From the editors of Tool Box Buzz, Home Construction Improvement and A Concord Carpenter
Volume 66
Photo: Klein Tools Turkey
The Thanksgiving holiday is a time for friends and family to come together, enjoy each other's company, and partake in a meal or two. Many times I find myself almost passed out in a food coma from all the turkey and fixings but it feels good to just take a day or two off from the jobsite and spend them
with the ones we love.
Maybe you have some family traditions around Thanksgiving. My dad and I used to go out in the woods and cut firewood on Black Friday while most of the country seemed to head towards retail establishments. It was our way of spending quality time together while getting something done. Some of my best memories have centered around building or making things with my loved ones. My parents, brothers, wife, and kids.
This week's
newsletter features articles of easy things to make, how to ease someone into making things, and igniting that spark. We hope you find them useful and maybe they'll inspire you to start a new tradition to go out into the shop and make something with your friends and family.
Here is an easy project to make with a loved one that has almost zero experience with tools. All you need is a saw and a drill. You can even use SPF construction lumber if you don't have access to more rustic options. A shelf can even make a good gift for your significant other.
Here is another easy project to build with a loved one with little to no tool experience. Granted they won't have any pipe racks if they're not a woodworker but this design is easily adapted to hang yard tools. Shovels, rakes, hoes, etc can all be hung on a similar rack if the dowel spacing is adjusted. Heck, make two racks. One for all your clamps and one for your friend or family member's yard
stuff.
Building a Pallet Wood Liquor Cabinet is the cheapest of the projects we're featuring this week. You can make two cabinets out of one pallet even. This project has a few more tools involved but it's still really easy. Add some finish and it keeps its rustic appeal without looking like you just screwed a pallet to your wall.
So far the articles have covered projects to make mostly with adults. What if you want to start having some shop time with your own offspring or younger kin? Here's an article of safe ways to introduce kids to using tools. Right now my son and I are making him a twin bed. I handle the dangerous operations and he helps me with measuring, assembly, sanding, and finishing. It's quality time together making
memories. Now get out there and teach a kid about tools!
