Woodworking Adventures: From Glue-Ups to Oak Harvests in My Shop

My Etsy Shop 

Hey everyone, welcome back to my little corner of the internet where I share my woodworking escapades. If you’re new here, I’m just a hobbyist tinkerer who loves turning bits of wood into something special – or at least trying to! Today, I wanted to walk you through a project that’s been keeping me busy in the shop: creating 1.5-inch blocks from random hardwood strips for birdhouse ornaments and other compound-cut scroll-saw pieces. It’s all about resourcefulness, a bit of elbow grease, and learning from those “never again” moments. I’ve put together a collage of photos from the process, so let’s dive in and break it down step by step.

Starting with the glue-up phase – that’s where the magic (and the mess) begins. In the top-left photo, you’ll see me gluing up those strips of random hardwoods into sturdy 1.5-inch blocks. I had to whip up some custom cauls for this one: the flat pieces clamped on top and bottom to keep everything even while the glue sets. I coated them heavily with wax to prevent any glue from sticking.

The top-right shot shows some of the square stock fresh out of the clamps after the glue has fully cured.  There’s something therapeutic about peeling off the clamps and seeing your creation hold together without a hitch. I ended up with a mix of woods here – walnut, maple, cherry – whatever scraps I had lying around. Recycling at its finest!

Now, onto the cutting tools that make it all possible. The bottom-left image features my trusty Shopsmith table saw. Note the 7.25-inch saw blade I’m using – these smaller blades are a game-changer for me. They’re super affordable, cut like butter through hardwoods, and leave a smoother edge than you’d expect. I hardly ever reach for the bigger 10-inch blades anymore unless I’m ripping something massive. The Shopsmith is a versatile beast; it’s got that dust collection hose snaking around, keeping the shop somewhat clean (emphasis on “somewhat” – woodworking is dusty business).

Shifting gears a bit, let’s talk about sourcing materials. The center-right photo highlights some oak boards I milled from a fallen tree that came down during a hurricane a few years back. I salvaged some heartwood and let it air-dry in the garage for a few years. It was a reality check: it was way too much work. Planing, jointing, dealing with checks and twists – I’ll stick to buying kiln-dried lumber from now on. But hey, these boards turned out pretty decent.

And speaking of waste, the bottom-right pic shows more of those oak boards stacked up after cutting from the logs. Brutal honesty time: 60-70% of the material ended up as sawdust or scraps. Between knots, checks, and other unusable sections. Still, the usable pieces are gorgeous – straight-grained, ready  for whatever project comes next. Lesson learned: appreciate the pros who mill lumber for a living!

All in all, these projects have been a fun mix of creativity and problem-solving. Those birdhouse ornaments are shaping up nicely on the scroll saw.