How to make a continuous calander

Merry Christmas to all of you.   Hope your all warm safe and with family and friends.

 The days have flown by, and it is soon to be another new year.  What do we need to do?   Oh yeah, we do need a new Calander, don't we?   Every year.   I have a solution, we can make a Calander to last forever and it's easy, and kind of cute.   Best of all, everyone has little piece of wood to make it with.  

Not sure if you can see the tiny little Calander in front of the books there, I should have made it bigger.  But it is a little whale.  I made it for a kid's room.   The concept of blocks for days and months can be used to make it into almost anything or any size.  Maybe even an adult something.  

Let's see how easy this is.    I used the following:   A piece of 1" thick cedar that was cut off of a fence rail in the making.  It is about 7" long and maybe 2 1/2"wide.  If your wood is a different thickness you need to multiply your measurements by that number.  (for instance, If your wood is 2" thick make the whale twice as big and the blocks cut out will be 2 x 2 instead of 1x1   The  cut out of his back would be 2 2/3 x 4. etc)  I used 1" wood because 1st of all it was there, secondly it makes the calculations easy.   Here is the pattern below that works for 1" wood.     

The whale is cut out as a whole from the 1" cedar.  I used the Proxxon mini bandsaw to do this. And to cut the 2 vertical parallel cuts (Those should be 1 1/3" deep)

Then I switched to the Proxxon mini scroll saw to make the corners on the squares as it was a little too tight for the bandsaw.   

 The top 1/3" is cut from this piece we just cut out.  This will be the pieces used for the months.   Now after you get that piece it needs to be cut into thirds so there are 3 pieces which are 1/3"  x 1/3" and 2" long. 

 I used the Proxxon mini bandsw,  BUT, that is a little close for the fingers.  I recommend using the Proxxon mini scroll saw.    Now cut the remaining rectangle in half.  This gives you (2)  1" x 1" pieces.  These will be the days.

Now it is time to sand this pretty cedar wood.  

I used the Proxxon OZI/E delta sander for most of it.  

  

I also used the Proxxon cordless belt sander.

 

And the Proxxon cordless rotary tool to drill some eyes

I sanded the parts really well and then I wrote the numbers on them.    You need to know which numbers to put on the cubes.   On the first cube put the numbers 0-5.  On the second cube put the numbers 0,1,2,6,7,8,9.  Now you can make any number from 01-31

On the long skinny pieces write you months.

If I did it again, I would glue (2) 1" thick whales together and make it twice as big.  Also make sure you get a pen that won't run when you apply finish.  Or better yet wood burn those numbers and months in.  Then stain it or paint it.  

This thing is All done.   

I picked a warm day on purpose! 

It's been fun, sure glad you visited, and give this one a try.  It's a super easy one and let the kids help with the math. 

 

Take care everyone and have an awesome New Year!

See ya all next year...........Carol

How to make a simple puzzle for a young child

 Hi everybody.  

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Today let's make a simple wooden puzzle for the young child.  It is easy and can be customized for that child.  I am going to use simple shapes, but you might want to cut out their name as puzzle pieces or something unique for them I will be using Proxxon tools because they are awesome.

I recently obtained a big piece of plywood that they call "blond wood"   I had never seen it before, but it is a nice 1/2" plywood that comes sanded and primed, so it is smooth on both sides and basically ready for whatever you want to make.  The employee at the hardware store told me it was often used for cabinet making so it is top of the line.  Anyhow it was perfect for this project.   I had them cut my 4' x 8' piece in half at the store simply so I could fit it in the car.  I used a circular saw to cut a strip 6" wide that I can use for this and other projects. 

    

At the Proxxon mini bandsaw I cut a piece 12" long to be the base of my puzzle.

 Next, I drew some simple shapes.  This is for a very young child.

I need to cut these shapes out, but first I want to drill some holes where I can insert dowels as handles for the puzzle pieces.  So, I did that with a regular drill with a bit that was the same diameter as my dowels.

Now I want to cut out the pieces, but I don't want to cut inside the pieces, so I used the Proxxon cordless rotary tool with a very small bit and made a tiny opening in the line I am about to cut.   

I will thread the scroll saw blade through that hole and cut out my pieces one by one.  Check out the Proxxon mini scroll saw,  It is a really nice machine with so many practical uses.  

