Weekend Question: What kind of projects do you hope to tackle this Spring?
Me? I’d like to find a way to create a small table-top woodworking bench accessory, not unlike the Sjobergs Smart Vise, but large enough to accommodate an quick-release vise that’s been boxed up and under my bench for a while now.
I might just buy a 36″ x 24″ x 1-3/4″ maple worktop, and work from there. Ideally, I would make my own small 2″ or 3″ benchtop from maple boards, but I’ll only need the accessory for a couple of months. The next time we move, I plan to build a full-sized woodworking bench.
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Don’t have a project planned? You can still enter! Pretend that you’re a colonist on Mars, and it’s your second month there. What are you building this weekend from the stockpile of Martian lumber and craft supplies you just discovered?
Entry cutoff is 9am ET Monday 3/30/2015, after which I will randomly pick a winner. You must have an address in the continental USA to win. What will you win? That’s the surprise!
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mp
I’ll be building a gigantic garage work surface. 16ft of 2×6’s laminated on edge to about 25″ deep. Because I cleaned enough to do so and because I can.
Tim
This spring/summer im looking at building a 24 by 30 garage.
Justin
I get the pleasure of drywalling a room that used to be a poorly converted garage that is now an extra bedroom and a laundry room, and also a bathroom that used to be a utility room. Demo, framing, insulating, electrical, and plumbing was done over the winter so now its just drywall, flooring, trim, and paint. The end is in site! Maybe I will finish up in time to start mowing the yard!
*Sigh* The joys of home ownership!
NCD
I need to remodel my woodworking shop, a bit cluttered, need to build more cabinets.
SawdustTX
My spring project will be a workbench. Picked up one of those maple slabs on sale a couple months ago, and subsequently cracked my windshield carrying the thing home in my 4 door sedan – need a truck. Using pine with lap joints for the legs and structure, will drill dog holes in the maple slab and install the Groz vise I bought on sale way too long ago…
OnTheWeb
3 projects on the horizon:
-Living room remodel
-Deck expansion to twice its size
-Bedroom remodel with dressing area
Matt Hayward
I hope to tackle a new roof on the house, shed, and garage. Also, fixing all the drywall in my recently purchased home because apparently the previous homeowner lived in an art studio. Like Justin said… The joys of home ownership!
Eric
For clients: A desk, a gate, various handrails, modernist media center, giant whiteboards.
For myself: Trying to find the time and money to build a bigger shop and hopefully a tiny house.
BikerDad
Finish my new woodworking bench.
Build a new Saw Till and a new Driver Station (for screwdrivers and such devices).
Make some 6 Pack Totes
Turn a passel of pens.
Make a drill press cabinet.
Finish work on two nightstands that have been stalled for 4 years.
If I get through half of it I’ll be a happy camper.
SteveR
My guess is Mrs. B.D. will be happiest if you finish work on the two nightstands first. Pushing that to the top of the list will get you all sorts of good karma.
Scott Davis
I plan to start building cabinets to replace mine in the kitchen. I’ll build them one at a time with my Kreg jig until I build them all. I have to buy a planer first to make the doors.
rhyino
Fabricating organizers for my tool boxes.
Capoz
Finishing last summer’s project: new brick raised bed and trellis wall for climbing roses. Brick Wall is done and I hope to finish the trellis by frost-end so that I can plant the roses early. After that, wiring for lights and installing an automatic rain barrel drip irrigation system.
Eric Hamilton
I plan on tearing out my outdated wood deck and building a flag stone patio and installing some low voltage landscape lighting. I am looking forward to it.
MT_Noob
First, build a wooden flag display case for a memorial flag.
Second, finish the project I started a few months back to install a water powered backup sump. The joys of home ownership…
Third make something super awesome with the secret surprise gift that I want to win from my favorite website…
Kent
Spring projects:
* Build a combat robot for the TV revival of BattleBots!!! – I’m working with a few robot combat veterans to build, test and rebuild a 250 pound ‘bot by mid May. ABC will be airing the show some time this fall. Super excited, and it’s taking all my available time.
* Remodel the guest bathroom – cabinets, cork flooring, retile the shower stall and move the shower head so tall people can wash their hair (was everybody 5’ 4″ in the 50’s?)
* Install a drip irrigation system for my front yard. I live in drought country, so I took out my lawn, and planted low water plants, then covered everything with chips. I need a bit of irrigation to get the plants through the first few years.
