Sandy's blog posts about Rustic Working projects, the E-Z Log Tenon Cutters, Wood Slices, and other unique rustic woodworking ideas.

Sorry, haven't added to my blog in a year

4/28/2020

I guess I just plain forgot about the blog part. Been busy cutting wood and trying to keep my website up to date. I need some help around here. My chainsaw broke last Friday, and I blew out my shoulder on Sunday.

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July 25th, 2019

7/25/2019

I just wanted to show the interesting markings I just found inside of a small birch log. Too bad it wasn't a little larger in diameter.

Add casters to plastic shelving

5/17/2019

We all know it sucks when you just don't have enough room in your shop. Being able to quickly move around your machines, tables and shelves in your shop can make it easier to get room to work on your projects. When you are done with your project you can move everything to make room for your car if your shop is in your garage. I had the same space problem, so I began adding wheels (casters) to most of my shelves. I have a lot of shelving in my shop that I use as drying racks for the wood slices I cut.
Here is an easy way to add wheels to those cheap plastic shelving units.
Turn one shelf upside down and cut 4 pieces of wood that fits tightly between the pole holes and clamp in place. Then cut four 45-degree corners, and glue and screw them to the other pieces of wood as shown.

I did not fasten the wood base to the bottom plastic shelf. I just made sure that the wood parts fit tightly, and then added the 45-degree corners to hold those together. The weight of the shelves and whatever is on the shelves should be enough to hold the wood base in place. There are many different types of plastic shelves, so you will have to make it work with whatever brand you purchased.
Also, be sure to get large enough casters to hold whatever weight you expect to add to the shelves. The larger the casters the easier it will be to roll the shelves around, especially if you have wood chips or sawdust on the floor.
Be sure to pound in the poles straight and tight. Use a piece of wood so that you don't wreck the plastic.

Plastic shelving unit

Add boards to base. Do not cover up the holes for the poles.

Cut 45 degree corner boards to mount the casters. Glue and screw to other boards, and then add the wheels.

Flip right-side-up and follow directions to put shelving together.

Use a piece of wood to pound in the poles and shelves so that you don't wreck the plastic.

Vine Wrapped Poplar Tree

4/26/2019

Vine Wrapped Poplar Tree - Soon To Be Walking Cane!

I found this young, but dead, poplar tree in the woods a few years ago. It looked like some type of vine had wrapped around it and killed it, but the vine was long gone, so I don't know what type of vine did this.

I finally got around to peeling off the bark, which was dry and brittle. It is very interesting to see how the wood formed after the vine wrapped itself around it. The bark wasn't the same in all areas. I wish I had taken a picture of it before I stripped the bark off.

I think I will keep sanding on it to see if I can get into those little nooks and crannies, and then give it a few coats of antique wood finish.

I plan on making some kind of leather handle on the top.

I will keep you posted on my progress!

Click on any of the photos to see a bigger one.

Macro Photography

4/24/2019

I have always like photography. Since my DSLR broke, I decided to just see if I could use the cameras on my Galaxy Note8 phone. It takes pretty good pictures, and I love the built-in shooting options and filters. I went an extra step and purchased two Moment lenses, and I'd like to show you some of the results using the Macro lens.

Now is the time....to cut wood!

1/24/2019

Winter, while the sap in the trees isn't running, is the best time of the year to cut new wood down. There will be less shrinkage when drying.
Trust me on this.
Been there.
Didn't do it and wished I did.

Happy New Year!

1/2/2019

New Year......New Ideas!

Well, I guess not actually a NEW idea. Just an idea I had a long ago and am just perfecting it now.

I have ordered the basic parts I need, and am still fabricating the parts to make it all work. I can't wait to show you. Every bandsaw owner who has a pile of firewood is going to love it.!

Stay tuned for updates!

Log Holder

12/8/2018

Lumberjack Tools Lock Log Holder

I just found a new type of log holder. I will post it here for you to see also. I think I'm going to order it. I will submit a review after I have tried it out. I see that they have a 5-star rating.

Secure your logs in place while cutting Tenons, tapering the log, peeling the bark and more with our all new log lock. This heavy-duty log holder will eliminate slipping, turning, and other issues. This quality product has great features at an affordable price.

Thinking back......how it all got started

9/27/2018

How it all got started....me and wood.

About 12 years ago or so, the rustic wedding fad started. I have been working with rustic wood since 1979. This was right up my alley. I was one of the first to offer rustic log slices for sale.
I made a few sales, and started purchasing more saws and tools. It was quite the learning process!
Wood has a mind of its own. Some wood slices turned out beautiful, while others did not.

Over the years, I have learned how to choose the wood, how to treat it so it doesn't crack, proper processing and storage, and all of the website stuff, like the shopping cart code, shipping, etc. This has allowed me to sell "by the slice", instead of selling by defined number of slices, which is appreciated by customers who only need one or a few slices and don't want to buy 25 or so. I understand why others sell them like that. Shipping! Wood is heavy.
The way I do it is I weigh the slices individually, and code my shopping cart with a USPS api that will add up the total weight of the order, and calculate shipping to the customers zip code. It works pretty slick!
There have been many people and companies over the years who have joined in and are selling wood slices, and I have really gotten a kick out of it. Most of them don't even let the customer know what kind of wood it is, when it was harvested, how it was dried, Some use one generic photo of some really nice wood slices, and I always wondered what the customer actually receives. I, on the other hand, photograph each product separately, and post that so the customer can actually see what they are getting.
I have received calls from their customers requesting me to "fix" the wood they received from another vendor, as it arrived all moldy, as it was shipped green and wet.
Since the internet is saturated now

Easy and Amazing Rustic Projects

9/21/2018

Kate from Top Reveal has written a fantastic article about DIY Rustic Projects that are easy and amazing.

Kate has gathered a lot of ideas and information about all kinds of things for us DIY'ers.

And, if you're looking for wood to make your own projects, we just happen to have some! Check out what we have available here.

Rustic Projects by Top Reveal

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