# Classic Yard Snowman !!



## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

I love to decorate for the holidays! The stuff they sell at the big boxes these days gets ever more expensive, and ever more cheaply built. After seeing the lighted wire snowmen near $100.00 each this year I thought it might be worth a try to build a few of my own.

Here is the basic shape laid out on a half sheet of 1/4" sand ply


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

I thought I'd try and give them a little 3D effect with a slight curve. Here are the curved framing pieces.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

I attached the frame with titebond 3 and a crown stapler. I did have to use small screws at the edges to pull them tightly down.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

I added a length up the back that extends to help mount the had and also connects to the base, a short piece of treated 2x4 cut to match the curve.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Here is the hat detail. It follows the same basic curve as the body.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Here is where I left them last night, starting to take shape.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

I've not quite decided if to drill holes and add LED lights from the back, maybe outline and a few in the middle, or, simply spotlight from the ground in front.


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## woodchux (Jul 6, 2014)

Very cleaver and great design RG, and probably a lot less $ to build your own "men"! Do hope to see a pic of the finished "guys" on your front lawn. Be safe.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

woodchux said:


> Very cleaver and great design RG, and probably a lot less $ to build your own "men"! Do hope to see a pic of the finished "guys" on your front lawn. Be safe.


Thanks! Correct I don't have much at all in these. Maybe $50 for both. I had the 3/4 pine left from other projects.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

We aren't into decorating but like to look at other's - nice work on those!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

difalkner said:


> We aren't into decorating but like to look at other's - nice work on those!


Thanks


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

That is a good idea, we would like to see them when you finish them.


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

Very nice project. Good for you to be the first Winter/ Christmas project. Near as I can tell. 

Why do you call yourself Router Guy?

Al


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Al B Thayer said:


> Very nice project. Good for you to be the first Winter/ Christmas project. Near as I can tell.
> 
> Why do you call yourself Router Guy?
> 
> Al


Thanks! Didn't realize I was the first.

Well, years ago when I was a young lad in high school then college I used to make porch swings to sell for extra money. A router was the first power tool I purchased to use in rounding all of the necessary edges. Dad already had an old table saw and a band saw. Now, years later, my day job involves the extensive use of a piece of networking gear also called a router. Also my handle on scrollsawer forum is router man. So, router guy!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

BigJim said:


> That is a good idea, we would like to see them when you finish them.


Thank you!


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

RouterGuy said:


> I added a length up the back that extends to help mount the had and also connects to the base, a short piece of treated 2x4 cut to match the curve.


Dude, nice antigravity garage! wish i had one of those  

On a slightly less sarcastic note, i like the snowman. Hate christmas, but i do like the snowman

EDIT: Well thats irritating, the quote didnt show the picture i was making fun of...


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## Travico (Dec 25, 2012)

That's a neat idea for a PLUMP snowman.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

epicfail48 said:


> Dude, nice antigravity garage! wish i had one of those
> 
> On a slightly less sarcastic note, i like the snowman. Hate christmas, but i do like the snowman
> 
> EDIT: Well thats irritating, the quote didnt show the picture i was making fun of...


LOLOLOL!!! I re uploaded that picture 3 times, don't know why it kept inverting. So I said the heck with it.

Thanks!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Travico said:


> That's a neat idea for a PLUMP snowman.


Thanks! He kinda looks like me!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Worked on the arms tonight. Cut them out with a scroll saw. I think I'll attach them with 1/4 20 bolts and wing nuts so they can fold for storage.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Another anti-gravity shot. . No idea why it turned.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Arms are 5/8 plywood.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

I added the detail pieces tonight


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

The hat is held in place by a hangar bolt and wing nut.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

The arms are attached in a similar fashion


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

I permanently attached the 1/4 20 bolts with waterproof epoxy.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

They are ready for primer and colors.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Looking good mate! Ive got to ask, you mind if i steal the project idea? Papa needs a new business opportunity


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Coming along nicely. Better hurry up though. Christmas will be on us before we know it.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

epicfail48 said:


> Looking good mate! Ive got to ask, you mind if i steal the project idea? Papa needs a new business opportunity


 
No problems, have at it!! Ask any questions. I'd send dimensions but I freehanded pretty much all of it. I can take a straight on shot of the body as I have one spare cut out. You could then upsize that somehow.

