Dolls House

This is a doll's house I made from Finger jointed rubber wood. It was for the department of Geriatric Medicine to demonstrate an unsafe vs safe house for the elderly.

Material : Finger jointed rubber wood.
Size : 3 feet x 2 feet
Finish : Asian Paints polyurethane glossy
Furniture : Some of it is stained with Asian paints walnut stain, and some is reclaimed rosewood.
Total Build time : about 30 hours

Wooden dolls house

Wooden dolls house

We did some interesting photos which can be seen on Anand's facebook page or at the woodworking club page 

A sketchup model of the same is below

sketchup model of the doll's house

Overall it was a very enjoyable though long project. 

Wet wood warps

I bought a sheet of finger jointed rubber. It was delivered on the top of an auto. Just when it was reaching the club, there was a sudden downpour and the 12mm sheet got wet on one side. It started to warp almost immediately, convexity towards the wet side.

I cut the wood into two to ease carrying it. I placed the wet surface facing upwards and placed it on the floor with a lot of wood weighing it down. I hope this is reversible.

Wet finger jointed rubber on the ground to dry. The wet side was convex. 

Park bench

This is a simple park bench made from Karuvelam wood (babool). This was made for work camp during the foundation course for the MBBS batch of 2015. This was done by the woodworking club, CMC.

We used 2x4 reapers of babool wood, rounded them off and used large stainless steel screws to hold them down. Only butt joints all the way, but hopefully it will be strong.

We used Pidilite terminator anti termite coatings for added protection.

The finish is asian paints PU exterior finish.

The mason who fixed the benches suggested that we cover the  buried parts of the legs with aluminium sheets for protection and we did so. I am not sure of how useful this added step will be. Time will tell. It will definitely protect from termites.

The  sketchup model

The park benches after installation

Quick wooden dice

A group of our community health doctors was planning some activities for the tribal children in Javadhi hills. One of the activities involved an outdoor game that required dice. This had to be visible and had to be large.
I made this from a cuboidal beam of neem wood. I cut it out with a jigsaw to get rough cut cubes. This was then sanded down using a belt sander. The edges rounded with a router and the holes drilled with a drill press.
It was left unfinished as it was going to be thrown a lot on the ground.
It was quite useful in the field.

Cuboidal block of neem wood 

The humble jig saw used to cut the wood. Humble because this is possibly the cheapest power tool to own. 

Rough cut blocks

Smoothened blocks

edges rounded with a round over bit

Finished blocks ready for shipping

Beta testing

Wooden dice

Some wooden dice made from karuvelam wood. The white dots are made from finger jointed rubber plugs.
The outer box: made from 12 mm rubber.
The lid is made from two layers of 3mm veneer.
Why I made four of them, I have no idea, but it looks good as a set of four.
I left this project unfinished.

wooden dice box made from karuvelam wood (babool)

Wooden dice made from karuvelum wood

A set of wooden dice made from Karuvelum wood. 

Wooden toothbrush stand

Here is a wooden toothbrush stand made by a member of our woodworking club. It is made of 12 mm
 finger jointed rubber wood.

Wooden toothbrush stand made from 12 mm finger jointed rubber wood

Farm set

This is a farm set that is made from finger jointed rubber.
It is cut out with a proxxon DS 230 E scroll saw.
The wood : 12 mm finger jointed wood.
The markings are burnt with a soldering iron. A wood burner would be ideal, but I do not have one, so a soldering iron does the basic job.
Finish : Asian paints PU interior gloss finish.
The animals are modeled after one of my daughters story books.

Farm animals made from finger jointed rubber wood

Wooden farm animals made from finger jointed rubber wood. 

Bunk bed build 3: Bunk bed from karuvelum wood

This is a bunk bed made from Karuvelam (babool wood), made for a friend. This is my third bunk bed build. This is based on the design by Matthias Wandel available here . It is made such that it can be dismantled.
Very simple joinery (only butt joints) but can be done with a lots of patience.

Cutting the planks

Kids helping out sanding

Applying the PU finish

The final product

The bunk bed in use

Staining wood

On this post I will be including the stains that I come across. This is information that I have just gathered by use. I will be modifying this page as I get new information and new insights. 

1. Sheenlac Stains

Sheenlac Stains

What I have found : Sheenlac stains are soluble in NC thinner or other such organic solvents. 

Sand the wood, and then apply the stain. 

If you apply the next coat such as sealant that is soluble in NC thinner, the sealant will wash out and become thinner.
Aquadur PU is water based and this can be used over sealant without a problem. 

Using the regular varnish is another alternative. Regular varnish is soluble in turpentine and this does not wash away the stain.
Available colors : Black, red brown, teakwood, rosewood, oak yellow, walnut. 

My favorite: walnut stain. 

Indoor gate

This is an indoor gate that I made six years ago when my son had just begun to crawl around. I needed to prevent him from getting into the kitchen. 

I made this gate from electrical casing. It is very light. I needed to use a bit of insulation tape to make sure the casing fit in tight. 

Door made of electrical casing preventing my son from entering the kitchen

Electrical casing can be used for many handy projects.
The walker that my son is holding is actually made by a village carpenter. It was very very useful for him, and he really enjoyed zooming around with it.

Scroll Saw project : CMC Woodworking club

This is a project made in the CMC Woodworking Club by one of its members.
We used the Proxxon scroll saw.
Foreground : 6mm MDF, stained black with Sheenlac stain
Background : 12 mm Finger jointed rubber.
Finish : Asian Paints PU Sealant and then PU
Foreground stuck to the background with Araldite Clear.
Some pictures

The Print out

With Holes cut in for the enclosed cuts

Scroll sawing in progress

Partially finished scroll saw work

Scroll saw complete, sanding yet to be done

After sanding, the 6 mm MDF

Finger jointed rubber base

Stained black

The finished product

Wooden Plaque in Hebrew

This was a wooden plaque that I made in Hebrew. I do not read Hebrew, but was a gift for someone who does. This translated is "They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles.."

Wooden plaque made of Teak wood and Neem wood lettering

The base is teak wood, the letters made of thin whitish part of neem wood. The teak wood is tained with walnut stain from sheenlac.

Finish is a polyurethane gloss finish from asian paints.

Planning the plaque

Doll's House bed

Doll's house bed made from finger jointed rubber wood

This is a doll's house bed made of 12mm  finger jointed rubber wood.
Dimensions of the bed: 31 cm x15 cm.
The thin grooves are made with a dremel and dremel router table attachment.
The main dado is made with a router.
The design was cut using a scroll saw.
There are no nails. The picture above is not glued up. I plan to glue it up after the final sanding.

We are planning this for the first woodworking club project.

Lumber storage Cart

I have a lot of wood that makes my room very messy. I saw Steve Ramsey's lumber storage cart and wanted to build something similar.

The partitions were made from 18 mm plywood. I used a bit of 12 mm MDF for the main partition. I added wheels underneath.

The partitions made from 18 mm plywood

Lumber cart in progress

Wheels underneath. Should have used heavier duty ones

Finished lumber storage cart

Finished lumber storage cart

The finished cart really holds a lot of wood. However it is too heavy for the wheels. I have to upgrade it to heavier duty wheels. This has really helped organization of the workshop.