I finally got around to gutting and cleaning up this old, broken German radio. Now it has a HomePod inside. I use the iMac next to it to hold an iPad, so now I have a fun setup in the shop for streaming music. The tube radio parts I removed are fascinating.
December 14, 2025 at 12:44 PM
I finally got around to gutting and cleaning up this old, broken German radio. Now it has a HomePod inside. I use the iMac next to it to hold an iPad, so now I have a fun setup in the shop for streaming music. The tube radio parts I removed are fascinating.
My wife shot this image of a golden eagle this morning using her iPhone while we were out near Gathland State Park in Maryland. I think it’s an impressive image given the equipment. The most impressive part was the proximity of the eagle, who couldn’t care less that we were so close.
December 12, 2025 at 12:02 AM
My wife shot this image of a golden eagle this morning using her iPhone while we were out near Gathland State Park in Maryland. I think it’s an impressive image given the equipment. The most impressive part was the proximity of the eagle, who couldn’t care less that we were so close.
North Point State Park, near Baltimore, yesterday morning. If you look closely, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is in the far distance. Interesting place with remains of an amusement park from the early 1900s.
November 30, 2025 at 12:27 PM
North Point State Park, near Baltimore, yesterday morning. If you look closely, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is in the far distance. Interesting place with remains of an amusement park from the early 1900s.
We noticed this bee on some woodland sage in our yard. It hadn’t moved in over a day, so we poked at it. Nothing. So we assumed it died and brought it inside for a flower display of sorts. The next day, we discovered … not dead. It bega... https://troykitch.com/2025/11/20/we-noticed-this-bee-on.html
November 20, 2025 at 5:56 PM
We noticed this bee on some woodland sage in our yard. It hadn’t moved in over a day, so we poked at it. Nothing. So we assumed it died and brought it inside for a flower display of sorts. The next day, we discovered … not dead. It bega... https://troykitch.com/2025/11/20/we-noticed-this-bee-on.html
Final wood box with removable bottom drawer. Mistakes were made, but made it work. I planned to dovetail the sides, but grain directions were wrong. So I went with mortise/tenons, but they were shallow I worried about strength. S... https://troykitch.com/2025/11/15/final-wood-box-with-removable.html
November 15, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Final wood box with removable bottom drawer. Mistakes were made, but made it work. I planned to dovetail the sides, but grain directions were wrong. So I went with mortise/tenons, but they were shallow I worried about strength. S... https://troykitch.com/2025/11/15/final-wood-box-with-removable.html
Cutting the mortises for the hinges to hang the closest door I’m making. I always find this process a bit frightening.
October 10, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Cutting the mortises for the hinges to hang the closest door I’m making. I always find this process a bit frightening.
Working on a long, narrow door to cover a narrow closet in our house where we keep sheets for bedding. The closet has a curved top. I’m using parts of a chair I got a thrift store that perfectly matches this curve and plan to veneer i... https://troykitch.com/2025/10/08/working-on-a-long-narrow.html
October 8, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Working on a long, narrow door to cover a narrow closet in our house where we keep sheets for bedding. The closet has a curved top. I’m using parts of a chair I got a thrift store that perfectly matches this curve and plan to veneer i... https://troykitch.com/2025/10/08/working-on-a-long-narrow.html
Breaking down a sheet of cherry plywood with hand tools isn’t easy, but it’s mostly figuring out how to hold the work in place.
October 8, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Breaking down a sheet of cherry plywood with hand tools isn’t easy, but it’s mostly figuring out how to hold the work in place.
This was a fun, quick project: I used offcuts from the midcentury cabinet I just completed to make a small first aid station in the bathroom. This replaces an old, broken wall heater in the bathroom that came with the house. I made it rem... https://troykitch.com/2025/10/04/this-was-a-fun-quick.html
October 4, 2025 at 10:44 AM
This was a fun, quick project: I used offcuts from the midcentury cabinet I just completed to make a small first aid station in the bathroom. This replaces an old, broken wall heater in the bathroom that came with the house. I made it rem... https://troykitch.com/2025/10/04/this-was-a-fun-quick.html
I completed my midcentury cherry cabinet, made with zero power tools. Here it is in place. The top sides are half blind dovetails, the base full dovetails. The door panels are 3/8 inch thick and slide along grooves. I’m pleased with how it turned out.
September 29, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I completed my midcentury cherry cabinet, made with zero power tools. Here it is in place. The top sides are half blind dovetails, the base full dovetails. The door panels are 3/8 inch thick and slide along grooves. I’m pleased with how it turned out.
