Need Laser Engraver Ideas? | A Helpful Guide

Introduction

When I first bought a laser engraver I immediately got online and began looking for ways to bypass creating my own engraving and cut files. During my search I found many websites which sold vector art but the cost for purchasing that vector art, in my opinion, was astronomical. Most of the sites I found had membership fees around $40 - $60 per month, with some being much higher than that. What was even more outrageous was what you got for that fee, usually 1 to 3 image downloads per month. I quickly realized I wasn’t going to pay those prices and embarked on a learning journey to become proficient at creating vector files. After taking an online class on Adobe illustrator, I sat down at my computer and started designing. It wasn’t long before I began suffering from creativity block prompting me to go back online and find resources for inspiration. It took me a while to find these sources but I eventually did. Given I am likely not the only one to have encountered this issue I thought it beneficial to share what I found.

The following is a list of sites that I found inspiration on for my projects and I feel will be beneficial to those looking for new ideas. They are not in a particular order so check them all out, I bet you come up with an idea pretty quickly.

Pinterest

Link: https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=laser%20engraving%20ideas

Everyone knows that Pinterest is a go-to source for ideas on virtually anything. So it’s not a surprise to anyone, I think, that you can use Pinterest to find ideas for laser engraving projects. It took about 2 seconds to find hundreds of boards with idea after idea to gain inspiration from. I have personal experience using this platform for ideas and when searching for something to use my laser for, Pinterest is always one of my stops on the research journey. If you don’t have an account it’s free to sign up. My only advice here is to not fall down the rabbit hole, there is so much content on this platform that you can spend many hours scrolling and still not reach the end. Find a few good ideas and move on to other inspiration platforms.

Glowforge

Link: https://glowforge.com/discover/

If you don’t already know, Glowforge is one of the most popular desktop CO2 lasers on the market. Given that I own a Glowforge Pro, I have become fairly acquainted with their website. On their website is a “Gallery” page where Glowforge users from all around the world have had their projects featured by the company. The page is broken down into 15 separate categories and each category contains, in some cases, dozens of laser related projects. You can find inspiration on laser related leather, game, wedding, acrylic, and costume projects, just to name a few. Many of the projects are spectacularly creative and really shows you how much you can actually do with a laser cutter or laser engraver.

Dribbble

Link: https://dribbble.com/tags/laser_cut

Unless you are a designer or work in a job where design is a crucial element of your day to day, you likely haven’t heard of Dribbble. Dribbble is primarily a designer’s resource for drawing attention to your work and provides a source for employers to see what you are capable of. Many designers use it to create portfolios of their projects which in turn serves as a resume of sorts. Not surprisingly, however, the platform has a lot in common with Pinterest. Creatives of all types, including artists with laser engravers, have posted their work creating an endless source for inspiration. You can search the platform, in a similar way to Pinterest, and find many examples of laser engraved or laser cut projects. This is an excellent source for project ideas.

Behance

Link: https://www.behance.net/search/projects?search=laser-engraving%20wood

Like Dribble, Behance is another resource for designers to feature their projects and demonstrate their skills on a platform where employers can see their work. Also like Dribble, there are tons of examples of laser related projects that have been posted on the platform. I won’t rehash what I just wrote about Dribble in this section but Behance is very similar in its offerings. Check out this resource along with the others in this list when looking for projects.

Deviant Art

Link: https://www.deviantart.com/tag/lasercut

Deviant art is a very cool platform. To me, like the last two resources in this article, it has a Pinterest vibe in that you can search by category and by keyword. Searches display related content that have been tagged as fitting the search term. There are a lot of high quality images related to laser cut projects on the platform, some of the best amongst all these resources in this article. When you click on the images you are taken to a page dedicated to that image where you can converse through comments with other site visitors and, if provided by the poster, additional information is offered regarding the project. I use this one quite often in my search for new projects and highly recommend it.

Conclusion

This is just a small offering of websites that exist on the “interwebs” for finding future project ideas. Hopefully, this article provided enough options to get you started on your inspiration finding journey. The five resources provided in this article are by no means the only options that exist for finding creative projects. I suggest starting with these websites and then branching out to others if you don’t find what you are looking for. A resource I didn’t mention but is still a fantastic source of inspiration is Facebook. There are many laser engraver dedicated pages where people like you are posting projects every day. Simply search the hashtag #laserengraver and you will likely find tens of thousands of posts. If you have any questions or would like to offer up some other resources for inspiration I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment down below!

7 Essential Woodworking Joints | A Beginner Woodworkers Guide

Introduction

As an aspiring woodworker you will inevitably seek to increase your skill and knowledge in the area of joinery. There are many woodworking joints, some more difficult than others, of which a few stand out as being essential to the craft. In my opinion there are 7 joints that, to be an accomplished woodworker, you must become proficient at in order to produce heirloom quality fine furniture. The following list begins with the simplest joint to accomplish and ends with the most difficult. Keep in mind that this is a highly debated topic amongst woodworkers and you will likely get different answers depending on the person you ask. I developed this list based on my own experience while learning to build furniture and, to this day, am still nowhere near a master at any one of these joints. Woodworking is a craft that people spend a lifetime learning and very few gain the title of master woodworker.

