# Kind of easy Christmas gifts



## Harddog Wood (Feb 9, 2007)

Christmas is just around the corner and I wanted to do some woodworking projects as gifts. I am looking for ideas/inspiration. Mostly of smaller projects to give to friends at work. If a project takes you a couple of hours to build, it will probably take me a weekend! :blink:


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

i'm planning the same thing. at the moment i'm thinking i'm going to make cuttingboards/butcherblocks for my mom, mom-in-law, and sis-in-law. walnut and maple.


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## Harddog Wood (Feb 9, 2007)

I was kind of leaning towards some sort of boxes. Maybe a small box with a lid that has glass in the wood frame on top. What the hell you would use is for, I'm not really sure. I spend most of my time making "shadow boxes"... some call them flag display cases. Most of my woodworking is geared towards military displays boxes. I'm really thrifty, my wife calls me cheap, and want the most bang for my buck. I could buy gifts, but the older I get the more I really appreciate the stuff the kids made me. Granted, some of the art looks nothing like my kids claim it to be, but I treasure those works of art the most. One looks like a elephant... it is supposed to be a picture of me,,,, got to go look in the mirror again. Yeah it kind of looks like me too.


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## Harddog Wood (Feb 9, 2007)

aclose, what will you seal your cuttingboards/butcherblocks with? I heard vegetable oil isn't the way to go. I can't remember what the solutions was. What type of wood were you going to use? I would love to make a butcherblock for my mother-in-law...with hear head on it... just kidding... just a little bit anyway. Happy vets day to all who have served and those serving. semper fi!


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## Harddog Wood (Feb 9, 2007)

Sorry for the what type of wood question. I guess I didn't read the whole thing. Got go grab another beer.


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## PK. (Nov 12, 2007)

I made a bunch of serving boards the other day for presents. I took a serving plate, traced the outline onto posterboard, glued that to scrap 1/4" ply and cut out and made a template. Then I rough cut scrap cherry, maple and walnut to the shape on the bandsaw, pinned the template to the piece and went around it on a router table with a pattern bit. I cut a bunch of Euro beech scraps into 1/2" by 5" strips with beveled ends and glued and pinned 2 on as feet. Then I used lightweight mineral oil rubbed on by hand. I made about thirty of the things in about 4 or so hours. 

I actually didn't make that template that day, it's one I use from time to time to make boards we retail and give to cabinet customers.

We make a lot of serving and cutting boards from scraps. Generally I use the butcher block oil, which is just lightweight mineral oil. But on walnut, I prefer walnut oil.

Vegetable oils are said to go rancid, but I've heard that canola oil works. Personally, the light mineral oil and walnut oil does so well I can't see any reason to use anything else.


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

harddog, 

i was planning on initially treating it with plain mineral oil. a couple sites i've looked at say that you should oil it once a day for a week, once a week for a month, and then every month for the rest of its life. 
there are several products you can use. butcher block oil is typically mineral oil with some other additives. some places sell a mixture of mineral oil, beeswax and lemon or citrus. don't use veggie oil.
i learned all i currently know in an afternoon searching for wood types and finishes for cutting boards/butcher blocks online.  there are quite a few places that sell them and sell conditioning products as well. good luck!


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## Harddog Wood (Feb 9, 2007)

thanks aclose, may i be the first to say 
"Merry Christmas", just a bit early


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## joasis (Sep 15, 2006)

I can build a cedar chest in about 4 hours, not counting set time for the glue, and this includes sanding and sealing. Now this is basic.....but worth it...nothing says love better then a gift made with your own hands.


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## rob.hough (Jul 27, 2007)

The Woodwhisperer had a little thing about pencil holders. I was thinking about making a few of those... The looked easy enough for most beginners and can be mass produced (sorta).

http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/episode-31-pencil-holders/


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## PK. (Nov 12, 2007)

I saw something the other day at a kitchen store. It was a knife holder that used bamboo stickers. All there is to it is an open ended box filled with bamboo stickers. The thing was butt-jointed and sold for forty bucks. My wife's after me to make some of these for Christmas presents. I think I could do twenty of them in a couple of hours and only have to buy the stickers.


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## rob.hough (Jul 27, 2007)

So I'm making the pencil holders. I'm making a single right now as a prototype to see how much work it really is (you experienced dudes always make stuff look easy) but so far.... This project is VERY easy.

I'm using maple and bubinga. I still need to get a router bit to fancy up the edges of the bubinga, but everything else was simple cuts on the table saw.

I guess this would be my first "real" wood working project. Yay me!


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

*Progress Report...*

not to hijack Harddog's thread; but since i mentioned Butcher Blocks, i figured i'd show mine...

my shop :smile: the kitchen table. it's too cold out to glue up wood in the garage right now.














an approximation of what the finished product 'may' look like








i've one more set of blocks to glue up before i can re-rip the blocks into new strips to flip and re-glue. i'm not sure if i'll be able to get to this this weekend as my table saw can't handle the thick walnut and maple and i don't have any clamps large enough to glue to the final size. i'm currently borrowing clamps from my dad. i guess i'll have to ask for clamps for Christmas. :smile:


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## Harddog Wood (Feb 9, 2007)

aclose, I like the idea and look. My wife would kill me if she came home to find those on our kitchen table. She hates it when I cut wood in my garage, thats where she parks her car, dust everywhere. 