Hans
I plan on building a deck from pallet wood. That includes dismantling over 60 pallets (the deck will be 20 square meters).
I did the first 5 with a crowbar, but I’m renting a reciprocating saw with an all purpose blade to cut through the nails. I do a couple of pallets each saturday.
I love i though. I keep bugging my wife to come up with new stuff that I can make (she’s a designer). We’re working on a plywood desk next 🙂
ktash
I’m making a wall of cabinets for the bedroom. This weekend I’m making 8 drawers and hope to get them mounted on the slides. I still have one bottom cabinet to assemble and hope to get that done, too.
Andy
Landscaping.
Putting in irrigation next to my office and installing sod.
Rebuilding a deck off my kitchen.
Putting a paver patio in between the 2 and building a fire pit.
Just to be clear, I HATE digging.
Scott
I’m going to build a dining room table.
Thomas
I’m going to build outdoor furniture for our deck and patio.
MattP
– Build some shoe shelves for my wife as well as a temporary ‘vanity’ that rests on our sink.
– Straighten up garage
– Pull knuckles off F100 to replace the kingpins and bushings.
John Austin
Ah, man am wiped from getting my basic structure on Mars roughed in the first month. In the second month I think I will try to streamline it too make my duties much easier. That would include a solar powered ice melter, dust protection, & a connection to a satellite back to earth to pick up internet.
Back on earth, I will need to roof the back porch, new hardwood in the foyer/ hall, & of course continue on with building as it’s also my day job.
Hayden
Building a small polling skiff. Out of plywood glass foam and epoxy. Then rebuilding my jeeps transmission so I can tow the skiff
SteveR
I’m going to help my brother clean, repair and re-stain his pool deck. Also, his pool (above-ground) developed a leak a few months ago, so we’re going to remove the old liner and put in a new one in time for summer.
Gary T.
I’m hoping to build a work table top for my Keter portable work table that is similar to the Benchmark portable work table, only out of wood. I’m also going to make some cube in a cube out of some exotic wood blanks I bought from Rockler.
Jerry
I’m going to rebuild some fence, and hopefully fix up an unattached garage.
Connor D
I have two young boys. They are clamoring for a “house” of their own after we built a pretty amazing chicken coop last year. I figure I will start working on their own playhouse in the next month or so.
As for colonization of Mars, I figure that I would use the lumber and supplies to construct rudimentary shovels in order to start digging my first access shaft. Of course this is in preparation to be the JD Rockefeller of Mars.
JasonH
I will be installing new windows on the house…it never ends!
Kevin
My spring projects will include building an arbor from scratch and adding a second set of stairs to my deck. I’ve never done either before, so it should be a fun time of learning/making mistakes!
T
Storage reorg of entire house, shed and garage. Finish engine build.
DaveZ
Each summer for the past 4 years I have replaced a portion of the huge 30 year old deck that surrounds most of my house. I’ve never had enough time or money to do it all at once, but this year it should all be done!
After dark I’ll be working on a desk for my daughter’s first apartment (she designed it and she will also be working on it).
Kurt Greiner
I’d really like to get back working on my model battleship, There just never seems to be the free time, but after 16 years, I guess there is no rush LOL.
Marco
Build my cabinets for my kitchen.
Fill in, spread loam and seed my entire yard front to back. Move all my roses and fruit trees around the perimeter of my back yard.
Build my custom fence from my surplus 1×6/2×4 pressure treated lumber craiglist deal.
And if it isn’t summer yet build my back deck.
Joe
“What kind of projects do you hope to tackle this Spring?”
Going to build the worlds biggest cordless drill.
JK, Just going to fix all the doors that are not leveled due to structural/ground shifting. IOW, they open all the way by themselves when not latched.
I don’t want to ruin the trim, so will take a while. Maybe replace the weather stripping in the front door and on the windows too to keep the small bugs out.
Joe
Side jobs galore. Deck repair, bathroom job, big tile job for a family member.. I’ll be keeping busy.
Ken
A 24×16 cedar pergola. 2 years of scraping by getting piece by piece and fighting the wife stating she just wants it built in treated to get it done (or get out… ). I held my ground and now I have 8x8x10 posts with 2×12 & 2×10 cedar joists and headers and fancy-pants accessories. A few new tools might come in handy. Cold beers (or sodas) and steaks for all volunteers…
Brandon
1 – Finish the workbench I started building a few weeks ago.
2 – Build a shelf that my wife wants for organizing her sewing fabric.
