It's big, you can see it clear down the road...that's what I was going for. Unfortunately, as the parents age we have to think about things like clearly marked house numbers for the ambulance. A lesson learned when my dad started having unexplained seizures last summer. He's better, but big numbers are a good thing. And this one is totally unique, not another one like it on the block.
This was a pretty easy project. After painting my wood, I used a High Speed Cutter
in my Dremel to carve the numbers. Then a few eye screws and a couple plant hooks were all I needed to hang the plaque. Of course I whipped up a video tutorial so be sure to check it out.
And that wraps up the Mailbox Makeover. Here's one more look at the finished project:
Even if you've never a stripped a screw yourself (haha), you're likely to come across one when you're upcycling some old piece of furniture, cabinet door or the like. And when that rubber band trick fails, I pull out my trusty little Dremel.
In a matter of moments I had this horrible little booger....
...reslotted and ready to remove. You'll need a heavy duty cutting wheel for your Dremel, but then it really is as easy as this:
Look at that beautiful cut! Well, at least as beautiful as a chewed up screw head can be.
So for the recap:
1. Don't forget your protective eye glass and gloves wouldn't hurt either as there will be sparks.
2. Insert the cutting wheel into your Dremel.
3. Turn your Dremel on high and slice either a deeper cut in the existing groove if it isn't too chewed up or make a new one.
So there it is...easy as, yep you guessed it, 1 2 3.
Have you seen those rocks that people carve with inspirational words and then display in clear vases? I think they're quite pretty. Turns out there's lots of uses for those carved rocks. You can use them in the garden:
and even turn them into jewelry:
You'll need just a few supplies for this project:
1. Your Dremel
2. A Silcone Carbide grinding stone, tougher rocks will need a diamond bit
3. Stones of your choice (though you may want to test a small area to make sure they'll yield enough of a contrast in color for your design)
4. Water for cooling your bit, safety glasses and a dust mask
You may want to consider a few optional supplies:
1. A Dremel Flex Shaft (this allows you to use a pencil like grip while carving)
2. Beeswax if you hope to wear your finished piece as jewelry
3. If you'd like to turn these rocks into jewelry you'll need to drill a hole. You can do this with your Dremel grinding stone or with your drill; a drill with a masonry bit works best.
Start by tracing your design out on the rock in pencil and insert your carving bit into your Dremel. If you're using a diamond bit you'll need to change the collet to a smaller one to accommodate the small shaft size of the bit.
Trace over your design with either your carbide carving stone or your diamond bit until you've achieved the desired depth. Be sure to wet the rock every 20-30 seconds or so to keep the bit cool.
Finally, if you decide to polish your rock run the polishing wheel through a hunk of beeswax and rub it back and forth on the rock. I wouldn't typically all polish for outdoor rocks but I definitely would for a piece of jewelry.
If you need to see this done, don't worry - it's all on YouTube.
As promised...my first Dremel DIY project. I'll show you how I made these spoon pendants and link nearly every step to a YouTube video if you need to see it done:
First a disclaimer: I am not an expert just an avid DIYer and upcycler. Please do your research before attempting this project on your own. And be safe!
So, here's what you'll need (and if you're a little lost in the tool isle, check out the "I Recommend" widget at the bottom of this post for up close pictures and product descriptions):
1. Dremel 200-1/21 Two-Speed Rotary Tool Kit or other Dremel model
2. Cutting Wheel for hardened metals
3. 2 Tungsten Carbide Cutters - One with a pointed tip (I'm using part #9910) and one larger round bit (I'm using part #9901). These range from $8-$9 a piece so if you'd like to save a bit of cash you can substitute the pointed tip cutter for a drill if you have a bit made for cutting metal.
4. Silicone Carbide Grinding Stone made for metal (I'm using part #84922). If you do not wish to add texture to your final piece and have a metal file on hand, you can forgo this part.
5. Sharpie
6. Old spoon
7. Clamp
8. Needle-Nose Pliers (I'll be using two pairs to make the bale)
9. Hammer
10. Anvil
11. Letter Stamping Kit
12. SAFETY GLASSES. No questions asked.
13. Highly recommended: work gloves, long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, apron. WHY? There will be itsy bitsy pieces of metal everywhere and they will inject themselves into your skin like slivers...only worse.
