Make Pens from Drumsticks!

I made some pens for troops out of my broken drumsticks for James Green's Pen Turning Challenge.  Used drumsticks are a great source of nice wood for pens and other projects.  If you know a drummer, ask them for some sticks!  Watch me make one in this video!

Sidebar Conversation - Stickers, The Woodworking Show, Shop Stool, Pen Challenge, SawSquawk Birdhouse, Newsletter

This week is going to be a busy one in the shop with projects going on, plus The Woodworking Show is coming this weekend.  I'm looking forward to a 4-day weekend hanging out with my YouTube woodworking buddies and meeting people who watch our videos.  If you are in the Atlanta area, stop by The Woodworking Show at the North Atlanta Trade Center this weekend and say hello!

Notes:

• Wanna trade stickers?  Click here to email me!  Wanna buy a sticker? Visit my Etsy Store!
• Visit the Video Woodworkers website to find out who will be at the show this weekend.
• Stop by the Gwinnett Woodworkers booth to see some of my projects.
• Read my article and get the plans for my Shop Stool Project.
• Get more info on the James Green Pen Turning Challenge.
• Have you seen my SawSquawk Birdhouse?
• In case you missed it, I was on the Let's Talk Shop With Russ show.
• Sign up for my newsletter!  On the right-hand side of my website, there is a place where you can enter your email to get my content delivered straight to your inbox.  I plan on coming up with some stuff that you can only get through my newsletter.
• Be awesome and buy a T-Shirt from my Spreadshirt Store!

Thanks for watching and I'll have some new video projects for you real soon!  - Steve...

Make a Shop Stool or Bar Stool!

I needed a new Shop Stool and couldn't find one I liked, so I made one and customized it with my screen printed logo.  This is a simple project that can also be used as a bar stool.  There are no complicated angled cuts.  Watch the video to see how I made it.

I was able to customize the height so it is perfect for my workbench.  I also made it shallow enough so it will slide completely under the workbench to keep sawdust from falling on it.  Click here to download the PDF of my measured drawing.

I learned to do screen printing in 7th grade, so I was able to print my shop logo on the top of the stool.  It turned out looking pretty nice.  Click here to watch my screenprinting video.  The hard part was upholstering the seat with the fabric and staple gun.  I was able to get that done after watching many YouTube videos on upholstery.

I used hex head Spax Powerlag screws and wood glue to assemble the stool.  I painted them black and scuffed them up a bit for a worn look, and they turned out looking great.  The stool is very solid and does not move or wiggle at all.  I do recommend that you pre-drill holes for the screws to avoid splitting the wood, even though the label says it's not necessary.  Also, make sure you stagger the screws by about 1/4" so they do not run into each other inside the wood.

The 3" padding from Hobby Lobby is really comfortable and I suspect a store-bought stool would not be as comfortable as this one.  If you need a shop stool or bar stools, consider making your own the way you want them.  Thanks for checking out my project.  Now, I'm going to go relax in the shop on my new stool!

I was on Let's Talk Shop With Russ Sat Mar 5th!

Russell Claridy of Simply Wooden Creations invited me to be the guest on his live show Let's Talk Shop with Russ this Saturday, March 5th at 8pm (EST).  Below is a link to the replay of the show if you would like to watch.

In case you haven't seen Russ's show, here is the last episode featuring Sean Rubino from Spunjin Works.  Sean shared the router inlay techniques he uses to create beautiful pieces of inlay art.  It's a must see episode!

Russ also recently had Chad Stanton and Safety Dan of Wood Choppin' Time on the show.  Wood Choppin' Time is one of my favorite channels because they create some great projects with a little comedy thrown in.  Here is the replay of that show.

I'm looking forward to being on the show and interacting with all of you who watch my videos on YouTube.  See you Saturday night!