Make a DIY Monitor Stand for a Smart TV

I made a DIY monitor stand for my new Vizio 24" Smart TV.  The stand has a height adjustment that can put the TV at eye level for computer use.  Check out the video and pictures below.

I created a set of cutting templates for this project.  Click here to download the PDF of my templates.  This stand is designed for a Vizio D24F Smart TV, so you may have to adjust the templates if you are making this project for a different TV.

The Vizio D24F Smart TV has mounting holes that are 10cm apart on center.  The holes require four metric M4 screws.  I used 16mm long screws that were too short to go through 3/4" lumber, so I drilled counter-bores to recess the screws.  Make sure there is only about 1/4" of screw that goes into the TV to prevent the screw from damaging internal components.

I made my own adjustment knob using epoxy and a 1/4"-20 bolt cut to size.  It screws into a standard 1/4"-20 threaded insert in the bracket.  This worked out great and saved me time and money by eliminating a trip to the hardware store.

Isn't that walnut just beautiful?  This was an easy custom project that can be made with just a jig saw and a drill.  If you need a monitor stand, try making one yourself!

PROJECT UPDATE!  After using the stand for a few days, I realized that the back of the TV is a little rounded, and as a result, the monitor was tilted forward slightly.  I decided to cut the bottom of the upright piece at a 3-degree angle so the monitor would tilt back a little.  This simple fix did the trick!

Make 15 Picture Frames with a Scroll Saw!

I created an eBook of 15 Scroll Saw Picture Frames for a presentation I did for the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association.  Check out the video below, and if you like what you see, Click Here to purchase my eBook of all 15 templates!

I made all of these projects using my Dewalt DW788 Scroll Saw.  If you have other tools, such as a tablesaw, you can use them to prepare your blanks and make most of the straight cuts to save some time.  If you don't have a scroll saw, you can use a jig saw for most of the interior cuts and a coping saw for the fine-detailed interior cuts.

Here is a low-res preview of my eBook of 15 Scroll Saw Picture Frames in case you are wondering what's included.  It contains 50 pages of templates, photos, and information for making these picture frames.

Let's take a closer look at each picture frame.  All of these frames consist of a main board with an opening cut for a photo, then a smaller face frame is glued on top to hold the picture in.  Check them out and enjoy!  Happy woodworking!

Alphabet Frame

Baseball Frame

Basketball Frame

Captain's Wheel Frame

Circle Frame Key Holder

Clock Picture Frame

Cube Frame

Curved Frame

Diamond Frame

Football Frame

Gravity Defying Picture Frame

Hinged Frame

Music Note Frame

Rocket Frame

Soccer Frame

Review of the New 2017 Inventables X-Carve with Upgrades

Inventables, the maker of the X-Carve CNC Machine, contacted me and asked if I would like a free 2017 X-Carve with upgrades so that I can compare it to the previous 2015 model.  They wanted my honest opinion about the improved assembly process and upgrades, so that's what I gave them in my video review below.

To learn more about Inventables and their products, please click the affiliate links below so they know I sent you.

• Interested in the X-Carve? Click here for specs and pricing!
• Need to upgrade your X-Carve?  Check out the X-Carve Upgrade Kit!
• Wanna design something in Easel? Click here, it's FREE!
• Have you seen Carvey yet? Click here to check it out!

My first project on the new X-Carve is this picture frame.  It's a one-sided carve and the picture is held in place by bending a piece of clear acrylic and wedging it between two frames.  The frame can be customized for any theme by changing the words.  I was going to leave the letters plain, but my wife decided I should paint them...she was right as usual!  Click here to view and copy my Easel project.

Overall, I really like the new X-Carve and the upgrades that they've made.  The assembly seemed easier this time although it still took me about 10 hours over the course of a week.  I made a new table for the X-Carve that is 40"x52" and it fits nicely.  I am donating my old X-Carve to my local woodworking club, the Gwinnett Woodworkers Association, so more people can learn how to use a CNC machine.