It is my hope that the information you gain through this article will help you on your path to becoming a joinery wizard. If you work through each joint in this list, starting with the butt joint and ending with the dovetail, you will build the joinery skills required to produce stunning furniture pieces.

The Six Essential Woodworking Joints

The Butt Joint

Perhaps the simplest form of joinery is the butt joint. It is the mating of two different wood surfaces, using glue and often a mechanical fastener. This joint doesn’t require the removal of wood to be executed. Most commonly butt joints are used to join boards together for wide panels or table tops. It’s typical to reinforce butt joints with pocket hole screws, dowels, and biscuits to provide additional holding power. Although, these reinforcements are widely used they are not necessary. Modern wood glues have such holding power that the wood fibers will sever long before the wood glue fails. One variation of the butt joint, usually taught to fine woodworking students, is the spring joint. Essentially, a very small amount of wood is removed from the center of each mating board and clamping pressure is used to bring the joint together. This process creates an almost invisible glue joint. This joint variation is on the more advanced side and a little out of scope for this article.

The Half-Lap Joint

The half-lap joint is assembled exactly how the name indicates. Two pieces of lumber are joined together after each piece has half its thickness removed. The two pieces of lumber are overlapped at the points where the wood has been removed and glue is used to secure them to each other. This joint is often used to create frames for cabinet doors, picture frames, drawer fronts, and cabinet face frames. There are many ways to accomplish this joint but usually woodworkers use a table saw equipped with a dado blade. There are ways to use the table saw without the dado blade so don’t worry if you don’t have one. This joint can also be accomplished using a band saw with a tall fence or a hand saw (carcass saw, tenon saw) and a shoulder plane. Although this joint is very strong without reinforcement, it’s common to see half-laps reinforced with dowels. Holes are drilled through the joint, perpendicular to it, in at least two locations and dowels are secured in the holes with glue.

The Miter Joint

When I was starting out as a woodworker this was a joint that I struggled to learn. On its face it’s an easy joint, but executing it is a little harder than it seems. A miter joint is accomplished by joining four pieces of wood that have had a 45 degree angle cut on both ends of each piece. These angels are cut in a sequence that results in a 90 degree corner when the pieces are brought together. When all four pieces are glued, a square or a rectangle should be the result. The problem lies in cutting the 45 degree angles into each corner. Making a perfect 45 degree cut is much more difficult than it seems. Most tools that can accomplish this cut, despite how expensive they are, rarely provide a perfect cut. What happens is a multiplicative effect, meaning, the error compounds itself and by the time you go to glue the last mitered corner a gap in the joint appears. To work around this there are techniques that assist in dealing with the error. I will link to a video showing this process because explaining it is a little tricky. It’s easier to learn the process by seeing it than by reading it. If you are a hand tool user there is a method, the one that I now use, that provides for a high degree of accuracy. It involves the use of a shooting board and hand plane. I will also link to a video demonstrating this technique.

Tongue and Groove Joints

The tongue and groove joint is sort of like a half-lap running along the edge grain of a piece of lumber. Generally, you will see this joint in hardwood flooring, country settles, cedar bottom chests and some bookshelves. What is different about tongue and groove joints is they are typically assembled without glue and with minimal to no fasteners. Most woodworkers use this joint to compensate for situations where wood movement is likely and using glue would result in a joint failure. In my experience, boards that have had tongue and grooves machined into them are sandwiched within a frame allowing for them to be held in place and also move with seasonal expansion and contraction of the wood fibers. To create this joint a table saw and dado blade are used most often. There are also special tongue and groove router bits that are designed specifically to create tongue and grooves. If you’re more of a traditionalist a plow plane or combination plane can be used, in conjunction with tongue and groove blades, to create this joint.

The Box Joint

Also known as a finger joint, the box joint is very strong and one of the more decorative joint options on this list. It consists of a varying number of interlocking fingers that nest inside one another. What makes this joint so strong is the incredible amount of glue surface that exists. The nesting fingers allow for 3/4’s of the available surface area on each finger to be glued directly to the surfaces of adjacent fingers. The only part of each finger that remains unattached is the end grain. Given that end grain glue joints are notoriously weak this isn’t a bad thing. There are several ways to create a box joint, by hand (using hand saws, coping saw, and chisels), with a table saw and dado blade, on a router table using spiral bits and a jig, or on the table using a commercial jig. I have also seen some pretty innovative shop built jigs as well. There are a couple of pretty prominent YouTubers that created a few. Mostly, this joint is used in making drawers for furniture pieces and in jewelry/keepsake box construction. I have even seen a box jointed live edge bench made with reclaimed barn wood and slabs.

