Wood Fixing Plastic

Seldom is wood used to fix a household appliance unless an opportunity presents itself. Photo below shows the plastic handle on our dishwasher cracked. Epoxy alone will not be enough to fix it.

With a piece of paper I traced a pattern as shown. I used a piece of marble wood from the scrap heap

A coping saw made quick work of cutting the outline from the pattern

Light chisel work and sand paper smoothed the surface.

Two coats of polyurethane

Epoxy and light clamping with masking tape secured the piece until the glue dried completely

The reinforced plastic handle is now stronger than the original

Hexagonal Planter 3G

     As polygons go, I have an affinity to the hexagon, as do bees with their honeycomb structures. What I am highlighting here is a minimalist method of hanging the planter to a center post or any vertical, as shown in the first photo.

 

Tilting the saw blade to 60 deg. rips the material to make the hexagon walls

Cutting to equal pieces

Tip: Packaging tape secures the pieces before "folding' them over for the glue uyp.

This will become clearer with the next photos. The idea is to dovetail the hanger to one side of the hexagon

The bracket shown here will be attached to one of the six walls of the hexagon

The older version was to use this method of supporting the planters

The old version will be replaced by a very compact hanger shown at the center of the photo

Gluing up the brackets

Hangers with pocket holes

This is how the bracket and hanger will work. 14 deg. dovetail will slide the planter up and down securely

Tip: Cutting the bottom for the hexagon requires precise measurement for a perfect fit when the six sides are assembled. The bottom will have to be slightly larger (1/4 inch per side in this case) than the interior area of the hexagon. I just discovered an accurate way to do it. See the drawing below. Start with one side (in bold, 3-3/4 long). Extend two perpendicular lines. With a protractor or a 60/30 triangle draw two lines extending diagonally upwards, intersecting the two vertical lines. Simple geometry will do the rest. 

Each planter will slide up and down from the hanger

8 Inch Knife Stand

Caddy for Marking Tools

 At the workshop, just like at the office, I am constantly reaching for small items to use, put them away, only to grab them again.  Often, they're misplaced and I don't have enough pockets to park them temporarily. A caddy I can move around with all the possible marking tools is a solution.  I put them away as one carry all when no longer needed. Having dedicated slots for each tool helps with organization.

8 Inch Knife Stand

This completes the 3-piece high carbon steel kitchen knives (blade kits by Hock Tools). The method of construction is the same as with the 5-inch chef's knife. Same hard wood - pink flame, popularly known as flame wood.

Finishing was done on all four separate pieces before final glue up

Believe it or not this is the final glue up. The fitting is perfectly snugged, there was no need for clamping action, except for a slight tap for a fully contact.

Photo below is what made this project particularly special. Note how the grain matched up perfectly. Considering that during the 45 degree miter cut and the gap created by the saw kerf, it  was pure luck that this was achieved.

From the photos below, my wife once again reminds me that the kitchen island is running out of room (I say there is still plenty but I'm not saying it loud). These are micro projects that did not get done overnight but I hope some of the grand children will want to hold on to these.