Corner Shelf Jig Saw Project

Odd pieces of bric-a-brac or small potted plants can be displayed to advantage by providing an individual shelf to hold them. The photograph shows such a small corner shelf with two dancing Dutch girls.

The figures of the girls will require 3/16" plywood, one piece being 5 5/8" x 9 1/4" and the other 5 7/16"  x 9 1/4". Because of the grain direction shown in Fig. 2, the shelf will require a piece of 1/4" stock 5 1/2" x 8".

A full-size pattern of the Dutch girl will have to be prepared from the graph-squared drawing on a sheet of paper 5 5/8" x 9 1/4" divided into 1/2" squares.

The full-size pattern is glued to the 5 5/8" x 9 1/4" piece of plywood; then thes maller piece (5 7/16" x 9 1/4") is placed under the one to which the pattern has been applied. As noted in Fig. 1, the 3/16" difference between the two pieces is at the inner edge to allow for the butting of the figures when they are assembled.

Since both figures are identical, the two pieces are fastened together temporarily with several 1/2" brads placed within areas that are to be removed. To avoid the need of excessive sanding, the jig saw should be provided with a fine-toothed blade. All pierced sections will require the boring of small holes to permit the jigsaw blade to be passed through.

The decorative small circles bordering the apron on the figures are holes bored as indicated. All pierced sections should be cut first on the jig saw. The outer contour should be left for the final sawing.

If you enjoy projects like this, check out these Books of Easy Jig Saw & Scroll Saw Projects

Click HERE for More Info!

From material cut from discarded one gallon tin cans, an ingenious  craftsman can make many decorative projects such as candle sconces, paper-napkin holders, desk sets and small racks and trays for various purposes. Ideas can be obtained by visiting any well-stocked gift shop.

In using tin for this work, no attempt should be made to imitate the design and finish of projects made of better metals. Instead, the style should resemble in simplicity and directness that of the familiar Mexican tinware. Edges can be scalloped and rounded backwards slightly with pliers. Geometric designs can be sketched on the cut-out parts freehand in pencil, then indented in the metal by making a series of punch marks close together. If continuous straight lines are desired as part of the ornamentation, they can be indented with a sharp screw driver.

An excellent antique finish may be obtained by baking the parts in a hot oven for 20 minutes and plunging them into cold water. This must be done, of course, before any soldering operations.

Looking for more Tin Can Craft Projects?  Check out these Books About Tin Crafts

Playing dart games is much more fun if you have well-made darts, so accurately machined that they will give a consistently uniform performance.

Ever play the game of darts with your lathe? It's double-barreled fun, for after you have spent an enjoyable two or three hours making some darts, you can have the added pleasure of throwing them at a target.

Steps are illustrated in the machining of a dart body from a 7/16" aluminum aircraft bolt. If round bar stock is used, the opera tions are the same.

Clamp the stock in a chuck or collet with about 1 3/4" projecting. Face off the end if necessary. With a center drill in a tailstock chuck, spot a hole in the rod end; then drill it as shown in Fig. 1 to a depth of about 3/8" with a bit of the diameter required to receive the steel point in a drive fit.

Machine about 1 1/2" of the rod to a diameter of 3/8", and round the end for a distance of 3/8" as shown in Fig. 2 to a contour approximating that of the nose of a bomb or rocket. Knurl lightly as shown in Fig. 3 the next 3/8" to enable you to get a firm grip on the dart when throwing it.

Click HERE for More Info!

A novel pair of book ends in the form of large blocks can be made from odd pieces of  1/4" or 3/8" plywood. If the shop is equipped with a bench saw having a tilting table or arbor, no difficulty in the construction of the book ends will be encountered.

To make the pair of book ends, twelve pieces of stock 5 1/2" square will be required. The fence should be set to rip the stock to the required width; then, with the aid of the cut-off guide, the strips should be squared on the ends to produce a finished length exactly the same size as the width.

After all pieces have been cut and squared to size, the saw or table is tilted to an angle of 45°, then the fence reset so as to cut a 45° bevel on the edges and ends of each piece. The bevel cuts should be made with out readjusting the fence.

Assembling the parts will require glue and 1" No. 20 brads. The sides are fastened together by applying glue to the beveled edges and then driving the brads part way into the stock at the joint in order to pin the pieces to gether. The heads of the brads should be cut off and the projecting portion driven in and set with a small nail set.

The top and bottom are applied to the assembled side members in the same manner. The top is secured first; then, in order to weight the book end, the inside should be half filled with dry sand. After the sand is in place, the bottom can be secured to the side members. After giving the glue time to set, the blocks are sandpapered with No. 0
and No. 4/0 sandpaper.

To personalize the book ends, initial overlays made of a contrasting wood veneer are cut and glued to one surface. These may be applied to the side, to or front, depending on one's personal choice. The surface which is to be the bottom has a piece of felt glued to it and trimmed flush with the outside.

If you enjoyed making these bookends, you might also enjoy some of these Easy Woodworking Project Books