Here's what I like about the new 2017 X-Carve:

1. The holes in the ends of the extrusions come pre-tapped with threads.  That was 3-4 hours of torture on the old X-Carve that has been eliminated.  Thank you Inventables!
2. The Dust Collection Kit is awesome and works incredibly well.  It's my favorite upgrade.
3. It's good to see the Dewalt DW611 is the stock spindle now.  Upgrading an older X-Carve spindle with this DW611 Mount is easy.
4. The X-Controller has more power which will help drive the machine through a variety of materials better, especially with the added weight of the Dewalt router and dust boot.  I really like the pause/play controls and the e-stop button that are on it and the sideboard is a nice addition.
5. The gantry rail is now a solid square extrusion, which is much sturdier than the pair of thin maker slides that were on the old X-Carve.
6. The drag chain and cable management features are much improved.
7. The eccentric spacers that are held on by nylon lock nuts will eliminate the issue of the eccentric nuts coming loose on the old X-Carve.
8. The Z-Probe is cool and eliminates the need to used a slip of paper to set the bit height.
9. The new Belt Sleeves are a better solution than tape for keeping belts from slipping..
10. The 60 Piece Clamp Set makes clamping materials up to 1.75" thick much easier.  You could not do that with the old wooden clamp set.

These are the areas that I think still need some improvement:

1. Belt tension causes problems for lots of people.  A different method of driving the router around could be more user friendly, but I suppose it would increase the price.
2. I found some discrepancies in the assembly instructions and pictures.  I submitted my notes to Inventables so they can make corrections to help future customers.
3. The DeWalt router comes very close to the Z axis plate as it nears the homing switch.  More clearance would be nice.
4. A knob should be included in the kit for raising and lowering the router manually.  Bob at I Like to Make Stuff designed this one that can be 3D printed.
5. The kit contains the exact amount of most parts.  I had a few leftovers that must be extras, but I still wonder if I missed something.
6. There is a small packet of lubricant in the kit, but no mention of it in the instructions.  I found a user forum post that explained it was for the threaded rod.  I didn't use the lubricant because I thought sawdust might stick to the rod and gunk it up.  Others recommended dry lube.
7. A storage rack for the clamps, wrenches, z-probe, etc would be nice.  I found several rack designs by other users in the Inventables projects, so that will be my second project.

Thanks for checking out my review of the new 2017 Inventables X-Carve!  If you have any questions about it, message me on my Contact Page or visit Inventables and check out their User Forum.  There are lots of people there willing to help!  Stay dusty my friends!

Half Lap Picture Frames

My daughter asked me to frame some artwork that has pictures of her with her granddad.  I don't recall ever making half lap picture frames before, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to try it and add half laps to my bag of tricks.

I don't use my dado blade set much because it feels inconvenient to switch out the blades, but it really only takes a few minutes. The dado set makes cutting half laps and making picture frames a breeze.  I made some test cuts on a scrap piece to dial in the height of the blade to cut exactly half way through the board.  I use the fence as a stop to make sure the length of the half lap was exactly the same as the width of the frame pieces.

I chose to cut the half laps on opposite faces of each board, so that one board would overlap the next board around the frame.  This gives the frames a more unique look as opposed to just two of the boards overlapping the other two boards.

Spray lacquer really brought out the spalting patterns in this white oak.  I'm really pleased with how these turned out and they look great in my daughter's room.  I'll be using my dado blade set more often for other projects now.

How to Make a DIY Makeup Organizer!

This DIY Makeup Organizer project was a special request from my beautiful daughter.  It's hard to believe that she is old enough for make-up!  Watch my video of this project, and if you know someone who would like one of these too, more details and measurements are provided below.

For this project, you will need some 1x4 boards from the home center, which are actually 3.5" wide.  Buy enough for four 12" pieces and two 26" pieces, plus a 13.5" long piece for the top.  I used a wider board for the top so that I could make it an arch, but a straight board would work just fine.

I found the wire mesh trays and pencil holders at the Dollar Tree dollar store.  The shelves are about 5.5" apart to allow for different size bottles and brushes.  If you buy different organizer bins, you may need to adjust the measurements so they will fit.

The top piece is 13.5" long with notches in each bottom corner so it overlaps the sides.  I used a wider board so I could make the arch, but another 12" straight piece of 1x4 would look nice too.

