Man Made DIY

For any DIY enthusiast, the clearance bin at the DIY store is a regular stop. This project, the Oddstock Floored Wardrobe was designed and built to take advantage of that bin. Brazilian teak prefinished hardwood flooring was found on clearance for an irresistible price. The box had apparently been returned from a large flooring job.

To make use of all the boards, they were cut to short, mitered pieces and arranged in a chevron pattern. Metal tile flooring dividers were used to hide the board edges, trimming out the doors. A simple box deep enough to house clothes on hangers was placed on Queen Anne legs for a romantic look. After many searches for the right door handles, utilitarian garage door handles were chosen because of their large size and casual appearance. A coat hook and mirror were added to the inside of the door for accessories.

You can change the look to be more modern by using straight legs instead. Fill the bottom with shoes or boxes and add shelves if you like, or try other types of wood flooring and experiment with… read more

Last summer, I shared this cool photo from Sonoma winery Medlock Ames, which featured an old picnic table, into which a recess had been cut to accept a cooler to keep drinks cold. A great idea, but know what's even cooler? 

Building the table from scratch without a bunch of fancy woodworking tools, and incorporating the built-in cooler from the… read more

I chat with lots of ManMakers who would love to get started with bigger, more in-depth projects, but lack a dedicated place to work on them and the storage space for all the tools they'd love to acquire. So, here's a perfect project for them: a small-footprint workbench that's sturdy enough to do real work, and includes lots of built-in storage and plenty of… read more

I love this peak inside the studio and process of Ray Gascoigne, a 60-year veteran and master   craftsman of ships in bottles.

He's worked as a shipwright and a merchant sailor, and now designs, carves, and creates his stunning pieces completely from scratch, with just a few tools. Oh, and he looks like… read more

Spring is being a bit of a jerk this year, taking its sweet time to show up. In like lion, out like a slightly less cold but equally wet and windy lion. I've got a serious case of cabin fever this year - probably not worse than any other March, though it certainly seems so - and I'm spending my time planning all the stuff I'm going to do outside when the snow melts.… read more