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I use the Proxxon min band saw next to cut my dowels approx 1" long.  Watch your fingers!   Alternately you could use the scroll saw for this.  I glued my dowels in place and let dry well

Everything gets a good sanding using both my OZI/E dlelta sander and my cordless mini belt sander.  These are both great little tools from Proxxon.  I hate sanding but these make it painless.

Meanwhile, I use the proxxon mini table saw to cut a piece of scrap board to 5 x 11" and glue it to the bottom of the base of the puzzle.  This is to keep the pieces from falling through. 

I used Plaid paints to paint my pieces.  I am giving this child extra clues with color as to how to solve this puzzle.  I painted the holes for the pieces the same color as the pieces.  

I didn't like how the dowel pieces looked like they could be a little dangerous so I placed and glued wood beads over them.  This puzzle is done.

Thanks for visiting.  Till next time.....Carol

How to Make a 3-D lion puzzle

 Hi out there, hope you are feeling well and ready to begin a new project. Today we are going to make a beautiful puzzle that is also decor for around the house.

  

Equipment and supplies

Nice piece of wood approx 1/2" thick

Proxxon mini scroll saw

Proxxon mini table saw

Proxxon mini belt sander

Proxxon OZI/E delta sander

carbon paper, pencil 

sealer of your choice

wood glue

   Got my inspiration from someone who had done a horse.  Not wanting to copy exactly, I made a lion.   I drew out my own design.  This was my first drawing but I did not take into account that the pieces are up in the air and so they better lock well with each other.  I did sneak in a rock to help support him also.

Using carbon paper, I transferred my design onto my wood piece. I had a nice piece of black walnut to work with.

 

The next step is to cut out the design.  Proxxon mini scroll saw does the work easily.  First cut out the design outline as one piece.

Next, carefully go in and cut apart the puzzle pieces.   This is delicate so I used the slow speed on my Proxxon mini scroll saw.  This helps me make the delicate cuts.  Keep in mind they need to interlock well.

Now, we sand, sand, sand.  I want to take off the edges, so they are rounded and smooth.  This will show off the puzzle effect I am going for.   I used the Proxxon OZI/E delta sander and the Proxxon cordless mini belt sander to do the job.  

To make a base to stabilize the lion, I cut a piece of wood approx 2" x 5" and I made a slot for the lion's back foot and rock piece to fit in.  This just adds stability.  I am going to use the Proxxon mini table saw for this.

I set the saw blade at about 1/4" height and I set the fence about 1" from the saw blade and run the base piece over the blade.  It is not wide enough to insert the lion piece yet so I move it just the tiniest bit either way and run those boards through it again. I do this several times until my piece will fit snuggly into the slot  Then I glued the bottom piece in

I used some polycrylic to seal the wood which also gave it a slightly darker tone that I really liked.

Uh oh.... then I ran into some trouble.  My puzzle would not stand.  The small little forefoot of the lion kept slipping so....Using the Proxxon professional rotary tool. I drilled a hole right through his foot and into the stand and inserted a small skewer stick.  That held it.  Yay.   

Then the rest of the lion could be assembled and if left unbumped would stay together.    psssst.... the polycrylic also helped by filling in the kerf lines for a snugger fit.  

All done.   See how I changed the skewer stick into a magic wand with a little paint and a sparkly bead on the end.  He is a magic lion.  He stands 8" tall.   He has a nice shine and he is sooo smooth to touch.  It's a tactile thing.  And, the more he is played with the smoother he will become.  

Thanks for visiting.   And thank you  Proxxon.  Your tools are awesome and make making things a joy.

Till next time, play safe,

Carol

Mini Push stick for Mini Table saw

 Hi folks.   Back again with another practical project for you.  Today I think we should make a Mini push stick to use with your Proxxon Mini Table saw.  Safety is important!  This will help keep your hands away from the cutting edge.  

I've seen a lot of decorative push sticks, but I want to be a little different, so I drew this one.   It is in the shape of a boot.  I think the treads will be good at holding down my wood as I push it across the blade.

Next, I need to transfer my design to my wood pieces.   I decided on black walnut for the boot and some thin maple for the trim (handle).  I wanted a little contrast.