I thought of taking a few to the local craft shows but there's a fair amount of work in these and the resulting cost wouldn't work in our local economic state. Material wise I probably don't have much more than $100 in two of them. Big boxes be damned!!!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Kenbo said:


> Coming along nicely. Better hurry up though. Christmas will be on us before we know it.


OH, no pressure!!!! LOLOLOLO!!!!

Yeah, I know. I hope to primer them tonight then color coat this weekend.


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## Buckbuster31 (Oct 28, 2014)

Neat idea


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Hey!! These guys are in thier prime!!! :laughing:


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Buckbuster31 said:


> Neat idea


Thanks!


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## Chamfer (Sep 6, 2014)

Cool project for the holidays. I like the fact that you curved the bodies.

Great job.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Chamfer said:


> Cool project for the holidays. I like the fact that you curved the bodies.
> 
> Great job.


Thanks! I'm waiting to see, under the spot lighting I'm planning, if you can see the curve. I originally had plans to put multiple LED lights through the back but scrapped that idea in favor of spotlighting.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

epicfail48 said:


> Looking good mate! Ive got to ask, you mind if i steal the project idea? Papa needs a new business opportunity


Here are a few images for you. First the body cut out. Maybe you can print and upsize these.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

The body curved frame pieces all follow the same curve, same thickness. Increasingly smaller versions of the largest.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

The arms were all free handed


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Top of the hat.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Curved hat frame piece.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Hat brim


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Small "coal lumps" are slices of 3/4" dowel shaped on the sander. Large are traced on 3/4" pine from a hose part I grabbed!! Lololo. Then cut on the bandsaw and shaped on the sander


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Here are the colors I'm using. Lowes or HD no longer carry small quantities of a lot of colors. Also the paint samples are interior only. The brown and orange came from Michaels.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Well they're done save for drilling a hole in the back through the base, to accept a short piece of rebar. That and a few wire ties and they ain't goin' anywhere.

Have a look.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Gratuitous glamor shot!!!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Here is a rough idea of how they will look under the spotlights. There will be other lights hitting them as well. Bliss lights and uh, err a few lights I put on the house.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

2nd shot


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Those are awesome. Really nicely done.


(and you completed them before Christmas)


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Kenbo said:


> Those are awesome. Really nicely done.
> 
> 
> (and you completed them before Christmas)


Thanks! I start decorating soon so I'll post a pic or two once they are installed.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Well folks, you'll have to trust me on this one. Any arrangement of a spotlight looked horrible. It threw a large, unsightly shadow all over the place. For this year I'm going with a simple pile of mini lights at thier base. They actually look better in person that I can capture with my limited photographic skills. Next year I think I will return to plan A and mount white lights around thier perimeter. Overall I'm happy with the result, and the price!!

Have a look.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

A wider shot


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

The other one


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## FaithWoodcraft (Nov 19, 2014)

RouterGuy said:


> Well folks, you'll have to trust me on this one. Any arrangement of a spotlight looked horrible. It threw a large, unsightly shadow all over the place. For this year I'm going with a simple pile of mini lights at thier base. They actually look better in person that I can capture with my limited photographic skills. Next year I think I will return to plan A and mount white lights around thier perimeter. Overall I'm happy with the result, and the price!!
> 
> Have a look.


Have you thought of trying two flood lights? Perhaps one red one green, spaced maybe 20 ft apart, about 20 ft from the subject...that will cause some interesting shadows too.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

FaithWoodcraft said:


> Have you thought of trying two flood lights? Perhaps one red one green, spaced maybe 20 ft apart, about 20 ft from the subject...that will cause some interesting shadows too.


I did consider two floods. Still there were the shadows. I'm now wondering if some kind of diffuser would help. Maybe even a small square of 1/8" plexi roughed up with 50 grit.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Looks awesome. You did a fantastic job on this one. Thanks for sharing.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

I added a spun aluminum shade from a trouble light to gather the bulbs and hopefully throw a little more light up on them


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Here's a look after that addition. Is there any change, I don't know . . .


