Jays Custom Creations

Day four of the outdoor kitchen island build starts with the door and drawer front assembly. I'm using 1/2” plywood for the panels and will need to cut a rabbet on each panel before assembly. But first, a quick note on these JessEm roller guides. I love them but haven't been using them lately due to laziness. Sometimes I get...

Video notes: - Check out Leather by Dragonfly - Thanks for entering the giveaway last month. Much appreciated. - My daughter turns 4 next week. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!!!!?!!!

Breaking a router or CNC bit is frustrating. I know it is because I've broken dozens of them. Here are three suggestions for reducing the likelihood of breaking a router bit. First Suggestion Accidents happen to us all but try to reduce mistakes. There's a process involved with changing any router bit. Add a quick checklist to your routine to...

Occasionally I like to share a few things I find interesting. Mostly video content with an occasional website article. All of the content you will find in these posts is free to you. Remember that liking, subscribing, or sharing free content goes a long way in helping produce more free content. If you like that creator's work, share it!...

Links: BitsBits tongue and groove bit (use code JAYBATES for 10% off) https://bitsbits.com/product/whiteside-3373-tongue-groove-router-bit/ Drawer slides https://amzn.to/3bRGODt Coping sled https://amzn.to/3wxk96F Day three of the outdoor kitchen island starts with the drawers. Basic drawer construction here. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I made a video on how I prefer to make drawers. Even after all this time,...

This article and video are supported by ProPride Hitch company. After a few crazy trailer sway moments and a failed bolt with our first weight distribution and friction-based sway management hitch on our first few trips, I looked into sway elimination options. The best way to combat trailer sway is to eliminate it, not manage it. This led me...

Occasionally I like to share a few things I find interesting. Mostly video content with an occasional website article. All of the content you will find in these posts is free to you. Remember that liking, subscribing, or sharing free content goes a long way in helping produce more free content. If you like that creator's work, share it!...

Occasionally I like to share a few things I find interesting. Mostly video content with an occasional website article. All of the content you will find in these posts is free to you. Remember that liking, subscribing, or sharing free content goes a long way in helping produce more free content. If you like that creator's work, share it!...

Time to cut up some horrible plywood. Four sheets of 3/4” are needed for the build. Before we begin, I do want to make a few recommendations. The first is this Gator Lift plywood carry handle. Thumbs up. The second recommendation is about this Revolution Ply from Lowes. I do NOT recommend you purchase this stuff unless you really...

Anyone with an audience online gets sooooo many offers for products in exchange for exposure. I normally say no but not this time. This is one of those arrangements. My nearest woodworking friend is in the market for a planer and a company wanted to send me a planer for review. I agreed to do a “first impressions” article...

In this video/article I'll first give 5 tips that I wish someone gave me before starting the installation, I'll cover my installation process, and I'll conclude with a timeline of my BlueOx TrackPro experience, why I pursued an upgrade to the ProPride 3P Hensley system, and a comparison between the two. 5 Tips For Installing The ProPride 3P Once the...

Here we go with another fun CNC experiment. Can my 10' long CNC flatten a 12' long epoxy table? I do think it can, so let's begin. My go-to bit for large surface flattening is this 2-1/2” Astra coated replaceable insert bit from Bits&Bits (non affiliate link, use code JAYBATES for 10% off). Each carbide insert has 4 cutting edges,...

This is a 3d model of the outdoor kitchen island I'm starting to build. The top will be a butcher block top. The cabinet will be paint-grade poplar and plywood. In this video, I'll cover Day 1 in the shop by working on the face frames and getting started with the legs. The project starts with a pile...

In this video: - TSM-12 Pocket Hole Machine https://castleusa.com/products/tsm-12-benchtop-pocket-cutter-machine.html - Casters (affiliate link) https://amzn.to/3LdrhcP - .zip file containing the SketchUp file and my VCarve file. Click here

Adding a reverse osmosis water filtration system is a quick and easy upgrade that anyone can complete. It's not complicated, and just about all of the kits include all of the hardware to make it a plug-and-play upgrade. We live in a community with supplied water that smells and tastes like community pool water. Instead of drinking it, we have...

Video notes: - Sign project was fun. The final image of it in place was nice to see. - Next is an organizing project for better drinking water. - Kitchen island bar soon after. - I Spy panels for the half wall in the outdoor kitchen and entertaining space. - Farm table with a bench and stools for the outdoor kitchen and entertaining space. -...

