Corner Joint for the Hope Chest…

Well tip is about one of the more popular projects featured in Episodes 504 and 505. It’s our version of the Hope Chest. We used raised panels to build the sides and tied the 90 degree corners together with the Rabbet/dado joint.

Be sure to watch this tip carefully to see why the two pieces that are used to make this joint are different widths. If you like this tip your going to love the whole series so join now and start watching the whole series today!

http://www.routerworkshop.net/freecontents/Routertips/hopechestcorners.flv

Router Terms Word Search Puzzle.

Today I am playing with the idea of producing a series of word searches about the router terminology. I have created a sample one and posted it. Please give me your thoughts in the comment section of this post.

To see my first word search please follow this link.

This is a got to have program…

So how does this fit into a router blog?

Well, if anyone is using the Internet to sell their woodworking creations then you really need a program that can cut out the background quickly and easily. If you sell things using Ebay or on your own website then being able to clear the background is a must.

You need to display your product with the least amount of background noise as possible. I have been playing around with this software “Play With Pictures” and have found bar-non this is the top of the pile best software going.

It can quickly cut out the unnecessary background very easily and it has a very low learning curve. As an example I have taken a photo of a set of hinges with screws on the coffee table then in less that 10 minutes I removed the background.

See the comparison photos below Left one, a set of hinges/screws without the background and Right one with the background. This is me a complete rookie with less than 2 hours experience with the program.

Folks, it can only gets better with practice.

To anyone that is interested…

I have purchased a series of License Keys that will give you discount of 15% off the $40.00 retail price.

To test just download the evaluation software and see for yourself. Here is the link to the FREE 15 day software download

If you agree then you can purchase it from me with the buy now button below. If you don’t see value yet, you should at the very least, try it…

License Key

Windows O/S $33.96 Mac O/S $33.96

Here is my Custom T-Shirt…

We folks I have used the Avery heat transfer paper, my color laserjet printer, and an iron to create my personal custom T-Shirt. Here is a picture of me with my shirt on. I found that the best kind of T-Shirt is a white 100 percent cotton shirt.

After downloading the logos it took approximately 30 minutes to print the graphic, cut-out, and iron on the T-Shirt. Thanks to all that intend to make their own version of our T-Shirt advertising.

As Mike’s generous offer to kick into the kitty I am very grateful for this perfect idea. Dad and I thank all who are participating.

Using Our Logos…

We have created a series of logos for the following websites. 1) www.routerforums.com and 2) www.routerworkshop.net Our idea is for you to help advertise our websites. A T-shirt with our logos on it would be a great help in the offline promotions. So if anyone else is interested our logo links are below in the PDF format.

1) Router Workshop

2) Router Forums

Well Folks how about custom T-Shirts…

I had a very generous member offer to help pay for our server costs. He mentioned that it must cost a fair amount to run the web-site with all this free information on it. I give him top marks for realizing that you can’t run such a resource without out of pocket costs.

We mentioned to him that you are right it does cost a fair amount to run a forum like www.routerforums.com but we learned very early that our woodworkers were not keen on making even a small contribution. We tried many things from PayPal donation buttons to an online T-Shirt store with no one showing interest. He said go figure.

Our response to our keenly perceptive member was keep your money but would you buy your own T-Shirt at your local retailer and add our logos using iron on heat transfer paper. We have the YouTube how to video on how to add heat transfer logos to your T-Shirt.

First Video is preparing the Graphics…

This video is Ironing on the Graphics…

Using Our Logos…

We have created a series of logos for the following websites. 1) www.routerforums.com and 2) www.routerworkshop.net Our idea is for you to help advertise our websites. A T-shirt with our logos on it would be a great help in the offline promotions. So if anyone else is interested our logo links are below in the PDF format.

1) Router Workshop Logo

2) Router Forums Logo

Tin Can Geometry and Simple Layout…

I always get asked for plans for the projects we build on the show and thinking back on that particular project I think of how we really laid out the project.

I find that the woodworking magazines have the tendency to make us rely on a plan to complete the projects we might want to build. Check out our hi-tech layout techniques and begin to think outside the box.

Here is a challenge to you. The next time you visit a furniture show room and find something you want to build take a picture of that furniture piece and try to make a set of plans you can build from your napkin drawings.

For more tips like this one watch the Router Workshop Video Series. Join Now and start watching this great series on the uses of the Router.

http://www.routerworkshop.net/freecontents/Routertips/tincangeometry.flv

How a TRW member is using the Video Library…

I just received this email the other day and thought I should share it with you. As we have been saying for years your router is your best asset in the workshop and once you have a handle on how to use it you will have great satisfaction with your creations.

Read what Clark has to say,

Hello Rick:

I have make the book end/dovetail project from #102.  One  dovetail is loose but I plan to be a little more precise when my RWS fence shows up soon.  Intend to make a set for my wife for Christmas out of oak.  She was excited.