Mortise and Tenon Joints

Depending on what type of mortise and tenon you are executing this can be one of the more forgiving joinery methods. It’s created by removing a portion of wood from all four sides of a piece of lumber, usually at one end, and recessing what is left in another piece of lumber. Typically, the entire recessed piece is out of view once the joint is assembled. Being assembled this way allows for some error in fitting the joint. Since you don’t have to worry about any part of the tenon being seen, incredible accuracy isn’t necessary. If the tenon fits inside the mortis relatively well, glue will make up for any issues that might be present. Some woodworkers use this joint as a decorative element in their furniture. Usually, the mortise extends all the way through one piece of lumber and the tenon is either proud of the surface or flush with it. You will often see chamfers on the edges of the protruding tenons, or wedges used to both strengthen the joint and as a decorative element when the tenons are flush. Mortise and tenons are most useful when assembling chests of drawers (the frame), attaching stretchers to legs, and when adding breadboard ends to tabletops. The mortise and tenon joint can be accomplished using a table saw with a dado blade and router with a spiral bit, this is how most wood workers do it, or you can go the traditional route and use a hand saw and chisels. Specialty chisels exist for this specific joint, they are referred to as mortising chisels. Additionally, powered mortisers can be purchased to accomplish the mortise portion of this joint.

The Dovetail Joint

The dovetail joint is likely the most iconic joint that exists in the realm of woodworking. It derives its name from an actual dove’s tail because of its resemblance to the bird’s tail feathers. Typically, a dovetail is used in case work and drawer joinery but there are many applications where this joint can be useful. There are two terms to be aware of with this joint, pins and tails. The tails of a dovetail joint are what you probably expect, the fan like wedge of wood that exists after removing waste wood from between each tail. The pins are the mirror opposite of the tails, the wedge of waste wood removed to make the tails is left behind and wood in the exact shape and depth of the tail is removed revealing the pins. I know that was probably confusing a little so my suggestion would be to dive a little more into this topic by researching images of the joint to better understand it. There are many ways to produce this joint and even more methods that have been developed. Most commonly this joint is produced either by hand, with a dovetail saw, dovetail marker, and chisels, or with a manufactured jig. There are methods that utilize a band saw and table saw to create this joint but it requires you to create a few templates and a sled to make it happen. I will link to a video that demonstrates this technique below. To give you a preview of the rabbit hole you can fall down when exploring this topic, there are several variations of the dovetail joint. The through dovetail, half-blind dovetail, sliding dovetail, mitered dovetail, houndstooth dovetail, and half-blind houndstooth dovetail are just a few of the options you have. This topic can get in-depth and the learning curve to being proficient at this joint can be steep. My suggestion is to get proficient at using a handsaw and chisels before attempting to make on of these. Developing those two skills first will accelerate your ability to make this beautiful and iconic joint.

Conclusion

I hope that this article helped you on your journey to becoming a better woodworker by exposing you to some of the types of joinery that are possible while woodworking. There are many types of joints that can be made and I barely scratched the surface with this article. If this information was a little rudimentary for your current skill level then I suggest looking into the wonderful world of Japanese joinery methods. The Japanese people are some of the most skilled joiners I have ever seen. They can literally build entire structure using joinery alone without mechanical fasteners. Its incredible. If you found this article helpful and would like to support my efforts I would love it if you chose to share this article with your fellow woodworkers on social media. Thanks for reading and good luck.

The Doweling Jig | 5 Options You Should Consider

Introduction

There are many options when it comes to which doweling jig you should buy. They come in all variations, shapes, sizes, levels of accuracy and capacity. When I was looking for one myself I unintentionally compiled a lot of research on the topic. Having all this information available I thought that some of you, out there in the woodworking ether, would benefit from having an article available covering the topic. After several days of searching I compiled a short list of doweling jigs which incorporates 5 of the most common doweling jig variations. That being said there may be other doweling jigs out there that are better or more versatile than the ones I have presented. Additionally, this article is not meant to be an end all be all resource on doweling jigs. What my intention was when building this list was to provide the widest variety of configurations, capacities, and prices for what was available in the doweling jig arena currently on the market.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic and any recommendations you may have for other jigs that I haven’t covered. If you have anything to add please throw it into a comment down below so that all my readers can benefit from it.

Doweling Jigs Worth Looking At

Jessem Model 08350 Dowelling Jig Master Kit

• Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5
• Price Point: $180 - $200
• Product Link: https://amzn.to/2X7E5i4
• Product Video: https://youtu.be/A3tE61O0zzk

I thought I would start with the most expensive option in this list. The Jessem Model 08350 doweling jig is high quality precision jig. The body of this jig is CNC machined out of aluminum and anodized in black. All of the alignment markings are laser etched to ensure an extremely high level of accuracy. On the underside of the jig body alignment grooves have been milled into the surface to provide accurate alignment in 1/8” increments. These grooves are mated with protrusions on the jig fence for indexing against your work piece. This is the only jig in this list, and possibly on the market, that allows you to adjust for multiple dowel placements without unclamping it. The only downside that I foresee with this jig is its inability to be micro-adjusted. In the event that you have an oddly thicknessed piece of lumber, as in its thickness/size is unknown, you will be locked into those 1/8” increments built into the jig fence. This will cause your placement of dowels to not be symmetrical across the end grain of your piece. This may or may not be a problem for most people but I thought it was worth noting. All in all though, this is an extremely accurate and versatile doweling jig and it has very high rating amongst its users. 

