Making a Gourd Bowl with Proxxon Tools

Supplies Needed for this Project:

Proxxon Jig Saw

Proxxon Belt Sander

Proxxon Rotary Tool

Wooden Balls for feet

Bottom piece of round gourd

Alcohol Ink (Meadow)

Small piece of felt

#3 Round Reed in Blues and Green

Fancy Yarn In Blues

Large hole beads in blue and green

Pencil

Ruler

Napkin

Plaid Mod Podge-Glossy

Paint Brush

X-Acto Knife
Glue (Weldbond)

This is the majority of the items used in this project. I also used a napkin and Plaid Mod Podge to finish the inside of the gourd. Begin with cleaning the piece of bottom from a gourd that you want to use.  Then glue large wooden balls onto the bottom for feet. Using the Alcohol Ink and a piece of felt, apply the Alcohol Ink to the outside of the piece of gourd.

Spread the Plaid Mod Podge onto the gourd with a brush. Center your napkin and press out any air bubbles that you might have. Once the napkin has dried enough, trim around the edge with an X-Acto knife. Spread a layer of Plaid Mod Podge on top of the napkin and let dry.

Using your pencil mark spots for the holes that the spokes go into evenly around the gourd. If you are going to use a triple twine as was done here then you need to have an uneven amount of squares as in a number divided by 3-1 such as 29, 32 etc.

After the holes are marked use the Proxxon Rotary Tool and drill bit to make your holes approximately 1/4" deep. Drill the holes at an angle.

This is what the holes should look like. Insert a corresponding amount of spokes tipped with glue (I used Weldbond) , 14" long into the holes. I used a triple twine with a light blue, dark blue and dk. green reed. I did three rows. Make sure that you keep your reed moist and pliable by spraying them regularly with water. Then use the fancy ribbon to weave around your gourd twice. ( I doubled the ribbon when weaving). Use one light blue reed, and one dk. blue reed and do a double twine around the gourd bottom twice. Add your beads onto the spokes, first green then blue. Then use three light blue reed and do another triple twine around the gourd. Those are the final rows and the spokes are now woven into the top in a simple design.

The woven gourd bottom should look like this when finished. After you have finished weaving and your reed has dried, trim off the long ends left inside the bowl.

I hope you liked this piece and that it inspires you to give weaving on gourds a try. There are several places that you can go to purchase books on the subject. Proxxon Tools certainly do help in creating many things. Check out their online store at: http://www.proxxon.com and see if there isn't a tool that you might want. Check out the Mod Podge at: http://www.plaidonline.com

Leave me a comment while you're here. I enjoy reading them.

Barbara

How to make a simple ruler box

Hi everyone!
Here it is early July and guess what?   I went to the store today and they were selling "back to school supplies" already!   Well, seems a little early but I am one for a bargain, so when I saw they were selling rulers for 25 cents I figured I could probably use them for something, so I got me "some".  By "some" I mean 12, but I only used 10 for this project. 😜     Today I am going to show you how to make a little hold it all box for whatever you got that you need to keep together.

 Let's start with what you need.

Supplies and equipment:

10 cheap little rulers (or 3-4 yardsticks)

A thin piece of board  ( I used hardboard) , measuring 12" x 6"

wood glue, 

small wood clamps

Proxxon mini table saw or Proxxon mini bandsaw

Proxxon OZI/E delta sander

The first thing I did was to cut my hardboard to size.   I used the Proxxon mini table saw to do this.  I love the smaller size saw when working with smaller material.↓  Note I am using the fence for this rip cut.  This keeps my cuts square.

I am going to leave the long sides of my box at 12" So they are all ready to go. 

 I cut my short sides to 6"   No measuring needed, just cut at the 6" mark on the ruler 👀 I use the miter gauge here for my cross cut.

At this point I decided one ruler height was not enough so I glued 2 together to make them taller.  I did that for all my pieces.   I used some wood glue and clamps, and added a little weight to keep it flat and let them dry well.

Once everything was dry I used glue and clamps to build the box.  I glued the sides to each other and to the hardboard piece I am using as my bottom.   It may be a little shaky at this point but we are going to add some dividers and this will strengthen the whole thing.  I used clamps to hold everything securely while the glue dries.

The dividers are more rulers cut to 6" lengths, and glued together for height .  Then these are glued into the box.   You can space them anyway you like, or as you need, for whatever it is you are going to put in there.  Add some cross pieces if you need more little cubbies.

Now that the box is done and it is quite sturdy, fill it with whatever you like.   

Cost to build less than $3.00  Time to build about 1 hr, minus drying time.  Usefulness?  you decide.   But as always, I had fun building it and sharing it with you.  Thanks for visiting.!!!   Carol

Hot to Etch Party Themed Glassware

Hi everyone, Steph Ackerman here to show you how to etch Party Themed Glassware for a festive holiday decorative element. 

Using the Proxxon Engraver GG 12, it takes only a few minutes to etch designs into glassware.  You can even engrave into plastic, metal and wood.

I began by die cutting some firework shapes and temporarily tacking them inside the jars.  This was done so I had a template to follow.

Then I simply etched around the die cuts using a diamond bit.  Weighing only 4 ounces, it was quite easy to do all the etching I wanted in one sitting.

 

To achieve a frosted appearance, I used pliers to remove the diamond bit and inserted the ball shape bit.  With this bit, I was able to add definition around the image and fill in some other areas.

Placing napkins inside really showcases the etched designs. 

Now fill with whatever you need for the party.  I'm using them to hold the party plastic ware.  What would you use them for?

Thanks for stopping by.

