This
week I am going to show you how to make one of the things that is
always on my work table. It is a rack or block that I use for drying
small painted items and for baking off clay flowers.
I
know that I have shown this in use in at least one of my videos and I
remember mentioning then that I would show you how to create one of
your own.
I've
had mine for at least 13 years probably at least 15. I know this
because I remember explaining to my dad what I needed and putting our
heads together to make it. He was great at doing things like that and
I still miss him a lot. I know that it was the influence of my
parents making things all my life that made me creative. It was just
something we all did, if we wanted something or needed something we
made it.
The
rack my dad helped me to make was made from a 6” long piece of
scrap 2x4. The one in the video is made from a slightly longer chunk
of 2x7 lumber. Just use whatever you have on hand. I drafted 2 of my
sons to help me did through the pile of odds and ends of lumber out
in our barn to find something to use. My oldest son gets full credit
for using the table saw to cut it down to size.
I
like to have the block about 6” to 8” long because that size is
big enough to make it worth while, meaning you have room to set out
your project. And yet small enough that it doesn't take up too much
of the valuable space on my work table.
Also
because I need the block to be small enough to use it to bake off
clay flowers. I do have a flowering plant that I want to show you how
to make in a few weeks and I use the block to both dry the paint on
the stems and to bake the clay flowers.
On
the video I quickly stated the size of the drill bits I used but in
case you missed it they were:
5/64th
inch for the small holes
1/16th
inch for the larger ones
The
lines are drawn about ½” apart but this is totally up to you how
far apart you want yours. One really important point is to not drill
all the way through the board. That is why I use a thick piece of
lumber instead of a thin one. I want the holes to be deep enough that
what I put into it stays upright. If the holes went through the board
the wire stems of flowers would fall through.
The
larger holes are for golf tees, be sure to check back for my blog
post about those on one of my upcoming Tools of the Trade Tuesdays.
They are another of my favorite tools in my workshop.
Couldn't manage without golf tees and toothpicks.
ReplyDeleteI use old styrene packaging in the way you use this but your wood block just lasts forever whereas I have to find a new lump of polystyrene every so often.
Marilyn