Features/Capabilities

• Types of Joints: Corner, Edge, Surface
• Material Thickness: 1/2" - 7"
• Dowel Sizes: 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2"
• Material: Steel
• Clamping: Manual/Not Integrated

What Comes With It

• Main Body and Referencing Angle
• 3/8" Guide Mount with Drill Bit and Indexing Pin
• 1/4" Guide Mount with Drill Bit and Indexing Pin
• 1/2" Guide Mount with Drill Bit and Indexing Pin
• Hex Key
• Manual

Milescraft 1311 JointPro Professional

• Amazon Rating: 4.3 out of 5
• Price Point: $50 - $60
• Product Link: https://amzn.to/3mKrdXN
• Product Video: https://youtu.be/adQgULMbg1o

The Milescraft 1311 Joint Pro doweling jig is both affordable and reasonably well made. It has a machined aluminum body, integral (integrated) clamps and an included offset body. The offset body is designed to support the other end of your work pieces while you are drilling the dowel holes. Full disclosure… I personally own this one and I love it. On top of its versatility, the price point for this jig is reasonable as well. The only downside, and something I wish was different, is that the dowel positions are pretty much fixed where they are. There are two positions you can place each dowel hole size which limits placement on thicker work pieces . This is why I think the Amazon rating is somewhat low on this jig. If you are looking for the features of a more expensive jig but don’t want to pay the price then this is a great option. 

Features/Capabilities

• Types of Joints: Corner, Edge, Surface
• Material Thickness: 1/2” – 1 1/2"
• Dowel Sizes: 1/4", 5/16”, 3/8”
• Material: Aluminum
• Clamping: Integral/Integrated

What Comes With It

• Main Body and Offset Body
• 3 Drill Guide Bushings: 1/4”, 5/16”, 3/8”
• Allen Key
• Manual

Dowl-it 1000 Self-centering Doweling Jig

• Amazon Rating: 4.8 out of 5
• Price Point: $50 - $60
• Product Link: https://amzn.to/3v8KpST
• Product Video: https://youtu.be/XQKdNpYsP8U

The highly rated Dowl-it 1000 doweling jig has been around for a long time. It has a machined steel body and a self-centering patented clamping screw that is integrated into the jig body. One of the things that I love about this jig is the multitude of dowel sizes that is supports. Of the jigs in this article, this one has the most options for dowel sizes. With six different option, you can pretty much buy any pre-made dowel on the market and this jig will support it. As good as it is the Dowel-it only supports edge joints. The video linked above shows that you can make it work with corner and face joints but the mating face dowel holes have to be drilled manually(without a jig). At the end of the day this is a basic doweling jig with some very convenient features. It’s hard to go wrong with anything made or promoted by Rockler, so you will likely not be disappointed with this as long as your needs are basic.

Features/Capabilities

• Types of Joints: Edge
• Material Thickness: 1/2” – 2"
• Dowel Sizes: 3/16", 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", 7/16" and 1/2"
• Material: Hardened Steel
• Clamping: Integral/Integrated

What Comes With It

• Main Body
• Manual

POWERTEC 71397 Ultimate Doweling Jig Kit

• Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Price Point: $40 - $50
• Product Link: https://amzn.to/2X8brNO
• Product Video: Not Available

This is the only obscure brand doweling jig that I included in this list. There are other brands that produce the exact same jig, but this is the only one I found that included multiple sizes in the same kit. The construction of this jig is a machined steel body with an acrylic fence. This is a very basic doweling jig and isn’t meant for complex dowel joinery. If you are looking to simply edge joint boards together for panel glue-ups or shelving, then this one is for you. The kit that I link to above has three different jig bodies, the corresponding drill bits, stop collars, and a hard-shell case. What this jig lacks in versatility it makes up for in presentation and completeness. Of the jigs in this article, this kit has the most included with it. The thing to keep in mind here is to not expect a high degree of accuracy, this is more of a utility dowel jig then a precision one.

Features/Capabilities

• Types of Joints: Edge
• Material Thickness: 1/2"(No max limit)
• Dowel Sizes: 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2"
• Material: Hardened Steel/Acrylic
• Clamping: Manual/Not Integrated

What Comes With It

• 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2” Doweling Jigs
• 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2” Drill Bits
• Drill Bit Stop Collars
• Manual and Carry Case

Milescraft 1319 JointMate

• Amazon Rating: 4.3 out of 5
• Price Point: $10 - $25
• Product Link: https://amzn.to/2YN57vV
• Product Video: https://youtu.be/QALncuFuEgk

The Milescraft #1319 JointMate is the most unique of the doweling jigs in this article. It neither has the ability to clamp to a workpiece or change templates for various dowel sizes. Instead, what it does is self-center using four posts protruding from its body and must be held in place using the integral (integrated) handle. Curiously though, this jig can drill three different size dowel holes and has the capability to perform all the same joints as the most expensive jig in this list. How you utilize the four protruding posts determines which dowel hole will self-center on the workpiece. The manual does an ok job of showing a pictographic representation of how to use the self-centering posts based on board thickness. I suggest downloading it to see how this jig works before making the decision to purchase. Its price and capabilities are very enticing, but its accuracy and ease of use is lacking a little.