I looked at the wood whisperer pencil holder. Simple and pretty neat. Probably a great gift for the kids teachers. I will try to build one by christmas...next year of course. Seems the more older I get, the more busy I am.


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

Harddog Wood said:


> aclose, I like the idea and look. My wife would kill me if she came home to find those on our kitchen table. She hates it when I cut wood in my garage, thats where she parks her car, dust everywhere.


heh, my wife was none too pleased. :smile: and lately she can't park in the garage because i have my table saw in her spot. :laughing: just wait til i get a real table saw!

i'm going to a friends tomorrow to re-saw the blocks i've glued up. then i'll re-glue them in some other pattern. these first few will probably just be some sorta checker board pattern. i'm going to make my wife one that i'm hoping to make a bit fancier.


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## joasis (Sep 15, 2006)

Here is a prototype rocking horse, and a larger one that doesn't look right....I might end up with a herd of them before I have the right ones to give to the grandsons.


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

Joasis, nice ponies. you'll have to post picts of your herd once you're finished :smile:

ok, so last weekend i went to a friends and recut the blocks that are in the picture above. then during the week i glued everything back up into butcher block size pieces. today i went to my father's and planed the butcher blocks smooth on top and bottom and cut off the rough edges on his table saw. here's the rough product so far:









































i still have finishing work to do. i'm planning on routing the edges with a simple round-over and was thinking about routing a cove or some sort of groove across the front and back edge to make it easier to pick them up. then i have to sand and oil them.

so far i'm pretty happy with the way they're turning out. next time though, i will thickness my woods all to the same size. i thought using 4/4's maple and 6/4's walnut would give it a unique look, and it did. but i think i'd personally like a more symmetrical block, all the little squares... well, square. :smile:

i'll post picts of the finished products...


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

Look as though they weigh a ton.
johnep


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## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

O.K. I'm biased but how 'bout a folding guitar stand like Taylor makes for the musician in yer life???

This one doesn't fold but you can re-design it to very easily.


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

johnep said:


> Look as though they weigh a ton.
> johnep


:smile:
they're about 1 3/4" thick, 9 1/2" wide and ~13" long. they are quite heavy, but they're supposed to be stationary.


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## Harddog Wood (Feb 9, 2007)

very nice aclose! If I look at the checkerboard picks too long, I kind of feel dizzy. again, nice.


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## rob.hough (Jul 27, 2007)

sweet sweet spam


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## bigredc (Sep 1, 2007)

This a good project to use up scraps. It's a bookshelf. one board slides.


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## Al Killian (Aug 14, 2007)

I am going to make folding rocking chaips for the little ones. That is if I can get a truck for a few hours and make the trip to the city.


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## joasis (Sep 15, 2006)

Nice idea Bigred. My Grandfather used to make a tabletop "bookshelf, on a lazy suzan deal...with four sides. Just food for thought.


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## jacimaeb (Dec 22, 2007)

I love the cutting boards!!! Nice work.


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

*Completed Butcher Blocks*



jacimaeb said:


> I love the cutting boards!!! Nice work.


Thank you jacimaeb :smile: 

here's a photo of the boards undergoing their oiling:
























and here are the finished products:








I couldn't wait for Christmas and already gave one to my mom. The other two are for my mother in law and sister in law. :icon_smile: 
My mom was quite pleased with her 'early' gift.

Each board was finished with mineral oil. They are end grain boards, so they really soaked the stuff up. I was quite amazed at how much they took. Each board has a little over a cup of mineral oil in it now. I applied three coats to one side and at that point it was seeping through the other side. So I let them set over night and then applied two coats to the other side. Then the boards sat on edge drying for a couple days. Even after setting and drying, they bled out through the wrapping paper even though they are dry to the touch. I may have to re-wrap the two that haven't been gifted yet since the paper is quite blotchy. 
All in all I'm extremely satisfied with how they turned out. I already have modifications in mind for the block I'll be making my wife. I may even be able to retrofit the mods on these three.
This was a very fun project and fairly simple for WW'rs to share with kids/grandkids. It's a great way to get yourself started or to use up some of that scrap hardwood you may have laying around.


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## natemclain (Dec 11, 2007)

I built my wife a nice 18"x24" cutting board out of maple and banded with Mahongany. I think she used it once and put it in the utility room... When I found it in there I asked her if she didn't like it. She said she was scared to used it because of salmonella poisoning... Which I thought that was pretty funny since we have plastic cutting boards that could be used on chicken, etc. But I guess that would be too logical.

So I might have to regift the cutting board... Maybe send it to my brother in Washington. 

Nate


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## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

natemclain,

in my cutting board research (an hour with Google) i found a couple articles that stated that wood cutting boards are as safe, if not safer than plastic cutting boards. however, the CDC or FDA still recommends plastic over wood since you can put plastic in the dishwasher.


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## natemclain (Dec 11, 2007)

Well unless I can find a article from the CDC or FDA then I don't think she will use it... 

I'm sure my brother will enjoy it! 

Thanks for the tip though!

N


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