We are living in difficult economic times. Many of us are having to tighten our belts and this may extend to woodworking projects.
Popular Mechanics has a page on their website listing eight different easy woodworking projects that emphasize frugality by such tactics as using reclaimed wood and avoiding high cost machinery. The eight projects themselves are from the website Instructables, which gives step-by-step instructions on how to complete them in detail with pictures.
I recently visited the 2 sites mentioned above, and although the Popular mechanics site still shows the projects each with a photo and short description, I was not able to find the step by step instructions at Instructables. Amazon has however have a range of resources for frugal woodworking projects. Some of these are listed below this post.
The projects are as follows:
1. A table made from reclaimed wood. The finished product is a stylish, modern-looking table with steel legs. The reclaimed wood has to have nails, staples, and other debris removed and must be sanded before it is ready to use. As an alternative, the legs can also be made from reclaimed wood. I have in fact made tables and other furniture from wood taken from packing crates. This wood takes a lot longer to prepare first, but was is spent in extra time is made up in a substantial reduction in cost.
2. A method of flattening out lumber without using a jointer. A jointer is an expensive, specialized piece of equipment that many of us do not have access to. This article explains how to use a sanding drum in place of a jointer.
3. Projects using old fence boards. Several projects are detailed in this article using fence boards as old as fifty years. They include a router table, saw stand, picture frames, kitchen hutch, signs, and fence gate.
4. A substitute for a lathe. This project shows how to use a drill and grindstone for wood-turning instead of using a professional lathe. It includes a method for creating identical objects such as drawer handles as well as how to create a unique object.
5. Woodworking without metal hardware or glue. This project explains how to make mortise-and-tenons, hinges and dovetails, and simple joints without using glue or metal fasteners.
6. Stool made from wheelbarrow wheel. A designer describes how he salvaged a wheelbarrow wheel to make a stool with a swivelling seat.
7. Low cost marquetry. This article describes how to use a wood burning tool to draw an image onto a wood plank and stain it to simulate the expensive practice of marquetry.
8. Make your own oars with 2x4s. The process of crafting oars from a 2x4 is described here, avoiding the necessity of buying the expensive item. You must have an existing oar to trace for the project, however.
These projects are worth checking out as low-cost, do-it-yourself ways of creating economical quality projects. Who can afford to be wasteful in these times?
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2X4 Furniture: Simple, Inexpensive & Great-Looking Projects You Can Make List Price: Sale Price: $4.00  |
Description“Numerous woodworking books claim to teach the beginner how to make easy and useful projects with cheap materials. While many fail to live up to these claims, this excellent book does. A variety of projects are covered... |
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Closet Organizer, Plan No. 743 (Woodworking Project Paper Plan) Sale Price: $8.95 |
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Futon Bunk Bed Plans (Woodworking Project Paper Plan) Sale Price: $14.00 |
DescriptionCreate this multi-functional Futon Bunk Bed for your home or dorm. Simply pull two pins and the lower sofa seat will lay down to form the main, full size mattress bed; the single size mattress bunk above is fixed... |
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Timber Bird Bath or Feeder Plan (Woodworking Project Paper Plan) Sale Price: $12.00 |
DescriptionEasily made in one weekend, the materials for this project are inexpensive and makes great seller at craft shows. Simple to make as tall or as short as you like. The plan has two applications, either as a bird feeder or as a bird bath... |
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Country Kitchen Work Table - Paper Plan Sale Price: $12.99 |
DescriptionGive your kitchen a triple upgrade with this attractive workstation designed for food preparation, informal dining, or as a server for family gatherings. Craftsman Craig Bentzley combined strong, simple joinery, inexpensive woods, and the aged look of a crackle finish for this hardworking kitchen work table... |
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Wagner 518080 Control Spray Max HVLP Sprayer List Price: Sale Price: $99.95 |
DescriptionThe Wagner Control Spray Max combines variable air pressure control, a metal spray gun, and a powerful two-stage turbine to make it easier to paint walls and surfaces with latex paints and thinner materials, like lacquers and stains... |
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