Features/Capabilities

• Types of Joints: Corner, Edge, Surface
• Material Thickness: 1/2" to 1 1/2"
• Dowel Sizes: 1/4”, 5/16”, 3/8"
• Material: ABS Plastic
• Clamping: Manual Hold/Clamping Not Available

What Comes With It

• Jig Body and Fence
• Manual

Conclusion

Regardless of the jig you choose, it needs to be right for the project you are working on. Not all dowel jigs, joinery jigs in general, are right for every situation. You may be working on a project that simply requires edge joining or one that may require dowels in multiple non-typical locations. Dowel jigs on the cheaper side will generally have fewer adjustments and be less capable then the more expensive ones but, if you needs are basic, you may only need to buy that $10 jig. If your still reading this far into my article then the only advice I can give is match the jig to the project and don’t break the bank to have the best and most accurate jig when you don’t need it. As always thanks for reading and I hope you found something in this article useful and it helped you make a decision for your project.

24 Woodworking Projects that Sell | Start a Woodworking Business

Introductions

Making money as a woodworker has been a dream of mine for quite some time. The idea of earning a living doing something I love is very appealing to me… as it is to most people I think. This dream recently led me down a path of research in an attempt to figure out what I should sell as a product(s). There are a multitude of articles and endless videos out there in which entrepreneurial woodworkers have conveyed what best sold for them while in pursuit of the same dream. After reading countless articles and watching hours of video I began to see patterns in what were considered “best sellers”. Following this realization I started keeping a tally of these “best sellers” and eventually compiled the information into a list of products that are widely considered to sell the best on platforms such as Craigslist, Etsy, and Facebook Marketplace.

What follows is not an exhaustive list and is by no means considered to be a definitive path to starting a profitable woodworking business. It is, however, a good resource for potential woodworking projects that may sell well in your local area. I suggest picking a few projects from those that are discussed in this article and see what gains traction in your locale. It may take some trial-and-error and a good deal of effort but based on the success of other woodworkers it is likely that something in this list will work for you… maybe even a couple somethings.

Through my research I identified 24 woodworking projects that are relatively easy to build. Most of these projects can also be built with minimal upfront cost as well. I will present the list starting with the items most popular among woodworking entrepreneurs and end with the least popular. That being said just because something is at the bottom of the list it doesn’t mean that it may not sell well where you live. The last item in this list is just as worth exploring as the first item is.

The Top Ten

1: Coffee Tables

By far DIY coffee tables were the most notable of all the selling options that I researched. There are many different styles and variations to choose from. The most popular style I came across was the farmhouse style. This is usually characterized by darkly stained table surfaces with a mildly distressed white base. The type of white is rarely pure white, in fact usually if was some form of off-white, eggshell, or cream. Next in line were the shaker and arts & crafts style tables. These styles are a little more involved and describing the characteristics could be articles all to themselves. There are two questions you need to ask yourself if you choose to pursue this option… Is my skill level high enough? Can I make them quick enough to turn a profit? What you may find is that this is probably more of a custom order option rather than a prebuild and market item.

2: Console Table

This is a multi-purpose item and, by that very nature, is one of the most attractive items on this list. A console table is a project that can be marketed with several different names… console table, hall table, sideboard, buffet, credenza… take your pick. On top of that the styles and uses seem to be endless. If you’re not familiar with this piece of furniture then all you need to do it type its name into google and look at a few pictures. I promise that you have seen one of these in a friend’s house or a furniture store at some point in your life. Like a coffee table this can take a little skill to produce so don’t bite off more than you can chew.

3: EntryWay Bench

Think of these as like console tables you can sit on. They can be very simple, a surface with four legs, or very fancy and incorporate storage for shoes, outdoor wear, and toys. If you want my advice… save the fancy versions for custom orders and design a simple one to produce in large quantities and sell. You see these mostly right inside the front door of someone’s house littered with shoes underneath. As is the case with console tables, there are many variations and complexities to this item. Don’t fall down the rabbit hole obsessing over making heirloom quality benches. Instead, focus on making a functional and attractive bench that someone can see themselves putting inside their home. Depending on the design, this is a project of which you can crank several out in a single shop day.

4: Blanket Ladders

Who doesn’t have blankets? A crazy person is the answer… I own more blankets than I care to confess. Given that I am sure this is the case for many people, a blanket ladder is a great way to organize them. It has the addition of being a stylish home ornamentation for living rooms, spare bedrooms, and other spaces that go otherwise unused most of the time. I personally have seen many of these adorning walls in show homes and staged rooms on DIY TV shows. For the most part they are simple to make, you will likely spend more time finishing them than on the build itself. This, unlike many of the projects on this list, doesn’t require a high level of woodworking skill and is totally achievable for a beginner.

5: Cutting Boards | Charcuterie Boards

Although one of the easiest to crank out in large quantities, this project category is also the most market saturated. There are so many cutting board sellers out there that it is close to impossible to stand out unless the boards are unique enough to grab a buyer’s attention. Simple multi-species striped cutting boards aren’t going to suffice it anymore. My suggestion here is to play around with the shape and cutting board features. What do I mean by cutting board features you ask? Make it so the cutting board has a waste catch, can span a sink and hold a bowl, or possibly incorporate built in knife storage. Someone must see that board and think “I’ve never seen that before”. The same goes for charcuterie boards… Don’t just make a charcuterie board, instead build charcuterie boards that aren’t necessarily just for meats. Off the top of my head a charcuterie board can also be a sushi roll platter with recessed sauce holders, a fancy beer flight holder, and possibly a boojie cheese plate. You have to step outside the box with this one to be successful with it.