3 – Start building a backyard fence.
4 – Experiment with soldering iron and some led’s I just bought. Never soldered before, so it should be interesting.
KenZ
Project: build a sauna room (real sauna, not IR) so that I can do some passive heat training for a late summer race.
Some woodwork, some electrical…
Jeff
Drywall the garage, paint the basement.
Marty
Getting started on a solid walnut bookcase for a client (not my wife) and catching up on some paperwork… ugh. Thanks for reminding me…
Benson
Must… repair… deck, before…. catastrophe!
James C
I’ll be doing finish work on a new family endeavour, a cidery. Tasting room, bar, furniture, whatever it takes to get up and running by the summer.
Joe M
I hope to build myself a headboard with shelving in it, as well as some more media shelving, and various other shelving-type furniture. What I have is too small. Lots of empty space, nothing I need to put on it is short enough to fit on them.
So… 6-foot tall Headboard, 4-5 Foot shelves, maybe a Nightstand, perhaps a Cat-Hammock somewhere… We’ll see!
Drew
I’ve been reorganizing and fixing up my ‘office’ workspace. Got a nice bit of countertop from the ReStore to use for a soldering station in the closet. Need to build lots of shelving units for all my parts bins.
Should be a proper mancave by the time it is done.
James
Wiring surround sound in the office, wiring and running air line in the garage, and mounting an over range microwave in the kitchen. Should be a busy few months.
brian
I want to build a rolling tool storage work center that would combine functionality of a
black and decker shop box http://tinyurl.com/pnsndv7
and a Ryobi 6 pack storage container http://tinyurl.com/nqrclho
then a nice 25 ft extension cord velcroed or clipped to the side http://tinyurl.com/p3lovom
JMG
I will be building a wind trap to collect much needed moisture to survive in the dry Martian climate. Not really certain if the craft supplies will work, but the alien lumber cache is spot on.
Scott
My spring project is stripping and staining a deck.
Joel Niccum
Just finished a bunk bed. Need to repair the deck, come up with something to keep birds from destroying the garden again this year, and repair the fascia on the front of the house.
Florian Stauss
Well lets see, from the top down my list, which probably already will be longer after i finished reading through it.
Insulating, finish and make livable a room upstairs in our house,
replacing the old knob and tube wiring in the house,
rebuilding the back porch since it’s sagging about 6 inches over four foot,
Maybe building a car port in our yard for which would double as a privacy fence towards the neighbors,
enough small things so the big things never get done…
but I have hope for this spring 🙂
Florian
Pete
I didnt know martains had lumber or craft supplies! Lol
I have the following
-reinstall the trim on the front door, i think the builder hired stevie wonder to install mine.
-install a window above our entry way.
-build a deck
-and finish the entire back yard. Irrigation, sod, fruit trees and shrubs and plants, mist system, shed.
Thanks toolguide!
nagiom
Replace the service door on my garage and build a retaining wall.
John S
My main project this spring that I hope to tackle is a settlers of catan board made from some hardwood + wood burned designs for detail.
Derek
Too many. Build a kitchen table, finish the headboard I started, power wash the desk, raise our 1 month old…
Matt
I’m planning to level the living room floor and installed new hardwood.
Paul
I have an irrigation well in the back corner of my property. I plan on building an old fashioned “outhouse” style shed to cover up the well casing and pump.
CNF
Four weeks into my repatriation on Mars? Of course, I’d first build an Adirondack chair to catch those solar rays.
John
Here’s the list so far:
Replace windows on the front of the house.
Build my son’s playset that was delivered in a lake effect snowstorm yesterday.
Build a window seat, bookcases, and closet organizer for my son’s room. Also want to replace trim, paint, and install a ceiling fan.
Build some storage for the shed and organize the chaos that’s going on out there.
Organize some L-Boxx, Systainer, and T-Stak boxes that I haven’t really had time to do the last year.
Build a cart for my vac and Dust Deputy before all of the stuff for my son’s room.
Build something like slat wall and associated accessories to organize stuff in the garage.
I’d also like to find some time to build cabinets for my car detailing supplies and tools along with a few other little projects but I don’t see them happening this year.
mike aka Fazzman
Current/ongoing projects
reroofing the house in the next couple of weeks.
Build a new work bench
Cleanout wifes junk from my garage aka man cave.
plan to build a nice gazebo in the backyard and redo the landscaping for low water stuff.
