🌵 azWoodman.com 🌵

Arizona Specialty Woodcrafts


🛠 DIY How-To's & Tutorials

These tutorials and how-tos will help you learn tips and tricks of the woodworking trade, like creating spline miter joints, box joints, building a fence, garden arbor or dog house, how to install a dog door or replace a toilet. Lots of great information.
   DIY

How to Build a Basic Fence

⦿ How to Build a Basic Fence

It's fun to build a fence. You're out in the fresh air, the project goes quickly, and it gives you a chance to gab with your neighbors. Our basic design sets the boards inside the posts, so both sides look equally good.

Read More
Building a Basic Workbench Step by Step

⦿ Build a Basic Workbench

A good workbench is literally the foundation of good work. What makes a good workbench? First, it should be strong and sturdy. The top should be thick enough to withstand pounding and heavy objects. It should be level and flat.

Read More

Creating Splined-Miter Joints

⦿ Creating Splined-Miter Joints

A slight tilt of a saw blade gives your corner splines a whole new look. It doesn't take much work to put a new spin on traditional splined miter joints. Just install the splines at an angle and you get eye-catching results.

Read More
How to Install a Pet Door

⦿ How to Install a Pet Door

Made of plastic or aluminum, pet doors have a waterproof flap and a lockable panel to keep out unwanted visitors. So installing a pet door in an exterior door will give both you and your pet newfound independence.

Read More

Designing and Building a Garden Arbor

⦿ Design & Build a Garden Arbor

Few projects are as easy to build or as beautiful to look at as an arbor. Don't overbuild your arbor - whatever you plant to climb the arbor will support itself to a large degree.

Read More
Knockdown Bookcase

⦿ How to Build a Knockdown Bookcase

A bookcase is an essential item of furniture, and one that virtually anyone with a little know-how can build. Since they're expensive to buy and awkward to move, here's an economical knockdown version you can build.

Read More

how to build a dog house

⦿ Building a Dog House ... Step by Step

It's tempting to make a really roomy doghouse, but your dog won't appreciate it. During cold months, your dog's body heat keeps him or her warm. If the house is too big, the dog can't generate enough heat to warm it.

Read More
How To: Evenly Stain Wood

⦿ How To: Evenly Stain Wood

Even using the same stains and woods doesn't necessarily mean the patterns or even colors will match across different pieces. Build a project from a single board and the finished piece will be visually consistent.

Read More

Treen Turning Tutorial

⦿ Treen Turning Tutorial

Treen is a term used to describe any of a number of small, utilitarian items made from wood. Treen, literally means "from a tree" and can cover anything from carved kitchen ware such as spoons and porringers, to turned boxes bowls.

Read More
How to Strip Paint Off Wood

⦿ How to Strip Paint Off Wood

Stripping an old finish from furniture or trim is almost like finding buried treasure. A good stripping job can transform a yard-sale bargain or restore an antique to its original glory. There are two ways to strip wood.

Read More

how to build a toy box

⦿ Building a Toy Box ... Step by Step

You'll make most of the box from 1 x 8 and 1 x 10 boards of pine, fir or other dressed softwood, and its bottom from 3/4" plywood or particleboard. Check that the boards you buy are reasonably flat and free of large, loose knots.

Read More
Making Box Joints - Building the Box Joint Jig

⦿ Making Box Joints / Build the Jig

For reasons of design and proportion, you typically make the individual "fingers" in box joints as wide as the thickness of the workpieces. In this article, we'll make a jig for cutting 1/4" wide fingers in 1/4"-thick stock.

Read More

How To Replace a Toilet

⦿ How To Replace a Toilet

A plumbing contractor will charge about $350 to remove an old toilet and replace it with a new one; you can buy a new toilet and materials for about $180. An experienced homeowner can replace a toilet.

Read More
DIY