DIY Fun at Home Depot Workshop (Beverage Crate)
For awhile now I have been wanting to get more confident using power tools. Usually I defer the woodworking to my husband, but there’s absolutely no reason why I can not do it myself.
I had been going back and forth on signing up for one of the monthly Do It Herself workshops at Home Depot. Maybe I should just go to one of the mixed DIY classes Home Depot has on a Saturday? Part of me thought some of the past projects were silly, and part of me just did not want to go by myself. Everything is better with a friend or two right? Need to learn sometime, so the girls know it’s cool to use tools? Keep thinking of reasons why I should go.
New year, new resolutions
I asked if anyone had been to classes, besides the weekend classes (crickets….Bueller) So, I just up and decided to register for the class and when I saw we would be using a jigsaw to make a beverage crate full of WINE (bottles not included) I was SOLD! Of course I asked my friend Missy if she would join me. She’s crafty and has sliced her fingers on a mandoline before, this is the best idea ever!
Class Time
I showed up a few minutes early to class in case there was anything we needed to set up. Terry was our very helpful and patient instructor for the evening. While I waited for Missy to show up, Terry walked me through the instructions and explained a project a little bit more.
When Missy arrived, we were ready to rock and roll, AND finish with all twenty fingers (or 30 if you include Terry’s). Terry described and demonstrated the tools we would be using for the project. We used a jigsaw, tape measure, and speed square.
He provided us with some very useful tips with regards to measuring and cutting. A novice might think they can mark all their cuts, and then begin cutting, but many forget you need to take into account how much wood the blade removes. (It’s not like a pair of scissors where you cut exactly on the line. A saw blade removes a thin amount of extra wood.) So always measure twice, and make sure you are cutting on the correct side of the line. Terry let Missy and I take turns marking and measuring the wood for our cuts, then it was time to cut! (I brought safety goggles and gloves.)
This particular jigsaw was incredibly hard to operate and maneuver. While I can appreciate two buttons to push for the sake of safety it was really hard to keep those buttons pressed while trying to cut a straight line at high speed! Missy had the same problem, guess our hands are just small. I know we have a jigsaw at our house, but I can not recall ever having an issue with it. (Been awhile since I used.) The set up was a bit challenging as well. The folding table had a lot of vibration against the concrete floor. A solid wood table, or even a small work bench would be a nice addition to these classes. Our cuts were straight enough for this project, which was good!
About forty five minutes had passed, Terry took over and cut the last three boards. (Clamped them together to make it go quicker.) Then Missy and I arranged the dividers and voila, we had made one beverage crate! Since we used a jigsaw to make the cuts, we had a little extra wiggle room with the dividers.
Our first power tool project! You can make four crates from a standard sheet of plywood (4’x8′). Holiday presents anyone?
Missy and I had a good time. Looking forward to another class in the future!
*Terry works at the Home Depot store near Ross Park Mall in Pittsburgh, PA. (Store #4159).
My favorite goggles for DIY, or…cutting onions. Yup, work pretty well for onions. You can buy these Dewault goggles at Amazon or Home Depot (online only).
