Christmas Caddys

    I have found myself running the sander a lot lately.    It is something that I used to really - really hate.   Sanding wood.   I used to blog about it as being the worse thing to do in the shop.  But lately I find a little pleasure in grabbing onto that vibrating old noisy hand numbing machine and smoothing out boards.   I put in my ear plugs, strap on a dust mask. clean off my goggles, and steer a floor lamp in the direction of my sanding table and away I go.   I wonder if it is a new phase of life that I am entering.    A phase that does not require a lot of brain power.  One can sit down while sanding wood.   I have my little piece of sidewalk chalk and before I start sanding I put a bunch of chalk marks on each side of the boards that I plan to smooth out.   I attack each chunk of board as I mindlessly sand all the chalk marks off.    When I am done everything in the garage is covered in dust but my boards look very nice.   (Pam is so proud of me - again.)   Yep.    Sanding is so relaxing.   (God help me!!!!)

   As I said last week, this project is being made out of wood that I had saved from a Blue Spruce evergreen tree that I had given to my mom in the early 1970's.     I'm making some tool carriers that I plan to give out this Christmas.   Once again it is my plan to build these without the use of any kind of metal fasteners.   No screws.  No nails.   Just wooden plugs.





   Drill a hole and put a little glue in it. Then drive a wooden dowel down through the hole till it is flush with the side.   After that sand it smooth.   (You would be able to carry this box through a metal detector at the airport and no alarms would go off.)

   

I applied three coats of varnish while sanding between each coat.   I have to admit that I like the looks of the caddy each time I add a new coat of varnish.  Varnish seems to help seal up this open grain wood.  I'm using a clear satin varnish and it even seems to hide a few of the sins that are present in this Christmas tree wood.

   I added a little handle which I pegged on each side to keep it from slipping out.    From there I just gave everything one more coat of varnish and this project is done.    On to the next one. Christmas is not that far away.
 (Hurry Derald - Hurry.   Forget that sanding boards.)

Merry Christmas somebody.