Add cabinetry to kitchen and dining room areas.
tear out my side yard and pour concrete for my RV access and rebuild the gates.
Build a dog run and kennel in backyard,I already have the concrete pad just need to start digging for posts.
Joe
“Cleanout wifes junk from my garage aka man cave.”
I’ll drink a beer to that…lol
Jim
working up a pattern to replace the base on my chop saw. Using the lathe, planer, thickness sander, and other guy-toys. The original base cracked (thanks, neighbor) and that gave me an opportunity to make a pattern to cast a new base out of aluminum…. so I figured, why not add an integral mount for a morticer/drill that can rotate up/down from under the bench into place and lock. Cut-offs, mortices, or holes done all at one station!
Robert
I will be working on a greenhouse for my Wife to fill with more plants.
It gives me a good excuse to purchase more tools and makes her very happy.
Zachary
My plan is to paint some of my boxes and make some work benches.
Dennis
I’m going to try to utilize all the un-utilized space in my house for storage. Drop shelves from the garage ceiling for a start. Some fold down work surfaces would be nice too. I’ll say organize my tools but I always say that and it never happens all the way.
Ken Stone
Well I am 66 and I think i have done everything that has been posted so I will be going fishing and hunting! Have fun boys
CB
Install a new kitchen, tile a bathroom and build a vanity for it, replace a complete roof and when things get quiet I will build a new large bench cart with wheels that will hold a table saw, router, wood vise and a Kreg clamping area.
Whoops, I almost forget also a combo box cart that will hold a bandsaw, small jointer and a drill press.
adam
I plan on making the garden a little more extensive. This includes putting a portion of the garden under a greenhouse like setup made out of PVC.
Making a planer box for around the mail box.
Adding some electrical outlets for future Christmas lights, No reason to have as many extension cords out as we did last year.
Adam
I’m putting in laminate flooring in the downstairs, baseboards, building a bookcase, crown molding in the family room, building storage for my kids’ rooms, & building a craft table on castors. I’m sure more projects will get added to the list since a house needs constant attention.
Charlie Stopczynski
I’ve nearly completed building one 4′ x 8′ x 2′ raised bed garden, surgery interrupted building # 2 & 3. Wasn’t able to fill with soil due to surgery. That’s OK restrictions can’t last forever. Garden can go in a little late.
In the shop I need to build a proper work station for the miter saw.
Also plan to build an 18″ drum sander from scratch, along with a bandsaw circle cutting jig.
Tom
Finally getting rid of the builder-quality wire shelving in my pantry. Building some much tougher plywood shelves with hardwood nosing.
Matt
Going to build my father a small work out room off the side of an existing storage shed
Garrick
It’s been so long since I’ve seen a tree here on Mars, I think I’ll use the lumber to build a miniature forest, complete with hiking trails, and assorted foliage.
PTS
I will be building outdoor sectional (arm and armless chairs), outdoor dining table, and indoor laundry closet.
Mark Matthews
I am hoping to expand my shop to include a storage area for the cypress furniture that I build. I am putting the plans together, as I need more room to build!
Stephen
I am going to be finishing a large storage bench in the kitchen and beginning a kitchen table.
Blythe M
Have to rebuild the front end on my work vehicle, new brakes and electrical troubleshooting on the wife’s car, finish tile on the shower ceiling, and trim out the new apartment. Somewhere in that need to build a retaining wall to put in a garden. Spring needs to hurry up and be warm in the Midwest!!
adabhael
Well, it’s a long list, but the immediate practical items are a set of shaker-pegs for coats and a new set of jaws for my workmate . I have ambitions to turn some bowls as gifts, but we’ll see how the time works out.
cory
i’d be building a hutch to house my wife’s grandmothers china along with my martian rocks that i have found
Blake Paine
First up is rearranging and cleaning the shop to give my self enough in/out feed space for 16′ lumber.
Joshua Latham
I have the crappiest of all, digging and installing a new leach field for my septic system.
Jason
I hope your not doing that by hand 🙁 That sounds brutal!
Mahalo
I plan on building an extra small workbench to supplement my Craftsman bench. I alsk “plan” on keeping the top clear of clutter thereafter, lol!
Michael
At the top of the list is a blanket chest and a small bar height table for the kitchen
Dima
I plan building a small wooden shed in center of my garden
kyle
I’ll be doing a bit of plumbing work around the house
Windy City Ben
My brother recently bought a fixer-upper house, so I’ll be spending plenty of spring (and summer, fall) weekends there helping him out. First project will be to reinsulate the house, and then put up new drywall.
