Builds & fixes

Follow the builds and fixes as they happen — the fuller story behind each video, dead ends included.

BLD-17

Cutting a dovetail joint every day for a year

What happens when you hand-cut a dovetail joint every day for a year? From a failed first joint to a Japanese sunrise dovetail, and what 100 reps teach.

Build

BLD-16

DIY salt and pepper grinders from old doorknobs

Turn old doorknobs into handmade salt and pepper grinders on the lathe: a personal wedding gift, with a 3D-printed adapter for the grinder mechanism.

Build

BLD-15

DIY bedside table with a built-in plug socket

A quick DIY MDF bedside table with a built-in plug socket, a laser-cut tray and room for a pile of books, plus how to get clean painted MDF edges.

Build

BLD-14

Can you resurface brake discs on a wood lathe?

An experiment in resurfacing glazed brake discs (rotors) at home with a wood lathe and an angle grinder, instead of replacing them with the pads.

Repair

BLD-13

Fixing a cracked bowl with a bowtie inlay

Can a laser engraver cut a bowtie inlay to stop a crack in a turned bowl? What went wrong with the laser, and why the bowtie was cut by hand instead.

Build

BLD-12

How to fix a radiator falling off the wall

Radiator come off the wall? How to isolate and drain it, refit loose brackets with bigger wall plugs, rehang it, then refill and repressurise the system.

Repair

BLD-11

How to build a pizza oven from a propane tank

How to build a wood-fired pizza oven from an old gas bottle (propane tank) with just a drill and angle grinder: firebox, insulation, chimney and legs.

Build

BLD-10

Laser inlay chopping board with the xTool D1 Pro

Make a laser marquetry inlay with a diode laser: an oak end-grain chopping board with a eucalyptus kookaburra, cut and engraved on the xTool D1 Pro.

Build

BLD-09

DIY personalised laser engraved gift ideas

Personalised laser engraved gift ideas you can make cheaply: rolling pins, glasses, trays and chopping boards, using free fonts and low-cost SVG files.

Build

BLD-08

DIY rustic wedding cake stand from branches

Make a rustic tiered wedding cake stand from real tree branches and log slices with basic tools: balancing, levelling and hiding the fixings.

Build

BLD-07

Easy DIY floating shelves with hidden brackets

How to put up easy DIY floating shelves that don't wobble, using scrap wood and a heavy-duty hidden floating shelf bracket. No frames or fancy tools.

Build

BLD-06

How to build a large plywood toy box

Build a large plywood toy box with a thick laminated lid, a finger-safe gap, soft-close hinges and a lined interior. The quick job that took six months.

Build

BLD-05

DIY forward-facing bookshelves for kids

Make forward-facing bookshelves so children can see every cover and pick their own books: a quick, beginner-friendly plywood build with a clean finish.

Build

BLD-04

Upcycled kids' chair from old fence posts

Make a sturdy kids' chair from reclaimed wood: a spare bar stool seat and old fence posts, with tapered, splayed legs cut on the table saw.

Build

BLD-03

DIY Pull-Out Under Stairs Storage Drawers

How to unlock hidden storage places in your home by turning the space under your stairs into an effective storage area

Build

BLD-02

Arduino motion sensor that turns off the TV

Build an Arduino motion sensor that turns the TV off automatically when the room is empty, with a warning light and a sleep mode for film nights.

Build

BLD-01

Arduino keypad lock for a coffee machine

How to add an Arduino keypad lock to a coffee machine: a four-digit PIN, a relay on the start button and status LEDs, all hidden inside the case.

BuildRepair