I cut my daughter's initials out of black walnut with the scroll saw and glued them on.  I think natural wood grain accents looks nice on painted projects.  You can use a coping saw to cut letters or buy wooden letters at a hobby store.  My daughter really likes the makeup organizer and I enjoyed making it for her...Win Win!

Sidebar Conversation Shop Update with RZ Mask Discount Code!

Here is my latest shop update video.  I haven't done one of these in 4 months so it's long overdue.  I follow up on some of my recent projects and talk about some other recent news.  Check it out.

Need a new dust mask?  Check out the RZ Mask at RZMask.com and get 15% off  your entire purchase with my affiliate discount code RZSteveC at checkout!  The M2 mesh mask with a velcro strap has been my main mask for the last year.  Their new version M2.5 is similar with traditional adjustable elastic straps instead of velcro.

Watch Sterling Davis' video below on the SCROLLNADO, then click here to check it out on Amazon.

Visit the Video Woodworkers website to get info on the upcoming event June 23-24 in Oklahoma!

Thanks for visiting my website and don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter!  Steve...

Graduate Picture Frame and Tassel Holder Project

My son is graduating from high school this year, so I made him a Graduation Picture Frame and Tassel holder.  Check out the video below and download my template if you know a 2017 graduate who deserves one.

The picture and glass are held in by a thin mitered frame in contrasting wood.  I used a plywood backer board and hot glue to secure the picture.

I used a brass cuphook to hang the tassel.  Pre-drilling a small hole into the wood was a little tricky, but made screwing in the hook really easy.

Drill small starter holes in each letter and number, then cut them out with a scroll saw.  I used a #3 blade, which cut through the maple nicely leaving a smooth finish.  If you have a graduate from another year, just use MS Word to print the year and replace the 2017.

This was a fun project that was easy to complete in a weekend.  If you would like to make one of these for your graduate, please subscribe to my newsletter and download the template below.  When printing the template, select the ACTUAL SIZE option in printer settings to maintain scale.  Have fun!

• Class of 2015 Template
• Class of 2016 Template
• Class of 2017 Template
• Class of 2018 Template
• Class of 2019 Template (including extra numbers)

Making a Shadow Box Display Case for a US Army Veteran's Cane

This week I had the honor of making a Shadow Box Display Case for a cane that belonged to a United States Army P.O.W.

This project was made from Poplar with Western Red Cedar splines.  I cut a rabbet on one side of each board to accept the 1/4" plywood back.  I also cut a groove on the other side of each board to accept the front clear acrylic panel.

This U.S. Army Veteran was a Staff Sergeant, so I added a stripes emblem made from Poplar and Walnut.

The family provided me some information to make a small plaque for the display case.  I used my Inventables X-Carve to carve the plaque.  It does a much better job at carving letters than I ever could.  I sprayed the plaque with a few coats of lacquer, then sprayed flat black paint into the letters.  I wiped off the surface paint with mineral spirits and sanded any remaining paint off, then sprayed a few more coats of lacquer to seal it.

I found the perfect U.S Army fabric for the background at Walmart of all places, and attached it with spray adhesive.  I attached a picture hanging wire to the back for easy hanging.  There is room for the family to add pictures or other items into the shadow box.  This was a fun and inspirational project.  Thank you Mr. Perkins for your service!

Polkadot Paddle of Love

I received a custom order for a Polkadot Paddle.  Apparently custom wooden paddles are a thing!  This was a quick and easy project that I was able to make and ship in just two days.   Check out the video!

The paddle is 5.5" wide and 24" long.  If you or someone you know would love to have a Polkadot Paddle, click here to download my free template!

Makers Rock Van Halen II Album Artwork and Giveaway!

Makers Rock is back!  This time the theme was 1960's and 70's album artwork and I recreated the cover for Van Halen II.  Check out the video below and then scroll down on this page to enter my giveaway to win it!

I am giving away the wooden Van Halen II album artwork with stand.  The real vinyl album is NOT included, because I will be needing that this Summer!

Enter the Giveaway Below Using Facebook or Email!