RobS
The plan is to make a cedar strip canoe this spring. Although it will prob be finished just in time for another Boston winter!
Kevin
just started a bathroom gut, new floor, vent, fixtures,lighting, toilet, etc. Outside project planned , privacy fence.
Bill K
Today I….
> finished up and tested a second generation DIY leather strap skiving device
> finished putting up the trim around a new door install in the basement
> relocated Bathroom light fixture and replaced fluorescent bulbs
> continued design efforts for new patio
This spring….
> I will tear out part of my existing deck, repair/upgrade the remaining and prep site for installation of new patio by a contractor
> replace front door and add new door seals on two other exterior doors
> define the design for and how to update my wife’s kitchen cabinets – somewhere between new doors & drawer faces to a total replace
> pull up the living area carpet and then refinish the existing oak floor or have the carpet replaced
> install a tachometer on my scooter
I’m tired just thinking about this….. what have I got myself into?
Cameron
This spring, I plan on refinishing my deck. The 3″x12″ treads and runners have served a good 20 years and are due for replacement
Mike Gregory
This spring I plan to redo the gutter drainpipes around the house.
GMA15R
Make a rack to store equipment in one shed and turn the other into a workshop by hanging pegboard, making a workbench, assembling a used drill press that has been in pieces for three years and hanging old kitchen cabinets.
Nick
Organizing my garage. I bought some base cabinets to make some work benches out of and to help with storage of tools. I just need to decide what kind of top to put on them. I also need to finish wiring my RV shed.
Travis
I need to re caulk some skylights and fix some gutters. Love those NorthEast winters. I also need to finish taking down a tree that nature started to remove. And paint and flooring for the guest bedroom. Baby number 2 will be here before I know it! Not to mention the normal spring cleaning, yard care,landscaping, etc.
Mars is starting to look a whole lot more inviting….
Lewis
I am planning to make the wife a vanity with a mirror with inlaid LED lights instead of the traditional globe lights. I have to purchase the mirror and lights but I have a great little desk I’m going to refurbish and stain.
Del
My next project is building a new wood fence gate. The metal frame on my current gate has seen it’s last days.
w-bee
I plan on replacing both my front and rear door; including frame and trim, building a wood shed and the annual spring cleaning of the garage that never sees a car inside.
Gaberiel Keway
Restoring two WW2 era Delta 17″ Drill Presses this summer. I love the idea that these machines built armament that helped us win the war. One is a seller, I will lovingly restore to better than new condition then sell off to a fellow collector of classic iron. The other is a keeper that I will restore to my own delight, including bomber-style paint job reminiscent of the fantastic war planes it helped to build during it’s service at Fisher Body Detroit. I shall then christen her Maid in the USA….and of course she was.
Gaberiel Keway
Was up late last night finishing 5 pre-hung mission style knotty pine interior doors using a new (to me) method of HVLP spraying amber shellac then sealing with lacquer. Hopefully I will begin installation next weekend. I was going for an ‘aged’ finish, hence the amber shellac. The lacquer sealer is semi-gloss but if after installation it seems too ‘new’ I will dull out the finish using paste wax applied with #0000 steel wool. Instant old.
Jim S
Spring project is a two level deck. A 12×12 landing area coming off of the master bedroom, one step down to a 20 x 18 area. Possibly some built in seating on one side with under seat storage. Looking at using the new Trex decking for ease of maintenance since most of the deck is under a redwood tree.
MikeNCR
I’ll be finishing the repairs and upgrades for a 6ft robot combat arena.
John Blair
I am building a time machine to go back to when the give away was still open. Thats my project last / next week.
Jesse Neil
Going to build a display/storage system for running shoe boxes. The girlfriend and I are accumulating an excess amount and they have our closet filled.
Matt Peterson
I have to replace my front porch and steps. The previous owner made an attempt to do so. They shouldn’t have.
Dahna
I’m going to start building a cedar strip canoe (Freedom 17 plan) this month. Just wondering – why did my email notice regarding this giveaway arrive in my mailbox at 10:05 am, when the entry cutoff was 9am?
Iron-Iceberg
Building a redwood fence. Along the back of my house. Hopefully it will change the route the deer in the neighborhood take and save my wife’s roses. HA
MattP
Who won? What did they win?
ajw1978
– Garage shelves for a buddy
– New dresser for myself
– New coffee table