A few lockdown projects

First, let me say how incredibly thankful I am to all the healthcare professionals, front line emergency responders, and everyone else involved in the battle against the insidious Coronavirus and Covid-19. I am personally acquainted with several positive cases and have lost one friend already. So thank you. And thank you to everyone who is staying home and staying safe. That's the only way we win this thing long term, until we have a working vaccine.

Now, on to the woodworking content. Like many of you, I find myself with a bit more time in the shop lately, so I've been taking care of a few things and trying to use up some scrap wood. Here are a few projects I've been working on lately.

First, I replaced the ugly porch skirting on the front and side porches of my 1900-built farmhouse. It had been done with 2.75" diamond garden lattice by a previous owner and this was patently incorrect for the house. So I built my own lattice from 1 1/2" lath, giving proper small squares. This will be painted once I can safely go to the hardware store for "non-essential" materials. Also up is a rebuild / repaint on the side porch stairs / railing to match the front porch stairs / railing I built last year.

I also built an oak door bolt for my front shop door. No more eye hooks to keep the door closed from the inside!

I also used up a scrap piece of pine tongue and groove siding, a 6" length of copper pipe, and some scrap birch to make a set of pinch sticks. These handy things allow you to easily check how square an assembly is simply by checking the measurements diagonally between corners. If the corner measurements are the same the assembly is square; the sticks eliminate the need for remembering the measurements and removes the inherent inaccuracy of using measurements at all.

I also used up some scrap 1/2" poplar (and the last of my 1" headless brads from Tools for Working Wood) to make this 18th century New England style wall hanging box. It will be painted, color yet to be determined by my wife.

Anyhow, I'm thankful that I have my woodshop, a decent supply of lumber and scraps, and a little bit of time to make stuff. It is surely helping me to keep what little sanity I have.

I hope y'all are staying safe.

'till next,
Zach