 

How to Make a Floating Wine Bottle Pillar

This floating wind bottle pillar will amaze your friends!! It's also a great project for working with the angle adjustments on your Proxxon tools.

Supplies and Equipment for Making the Floating Wine Bottle Pillar

• piece of wood (hardwood or Baltic birch plywood) ~16" x 4" x ¾"
• Proxxon Table Saw FET
• Proxxon MICRO Bandsaw MBS/E
• Proxxon Disc Sander TSG 250/E
• Proxxon Delta Sander OZI/E
• 1½" hole saw
• Finishing wax

Instructions for Making the Floating Wine Bottle Pillar

1. Set the longitudinal stop on the table saw so the cut board measures 3¼" wide.
   
2. Measure and mark a line across the width 15" from the top.
3. Adjust the angle of the bandsaw to 27° and cut on the marked line. This is the bottom of the pillar.
   
4. Measure and mark a line 3 1/8" from the top. Measure 1 5/8" from one edge and mark a cross line. The intersection of the two lines is the center of the 1½" hole that you will drill.
   
5. I pulled out DH's big drill for drilling the 1½" hole for the neck of the wine bottle.
   
6. Sand the edges on the disc sander. Adjust the angle of the table to 27°to sand the bottom end of the pillar.
   
7. Sand the surfaces with the Delta Sander, using progressively finer grits of sandpaper.
   
8. Apply the finishing of your choice to the floating wine bottle pillar—paint, stain, wax. I chose a paste wax finish.
9. Amaze your friends with a floating wine bottle!!
   

Proxxon and Plaid make a plain gourd bowl great!

Supplies Needed for this Project:

Proxxon Jig Saw

Proxxon Belt Sander

Proxxon Rotary Tool

Fishing Line

Large Eye Needle

Plaid Multi Surface Paint - Sky Mist

Plaid Paint - Black
School glue

Paint Brush

Wooden Cabone Ring 

Glue

A long string of blue rocks

X-acto knife
Spray Sealer

To begin, cut the top of your gourd out with the Proxxon Jig Saw that is made for cutting gourds. I mark my line first and start the entry for the jig saw with and x-acto blade. I just think it makes for a smoother start.

Once the top is cut off, use your rotary tool and this very small round, cleaning ball to clean out all the excess debris from the inside. After cleaning out the worst of the insides, use some sandpaper and finish smoothing out the inside.

Smooth the top of your gourd out with your Proxxon Belt Sander.

Glue your Cabone Ring to the bottom of the gourd to level it up and once the inside paint is dry, paint the outside of the gourd with the Plaid Paint Multi Surface - Sky Mist. This step took two coats to cover completely. I like that the Plaid Multi Surface Paint seems to be thicker.

I then painted the inside with a mixture of Plaid Paint - Black and some school glue mixed together.

Use the Proxxon Rotary Tool and a small drill bit to make holes approximately 1 inch apart around the top of the gourd. Use your needle and fishing line to coil your rock string two times around the top edge of the gourd.

This is what the gourd should look like when finished. The string of blue rocks give it a really pleasing finish and take a plain bowl up a notch.

I can't say enough good things about Proxxon Tools and Plaid Products. I hope you have tried them and like them as much as me.

Barbara

How to build a tape organizer for your shop

Hi everyone. It's Carol here and I'm back in my organizing frame of mind and thought I would share with you how to build a tape organizer for your shop or studio.   It's time to wrestle up all the various rolls of tape that seem to be all over the place, except when you need them, and coral them into one orderly spot.   This is an easy project and can be built in a couple of hours.

Equipment and Supplies

Proxxon mini bandsaw

Proxxon OZI/E delta sander

Proxxon professional rotary tool

1/2"  OR   3/4" pine board, or plywood

1" x 12" dowel

1 old or new hacksaw blade

6- 1 1/2" screws

screwdriver

wood glue

Plaid paints

Let's get started.   The first thing to do is to cut your wood to size.  

I made you a cutting diagram below.

  ^I forgot on my diagram (the pieces that will fit the slot) on the dowel are 1/2"  x 1/2"  ^

I used the Proxxon mini bandsaw to do my cutting.  I love this little but powerful workhorse.  

In the picture below I am cutting the sides off my 1" dowel.   It is going to fit into the slots I cut on my "sides".   I make two parallel cuts in the sides then cut them from the side to make a rectangle that is 1/2" deep and 1/2" long.

                                                                              Proxxon mini bandsaw

Next I glue my sides to my bottom and let dry.  

When it is good and dry, I flip it over and using my Proxxon professional rotary tool I put pilot holes into the bottom.  I am going to add screws to secure the sides to the bottom..  I want my tape holder sturdy.

Everything gets a good sanding from my Proxxon OZI/E delta sander.

  It's shape makes getting into corners a breeze.

.

I painted my front piece with Plaid's yellow paint before attaching it to the front piece with 2 screws.

 **  Make sure the sharp side is mounted so that it is about 1/8" to 1/4"  higher than the top edge and the teeth are pointing up .  **

Oh I added some flowers to make pretty.   Plaid paints make everything pretty!

Next I threaded my various tape rolls onto the dowel and placed the dowel into the slots and...wow, look 👀 now I am organized.  

And, the cutter works too. No need to look for the scissors!

 I just had to add some color to the sides too.   Thank you Plaid ! for making me dangerous with a paintbrush. 

I set mine on a shelf.  This can also be mounted to a wall....but I just don't have an inch of wall space.

I had fun with this project and I am another step closer to having an organized shop.  At least now I don't have to search for a specific tape or scissors to cut it.     Call me Happy.  😃

Thanks for visiting.    
Also thanks to Proxxon and Plaid. Your product are just amazing!

   Catch ya next time.   Carol