I made a wooden Wind Spinner to hang on our front porch. This is an easy Spring/Summer woodworking project that you can make in one day. I tested it using the free WindPro18 18" Shop Fan that NewAir sent me. Check out the video below.
If you need a good shop fan, check out the NewAir WindPro18 18" Wall Fan and get 15% OFF with promo code STEVE. This fan has 3 speeds and puts out a lot of air for a nice cool breeze in the shop. It can be mounted on a wall or ceiling to save floor space and it is quiet enough to have a regular conversation. It easily made my Wind Spinner spin from about 15 feet away. It comes with some mounting hardware and a pull chain extension, but I had to make my own Van Halen striped pull chain.
The weather is finally warming up here in Georgia, so I put the Wind Spinner outside under our front porch. It is fun to watch it twirl and the neighbors love it too! Now go make one yourself and impress the neighborhood, but don't be surprised if you are asked to make some more!
Tools: Saw, Drill, Wrenches
Supplies: 36" 1/4-20 threaded rod, about 68 sticks 1/2" x 3/4" x 10", 2 Nylock Nuts, 2 Washers, Wood Finish, #1 Fishing Barrel Swivel, Paint
Make these quick and easy Raised Garden Beds in just one day! Watch my video showing the basic steps, then read further for a shopping list, step-by-step instructions, more photos, and a few awesome videos for extra inspiration!
Shopping List - Quantities shown will make one 48" square bed.
Four 8-foot 2x6 boards, untreated
A 4-foot section of 2x4, untreated
40 exterior screws (2.5" or 3")
Landscape Fabric
Stapler with 1/4" staples
15-16 cubic feet preferred soil
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make a square bed from 8-foot 2x6 boards, cut each board once at 49.5". This will also yield a shorter 46.5" piece. You should end up with four of each size.
Cut four 11" sections of 2x4 for the corners.
Stack two 46.5" board on top of two of the 2x4 pieces, making sure the 2x4's are flush and square on the ends. Drill pilot holes and screw them together - two screws at the end of each board. Repeat for the other 46.5" side.
Stand the two sides up so they are vertical. Stack two of the 49.5" boards on top, making sure the sides are flush and square with the ends of the longer sides. Screw them together. Carefully flip the partial assembly over and fasten the two remaining boards on the other side.
Cover the bottom with weed block landscaping fabric. Leave some excess around the bed if you will be landscaping around the beds. Use a stapler to fasten the fabric.
Flip the raised bed over and position it in place. Landscape around the beds if desired. Fill the bed with 15-16 cubic feet of your preferred garden soil. My wife selected Vigoro Organic Garden Soil and Miracle Gro Gardening Soil for Vegetables.
Plant your vegetables and don't forget to water them!
Make a sign to personalize your garden. I used an Inventables X-Carve CNC machine, but you can paint one just as easily. Be creative!
Below are some more awesome videos that may give you some other ideas for making raised garden beds. Enjoy and happy gardening!
I made a "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me" whirligig for our local woodworking club's whirligig contest that was held at our Spring picnic. It was a beautiful day and the whirligig did a great job at keeping the flies away from my plate. Watch this video of the build and see it in action!
The propeller is made from fly swatters from the dollar store with the handles cut off. I made a red square hub out of wood and hot glued in the fly swatters.
I used leftover wire from a fly swatter handle, an eye bolt, and a piece of straight 1/8" steel rod to make the action mechanism. I cut these with large wire cutters and bent them into shape with pliers. This takes a little fiddling to get it to work smoothly.
I cut out the wooden parts, then drilled all of the holes prior to painting and assembly. I think outdoor whirligig projects look best with a mix of bright colors. I was really happy with the table cloth pattern I got by masking off stripes and spraying light coats. I attached a small wooden name badge on the whirligig.
Plus, the swinging hand keeps the flies away! If you've never tried to make a whirligig before, you should definitely try it. They are fun to make with a big payoff when the wind starts blowing. These are great projects for getting kids of all ages involved in woodworking. Have fun!
Spring is here, so build a birdhouse! Be creative! Birds don't care what birdhouses look like, so go crazy with color and outrageous designs! Check out my Drumset Birdhouse video!
I freestyled this drumset birdhouse and didn't even use a ruler, so I don't have any measured drawings for it, but here are some more details that can get you started:
Bass drum measures about 8.5" in diameter and 7" deep.
Tom measures about 4.25" in diameter and 3.25" deep.
To kick off 2014, I thought it would be fun to walk around the house and show you where my previous projects have ended up. I made several outdoor projects and it's interesting to see how they've stood the test of time after being exposed to the weather for a few months. I already have a list of some projects for 2014 and can't wait to get started on them. More new project videos are coming soon so stay tuned!