I have make the box from 103 in two tries (used box calculator second time) and got a B grade result.  My overlapping dados were of un equal depth (despite using Bob’s flip-over test cut method) so the box top is a little loose but it was intended as a prototype and I am pleased.  It now holds misc air compressor parts.

I was working in 1/2″ MDF not 3/8″ as Bob was doing, so I had to do some
adapting…taking bearing off my 3/8 rabbeting bit to get a 1/2″ bite.  Rabbet ended up being a smidgeon deep, resulting in over hanging edges, easily taken off with flush cut bit.

But as I said above, a prototype.  Now I will move on to using Baltic Birch ply for a keeper.

Did I mention I had to watch #103 about 1/2 dozen times to “get it”.   Love Bob’s teaching style even though I could not absorb as fast as he talks.  Have become a “never measure” advocate.

Episode 103 is yummy!  My wife may become a woodshop widow.  Better than a golf widow I think.

Warm Regards

Clark

Thanks again, Clark for the warm comments.

Regards, Rick

PS: This is what Dad and I love about all the work we have done creating the Router Workshop Video Library.

Well today is the last public post on Painted Boxes…

Has anyone seen the possibilities that can be realized by combining your woodworking skills with access to customers at the next Craft Show. We have shown you the techniques that are a must to the creation of quality inventory.

Next we should talk about the logistics to the creation of your inventory. Here are a few questions that come to my mind.

1) How much and What inventory do you need to make for your first craft show?

My thoughts: Well if you knew the how much and what to make you would probably be better off buying the winning lottery ticket. The best answer to this is that you need to produce a wide variety of sample Painted Boxes. Then from the samples you can take orders and create/deliver after the show. If asked the reason why you don’t have a huge inventory? Your response is that you make custom sizes, colors with personalized decal of local themes.

2) How much of the inventory is unpainted?

My thoughts: With the unpainted you might just have a few common sizes available for purchase because the profit margin for unpainted without the wood decals is quite different than the finished products.

3) What are the most common sizes?

My thoughts: To answer this question you need to know the motivation of your customers. Why would they need a Painted Box? You need to use your sample painted boxes to help your customers begin to think outside the box and see the need to have one, two or ten boxes.

One possibility, purchase a common photo album from your local store and pitch the process of creating a photo album or a brag book of their family members. Your pitch is that by adding the painted box to the photo album it would just be the finishing touches to the perfect package for each of their families.

4) How many are painted and with a holiday theme decal?

My thoughts: Yes the one thing that is going to close the deal best is that you are using quality graphics of that special season. I must remind you that all your graphics need to be original art that you have the rights to use.

Caution: Don’t digitize the cool greeting cards you found at the greeting card store.

5) How many are painted and just waiting for the customized wood decals?

My thoughts: This is a good plan that will work perfectly for that special season. Travel around town and take cool photos of the Christmas decorated town hall or the featured Christmas tree. Get that perfect picture of the highlights of your local atmosphere. This is best taken at sunset or in the evening and it’s a photo of your lighted bridge, the town hall or the local museum. Make it anything local, every location has a cool tourist location that will be that perfect background. Best part is that this is original art created by you easily and quickly. Click here to see tips on Photo Composition:

That’s my thoughts on getting the right inventory for the Craft Show…

Now let’s recap: a) you have the product, b) the methods used to paint and place a graphic decal, c) ways to create original graphic backgrounds and d) the way to personalize each product.

Not sure this is the way to go yet!

Do a trial run or maybe two or three: Start by hosting a home party with your friends. Invite 3 or 4 of your best friends, hey make it a wine or cheese party.

Once this has been a success and I trust this will be a great success! Ask each of your friends to host their own party with 3 or 4 different friends. The more practice you have the better it will be at the Craft Show.

Preparation for this party is simple:

1) Create 5 or 6 different sample boxes each with a special theme. Have one painted box created for each of the invited friends without the completed decal.

2) Ask all invitees to bring a family photo.

3) Have your computer, scanner and printer set up to digitize their photos and add them to your background photos. You know the photos you took while traveling around town.

Please note: Make sure you are well practiced with the software “Play with Pictures”.

4) You ask your friends to help by getting them to add the wood decal to their box.

Please Note: You need know how to explain the process of placing the custom decals to the wood boxes.

That’s it for this post, thanks for now. Below is the plan and video to the painted boxes…

How To Create Personal Graphics Quickly and Easily…

Well we are on the home stretch with our series of Posts on the Craft Show Project Idea. Today I want to talk about a really cool software program that can be used to quickly create personal graphics. With the water slide decal process these graphics can easily be placed on your custom made Paint Boxes.