I like to start by flattening and hand stamping any lettering into my spoon. I find that the place I'm most likely to screw up is the hand stamping step, so I'd rather know that before I do all of the other work.
Place the bowl of the spoon upside down on your anvil and hammer the heck out of it. You might have to flip it over and hammer the front side a bit more (especially near the handle) to flatten it.
With your Sharpie, mark out the design on your spoon and drawn a couple of guide lines for your letters. I like to mark the center and start stamping from the center out, otherwise I can't get a little off track.
Then start stamping your letters into place. Since we'll be adding a texture, essentially grinding away layers of metal, I try to give it at least 10 good wacks of the hammer - PLEASE BE MINDFUL of your fingers. You can see this demonstrated in this video.
Now you can cut the handle from your spoon using a cutting wheel, be sure to leave a few inches for the bale. I highly recommend clamping the spoon to a workbench so that you can use two hands to steady your Dremel. Don't be scared: sparks will fly during this step, they are supposed to. But if too many are flying, checking your applied pressure. The tool should be doing the work, not you. *NOTE: in all of the steps that require the use of the Dremel I am using the speed setting "High". Please consult your owner's manual to see what the proper setting is for your model. Here's the video demo.
Time to start carving. If you have drill bits meant for metal, I do suggest creating your "pilot" hole with your drill. You'll have more control as you drill and it won't jump off course so much. So, pick a spot and drill. Or grab your pointed tungsten carbide cutter and start grinding the metal away with your Dremel until you have a hole big enough to fit the diameter of your round cutter. Using the side of your cutter, slowly eat away at the design that you drew in. It's important to remember not to apply to much pressure as you're shaving the metal or you could snap the cutter. You can see me do both of these steps here.
Almost there! Before you move onto the grinding step, fill in all of your hand stamped letters with a Sharpie. Your letters should NOT be silver as in the picture above. Okay, grab your grinding stone and slide it back and forth across all of the cuts of your design and the rough edge that remains from where you removed the handle. Do so until all of the edges are smooth. Then lay the stone flat on the surface of your piece and completely cover the surface, front and back, with texture. This will also remove the unwanted Sharpie markings on the spoon. Wanna see me demonstrate?
NOTE: I usually perform both of these tasks while holding the spoon in my hands, but a Dremel, a spoon and a camera all needing to be held at the same time doesn't work with only two hands. So, hold it if you choose, but be cautious not to grind your finger. I can't imagine that it feels good.
And finally, you'll need a bale to hang your pendant. This step only requires two needle nose pliers and is better left to video.
Yep, I think that does it....my longest post EVER. I think so anyways. I'm exhausted how about you? One last look:
That's right folks, we're about to kick things up a notch! I got a Dremel for Christmas and I'm proud to say that I now know how to use it. Okay, well, I still have a lot to learn but I'm having so much fun I just thought I needed to share it with all of you. And I will share a new project with you each week, or thereabouts.
Wait, what? You don't know what a Dremel is? Well, it is only the greatest thing since sliced bread! A Dremel is the brand name for a rotary tool, it's fabulous. It can drill and cut through metal, engrave all kinds of stuff and is gentle enough to add fine details to a wood carver's masterpiece and even file acrylic nails (yep, it's a rotary tool that grinds down your weekly "fill"). The Dremel gets the job done by RPMs (it spins wicked fast) and not force. For a gal with nasty Carpal Tunnel Syndrome it's a God-send to not have to add so much force to the drill or jig saw.
Have I convinced you to join me on this journey yet? Yeah? Okay, you'll need a Dremel 200-1/21 Two-Speed Rotary Tool Kit before we get started. There are several versions of the Dremel but the 200 series is the one I have and the one I'll be using for my tutorials. If you want something even more wicked, check out the higher numbered series. You'll also need safety glasses NO QUESTIONS asked. It doesn't matter how dorky you think you look, you NEED them. And you'll probably want some kind of protective gloves - the sparks will fly as will teeny tiny shards of metal!
While you gather your supplies, I'll leave you with a picture of the first project that I completed with my new Dremel. It cut the handle off the spoon, carved out the heart and added a fun overall texture to the spoon. The lettering was hand stamped, but you could engrave it with the Dremel if you've got the skill.
Junkr at <3
See you in a couple of days when I will show you how I made this necklace from a spoon!
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(this allows you to use a pencil like grip while carving)