6: Desks

This is probably the most difficult of the options in this list to build as a novice woodworker. It will also have the most expensive initial out of pocket investment. Personally, I would reserve this one for special orders. My reasoning for this is that building a desk that is universal and cheap enough to compete with places like IKEA is going to be very difficult. Desks are typically high priced items, if being made from solid wood, and the number of customers you’ll encounter willing to pay that price will be much fewer in number. That being said… if your market has a high demand for this sort of item the income possibilities are enormous. Before embarking on this as a business focus do some research and see what the market is like in your area.

7: End Tables

Everyone needs an end table next to their couch otherwise where will you put your beverage. These can be very simple or very intricate depending on what style you are going for. A lot of what I said from the entry way bench and console table sections of this article applies here as well. My suggestion would be to pick a style you feel your skill level is commensurate with and put one up for sale on FB Marketplace. Use the trial-and-error method to figure out what is popular and what isn’t. If it takes really long to sell your first end table then switch up the finish, style, sizing, or wood species until you find a winner.

8: Key Holder | Dog Leash Holder

I personally really like these, mostly because they satisfy my anti-clutter OCD personality. They can be very appealing as both a wall decoration and a storage solution for someone with lots of keys and pets. I plan on building one of these for my own house pretty soon and will likely build a few extra to sell. There are many different styles out there so do your research. I suggest making a couple different types to sell since they are fairly simple to build. They will likely sell pretty well if your price point is good for your market. Keep in mind that customers will not pay a premium for something like this so source your materials well and don’t get carried away with expensive wood species. A few select stains, paints, and common 2x4 lumber can go a long way in making this a successful venture.

9: Stove Top Covers (Noodle Boards)

Noodle board you say… When I first learned of these I thought it wasn’t a real thing. None the less, it is a large stove covering that turns your stoves surface into extra counter space. It has a double purpose as a kitchen decoration as well. You often see these with tea kettles and other ornamentations adorning them in model home picks and fancy country kitchens. If counter space in your home is at a premium then I can see how these would be appealing. This will likely be one of those products that you have to test the market with. My reasoning behind this is due to their size and the time it will take to build. Noodle Boards will not be a project you can necessarily batch out a ton of in a short time. Depending on the market in your local area this may be an item relegated to the custom order category. 

10: Trivets

What the what is a trivet?!? I didn’t know what this was initially either and had to do a little research. Essentially, this is a surface that you rest a hot pan on so that it doesn’t burn your countertops. It also serves a double purpose of allowing the pan/pot to cool off after you’re done cooking. Most wooden trivets are designed so that air can circulate underneath the pan/pot which allows it to cool faster. If you own a CNC then this is a great project you can batch out in a hurry. Most trivets that I saw had some kind of geometric design either scroll sawed or CNC milled into them. This is an incredibly easy project to get started in and you can make them with a variety of inexpensive tools. That being said, as mentioned earlier, if you have a way to automate the process with fancy machinery take advantage of it.

The Not So Top Ten | Product Ideas 14 - 24

For the sake of brevity, as if this article isn’t already a novel, I am not going to cover the last 14 potential products as I have the first ten. They are all mostly self-explanatory and a few of them can be article topics all to themselves. Some of the following, however, do require more skill and time invested to produce then others. If you have any specific questions related to these items leave a comment down below and I will try to answer to the best of my ability.

Floating Shelves Planter Boxes TV Stand Dog Kennel Wall Decor Coat Racks Step Stools

Dog Bowl Holders Outdoor Furniture Framed Mirrors Toy Boxes Corn Hole Boards Wine Racks Bird Houses

Conclusion

It is my sincerest hope that if you made it to the end of this article than you got something out of it. I put considerable research into finding out what has worked for other woodworkers while starting their own businesses. This list it a great starting point, in my opinion, and as you explore the items listed in it you may find others that should be added to it. If you have had any luck selling items not listed then please share them in the comments below so that others can read what you have the say and possibly put it into production for themselves. Thanks for reading.

Wood Movement Explained | A Beginner Woodworkers Guide

Introduction

As a woodworker I have been reading articles and listening to YouTube videos about what to consider when starting a new furniture project for what seems to be many years. One of the topics that I have known about and have neglected purposefully has been wood movement. I’m not entirely sure why I have ignored learning about it, maybe its because it seems like witchcraft to me, but I decided to sit down and research the topic to learn what exactly is worth knowing about the subject. In this article I explore what causes wood to move (i.e. cup, bow, twist, contract, expand), how wood actually moves, where wood movement tends to be most noticeable, and finally I will briefly discuss construction methods and provide some information to consider when dealing with wood movement in your projects.

What Causes Wood to Move

So, what causes wood to move? The most simplistic answer is moisture. Wood absorbs water and expels water throughout the seasons. Climate plays a huge role in this process. For instance, here is California where I live our climate isn’t overly humid. As a result, the amount of moisture fluctuation I notice in the wood I work with isn’t terribly noticeable. In contrast, states such as Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi which tend to have the highest relative humidity levels in the United States, on average, will likely see the highest fluctuation in moisture absorption and expulsion in wood.

