If you’ve been doing pen turning for a while, you’re probably familiar with the Slimline Pen Kit. This is the kit I started out making when a beginner, and I’m sure that’s the case for most other beginners. Several years ago, I excitedly discovered that I can customize these pen kits by throwing out the…
Author: Stephen Johnson
Creative Crafters
Wouldn’t we all like to be creative crafters? I know I would. So I’m always on the lookout for tools and techniques that pull me out of my box and my comfort zone. To be honest, I don’t feel creative most times, but I know there are ways to draw the creative spark out of…
Make a Bandsaw Pen Box
I’ve been wanting to make a bandsaw box ever since I watched Steve Ramsey’s DIY video. David Piciuto also has some nice bandsaw box videos over at MakeSomething.tv. Watching those videos inspired me and instilled in me hope that bandsaw boxes weren’t that hard to make. They’re not, as I discovered. My challenge is that…
Lathe Turned Cedar Spoon
I love finding discarded wood lying around waiting to be changed into something that serves mankind. I almost forgot I had this nice piece of eastern red cedar. It leaned against my shed, originally destined to become a fence post. I saved it from that fate and decided to make a beautiful cedar spoon. Making…
How to Build a Simple Retaining Wall
Within the last year or two, I was able to finish my first two retaining walls, and I just love how these turned out. In this tutorial, I will show you how to build a simple retaining wall. My first project was a fire pit and a patio combination and the second involved replacing a…