So what’s the procedure to create a custom graphic wood decal for your custom paint boxes. The program we are talking about is Play with Pictures.

This program is designed to work as a five step process.

1) Load your custom canvas background into the program,

2) Load the family photo and remove a person or a group of people out of the background of a family photo.

3) Insert one or more cut out photos into the custom canvas background.

4) Add your custom text, bullet points and speech bubbles,

5) Save the project and print the color decal.

That’s it you’re done!!! You now have a custom digital graphic decal ready for your paint boxes in minutes with little effort.

Don’t believe me, here is the quick overview “How To Tutorial” which gives you the quick overview on how easy the Play with Pictures program is really.

A side note: Hey folks this video is me using the program for the second time so be easy on me.

http://www.routerworkshop.net/freecontents/play_with_Pictures/play_with_Pictures.flv

To anyone that is interested…

I have purchased a series of License Keys that will give you discount of 15% off the $40.00 retail price.

To test just download the evaluation software and see for yourself. Here is the link to the FREE 15 day software download

If you agree then you can purchase it from me with the buy now button below. If you don’t see value yet, you should at the very least, try it…

License Key

Windows O/S $33.96 Mac O/S $33.96

For anyone interested here is the download of my sample graphic.

Here is a website with a collection of free backgrounds and textures.

Please Note: This program works great with both Mac and PC, sorry folks it doesn’t work with the 64 bit O/S system. That’s it for today’s post! Below is a recap of the past two posts about the Project for the Craft Sale…

Well To Recap about the last two posts:

In the first post, we talked about the tools needed to create the custom sized Paint Boxes. We have three tools:

a) The PDF plan to the Magic Boxes in episode 103,

b) The TRW Episode 103 Video Program talks about the construction process,

c) The free dynamic calculator to customizing the materials lists.

In the Second Post: We talked about a simple decal producing process to print specific graphics and apply those graphics on the custom made Paint Boxes. We talked about the following:

a) A description of what a water-slide wood decal is and how to use it,

b) A step by step instruction process of how to paint your custom made boxes,

c) Talked about the process used to purchase and use scrap book graphics on your Paint Boxes.

Well that’s it folks, hopefully you see this information as an asset and something you could use as a part of creating your series of fine Painted Boxes. If some of you have photos of your Painted Boxes we would be interested in seeing your work.

Using Waterslide Decals on your Paint Boxes…

Well the last time I showed you how to make any size of paint boxes. To follow up with these three tools:

1) the PDF plan used to discuss the construction process,

2) TRW Episode 103 video on how to make the box and

3) the free Dynamic Box Calculator used to create custom box material lists.

Today we are going to talk about using a very neat process called “water-slide decals for wood” So what is the water-slide decal anyways? This is a simple process used to create custom decals for your custom paint boxes.

What tools do you need:

1) Computer and Laser color printer or a color photo copier and the water-slide decal paper.

Please note: You can also use the Inkjet printers but these printers need one more step to prepare your graphics. The Inkjet printer prints water based graphics so you need to spray the surface of the decals with a light acrylic coating. Be sure to coat with at least three thinly based coatings.

See this YouTube video on the steps to create and place your decal on the ceramic cup. Please note that you can add to the wood boxes just as easy. Sorry for the video it’s a bit dry but tells the story.

To prepare your paint boxes:

1) I would spray them inside and out with a base under coat then let dry,

2) Lightly sand and then add a color coat with one or two coats,

3) Let dry and again sand lightly with 600 grit then use the acrylic to coat the finished box. (at least 2 coats maybe 3 and lightly sand between the first and second using 600 plus grit paper.) The better the finished again the better the product.

4) Create the water-slide decal and apply to the top of the paint boxes.

If you decide to completely finish your painted boxes it will be your creativity that will determine your success or not in the sales department.

Try and create theme boxes using the scrap-book technique and be sure to use graphics that have good sense of taste. Better the graphics more money they will pay for the box. With the finish and creativity of the decal the box will command higher price.

Now instead of the $3.00 to $5.00 for the unfinished box you are looking at $30.00 to $50.00 to a piece of furniture or special feature piece for the coffee table.

So Buying Graphics:

If your going to buy someone’s scrap book graphics that are for sale be sure you are buying the commercial rights to the graphics. You need these rights to sell your boxes with the author’s graphics. Don’t get just the personal use rights.

It’s best to explain what you intend to do with the graphics. Your conversation might go like: I need the commercial rights to these graphics so I can sell them with my paint boxes. Also remember all graphics need to be CYMK format and at least 300 dpi? (That’s dots per inch)

That’s it for now…Next Post, and last part to this sequence on Craft Show Products.

I am going to show you how to make your purchased decals into a personal theme quickly. Again with the personal decals comes a price increase. So how can you make the decals personal, you are going to have to wait until the next post to see.

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