According to our survey, the most votes were for some entry level projects. OK, we hear you and will see what we can do along those lines. Without a good idea of what tools you do or do not have, a simple project can be a breeze or a nightmare. With that in mind, I am going to toss out a few ideas for you to consider and YOU can decide if you want to build or not based on your tool assortment.
Absolute low buck, ultra-simple, ANYBODY can build OR, super high tech, expensive, gotta have good tools, keychain fob. For the well organized, a small block of wood drilled for a keyring and given whatever artisitic touches you are so inclined to give. The artisitic touches can be carvings, cutouts, wood burnings, painted scenes, or ALL of the above. For the not so well organized, everything above stays the same EXCEPT the block of wood is much bigger and easier to find.
If you use the normal split ring key ring, the hole for the split ring must be big enough to allow some room to manuever when putting keys on it. If you want to make this a high dollar piece, invest in some expensive burl to make it from. It is really a matter of personal preference what you use, down low or over the top, either way when done right, these work for gifts that are usually appreciated.
OK, I will ASSUME you have your block of wood. Spend some time surfing the internet and it is a pretty safe bet you will find an image or graphic that appeals to you. Shrink it down or blow it up as required and print it out. For cut outs, glue it to your block of wood, take it to the saw and cut away! The excess paper can be cleaned up later when sanding. You can use your printed out graphic in conjunction with carbon paper or transfer paper and transfer the image to your block of wood for painting, carving, burning, or whatever method you decide.
When you have it all done, a good finish will help it survive some hard use. I like spar varnish myself but it does tend to yellow things. Tung oil, many coats, will work well too.
YES, lots of latitude here but this is a great project for using up scraps or experimenting with new techniques. I think it qualifies as "entry level".
Recommend this article...
Last update : 14-01-2008 14:49
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