This giveaway is for legal residents 18 and older in the USA ONLY (sorry International friends).  You must enter before 11:59pm Pacific on March 30th, because I'm drawing a winner randomly on March 31st.  The random winner will display automatically in this Rafflecopter widget thingy and I will notify the winner by email.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond before I move on and select a different winner.  Good luck and rock on!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Click here to watch all of the Makers Rock 2017 Album Art videos!

Disclaimer:  YouTube and Google are NOT affiliated with this giveaway in any way.

Makers Rock 2017 Announcement!

Makers Rock is back!  On Friday, March 24th, watch YouTube for 1960's and 70's album art project videos from several makers.  Watch this video for more info and subscribe to all of the channels below so you don't miss any of them.  Oh yeah, we are giving them away too!

Makers Rock 2017 Participants:

• Awesome Wood Things 
• Shogun-Jimi 
• Woodified 
• MidwestManMountain Home & Garden DIY 
• Dylans DIY Workshop 
• The woodworking Junkie  
• Miter Mike's Woodshop  
• Southern Ginger Workshop 
•  Vintage Wood Workshop 

Click here catch up on last year's 2016 Makers Rock event!

DIY Road Case for Live Audio Gear

I made a DIY Road Case for my son's band Mirthless.  Check out this video of the build plus footage of the band using the road case live on stage in Atlanta.

I enjoy making projects that combine my woodworking and live music hobbies.  When my son needed a road case for his audio gear, I got to work.  The road case holds his laptop in a drawer, a digital audio interface, and the guitarist's effect pedal board.  The laptop controls the pedal board for the guitarist and plays their backing tracks, which are sent to the PA system and the drummers earbud monitors.

I could not find a good latch or hasp to hold the two front doors closed in the middle, so I made one.  It's basically a lever that is held in place by a notched piece of wood, similar to something you might see on a fence gate or barn door.

The back of the case has a removable panel that is held on by Velcro.  It also contains the cables inside the case during transport.  Hand-holds cut into each side and 3" casters make it easy to move the road case around.

I mounted a power strip inside to power all of the gear.  All of the inputs and outputs are easily accessible by removing the back panel.

The road case worked out well at the first live show.  You can see it in the bottom-left corner of this picture. It should last for many more gigs, at least until the band hits the big time and can afford the expensive stuff!  Click here to visit the Mirthless Facebook Page!

Making a Wooden Atlanta Falcons Logo

After a lifetime of watching other teams win the Superbowl, it's great to see the Atlanta Falcons getting a chance in Superbowl LI.  Watch me make an Atlanta Falcons logo out of wood to hang in my shop!  Click here to download my template.

I was born in Atlanta and have lived here all of my life.  My father would take me to Atlanta Falcons football games at the old Fulton County Stadium.  It would be freezing cold and the sun would be shining in my face.  I remember asking my dad "Why do they play football on a baseball field?"  LOL  This logo is a fun segmentation woodworking project.  Maybe you could make your team's logo out of wood too!

Make a 3D Printer Enclosure for a Prusa i3 RepRap 3D Printer!

I made an enclosure for my Folger Tech Prusa i3 RepRap 3D Printer to protect it from sawdust in the shop.  This project is specific to my 3D printer, but I hope it gives you some ideas on how to build an enclosure or display case for other items as well.

I used a combination of 3/4" plywood, 1/2" plywood, 1/4" plywood, and 1/4" plexiglass for this project.  I had all of the materials on-hand left over from other projects.  Below are the dimensions for the main parts.

• Top and Bottom - 18" wide x 22.75" deep (3/4" plywood)
• Sides - 23" wide x 22" tall (1/2" plywood)
• Back - 18" x 18" (1/4" plywood)
• Control Panel Cover - 18" wide x 4.25" tall (3/4" plywood)

Building the small box for the 3D printer controls was a blast.  I made careful measurements and designed it myself.  I cut all the parts from 1/4" plywood and glued them together with wood glue.  I used this On/Off Lighted Rocker Switch for the printer and LED lights.  If you have the same controller, click here to download my PDF template of the controller box.

This was a fun project and a great opportunity to use up some plywood and plexiglass materials that were taking up space in my shop.  Look out for a 3D printed project coming soon!

Shop Update to Kick Off 2017!

Here's a quick Sidebar Conversation shop update to kick off 2017!  Happy New Year!