One of the sliding doors are fit in the mid-century cabinet project, one more to go and then on to the feet.
September 17, 2025 at 11:22 AM
One of the sliding doors are fit in the mid-century cabinet project, one more to go and then on to the feet.
Years ago, a friend gave me an old wooden filing cabinet that was missing one of its side panels. Yesterday, I finally got around to converting it into a mobile tool caddy I can easily move around the shop.
September 15, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Years ago, a friend gave me an old wooden filing cabinet that was missing one of its side panels. Yesterday, I finally got around to converting it into a mobile tool caddy I can easily move around the shop.
I finished resawing the boards for one of the doors for the cabinet - I’m guessing this would take less than an hour or so with a bandsaw? It took me most of the day. I used a ryoba saw and had excellent results. My arm is spent.
September 10, 2025 at 9:10 PM
I finished resawing the boards for one of the doors for the cabinet - I’m guessing this would take less than an hour or so with a bandsaw? It took me most of the day. I used a ryoba saw and had excellent results. My arm is spent.
Finished all the dovetail work for the mid-century cabinet and leaving it dry fit until I take apart to cut the grooves for the front sliding doors.
September 8, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Finished all the dovetail work for the mid-century cabinet and leaving it dry fit until I take apart to cut the grooves for the front sliding doors.
Finally back to work in the shop. I decided to start with a warm-up project: a cherry tea tray with walnut dowels and wax cord wraps for the handles.
September 1, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Finally back to work in the shop. I decided to start with a warm-up project: a cherry tea tray with walnut dowels and wax cord wraps for the handles.
Three corners completed, one to go, then on to the cabinet doors. I’ve never cut so many dovetails at once in my life.
July 2, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Three corners completed, one to go, then on to the cabinet doors. I’ve never cut so many dovetails at once in my life.
Milkweed is about to bloom in the mountains.
June 29, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Milkweed is about to bloom in the mountains.
Sharpening some bits and want to share an interesting tool I picked up many years ago: a Millers-Falls “Buck Rogers” brace. A range of Buck Rogers tools were an interesting historical blip.
thevalleywoodworker.blogspot.com/2015/04/b…
thevalleywoodworker.blogspot.com/2015/04/b…
June 28, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Sharpening some bits and want to share an interesting tool I picked up many years ago: a Millers-Falls “Buck Rogers” brace. A range of Buck Rogers tools were an interesting historical blip.
thevalleywoodworker.blogspot.com/2015/04/b…
thevalleywoodworker.blogspot.com/2015/04/b…
Two corners done for my cabinet build, two to go. I did through dovetails for the base, the top will be half blind dovetails. Sketching out plans for feet and sliding doors now.
June 28, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Two corners done for my cabinet build, two to go. I did through dovetails for the base, the top will be half blind dovetails. Sketching out plans for feet and sliding doors now.
My solution for transferring pins to tails on a 50x25 inch panel. It’s not pretty, but it’ll do the job.
June 25, 2025 at 1:18 PM
My solution for transferring pins to tails on a 50x25 inch panel. It’s not pretty, but it’ll do the job.
Frederick, Maryland, this morning before it gets too hot to be outside.
June 24, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Frederick, Maryland, this morning before it gets too hot to be outside.
Making some wooden nails with scraps (with a dowel plate) while I wait for glue to dry on panels, which are just tiny dowels shaped to a point with a chisel. They work great for small box projects and are a good use of small hardwood scrap.
June 22, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Making some wooden nails with scraps (with a dowel plate) while I wait for glue to dry on panels, which are just tiny dowels shaped to a point with a chisel. They work great for small box projects and are a good use of small hardwood scrap.
Gluing up the bottom of my cabinet project with my random assortment of clamps. Project is going well so far. Going to attempt half blind dovetails across 25 inches.
June 20, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Gluing up the bottom of my cabinet project with my random assortment of clamps. Project is going well so far. Going to attempt half blind dovetails across 25 inches.
The hardest part of a workshop with no power tools: resawing. I’m not very good at holding my line, but getting better with time. Also, good exercise.
June 15, 2025 at 1:41 PM
The hardest part of a workshop with no power tools: resawing. I’m not very good at holding my line, but getting better with time. Also, good exercise.
Starting a new project: a cabinet with sliding doors in (more or less) mid-century style. Spent several hours with a bunch of cherry deciding what would be used where.
June 14, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Starting a new project: a cabinet with sliding doors in (more or less) mid-century style. Spent several hours with a bunch of cherry deciding what would be used where.