Game Night Trophy 2011

So to go along with my last post the Game Night Trophy. So I am a competitive person. So usually those around me are as well. To up game night I made this trophy. We don't play for it every week just the first Saturday of every month. That way we don't get completely burnt out. Now if you know me you know that I collect odd crap. I've been trying to get rid of allot of it for awhile but I still have some odds and ends. So I grabbed a bunch of it and slapped it together to make this freaking awesome trophy.

So this is some of the things I had laying around.

I toyed around with the layout for awhile. I added allot and took off allot.

This is the back.

On the back we put who wins. At the end of the year the person with the most wins gets the trophy. Makes you want to play right.

Gave the trophy a freaking awesome name. Mostly for laughs but common who wouldn't want to win it with a name like that.

This is it all done. It was fun to play for. I ended up winning it. Booya

Game Night Game Table

So last year I wanted to bring my family and friends closer so I started a game night. We actually started a few years back playing darts but in the winter we would stop because of how cold it is outside. Anyways so I started game night. So at first we would play in my kitchen at the counter which would hurt our butts sitting on bar stools for so long. So I decided to make a game table. Lucky for me somebody at work tore out this piece of wood that worked perfect.

So I made it as big as I could at first I didn't know if I wanted round or a octagon shape. Traves and I decided on the octagon.

This is to show you how big it was.

Cut out I think it was awesome.

I router ed the edge with just a 1/4 round bit.

Now I just use what I have so I used this old sheet to wrap the outside boarder. It worked pretty nice I will eventually change it.

Traves pocket jigged the boarder together to make it easier for us to move during assembly.

So I was going to paint the middle but I ended up putting some green flannel in the middle I again might go back and change that.

This is the only picture I have of what it ended up looking like it might be hideous but it is awesome. We now have more game players so we have moved back to the kitchen to play but it was still fun to make.

Garretts Toy Box

This is a continue of the last post. I also got my nephew Garrett to get a gift for. He love Legos. So what goes good with Legos. A Lego toy box. I've seen one like this and have always wanted to make one so I was happy I got to make one for him.

All I did to make it look like a Lego was cut a 2" dowel into 1" tall pieces then screwed them onto the lid

I put door hinges on because I know how rough boys can be with there toys.

All I did for the handles was screw a giant duplo Lego on. It looked pretty good.

Put some heavy duty chain in as a lid stop. Again I know how hard boys are on things.

I was going to put his name on it but I liked just the plain look.

It was a hit. Every kid was swarming it. Garrett kept just opening it and closing it. He really liked it.

Katies Toy Box

So my wifes family has grown quite a bit since I met her. So instead of getting every single niece and nephew a gift we draw names to make it a little less stressful. This year I got my little niece Katie. Now I could have just bought her a doll and been good but lets face it thats lame.
I made it simple but girly

I uses a vinyl cutter to make the lettering

To make it nice and easy I just made a box then cut it on the table saw to get the lid makeing it a perfect fitting lid. She liked it and it was better than just a doll from the store.

Merry Christmas Katie

Kelsie's Blanket Chest

So for Christmas every year me and my wife make each other gifts. I spend all year thinking of what I'm going to make her. Since we've got married she has asked for a hope chest or blanket chest every year. So this year that's what I wanted to make her.

Because money is tight I just used a piece of plywood. I got a nicer quality so it wouldn't look like crap when it was done.

After I cut out the box pieces I cut a grove for the bottom of the chest out so it would look super clean once put together.

Then I used a biscuit cutter on the side to give it more strength once together.

The box went together way better than I thought it was going to. I always think something will go amiss once I start.

This is exactly how I wanted the inside of the box to look. Clean and nice.

As you can tell putting on the trim took all my clamps. But those pieces shouldn't fall off.

This is the trim for the lid. I routered the bottom with a grove like so, so you could lift the lid easier.

I mitered the corners for the most clean and sharpest look.

I used biscuits again on the lid trim. I really don't want this to come apart.
I

Chest ready for staining. Lid is to just not in the picture.

I had to use my work shop to stain because it got to cold in my garage shop. It was nice because they have a overhead heater and more space.

Back hinges.

So I found out that installing lid supports are not that easy or I did it a difficult way.

This is the finished product. My camera I guess had dust on the lens so this isn't a great picture. But it turned out great and she loves it. So does my three year old who thinks it's his and hides everything in it.

Sawdust Tip #3

Spread it around your tire in the winter to help get traction if stuck in the snow.

Karlin's Vanity

So for Christmas every year all the grand kids on my wife's side pick names for the kid they will get a gift. Of course the kid doesn't get it the parent does so I picked who I wanted this year because I wanted to build my favorite little niece a vanity.

I started with the base. Pre-cut the drawer hole out and 45 Cut the corners.

I then glued it together which proved to be difficult with the clamps I have but I figured it out.

I then glued the top to the drawer piece using granite glue.

The legs

The bench I made the exact way as the top.

For the back I just made up a design I didn't really know what I was doing I made it up as I was going.

After I cut it out I routered where the mirror was going to sit.

When I got to this point I felt that something was missing.

So I went and bought some accent pieces to make it a little more girly.

Painted and drying

Done all accept for the mirror and seeing I did this in two days then took it to my mother-in-laws house after I didn't get a picture with a mirror in it.

When I gave it to her she didn't quite know what it was but after I told her what it was she loved it so It was worth building it.