Diagram 1 |
Diagram 2 |
Hammers and Nails |
Hi� I�m Brandt Brenneman,� I�m 14,� and I have been doing woodworking projects since I was 9. Almost everything that I know about woodworking I had to learn myself with books, magazines and through trial and error. I started by making a simple step stool then a set of sawhorses and now I�m making coffee tables, shelves and lofts. So you can see that if you start with small simple things you can work your way up to the big nice things.
Don�t get discouraged if you make some big mistakes at first, I made lots of them and I still do. When I made the first step stool I decided to sand with a brand new belt sander that I had never operated before. I didn�t know that this tool can take off a lot of wood in a very short amount of time. That step stool has so many swoops and gouges in it that it can now hold water if you spill on it. Then, to top things off, I had never learned how to apply a stain and I didn�t read the label so I tried to apply it like paint, and it looks like it, in a shade of very dark brown.
If you haven�t guessed by now, my first step stool didn�t turn out very well, but it was through these mistakes that I learned almost everything I know now. If you make a mistake just try to work your way through it. That�s how you learn things.
I will put a simple project in this newsletter every month and if you do all the ones that you can you will be pretty good at wood working in a year or two. It took me 5 years to finally get any good at woodworking. Here�s your first project: A Simple Step StoolThis is a plan for a simple step stool it isn�t hard or expensive and it�s very handy around the house for the little children. You can make one for each bathroom sink and one for the kitchen.
Items needed: ���������� ��������� Wood�������������������������� �� ��������Tools Quant.�� ���������������� What it is������������ ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� Saw 1�������������� ���������������� 2� piece of 1�x8� pine*��������� ���������������� ���������������� Small bar clamp 1�������������� ���������������� 1� piece of 1�x3�pine*����������� ���������������� ���������������� Drill with bit that fits screws 1 ���������������� Small box of 1 �� deck screws���������� ���������������� Measuring tape *you may need to buy a longer piece of wood
What it was�������� ���������������� Quant.�� ���������������� What to cut it to��������������� Letter that it will be ������ ���������������� Use �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� called by in instructions����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2� piece of 1�x8� pine����������� 1��������������� ���������������� 12����������� ���������������� ���������������� A�������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� Top 2� piece of 1�x8� pine����������� 2�������������� ���������������� 5 �������� ���������������� ���������������� B�������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� Legs 1� piece of 1�x3�pine������������ 1��������������� ���������������� 9 �������� ��������������� ���������������� C�������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� Support brace�� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� ���������������� �
Step 1Cut out all your wood and sand them with 220 grit sandpaper. When you sand, always sand with the grain of the wood.
Step 2Take both pieces of B, and clamp them to a bench on top of each other using the bar clamp. Now take your saw and cut a large notch so that your boards look like the diagram. Make sure that your notch is centered. See Diagram 1 below.�� Step 3Take your clamp and measuring tape and center C, between both B�s. See Diagram 2 below.�� Put two screws through B, and into C, make sure that they are flush. Step 4Next take A, and put it on the top of your assembled piece, center it and screw it on. Step 5Now you can stain and varnish it. When you stain wood always read the label before you even open the can. Follow the instructions exactly. Do the same thing with the varnish.
If you have any questions about this project, or woodworking in general, feel free to send me an e-mail at [email protected]
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what to do when your young man is bored |
Date: 11/05 |