Archive for the 'Plans' Category
Friday, November 28th, 2008
With only a few weeks of worktime left till the holiday zero hour, I thought I’d check out a few toy-making books and try my hand at building something smaller than a pony for a change. Making Wooden Toys: 12 Easy-to-Do Projects with Full-Size Templates by James Stasio caught my eye right away.
His book contains templates for some easy-to-do little rigs like trucks, helicopters, and a naval destroyer. I figure for $7 and a few pieces of pine I can’t go too wrong, so we’ll see what comes of it. At least they’ll be easier to poly or paint than the huge pieces I’ve been doing.
If they’re good I’ll post some pics when I’m done — and if they turn out good-for-a-laugh, I’ll post more pics.
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
Posted in Plans, TV/Media, Woodworking | 2 Comments »
Friday, September 5th, 2008
If you didn’t like the design of the Plan Station portable jobsite desk, check out this product from Trojan Manufacturing that trades some size and storage for a little more rigidity. Their PT-2640 portable plan table provides a sturdy 26″ x 40″ work surface anywhere you can find exposed 2X studs.
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Posted in Accessories, Plans | 3 Comments »
Friday, August 29th, 2008
When you decide to improve the appearance of your home, you quickly discover that real changes can cost more than your first car — but the cheap route, like adding little knick-knacks, doesn’t get it done either. You can steer the middle course pretty easily with additions like this faux wainscoting project we found on Skil’s website.
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Posted in Plans, Skil | 4 Comments »
Monday, August 18th, 2008
Toys and Joys will help you build cool models of your favorite big tools: bulldozers, forklifts, cranes, and many others. They offer accessory kits which include “some” parts, or you can just get the plans. The models feature plenty of moving and articulating parts — turning wheels, moving tracks, lifting buckets, extending forks, lots of realistic motion.
This means there are a lot of parts, and though the project may not be complex, it could be a long one. But it also means I can afford to build Sean a bulldozer.
Construction Equipment Plans [Toys and Joys]
Posted in Plans, Projects | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
As Toolmonger cyclists probably already know, a recumbent bicycle offers several advantages over the normal upright sort, but they’re generally rather pricey. We’ve recently posted on tube bending, mitering, and welding, and this project requires all those new tools you wish you had an excuse to pick up.
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Posted in How-To, Plans, Projects, Welding | 3 Comments »
Monday, June 23rd, 2008
Before “cordless power tools” we just burned gasoline to get the job done, and gas is still the easiest power source for remote locations where you need to draw heavy power. For instance, a big, gas-powered wet/dry vacuum can prove indispensable for lots of applications, like prospecting, archaeology, and prairie dog eviction — but I couldn’t find a gas-powered vacuum easily! However, I did find this DIY plan for one.
You start with a gas blower and a five-gallon bucket, and you end up with a big vacuum that recharges at the pump. With gas prices going up you might prefer a cheaper alternative — but if you really need the right tool for the job there may not be a substitute.
GasVac [Minin' Gold]
Giant Sucking Sound [CNN]
Posted in Cleaning, Lawn/Garden, Plans, Power Tools, Unusual Tools | 2 Comments »
Friday, May 30th, 2008
This portable job site desk hangs from two nails pounded into any stud wall. It folds up and out of the way when it’s not needed, and you can carry it off the site by the handles like a portfolio when you’re done.
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Posted in Ace Hardware, Duluth, Finley Products, Plans, Storage | 5 Comments »
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
Getting started in blacksmithing usually requires a pretty decent start-up cost. But if you want to do it on the cheap, the instructions on Zoeller Forge’s site will show you how to build a gas forge without a welder or a cutting torch. With a drill, hole saw, tap, vise grips, and a workbench, you can make your own atmospheric gas forge.
Atmospheric Gas Forge [Zoeller Forge]
Posted in Blacksmithing, How-To, Plans | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
When we’re building stuff in the Toolmonger shop, whether of wood or metal, we often consult plans, and not only to make the project easier — a lot of times the plans’ll spark other ideas. Though the plan for this shop stool is simple enough, maybe it inspires you to modify the plan to make planter stands, or a bench support, or a workpiece glide for your table saw. If you look at enough plans, you’ll notice that most projects start from a simple box shape; where you end up is limited only by your imagination.
Shop Stool Plan [Miller]
Posted in How-To, Metalworking, Plans, Projects | No Comments »
Monday, May 19th, 2008
Depending on where you live, porch-swing weather may be upon you or closing in. If you don’t already have a porch swing, or if the old one needs to be retired, take a gander at the plans on Black & Decker’s site. Though it’s nothing fancy, it’ll satisfy the basic requirements: space for a butt or two, and something to hang the swing by.
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Posted in Black & Decker, On the Web, Plans, Projects, Woodworking | 1 Comment »
Monday, October 8th, 2007
Is workspace in your household as much an issue as it is in mine? An unfortunate soldering incident has me banished from the kitchen table, and my planned basement work bench is still on my to-do list. But I came across an ingenious idea for a very simple work table via the internet TV network Revison3’s show Systm episode 13. It doesn’t get simpler than this: one piece of 3/4 inch plywood and a few simple cuts yields a stable 37″ tall 16 square-foot work space.
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Posted in How-To, Plans | 18 Comments »
Thursday, June 28th, 2007
Kicking back to relax in an Adirondak chair is a thing of joy, but it’s even more fun when you built the chair yourself. Now’s your chance: we found these easy-build plans over on the Popular Mechanics site. They’re from the June 1999 issue so may be a bit dusty, but the Adirondak has been in style since Thomas Lee built the first one in 1903 so he could chill at his summer home.
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Posted in Plans | 4 Comments »
