This Week’s Retro DIY Project – Pedal Driven Lathe

Whether you’re planning on going green in your workshop or prefer working with traditional hand tools, here’s some old plans for a pedal driven lathe.

 

Click the symbol below to
download the plans
in pdf format

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This Week’s Retro DIY Projects – Advanced Projects In Woodwork From 1912 in PDF

From the books preface: ADVANCED PROJECTS IN WOODWORK is a collection of projects designed to meet the needs of classes in high school woodworking. These projects presuppose familiarity with woodworking processes, tools, and the two simple joints required in the making of projects contained in the author’s Projects in Beginning in Woodwork and Mechanical Drawing.

The drawings are complete only as to their general dimensions. The working out of details, such as the sizes of mortises and tendons and their locations, is left for the pupil in his work in drawing and design. 

It is expected that the projects will afford suitable basic material for classes in woodworking design. It remains for the instructor to point out the manner in which this material may be used. For illustration, many beginning students are slow in appreciation of possible modifications in structure or decoration. Circular tops may be used instead of square or octagonal, and vice versa. Modification of the manner of filling side spaces with slats offers variety in initiative. Vertical posts may be made tapering and vice versa. Rails and stretchers may be variously employed. There is almost always a choice in the matter of joints,-keyed or thru or blind tendon. Fig. I is suggestive as to possible modifications of a type.

The image above is a picture of a new print of the book, the one you can download here is a pdf of the original.

All furniture and other projects in this book are in what is known as Mission Style – Ted

Click the PDF symbol to download the book -–>

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project – The Sloyd System Of Wood Work

From the book’s intro: The object of this book is to give an account of the theory and practical application of the "Nääs System" of manual training. Although the principles upon which this system has been founded are very fully explained in the two educational monographs of the New York College for the Training of Teachers, entitled "The Sloyd in the Service of the School," by Otto Salamon, and "Manual Training in Elementary Schools for Boys," by A. Sluys, a full exposition of the subject as taught in the Nääs Sloyd Seminarium, and as incorporated in the Swedish public schools, has not as yet appeared.

Just for the record sloyd, or slöyd as it is correctly spelled, is not a system but the Swedish word for things made by hand. For instance “hemslöyd” which covers anything made by hand at home, woodwork, weaving, knitting, sewing, you name it.

But apart from that the book is full of plans for classic woodwork projects – Ted

You can download the book in pdf format here –>

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project – Kansas 4H Woodworking Plans

Not one plan for you to day my DIY friends, but 21. A whole book actually. Kansas 4H Woodworking Plans published  by Kansas State University’s Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service.

21 plans of various degree of difficulty for handy children and youth out there in the sticks.

The book in pdf format –>

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project–Country Style Plate Rack

Plans in pdf –>

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project – Table Hockey Game

Who hasn’t played table hockey at one time or another? It’s great fun, and you may have noticed how simple the “rink” really is. So why go out and buy a ready-made when you can make one yourself! With its small number of parts and simple joints, this is a great project for those with beginner level skills. You’ll gain experience in making dados and rabbets with a table saw, laying out and making parts from a template and doing multicolour staining prior to assembly and finishing. So go ahead and build, shoot and score!

Plans and description in puff HERE

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project – A Croquet Set

Summer is here, at least on my side of the blue planet so it’s time to don the Bermuda shorts and head for the croquet field. And what better to play with than a set you’ve made yourself – Plans in pdf format HERE

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project – Shaker Workbench

Country-style furniture has been the most popular furniture in this country for decades. It is easy to understand why. Besides its look being visually pleasing and compatible with just about any home setting, it is also very functional. This handsome piece, which is inspired by the past, proves the point. Though the original served as a light-duty workbench in a Shaker community, its good looks makes this piece a welcome addition in just about any room. In a dining room, it will serve handily when entertaining and, if used in the living room, it is a conversation piece. Or you may prefer to simply use it in your workroom for light-duty tasks such as crafts and painting.

