Simple DIY Shop Made items for use in the shop - what have you made?

[LCHIEN]

Per recent discussion, I am trying to get some more woodworking topics on SawDustZone.

I will challenge others of you to post a quick picture of some woodworking items you made for the shop that were simple and yet have proven to be frequently used. This post/thread will be a collection of ideas.

If people want you can then link them to posts you will make detailing your item. I some cases I will post things I have made and posted before.- I apologize if you've seen it but many people haven't.

Use one reply for each item. I will start with a few.

In some cases, I have just copied commercial items at much lower cost. No apology there.

[LCHIEN]

My first item: I cloned the Rockler Clamp-it JIgs, THey're right angle assembly squares as they call them
Clamp them to the inside or outside of assemblies to get them square as you do final assembly.


I simply ripped some 2x4s down to 2x2's and squared then up really good, preferably using jointer and thickness planer although probably just using a table saw could do a good job.Sides should be parallel so you can use them ion the inside or outside of assemblies! About 8" long, thickness about 1-3/8 to 1-1/2, not critical.
I made butt joints for the corners after cutting the ends square. Use an engineers square (to square them up. I glued and screwed the joint. Chamfer the corners and ends. Drill a glue relief hole in the center. Add holes where ever you need them. Build at least four, making the first one is hardest the copies are easy once you've set everything up. I think they go for about 10 or 12 bucks each store-bought, Mine work great for assembly clamps.

[LCHIEN]

Second post: Shop built sanding blocks.
I've posted this before, but these work so much better than the store bought ones.
Made out of 2x4s. Jointed the bottom to be flat. Some drill press work for the slots in the end that the vinyl tubing goes into to hold the 1/4th sheet of sandpapaer.
Then some router work on the nose and the side grips.
I made eight and keep two of each with 4 different grades of grit They'e all over my shop, handy to use.
Actually I made a few more and gave them to my woodworking friends. Again, once you get the setup its easy to make a few than just one.
.

[Slik Geek]

Wish I had made more than four when I made these... I use them frequently. One of your best contributions to this forum. I like them more than any other sanding block I've used.

[LCHIEN]

Another one:
Who doesn't keep a roll of paper towels in the shop? I use them for glue cleanup and excess lube wipeup.
The holders at the dept. stores cost 15-20 bucks. I made this one in very short order, I recall, shown next to the purchased one we have in the kitchen.
A simple round or even square cap will do, may not even need one at all. I had some hardwood balls and always keep some dowel stock so I made this one out of scrap wood..

[LCHIEN]

Here's another one:
A dial gauge holder. You can buy the 1" travel dial gauge for $8 to 15 bucks at Harbor freight and they work pretty good.
I made a holder to measure the height of router bits and table saw blades. Works great you can see the dial creep up as you raise the blade or bit.
I got a bit fancy on mine with draft angles on the legs and sides of 15°. But you can make one more square. The important thing is to keep the sides and bottom square and flat, and the 3/8" hole for the shank of the gauge square with the bottom (use a drill press).
The other thing is getting a contact point for the dial gauge that has a flat on it for measuring high points (of the blade or bit) rather than a rounded point for measuring surfaces.
I used a screw threaded into the back, intersecting the shank hole, to put a vertical set screw in place to keep the dial gauge from moving. Don't be too heavy handed on this.

[poolhound]

Great idea and thread Loring, I have a few things I can post pics of and will try and do this before the week is out.

[Bill in Buena Park]

Seems most of the things I've made lately are woodturning related. Here are a few:
- Some carbide lathe tools
- Lathe tool rack
- Wire burners
- Chuck organizer
- Celtic knot sled


I also found my outfeed table. I'll check around the shop and see what other things I've made.

[LCHIEN]

OK, what's this. Did you lose something and need something to fill your shorts?

Oh I get it, for making something like this:

[dbhost]

There are others I can't find photos for. A simple drilled block for holding mortiser chisels, a simple holder for router bits, drill bits blah blah blah. And a couple of different floor sweeps out of scrap plywood and S&D PVC cutoffs.

[LCHIEN]

Well here's another:
Had all these glue bottles when the glue gets towards empty you have to flip it over and wait for the glue to slowly migrate to the nozzle end. This holder allowed me to place and store several bottles nozzle end down.
Required a stepped concentric hole for the collar and the nozzle.

I don't remember, I think the wider base angle pieces were an afterthought to keep it from tipping over. But probably scraps, too.

[LCHIEN]

One more:
Brad point drill index for next to the Drill press. Probably 80% of the holes I drill are with this set of brad point drills. I have the 118° twist bit 114 piece sets and 29 piece sets and even 135° set for metalworking for when I need precision sizes, but most of my woodworking uses these.
I of course used the precision drills to drill a hole 1/64th oversized for easy in-out of the bits in this index.
The positions are marked in 16ths. as this set is in 16th increments, 1/8th to 1/2".
The piece of dark wood strip was attached after the holes drilled to set the depth roughly to the same height.


Update: Here' the January 2022 new version takes up less space.

[LCHIEN]

Some V-blocks are handy for drilling round objects or even at 45 degree angles.
A shallow one with 30 degree sides is better for larger objects like 4" pipes. and 45 degrees is good for round items to about 2 inches.

If you line up the drill over the center of the V then you can clamp the block in place. Putting the pipe in the V then guarantees you are drilling the center and if you drill through you will hit the exact opposite side.

Use scrap pieces of 2x4. About 10-12" long is a good size, although a couple of short ones might be good for supporting longer objects.
Knock these out in 15 minutes on the table saw when you have a few minutes.

[dbhost]

Try this again.

Super simple Box Joint Jig. You can see I had to clearance out the back side of the jig to clear the star knobs. Construction. Glue and screws.

[LCHIEN]

Good place for Ratchet lever Knobs.

https://www.rockler.com/shop?w=Ratchet+lever++knob

[dbhost]

Never thought you could just get those. Gonna upgrade my jigs now! I need to verify the bolt size for my jointer fence as both of the ajusters ratchet levers went bad...

[dbhost]

Of course there is the Dovetail jig, well... jig. A simple board sized to allow the dovetail jig to mount to it. and gives me room to clamp that to a bench, and of course, a bored, and relieved hole to allow for hanging.

The hole saw set box. Again, glue and screws. Recycled hardware including the screws. Houses my Harbor Freight large BiMetal hole saws.

And the replacement star knob for my bench top jointer. Made via a hole saw and the spindle sander for the finger notches and relieving the edges.

[LCHIEN]

impressive box for three holesaws. Should last forever.

[Bill in Buena Park]

OK, what's this. Did you lose something and need something to fill your shorts?

Oh I get it, for making something like this:

Good one Loring! If I need to fill my shorts, I mount a large, unbalanced log on my lathe that spins at 600 RPM minimum...

[LCHIEN]

Big grin (can't find the smileys/emoticons in the comments editor)
There's something vaguely obscene about those two pictures together that wasn't all that intentional. And we wonder why this is a male-dominated hobby.