restaurants are built. While this is beneficial for us, it's not so great for the environment and the animals that occupy it. Some of the victims of our prosperity have been the birds, forced from their natural habitats.
How To: These Google Maps Birdhouses Make It Easy for Birds to Find Their Way Home
With Google Maps, we can fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo to Paris and New York—all in a matter of seconds. We can zoom in with relative ease and flock around the city of our choice, checking out restaurants, historical landmarks, traffic and scuba divers. Easily the most recognizable and iconic part of Google Maps are the markers that signify all of these locations and point of interests. The iconic markers have already spurred artists to create Google Map inspired art pieces—with one such arti...
How To: Build a Passive Solar Garage Door and Keep Your Garage Warm During Winter
I hate being cold. That's why I live in Los Angeles. But, there are plenty of folks who are experiencing some pretty chilly temperatures this year, despite global warming, and one of the worst places affected is the garage. C'mon, who has a freakin' heater in their garage?
How To: Make a Super Cheap Coffee-Stained Wood Pallet Coffee Table
Turning unused items into usable pieces of furniture is a great way to save money and create some really good-looking pieces for your room. And nothing beats repurposing old wooden pallets. Redditor BaconStripsandFishin used old wooden pallets and a month's worth of coffee to create his own unique coffee table. To make this, unscrewed all of the wooden panels (top and bottom), placed them all together, and then screwed them back in reusing those same nails. Once he had all of the board togeth...
Quick Tip: Fix a Stripped Screw Hole in Five Minutes with Toothpicks
There's nothing that halts progress on a DIY project like a stripped screw. It's incredibly frustrating to get out, and that's just the beginning of your problems. Once it's out, you might also have to fix the hole if you want to use it for anything else. There are tons of ways to do this, but if you're looking for something quick and simple, Chris over on Man Made DIY has you covered.
How To: Bend Plywood Strips with Glue and Clamps for a Curved Look
You may know how to cut and sand plywood, but bending it is a totally different skill set you need to master, but this woodworking how-to will show you the right moves in seven easy steps. In the video, a bend is being applied to plywood for a curved chair leg, but this method could be used for any kind of plywood bends.
How To: Take Perfect Pictures of Your Handmade Projects
In order to take the perfect picture of your handmade wooden project, it's helpful to have a lightbox that's similar to what professionals use but definitely cheaper to make yourself.
How To: Make a wood ring
A wooden ring can be a beautiful, handcrafted item of jewelry, rare and unquiet. This excellent how to will show you the steps necessary to turn your own wooden ring on a lathe and then finish it for wearing. The wood used in this video is Cocobolo, a lovely hardwood that will weather nicely over time. Check it out! You'll need a block of hardwood, a lathe, lathe tools, sand paper, bees wax and mineral oil. You'll also want to wear protective eye wear as well.
How To: Construct your own accent bench for extra storage
This is a great DiY carpentry project! A comfortable place for people to sit outdoors, with three small cubbyholes for extra storage. A great project for the weekend DiY woodworker, this project is sure to impress visitors to your home.
How To: Put together your own clothes hamper at home
This video series is a complete tutorial, showing you how to construct your own wooden clothes hamper. This is a stylish and elegant way to keep your clothes - or store anything else you need a little extra room for!
How To: Build, finish and paint your own accent table at home
An accent table is a great addition to any room, especially if storage is at a premium in your living space. This project won't take longer than a weekend to complete, and you can finish it in any color to match your decor.
How To: Build your own pub table and matching stools
This style of table is often only seen at restaurants, but you can easily build a set for your own home - a square, high-set pub table with four matching stools. A stylish addition to any kitchen or dining room.
How To: Construct a smooth, sculpted wooden trestle table
If you've been interested in making a unique, smooth sculpted trestle table, look no further and watch this video. The trestle table is one of the oldest table forms known to man and its elegant yet sturdy form lives on to this day.
How To: Make a natural bird feeder as a Christmas present
This is a super easy project that uses all natural products - starting with a birch log! You will also need a drill to make the holes in the log, as well as some wire to hang it from a tree with.
How To: Build a small wooden gift box out of scraps
Making gifts for people is one of the best ways to save money and show them your care on Christmas. Why not take it a step further by making the box you put your present in? This video will show you how to make a simple wooden box out of scrap wood using a router.
How To: Make a rustic box out of a log of applewood
If you're lucky enough to have a large backyard, or perhaps even a plot of land, then you probably have several trees on hand. If for whatever reason one or two of these trees needs to be cut down, don't just dispose of the wood!
How To: Craft a decorative white wood swing flower pot holder
Your flower pots will look simply prosh when you tuck them inside this beautiful decorative white wood swing flower pot holder. Resembling a real life garden swing, this flower pot holder actually does swing, in case you're wondering.