Why is this important to know? When you build a piece of furniture in your shop it is likely being built in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment. Once that piece of furniture is finished and moved to its new environment, into a home or even to an outside area, the moisture level in the wood is going to change. If you are building in an environment that isn’t temperature and humidity-controlled, then the same reaction will still occur. Let me be clear about one thing… there is absolutely nothing that you can do to prevent wood movement. Regardless of the precautions you take, the wood will take on and expel moisture throughout its existence. There are methods and processes that can be used to compensate for the movement, but you cannot stop it completely.

How Wood Moves

How wood moves is actually pretty simple. Wood moves very little with the grain but can move significantly across the grain. What does this mean? Trees grow outward from the center and in the process create growth rings. When a piece of lumber takes on moisture those rings will swell and when the piece of lumber releases moisture the rings will shrink. If you have a piece of lumber that is 10ft long and 8in wide you will see the board move across its width but very little to no movement over the 10ft length.

Wood expansion and contraction will follow the direction of the growth rings. Depending on how the tree is milled and where within the tree’s trunk the board is cut from you will see different types of movement. On a very basic level you have two types of milling techniques, flat sawn and quarter sawn. I am not going to dive into what these techniques are, they are outside the scope of this article, but quarter sawn is much more predictable in its movement. Quarter sawn lumber tends to stay much flatter and is much more resistant to wood movement than flat sawn lumber. Flat sawn wood can experience cupping, twisting, bowing, and other shapes that have no name… more witchcraft. Over time flat sawn lumber can deform to the point that the piece of furniture is unusable if the woods movement wasn’t considered when it was being built. This is seen in quarter sawn wood as well, but the effects are much less dramatic.

Where Is Wood Movement the Most Noticeable in Furniture?

There are a handful of common joints and furniture components that are more likely to experience negative effects if wood movement isn’t considered. Among the most common are tabletops (with and without breadboard ends), door panels, inlays, and exposed joinery (dovetails, finger joints, and through tenons).

Tabletops and Breadboard Ends

A tabletop will expand and contract over time resulting in uneven surfaces or delamination’s of the glue joints if wood expansion isn’t considered. This is usually compensated for by using tabletop anchors that allow the top to float over the table stretchers as the seasons pass. If your project incorporates a breadboard end then you should consider utilizing elongated dowel holes and plugs as well as a floating tenon design. These techniques will, in most cases, prevent catastrophic failures in your tabletop’s joints and surface, otherwise you will likely see those delamination’s and even large cracks occur.

Door Panels

In the case of rail and stile door panels, the panel is typically placed between the rail and stiles (frame), without gluing it or fixing it in place with a fastener. This is known as letting it float. In addition, the door panel is slightly undersized, which allows it to expand and contract within the frame. Rail and stile doors are constructed using these methods because, over time, the panel is going to move. If the panel doesn’t have the ability to expand and contract you may see failures in the frames joints and the panel may buckle.

Inlays and Exposed Joinery

There’s not much you can do to compensate for the effects expansion and contraction has on inlays and exposed joinery. What you are likely to see, with both, is raising and sinking of the inlay or joint as it relates to the surface it is recessed into or protruding from. That was a convoluted sentence but essentially, over time, as you run your fingers over the inlay or joinery you will feel them either sitting below the surface or slightly proud of it. In both casaes there isn’t anything you can do to counteract the effects. This is more of a good thing to know rather than something that’s going to cause negative outcomes for your furniture piece.

How To Deal with Wood Movement

Knowing that there is nothing to be done about preventing wood from moving, how do you deal with it? This next section is not going to cover any specific processes, because the topics are all individually lengthy ones. However, I will touch on some things to consider when purchasing wood and construction methods you might want to research a little more.

First and foremost, buy quarter sawn wood if you can find it. If the supply is limited in your area, attempt to purchase quarter sawn wood for elements of your furniture such as table stretchers, legs, door panels, and other similar pieces. The rest of your piece can be flat sawn if necessary. Apply a durable finish to your furniture pieces. The finish you apply will help slow how moisture is absorbed and lost by the wood. It won’t stop it completely but it helps. Spend some time researching the seasonal weather in your area and learn which parts of the year are the driest and most humid. Knowing this will allow you to construct your furniture pieces in a way that accounts for expansion and contraction in the best way possible. For example, if the time of year is exceptionally dry, make sure to leave plenty of room for expansion in areas of your projects that are likely to experience it. In the case of tabletops, use anchors that will allow your top to float while expanding and contracting with the seasons. With door panels, avoid gluing them into the rail and stile frame and provide a little space across its width to expand and contract. Last but not least, allow green lumber to dry sufficiently. Wood that has been freshly cut or milled from a log is going to have a high moisture content if that log was recently felled. In general, you want wood you work with to have about an 8 – 10% moisture level before working it. Depending on the thickness of the wood this could take months or even years to achieve, unless you have it dried in a kiln.