Plans and work descriptions here –>

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project – Oak Plate Rack

These plans for a Mission-style oak rack was published in Volume 14, Issue 4 of The Woodworker’s Journal July/Aug. 1990 and it is the perfect place to display those prized plates and cups or collectibles. A 10′ length of 3/4" thick by 6-1/4" wide stock will provide all the wood parts.

Description and plans in pdf format HERE

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project–A Classic Lap Desk

Plans and description in pdf format HERE

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The Strømmen Car

This two-seater is partly a mystery car. It is known that it was built in 1949 in Strømmen, a place in Skedsmo, Akershus, some 8 km from Oslo in Norway. The car weighed 200 kg and its top speed was 50 kmh. No ifo is available about the engine.

For the time being let’s call it the “Strømmenbil”. Looking at the picture an educated guess tells that builder has used a lot of plywood. No doors. It looks like a three-wheeler, but most probably had 2 rear wheels very close together, like the Isetta. Rear wheel driving (no differential) and front wheel steering? Who knows more? The registration number looks genuine, so the builder obviously got it approved for general traffic.

This picture is part of the collection of the Norsk Folkenmuseum and colorized.

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project – Early American Step Table

This attractive Early American Step Table is an excellent project for those woodworkers who have a problem obtaining odd-sized stock. The entire piece is made from 3/4" thick pine, except for the 1/4" thick plywood drawer bottom.

Plans and description HERE

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This Week’s Retro DIY project – A Small Colonial Bench

A sturdy bench was a commodity much valued in the American colonies. It provided a welcome place to rest weary legs after a long day of hard work. Most early homes enjoyed several benches.

Back then, country cabinetmakers found benches quick and easy to make, which
probably explains a good deal of their popularity. Well, not much has changed in
the last 250 years or so. Today, a bench like this can still be made with a minimum of time and effort. And while it may not be as comfortable as your favourite reading chair, it offers optional service as a plant stand or portable table.

Plans and descriptions in pdf format HERE

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This Week’s Retro DIY project – Indoor Football Game

A project from Popular Mechanics – February 1941

The picture on these plans show without a vestige of a doubt that this game when finished is marvellously fun to play. And as most hobby project it only takes twice as long as it does, as my father used to say – Ted

Plans and description HERE

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project – 16th Century X-Chair

Plans and description in jpg and pdf format HERE

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project – Skagway Scow

So-called "skagway scowls" are fun provoking snow coaster made with runners. The illustrated to the left is of especially simple construction. The bottom may be a hard-pressed composition board 1/8” thick are a piece of galvanized iron. The two hardwood side levers enable the scow to be steered or breaked to a standstill.

Plans Published in Popular Science in February 1940

Plans HERE

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This Week’s Retro DIY Project – Old Shelf From Vågå In Norway

Another one of my own woodworking plans and as the two previous ones it is only in pdf format. You’ll find the plans HERE

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This Week’s Retro DIY project – Vintage Norwegian Garden Bench

One of my own woodwork plans based on an old bench found on the Folk Museum at Bygbø in Oslo – My plans are only in pdf* format and you’ll find this one HERE

*This is because I’ve found that it is much nicer to check plans on a flat screen mounted on the wall in my workshop than on a lot of loose drawings. By the way, the e-mail address on the drawings are no longer in use – Ted

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This Week’s Retro DIY project – Toys From Scrap Wood

A woodwork project published in “Popular Mechanics” in January 1932

With some pieces of soft wood like pine, a collection of spools, a few sharp tools and a little ingenuity, you can make an endless variety of toys; in fact, create a whole toy world that will provide you with considerable enjoyment. The accompanying drawings give plans which are self-explanatory, but you can go ahead on your own hook and design any number of toys of your own.

Plans and descriptions in jpg and pdf format HERE

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Retro DIY Project – A Dressing Table And Bench

A DIY project published in Popular Science in January 1941

Only in the more expensive furniture stores could you find the equal of this distinctive modern dressing table and bench. It’s appeal is based upon a well-proportioned and simple exterior and careful selection of wood for grain and colour. A light wood such are birch, maple or blond walnut is suitable.

Plans and description in jpg and pdf format HERE

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