How To: Construct a streamlined table saw sled
Why do you need a table saw sled? A table saw sled allows you to have significantly more control over your cutting projects than you would just with your hands, and allows for special cutting angles. A table saw sled also holds your work in place.
How To: Revamp a junk table with paint
In this tutorial, we learn how to revamp a junk table with paint. If you find a cheap junk table, buy it! Just grab some paint brushes and a nice white or cream colored paint. Then, use the brushes to brush a white undercoat onto the entire table. After this has dried fully, take any color of paint that you would like to match your decor. From here, paint the entire piece until it's full coated. You may have to apply another coat to make it soak in fully. When finished, let it dry and use it ...
How To: Paint furniture with Formica surfaces and metal hardware
It's not always an easy task to paint used furniture, especially when you're dealing with Formica, which is a hard durable plastic laminate used on countertops, cupboards and some furniture pieces. This video will show you the steps required to start painting a Formica surface. Also, you'll learn how to properly prepare metal hardware to be painted.
How To: Make a wall treatment with reclaimed wood for your apartment
This is a classy and environmentally friendly way to give your home a wall treatment with reclaimed wood. You can find reclaimed lumber from nearly any lumberyard, especially green ones. Make sure you get the right tools and hardware, as well!
How To: Make a wood picture easel using hand tools
In this clip, we learn how to make a wood picture easel using only hand tools. It's easy! So easy, in fact, that this video woodworking lesson can present a complete overview of the build in just over eight minutes. For all of the details, and to get started making your own wooden picture easels, take a a look!
How To: Paint metal patio furniture with the Home Depot
In this DIY guide from the folks at the Home Depot, we learn how to prepare a patio set for painting. It's easy! So easy, in fact, that this clip can present a complete overview of the technique in about a minute. For all of the details, take a look.
HowTo: Make Impossible Gears
Gears: a set of toothed wheels that work together to alter the relation between the speed of a driving mechanism (such as the engine) and the speed of the driven parts (the wheels).
How To: Begin using a woodcarving knife
In this tutorial, we learn how to begin using a woodcarving knife. Before you go into the detail, you will want to make sure you have it carved right. The carving all starts in the block of the wood. There will be a couple initial cuts that you will do with a knife after marking the wood with a pencil. Do repetitive cuts to get the right shapes. Also do an 's' curve and hit the lines right. If you want to make this look like a v-tool then you just need to make it with your knife. Have fun and...
How To: Make a wood slit drum with woodworking tools
Looking for your next woodworking project? Why not a wood slit drum? It's easy! So easy, in fact, that this DIY guide can present a complete overview of the process in about minutes. For all of the details, and to get started making your own one-of-a-kind slit drum, take a look.
How To: Make wooden salad tongs with woodworking tools
Looking for your next woodworking project? Why not a pair of wood salad tongs? They're easy! So easy, in fact, that this DIY guide can present a complete overview of the process in about minutes. For all of the details, and to get started making your own one-of-a-kind salad tongs, take a look.
How To: Use a nail set & punch for woodworking
Bob Schmidt teaches us how to use a nail set & punch for woodworking. A nail set is a traditional kit that you can find anywhere. The nail set punch does not require a hammer to use and is very easy to figure out. Place this on a nail and then pull the spring back. Keep the pressure towards the nail head and it will drive the nail right into the hole that you need it to go in. This is great if you have a nail that needs to go into the wall but the hammer will not fit where you need it to. Any...
How To: Make a sign using a wood router
This is a video tutorial in the Home & Garden category where you are going to learn how to make a sign using a wood router free hand. For this you will need a router. The kind of router you use is not so very important. But, what is important is the router bit. It should be a “V” shaped bit for doing free hand work. There are lots of bits you can use. First you fix the depth of the cutter so that only a little bit of the router bit is exposed. You should not be seeing too much of the bit abov...
How To: Frame a wall 16 inch out on a subwall
In this tutorial, we learn how to frame a wall 16 inch out on a subwall with Bob Schmidt. First, grab some straight plates for the top and bottom plates of the wall. Then, you will need a framing square as well. When doing a layout for the wall, you will first need to lay the plates next to each other. Then, find the red marks at the typical wall stud layout. Go ahead and make your first mark at 3 quarters back from every red stud mark. Then, place the framing square on the wood and line it u...
How To: Build pet steps for your animals with Lowe's
In this tutorial we learn how to build pet steps for your animals with Lowe's. Start out with making the lines for the sides of our steps on a piece of ply wood. Cut these out with a circular saw and then start assembling the steps. Use wood glue, nails and a hammer to do this. After you have these assembled from the bottom up you can insert the steps for the inside of the stairs. Make sure all of this is secure and everything is nailed in properly. Then, add in padding to the steps for your ...