Conclusion

The moral of the story here is that wood will move no matter what you do to prevent it. Trying to restrict wood movement will likely create problems in your projects that will ultimately render your furniture unusable or in a state of disrepair that makes you cringe every time you look at it. It’s a far better idea to build your furniture, or woodworking project in general, to accommodate for wood movement. Doing so will make the longevity of your woodworking projects increase and they will likely last for generations. As is the truth for most things in life, it is better to be proactive rather than reactive. It’s a far better idea to build something the right way rather than have to deal with the consequences of poor construction.

Resources

How to build and finish a desk top / DIY Table Top

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxELcJsbLCc

Making Traditional Breadboard Ends

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4ohRfxSNrE

How to Deal with Humidity’s Effects On Wood – WOOD Magazine

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqO-d3xUUeU

Talking Wood Movement – Popular Woodworking

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAeHQuAm1EA

Furniture Building For Beginners - How to Deal with Wood Movement

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHkZG-HDelQ

Examining Past Projects for Wood Movement – The Wood Whisperer

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiXZwdqmaFM&t=27s

Lichtenberg Fractal Burning | Learn How to Do It

Introduction

When I started researching information for this article I didn’t realize how dangerous and expensive of an endeavor this form of wood burning would reveal itself to be. It is possible to make a DIY Lichtenberg Fractal burning device, relatively cheaply I might add, but is it worth the inherent danger that it presents. Essentially, you are connecting electrical leads to an extremely high voltage transformer and forming an arc between them. That arc is directed, or loosely controlled, using a solution of baking soda and water.

Danger Warning

Working with a high voltage transformer is extremely dangerous when it is connected to a power source. They are more than capable of producing enough voltage to kill a human being and have already severely injured and even killed people attempting to make Lichtenberg devices. All you have to do is google it and you can see for yourself. If building one of these devices isn’t done properly and proper electrical safety isn’t followed this could be the last DIY project you ever do. Keep that in mind while building and using a DIY Lichtenberg fractal burning device.

Bare Bones Device

To make your own Lichtenberg Fractal Burning device you will need the following:

• Microwave Transformer or Neon Light Transformer

• Copper Rod

• Terminal Clamps

• Electrical Wire

• Spade Connectors

The most important part of this device is the microwave transformer. To obtain one is simple and in some cases can be acquired for free. Most if not all microwave ovens have a high voltage transformer inside. Microwave transformers can be found online through Amazon, and other sources, or you can get a secondhand microwave from a thrift store for virtually nothing and remove the transformer inside. You may be able to find a microwave in your local area for free through platforms such as Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.

Warning: Be careful when extracting the transformer because there are other elements of the microwave that may retain residual electricity with enough punch to severely injure or kill you.

The copper rod is used to direct the arc across the wood. Copper rod can be found at metal supply retailers, home stores, and online through Amazon and other sources. The electricity will arc between the two pieces of copper burning a fractal pattern into the wood. You will need to use a disc sander or other grinding implement to taper one end of each piece of rod to a point.

You will use the electrical wire (the gauge you use will be determined by the gauge of the wire coming from the transformer), terminal clamps, and spade connectors to connect the copper rods to the transformer. Essentially, one end of a length of wire will be attached to the terminal clamps and the other end will be wired to the spade connectors. The spade connectors will plug into the transformer and the terminal clamps will hold the copper rod and allow the electricity to flow through them.

Here are a few videos I found showing how to build the device:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbTOc0sWjmE

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4b79ah4gG4

Recommendations

Given how dangerous this is to make and use I thought of a few ways to make it safer. First of all, buy a grounding mat for both under your feet and for under the material you are burning. Secondly, buy some electrical insulating gloves. If you take any precautions it should be these two. Additionally, think about encasing the transformer with silicone. There are mold making silicone products out there that would work for accomplishing this. The silicone will act as a barrier between you and the electrical voltage. Lastly, add a foot pedal to engage and disengage the device, a voltage warning light to indicate there is power going to the device, and wrap all exposed connections in heat shrink rubber. This is a cool project to undertake but safety is paramount when building one of these.

Baking Soda Solution

To direct the arc and control where the burning occurs you use a mixture of baking soda and water. This solution is an electrical conductor and the arc will travel along it. The ratio is one tbsp of baking soda to every cup of water. You will want to use hot water to dissolve the baking soda otherwise the water and baking soda will separate.

Commercial Lichtenberg Fractal Burners

Believe it or not there is a commercially produced burning device on the market that is OSHA approved. I came across it while I was researching this article and it is fairly inexpensive and safe to use. Although, this device still isn’t without risk its probably the safest way I have found to fractal burn. The transformer is fully incased protecting you from accidental shock, it has an integrated circuit interrupting foot pedal, and a voltage warning indicator light.

Here is the link if you want to check it out:

• https://conestogaworks.com/woodburners.html

I will likely be buying one myself rather than making one from scratch and you might want to consider it too. Making one of these the right way will likely end up costing more than buying one will.

Example Videos

Below you will find a few links to content creators using DIY fractal burning machines.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVsOlDaG7-Y

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7B4kV7l3vQ

Conclusion

I hope you have found this article informative and if you have any questions or find that there may be something I can add to the article to improve it please let me know in the comments below. If you plan on making one of these devices please be safe! This project can go real bad real fast if you don’t do it the right way. Good luck and if you want to show me the results of making one of these devices I am always interested in seeing pictures!