A quick and easy build for my local high school. The cost of renting a lit up prom sign was $900! That's crazy! Instead of renting, I made a set of letters they can keep for less than $200 in material cost. I donated my labor cost to help out. Each letter is made from 3/4" melamine and lit with...

Late last fall we started on our outdoor kitchen space in our back yard. I contracted out the concrete and structure work with the plan of building a half wall, island bar area, all the electrical and plumbing, a farm table, and any other building tasks my wife adds to the list. In this video and article, I'm going...

In this video, my friend Duffy and I restore and preserve a limber chest from the 1800s. If you're interested in more videos like this one I have a whole category of videos like this that you can check out. We have a video on a Howitzer chest, daytime and nighttime firing of a sweetgum mortar, a rolling forge,...

Recently in my shop, I showed my good friend Bill how to build a simple shaker style dining table. In this video and article, I'll walk you through the process. Before we begin let me show you the design. Also, if you're interested in these dimensions click here to open a free PDF that you can download and print. The...

This is a pecan slab I got from a friend of mine Ted Alexander, in Oklahoma in 2017, and in this article and video, I'm going to show you how I turned it into a beautiful table with a somewhat hidden drawer. The first step was to examine the slab and determine a game plan. Apart from the obvious voids...

When gluing a panel together most people use a row of clamps as the platform to place the wood on top of. This works but it can be MUCH better. The problem is that if after the glue is applied and the pieces are ready to be clamped any repositioning of the clamps will cause the panel to shift....

This walnut clock was made as a Christmas present for a friend. If you have a CNC machine this could be a profitable product to sell. Not much time or material investment and the process is batch operation friendly. Depending on labor and material costs, you could price out purchasing pre-made panels to increase profit margin.

I've been staying busy in my shop assisting Santa's elves with the holiday gift push. One of those items is a "BrOOM stick" safe organizer. I'm just introducing it in this video to gauge interest to see if this could be a physical product or maybe a set of plans with 1:1 printable diagrams for some pieces.

Occasionally I like to share a few things I find interesting. Mostly video content with an occasional website article. All of the content you will find in these posts is free to you. Remember that liking, subscribing, or sharing free content goes a long way in helping produce more free content. If you like that creator's work, share it!...

There were a lot of comments saying that wood movement is blown out of proportion and you shouldn't worry about it. That's just as loaded of a statement as saying that wood will break if you capture a solid wood panel and don't allow for seasonal expansion and contraction. I'm convinced the reason for the poplar bottom panel to...

You're not supposed to capture solid wood and prevent it from expanding and contracting. If that's the case, which it is, what is going on here??

Occasionally I like to share a few things I find interesting. Mostly video content with an occasional website article. All of the content you will find in these posts is free to you. Remember that liking, subscribing, or sharing free content goes a long way in helping produce more free content. If you like that creator's work, share it!...

Just a quick follow-up on the osage orange bench. Osage orange is like padauk in that the dust is fine and gets everywhere. The bench turned out great and was definitely a conversation piece that weekend. I've got a lot of outdoor kitchen area stuff still to design so plenty more for that space.

In the summer of 2017, I went to an outdoor woodworking event in Skiatook Oklahoma. While there I received an osage orange slab from my friend Ted Alexander. Since then it's been pushed around and kept out of the way in two different shops and a materials storage shed. I think it's about time I do something with it. The...

My machine is an AvidCNC 4'x10'. It's not a standard size but AvidCNC's are like legos so you can build what you want, basically. In this video, I'm upgrading my spindle to the 8.7HP plug and play spindle. I won't be getting the full 8.7HP though. That rating comes from running it with a 3 phase power source. I'm...

Occasionally I like to share a few things I find interesting. Mostly video content with an occasional website article. All of the content you will find in these posts is free to you. Remember that liking, subscribing, or sharing free content goes a long way in helping produce more free content. If you like that creator's work, share it!...