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Here's a long shot of the house. The LED snowmen obviously burn a hole in the night.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Other side of the house


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## FaithWoodcraft (Nov 19, 2014)

I think it's beautiful!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Well, that's quite enough about these snowmen!! As you can see everything is quiet in the shop for the holiday.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE !!!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Well, I thought I was done with this thread. I was visiting my mother-in-law this morning and she gave me two beautiful red scarves. She's a sweet lady. What a difference they made!! Mother Nature provided the snow for this shot.

Have a look!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Al B Thayer said:


> Very nice project. Good for you to be the first Winter/ Christmas project. Near as I can tell.
> 
> Why do you call yourself Router Guy?
> 
> Al


I forgot to ask, what reasoning did you imagine was behind the "RouterGuy" id?


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

epicfail48 said:


> Looking good mate! Ive got to ask, you mind if i steal the project idea? Papa needs a new business opportunity


Just wondering how you are doing with these? Any pictures?


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

RouterGuy said:


> Just wondering how you are doing with these? Any pictures?


Funny story about that, every time I decide I want to make something, I go out to get materials an end up coming home with everything I need to make an entirely different project save for one ting, at which point I run back to home depot and repeat the cycle. I either need a shorter to-do list or more shop time


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

epicfail48 said:


> Funny story about that, every time I decide I want to make something, I go out to get materials an end up coming home with everything I need to make an entirely different project save for one ting, at which point I run back to home depot and repeat the cycle. I either need a shorter to-do list or more shop time


Same here ! I've been threatening to make this project for at least 5 years now!!


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Good to know its not just me. Presently I've got the snowmen, some 3d reindeer, a couple candy dishes, a cutting board, a few picture frames, a jewelry box, a tool cabinet, a table saw fence and about a hundred other things on my to-do list


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## rubberduck (Jun 24, 2014)

Very impressive. The scarfs really do take the snowmen to another level !


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

epicfail48 said:


> Good to know its not just me. Presently I've got the snowmen, some 3d reindeer, a couple candy dishes, a cutting board, a few picture frames, a jewelry box, a tool cabinet, a table saw fence and about a hundred other things on my to-do list


Wow! I'm not so bad. I have a barrel head table to finish and I still need to make a trash can rig for my dust deputy!!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

rubberduck said:


> Very impressive. The scarfs really do take the snowmen to another level !


Thanks!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Well, it's me again! Stopped at lowes today and picked up to 100 light LED strings. I didn't like the way these guys looked last year. Time to fasten some lights to the bodies. Pictures later this week, or next.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Ok, so I decided on a 100 light set, GE, local Lowes


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

I ended up needing 3/8" holes and had to egg them out a bit for the "bump" that seems to be in most LED bulb sets, Must be a polarity thing. This is the second one, got the lights about half done and decided to call it a night


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

It's not real pretty on the back, once I had them in position I glopped thrm up with an adhesive caulk, liquid nails brand.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

A closeup of my finely tuned glopping technique!


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

So here's the result. My wife is lobbying me to add some spray glitter paint to these. I think I'm gonna try it.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

And a dark shot, of course! I had to adjust the lights around where the arms attach. I could have avoided that with some changes to the original plan. That will be yard snowman V2.0!

What say ye brethren court of the Woodcrafters!!??


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## was2ndlast (Apr 11, 2014)

It looks great. What about outlining the hat and eyes maybe with lights as well?


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

That's a good thought. I'm kind of bound by the number of lights in the usual sets and how far apart the lights are. I know they make 35 set LED's. If I can find 20 set 120V LED's I could easily add them.

Thanks!!


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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

Couple of questions. One, I assume you are using a waterproof plywood. In an outdoor environment, the adhesive between the plies will fail unless the plywood was manufactured with waterproof adhesive.

Second, the solid wood you are using for your back bracing needs to be able to expand and contract with changes in moisture content and humidity.


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## RouterGuy (Mar 16, 2014)

Well, no, I didn't, except for the 2 X 4 piece I used for the base, it is treated but only to above ground levels (.015). I used what most typically refer to as luan plywood, the rack marker in HD called it sandply. I gave it a coat of Drylok Extreme, then a cover coat of exterior latex. As for the back, do you mean that the frame will expand and contract at a different rate than the plywood?


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