Ye Olde Corn Hole… sigh

I have to admit that I cannot stand the official name of the bean-bag-toss-game: Cornholeing. But it is fun to play. My sister (lovely, though not pictured) wanted some help making a couple for her husband’s birthday (also lovely, also not pictured). So she came over and we made a pretty solid prototype together. Simple hole in a board with a kickstand on the back. So a bit later I refined the design and moved onto the real challenge—the finish. Multiple coated of stain and poly, topped with latex primer, and stripes. My sisters family is really into this new sport, not sure what it's called. Apparently it's a bunch of guys skating around on ice beating the crap out of each other. Curling? Anyway, I made some decals and resealed the whole shebang one last time. Not too shabby.

Oh, and by the way GO BLUES!

Desk Vader

 

One of my biggest needs in life is music. Every workspace I've used has had a stereo in it. It helps keeps me moving and provides a sense of passing time. It's a must. However, keeping a stereo in a woodshop is a bit tricky, especially if you like to connect it to your laptop. Wood dust and electric components shouldn't really share space. 

So, my thinking was to build a work station right outside the shop and run the speaker lines through the wall. And, while I was at it, why not incorporate the mini-fridge and wine chiller? So, with some scrap and a plan I built this simple bar-height desk. 

During the process it occurred to me that it should have a decent top to it. Not decent like solid Mahogany (which would be more than decent) but in the sense that it's smooth, easy to clean, perhaps has some interest to it… but still cost zip.

So after sorting through the scrap I came up with a plan: 2 bits of really warped cedar sandwiched between 2 bits of white birch plywood. So I did that. And for the warped cedar that dropped away form the surface plane, I concocted my own wood putty and applied liberally. Once sanded down to the same surface, it's really odd—but I really love it. 

While I was in the planning phase on the desk-top I had seen a tutorial about using release agents with stain. So, without much hesitation I printed out Vader's noggin and made a negative decal. I then gave it a couple of good passes with shellac, removed the decal and stained away. It's fuzzy in some places, but overall I dig it. And now I'll know what to do if I want to repeat the technique in the future.

Cedar Cribbage Board

So after the bed project I had some leftover cedar. With my big sister's birthday coming up I knew exactly what to do: cribbage board. I remember her and my dad playing cribbage when I was younger. I never learned, but for some reason the memory stuck with me. So what better way (other than actually playing the game with her) to relive the memory?

So this board, since it's made from scrap, has some interesting construction notes: the sides are made of several strips of scrap glued up to accentuate the hues in the cedar grain. The top was selected because of the knot on the side. I love knots. They're beautiful.

The pullout drawer is made from hardboard (you know, like clipboards are made from) and felted. I devided the drawer into 3 compartments to hold 2 decks and the pegs. Since the board was scrap, I made the pegs from scrap as well—took the heads ofd a few old nails, cleaned them up and dipped them in enamel for the player colors.

The last picture was taken by my sister (which is why it's so much better than my pics). Hopefully she's getting some use out of it.

Scrap Wood Tray

 

One spring evening, after looking through the scrap pile and wanting to do something with angles and dados and grooves, this tray was born.

Scrap pine and cedar (white and red) were cut down to 1" strips, glued up and planed down to a around 1/2' thickness. Framed in red cedar cut to a 45° to fancy it up a bit. To give this a good looking durability, I went with MANY layers of shellac, buffed to a nice natural gloss.

Turned Penguins

 

So these little guys are about 3-4 inches tall, turned from cedar and pine, and have beaks made from dowels sharpened in the trusty ol' Bostich pencil sharpener. 

Sidebar: I think everyone should own the tried and true wall mounted pencil sharpener—just like you had in school. 

The Son is a penguin lover, mostly due to the wonderful penguin and puffin habitat at the St. Louis Zoo, so these were inevitable. As turnings go, they're quite easy and I will probably do more as I practice with new tools and techniques.

Scrap Pine Coat Rack

  

  

Here's something from February of 2013, the Scrap Pine Coat Rack. Name says it all, I guess. Roughly 6' tall, simply built with 8 unique turned pegs. Painted mostly to hide all the flaws in the scrap. I own—and wear—a lot of sweat jackets, not to mentions my share of hats. So a personal coat rack next to the dresser seemed like a good idea. So far it's been perfect. Even in the summer, when the jackets are just collecting dust, the rack gives the room a bit more… maturity, I guess.

This will also be the first project I'd like to redo. Not that I'm unhappy with it, but I do know a fair bit more than I did then—and also have invested in much better tools. With the new lathe and band saw, I should be able to produce mush more stately finished product. 

Stout Wand

Many of you will remember this piece from Facebook. This very stout wand was my first turning. Crafted on my late grandfather's Shopmate Sabre-Lathe, the wand is carved from pine, finished with Shellac and measures about 9" long. So even if you bring a wand to a knife-fight—as long as it’s this wand—you'll be ok.

'Modern Cabin' Cedar Bed

The first big project of 2013. Made with cedar and custom stained, the ‘Modern Cabin’ bed was gift to myself.  No longer would I sleep on a plan ole’ mattress. I'm a grown man, I should sleep in a grown man’s bed. Well, that could be misread… anyhoo, it took a few weekends to complete but was well worth it. Calling it a bed is a bit of a misnomer as I used the original steel frame as the main structure and bolted on my head and foot boards. One day I'll do the real thing, but that that’s not today. To make up for that, I can tell you all of the joinery is glue and dowels. Nary a screw or nail in the main construction.

The Hidden Forrest Lamp

Again, not quite woodworking—unless you count the refinished wood & iron pedestal—here's a project from August ’12. The Hidden Forrest Lamp is a basic one bulb lamp (15watt) surrounded by three sheets of joined 11x17 cover stock. When you dim the lights and turn the lamp on, the interior print is revealed. I used black masking tape to join the seam so that it would be attractive, even when the sun was out. The 15w was bright enough to read the smart-phone at night, or act as a nightlight, but never got hot.

Alas, this project—as many do—has moved on to project heaven. Replaced by bigger, more functional furniture. That’ll be how I’ll go, I bet.

Click the article to see both photos.

The Grilling Companion Table

A lot of these earlier projects from last year really shouldn't be labeled as woodworking. This project, the grilling companion table, makes it right under the wire as it is—in fact—made of wood. Made in October, 2012 for my father-in-law, this table is short on looks but goes the distance on function. Measuring about 20" square and 30" high (if I remember correctly), and made from quality pine, it was finished in nothing but water proofing deck sealant.

Now Open

Hey there, everybody, thanks for stopping by. We're the Mauger&Son Woodshop, a little woodworking shop located in St. Louis, MO, where we make all sorts of things. Making makes us happy, and given time, we hope to make for others, too. 

We'll be posting quite a bit from this year to catch up to now, and then we'll keep posting as new projects are completed. We also hope to have some better photography, but that will come along as it will. 

Always feel free to leave a comment or ask a question. We'd love to hear from you. Until then, check back with us every now and then. There's bound to be something new.