Use the code JAYBATES to save 10% on your purchase from Bits & Bits. My personal favorite bits: - 1/8" roundover https://bitsbits.com/product/2005c/ - 7/8" compression flush trim https://bitsbits.com/product/udc9112-ultimate/ - 1/4" compression flush trim https://bitsbits.com/product/cm250ft-flush-trim/ - 1/4" down cut spiral https://bitsbits.com/product/425-dnc250-down-cut/ - 1/4" short compression end mill https://bitsbits.com/product/425-cm250-sf/ - 1/2" spiral up cut https://bitsbits.com/product/540-srf500-up-cut/ - 90 degree V bit https://bitsbits.com/product/whiteside-1508/ link to precision collets: https://www.precisebits.com/gateways/ColletsNutsHome.htm

Occasionally I like to share a few things I find interesting. Mostly video content with an occasional website article. All of the content you will find in these posts is free to you. Remember that liking, subscribing, or sharing free content goes a long way in helping produce more free content. If you like that creator's work, share it!...

Two years ago, in 2019, I made a video on my interpretation of an old chair design; the nesting chair. Since then I've made dozens of those chairs for other people. Up until now, I haven't made any for myself or my family. In this video, I try to do our amazing firepit justice by making a set of...

This was an unplanned video. I am working with Breeo for advertising on my main channel and wasn't asked or required to make this video or say anything about the product. However, I unexpectedly had a daddy-daughter day on one of my planned workdays so I figured I'd be productive and still make a video.

Use the code JAYBATES to save 10% on your purchase from Bits & Bits: https://bitsbits.com/product/sb25-2-kit/ This 1/2″ shank bit clears the surface of your Spoilboard, creating a base surface that is perpendicular to the router motor. This tool measures 2-1/2″ wide and comes with 2 carbide inserts installed plus an additional pack of 10 carbide inserts for a total of...

Occasionally I like to share a few things I find interesting. Mostly video content with an occasional website article. All of the content you will find in these posts is free to you. Remember that liking, subscribing, or sharing free content goes a long way in helping produce more free content. If you like that creator's work, share it!...

I know the exercise/health stuff isn't for everyone but I've been pleasantly surprised at how many people have shown interest in this stuff. Part 3 of my home gym. I scored on a local Facebook Marketplace purchase and flipped half of it to profit on the entire deal. Also, I completed the 12-week StrongLifts program. And a new program...

A random day in the shop. Bouncing between projects like a lost squirrel.

In January of 2021 I built a DIY elevator for my shop. It gives me convenient access to the 16' x 20' loft in my shop. Storing large items like seasonal decorations and such is no longer an issue. Recently, Doug Plank reached out to share some information on his homemade elevator setup. Just as with my DIY elevator,...

Occasionally I like to share a few things I find interesting. Mostly video content with an occasional website article. All of the content you will find in these posts is free to you. Remember that liking, subscribing, or sharing free content goes a long way in helping produce more free content. If you like that creator's work, share it!...

Previously, I made a MATCHFIT Work Horse. It combines the workholding capability of a workbench with the portability and form factor of a saw horse. In this video and article, I'll show you how I made another Work Horse but this time focused on traditional workholding options. Before I begin, here are a few helpful links pertaining to the...

In this video I walk you through my entire process of identifying a problem and designing a solution, engineering that solution into an item, and creating that item. In this case it is a sandpaper belt storage rack. The project itself isn't the focus of this video. My overall process of creating is the focus. I hope this helps...

I Get Email. A lot of email. Sometimes I think it would be more beneficial to respond to my entire audience instead of directly to that email. I was recently asked about my camera setup. Here it is: Sony a6500 https://amzn.to/2XUzD6a Sony 18-105 lens https://amzn.to/3zrXN5S Smallrig cage https://amzn.to/3ksHGip Dummy battery plate for NPF970 batteries https://amzn.to/3gFqNjd NPF970 batteries https://amzn.to/2Wo79BH Shure Lenshopper https://amzn.to/2URXan9 Rode Wireless Go lav microphone...

Do you know what time it is? No, it's not Tool Time. It's time to make a clock! Pun intended. We've lived in our current home for over two years now. On day one I said, “I'm going to make a giant clock to go high on that wall.” And like the saying goes, when a man says he's...

Related history content: - Sweetgum Mortar video 1 - Sweetgum Mortar video 2 - Rolling Forge - Howitzer Ammunition Chest My friend Duffy started a history museum and every now and then I get the opportunity to contribute with some kind of woodworking task. In this case, Duffy acquired an original 24pdr Howitzer cannon made in 1847. Of the original 69 produced in the...

I recently took down the privacy fence around our property and in this article/video I'll share a few lessons learned. 45 total posts for approximately 350 feet of fence. About sixteen hours of labor spread into 3 days while trying to avoid the hottest part of the day. Our house was built in 2007 so the fence has a maximum...