I used some graphite paper to transfer my design.  I will need one whole boot made of the black walnut and 2 copies of the handle out of the maple wood. 

I used the Proxxon Mini bandsaw to cut the straight edges just because I love how it cuts.  Then I used the Proxxon mini scroll saw to do my inside and more intricate cutting.

For this project, the sanding tools are the starts.  First, I glued my pieces together and clamped them tight until they were good and dry.

  

I used the Proxxon disc sander to do my rough sanding, then I used various bits on the Proxxon professional rotary tool to smooth and round my edges.

I used a cutting tool on the Proxxon rotary tool to make some defining lines on my boot.  I painted those lines black, then waited for them to dry.   I cleaned up the wayward paint using the Proxxon OZI/E delta sander.  I got a smooth surface then finished it off with some sealer.  

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It works !

A little added safety never hurt anyone.   Easy to make.  Thank you all for visiting.  

catch ya next time,   Carol

How to make a box kite

 OK, I want to bring out the kid in you this week.  We are going to make a box kite using our Proxxon tools and hopefully it will fly and so will your spirits.  Trust me!

Supplies and equipment:

6    1/4" x 36" dowel rods

4   Walmart bags

2-3 drinking straws

kite string or suitable substitute

scissors

gorilla glue

contact cement 

plastic tape

measuring tool  yardstick or tape measure

speed square if you got one. 

Proxxon scroll saw

Proxxon profession rotary tool

Patience  ha ha

Here's our plan

Let's get started.   The first thing to do is to  cut (4) 14" pieces of dowel   These will be our cross pieces.  I used the Proxxon Scroll saw to do my cutting.  But I could have used my Proxxon mini bandsaw just as well.  You choose,

I made some indents using the Proxxon professional rotary tool.  This will help keep the parts from slipping while I lash them together.  

I lash them together in the middle with string, wrapping it around every which way until it kind of holds it together as an X.  Then I applied a drop or 2 of gorilla glue to strengthen it.   Gorilla glue is very strong but also very light.

Meanwhile I cut my straws into 2-3" lengths.  I need 8 of these.  I cut them about half way through at their halfway point.   These are really going to help keep things together.  I don't know if you noticed how hard it is to stabilize two round things together...😆
I slipped those over the 4 outside 36" dowels at the 6 " mark.  Note the picture below as how to use the straws.  

I put a drop of glue into 2 adjacent dowel sticks straw holes in each of the 4 36" dowels  then put two pieces of each cross members into the straws then propped them up to dry.  Try to keep them at pretty much 90 degrees to each other.

When it is good and dry turn it over and do the other sides just the same.   Now we have a skeleton.

Part 2, making the skin.

  Take 3 Walmart or similar bags and lay then out straight as you can.  Measure 12 inches out of the middle so that when cut it turns into a big loop.  Cut it down the side so you now have a sheet of plastic 12" wide.  Starting at one corner secure the plastic to the side using contact cement.  Then wrap the plastic around the frame as far as you can get.  I got around 3/4 of the way so I needed to add another length of plastic bag.  I attached the second plastic  to the first with a line of contact cement and finished the journey around the frame.  I cut off the excess and secured the end to the first piece at the first corner.  To add strength and durability to the wispy plastic I took clear packing tape around all the edges of the plastic.    

Part 3  Kite string

First let me say.  "goooood luck"   I went to Walmart, dollar tree, dollar general, etc etc.  I believe they have done away with it.  I did find a kite at dollar tree with a miniscule amount of string.  So use what you can.  Light but strong.  I finally chose yarn.  

Cut a piece 36 inches long and secure it to the top of the kite and the top of the bottom section of the kite.  (12" up from the bottom).  About 12- 14" down from the top, tie a small loop.  Attach your "string to' this loop.

Hey,,, guess what.  If there is some wind outside we are ready to fly.    I had to wait 3 days to get enough wind for take off.   But it was worth it.!  You are never too old to fly a kite!  Try it.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                   ↖Me, having a great day.    

Thank you all for visiting.  I do hope you give it a try.  Invite the kids or grands so you have an excuse.to play.    I had soooo much fun.

Thank you Proxxon for your fine tools that make making stuff so easy.  

Till next time.   Carol