Mar 01

Locust Bowl – Daniel D. Brown, 2018

I really wanted to make something when I got home so I decided to finally make a shallow bowl I’ve been planning. We have a tiny basement bathroom & shower where I clean up after being covered in sawdust and grime. Every time I take everything out of my pockets to switch into/out of my shop clothes, I wish I had a bowl to put it all in. So this is a utilitarian bowl for above the toilet.
I acquired a bunch of free locust logs from a tree cut down in Squirrel Hill last summer, so I carved out the shallow bowl with an angle grinder and @kutzall shaping wheel, crudely hacked it from the log with my cheap chainsaw, ground the bottom shape, sanded until I couldn’t see through the air, used a router and my flattening jig to flatten the bottom, branded the bottom, and finished it with some @generalfinishes Arm-R-Seal. It would look a lot fancier if I had a lathe. But I’m pretty happy with it for a couple hours of just playing with tools.
I fully anticipate that it will eventually crack. It was a big log and it’s only been drying in my basement for like 9 months. It seemed pretty dry inside, but I know it hasn’t been long enough for that thickness. When it does I’ll just make a better one.

Feb 24

Cedar Platform Bird Feeder – Daniel D. Brown, 2018

Another Saturday, another quick little project. Made this bird feeder so that when we chill on our porch we’ll have lots of birdies more or less at eye level. Also the porch should stay cleaner with the lower overhang than our previous feeder. And you can’t make it any easier than this to refill. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out considering I designed it 100% on the fly as I was putting it together. Made from cheap cedar fence planks. I should probably put a finish on it. But I like raw cedar and don’t have to worry about toxicity. Most of it is strategically screwed, so it will hopefully hold up, and what little glue is in it is titebond III and should hold up to moisture (the whole thing is covered by the porch roof anyway). Worst case scenario: it eventually falls apart and I make a better one.

 

Feb 21

Cedar Birdhouses – Daniel D. Brown, 2018

The birds have started staking out their territories in our neighborhood. So I threw together a few super quick nestboxes this evening (plans courtesy Cornell Lab of Ornithology @cornellbirds) for us and our neighbors. These are rough unfinished cedar planks and galvanized nails only. Nothing fancy or decorative here. Pure function (though I dig the rustic cedar look). One side pivots out for cleaning the inside between seasons.
If you’re a friend and/or Pittsburgher and want a handmade nestbox like this, hit me up. It’s pretty easy and I’d do it for like $15. 
These holes are 1 1/4” – for titmouse sized birds (though I’m sure house sparrows will end up claiming it). I can make smaller holes for chickadees and the like.
I’d really like to make an American Kestrel box. I know we have them in the hood. But there’s no way I could get it high enough. haha.

 

Feb 18

Elm Coat Rack – Daniel D. Brown, 2018

Coat hanger complete! I made this thing out of an old half-rotting log someone was giving away as firewood in Squirrel Hill. I loved the endgrain, which seemed structurally sound enough, and thought it might be pretty inside. So I milled it up with my cheap chainsaw, flattened it with a router/jig, filled the knotholes with epoxy, sanded and sanded, added keyhole slots in the back, added the hardware, and finished it with Arm-R-Seal. I was gonna square it up, but @tam_a_ryn liked the sawed angles from when it was originally cut down. The hooks are staggered because I couldn’t bring myself to cover that beautiful knotted figure. Still not sure what species. Checkout the before and after pics at the end. More of this in my story highlight. Inspired by a similar coat rack made by one of my favorite woodworkers on IG, Matt Plumlee @gotwoodwrkshop.