Carole has also authored several scroll saw project articles for Woodworker’s Journal in the past few years, including a Segmented Wavy Curved Bowl, a Gift Box and a spherical Ornament.

What else has she been up to in the past decade? Well, for one thing, she published a second book, Creative Wooden Boxes from the Scroll Saw, with Fox Chapel Publishing, which incorporates her background In cake decorating into a chapter titled “Fun with Food,” featuring boxes that look like cupcakes, apple pies and other baked goods.

A revised and updated edition of her first book, Wooden Bowls from the Scroll Saw, will be released later this spring, containing plans for nine new bowls, as well as information on new tools and techniques.

Carole’s also a regular blogger at http://scrollsawbowls.blogspot.com/ and YouTuber at https://www.youtube.com/user/scrollergirl — as well as making occasional video contributions to Woodworker’s Journal.

Curious where it all started? You can read the original Today’s Woodworker feature profile here: https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/carole-rothman-bowls-scroll-saw/

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The Hydroshot is not a conventional pressure washer, and it offers more portability and flexibility of use. For one, using it does not require fuel or an extension cord or power outlet. It also can draw water from a garden hose or through its 20 ft. included hose that can be inserted into a bucket or any other fresh water source — even lakes, rivers and pools. An adjustable float on the accessory hose acts like a bobber to keep the intake from becoming fouled by sandy or muddy bottoms.

Its pump-driven, dual-system control nozzle features two operating settings: watering (Low; 290 psi) and power cleaning (High; 450 psi). The four-pattern spray nozzle rotates to adjust from 0- to 15-degree, 25-degree, and 40-degree settings. The 6.9 lb. tool uses less than one gallon of water per minute during operation and also accepts aftermarket pressure washer nozzles.

Hydroshot is powered by two 20V MAX Power Share 2.0 Ah lithium-ion batteries. Run time varies, based on the selected operating mode and speed. The batteries are compatible with other WORX 20-volt DIY and lawn and garden tools.

The WORX 40V Hydroshot (model WG644; $199.99) includes a long pressure cleaning lance; two 20V MAX Power Share 2.0 Ah batteries; 60 minute dual-port charger (one hour per battery); 20-ft. hose accessory and carrying bag. Or you can purchase the tool and accessories but without the batteries or charger as model WG644.9 for $119.99. Either way, WORX backs your purchase with a three-year limited warranty.

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Grizzly PRO 20V Jigsaw

Other tool options in the PRO series are a brushless hammer drill, brushless impact driver and brushless impact wrench as well as a circular saw, reciprocating saw, oscillating multi-tool and angle grinder. All of these tools can be powered by either the 2.0Ah battery (item T30304; $34.95) or a 4.0Ah battery (item T30305; $57.95) for longer runtime.

Learn more about the PRO 20V tool series by clicking here.

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Tim Inman: Build yourself a miter sled. There are lots of plans out there for you to use as guides. Essentially, a miter sled is a board that is built to fit your saw table top. Two hardwood slides are fitted onto the bottom that ride in the miter grooves cut into the saw table. Then, two angle fences are mounted to the top of the sled board. They can be set exactly at the correct angles for your corner needs. On mine, I try having each side set at exactly 45 degrees to the blade. But for sure, I have a true exact 90 degrees between them. I usually run both sides of the miter joint a second pass and cut them together at the same time to give me a perfect joint. With a sled, you just hang it up when you’re finished using it, and the angles and setup are there for you again next time you want to cut perfect corners. Wax the slides, and the sled will slip like it’s riding on butter across your table.

Here is a setup tip that might help you: Let geometry and a straightedge be your friends. Two 45’s add up to one 90, and so it might make sense to use a square to measure that angle. I think a better way, and the way I use myself, is to make two test 45’s on a board. Then, instead of joining them into a 90 to test, I flip one of the boards over and line the two up against a straightedge. You should have a perfectly straight edge, and the joints on the miters should fit perfectly, too. If the joints are open either on the toe or the heel, then you know you need to do a little fine-tuning. Test your sled’s 90-degree alignment to the blade by cutting a 90 on a board with your sled. Then, using a straightedge, flip one of the boards over and line it up. The edges should be exactly straight, and the two joints should fit perfectly. If the joint is open on the front or back, then you have some fine-tuning to do. This is much easier and much more accurate than using angle-measuring tools, which carry with them their own errors.

Rob Johnstone: Perfect miter joints are just plain hard to do. They are so simple in concept and so finicky in practice. Part of the problem has to do with basic math. Any tiny fraction of a degree you might be off on your setup will be multiplied by eight … for every cut in the mitering process. Even so, this is not an impossible task. Here is how I approach it.

Rather than using a miter gauge on my saw, I use a crosscut sled (one example is shown in the top photo, but there are numerous designs). On my sled, I have inscribed a line where my saw truly cuts at exactly 45 degrees. I determined this by using MDF test pieces cut into strips where the long edges were perfectly parallel to each other. Using those blanks, I made a bunch of test cuts, adjusting the angle until I had a true 45-degree cut. With that marked, I know that I’ll be super close with my setup. But even with that done, pieces of solid wood in, say, a picture frame, can still distort out of straightness. To accommodate that possibility, here is how I proceed: When I am making my mitered frame, I miter the first three pieces and lay them on a flat surface. Next, I cut the last piece slightly overlong. After cutting the first angle on that piece, I trim the last miter to fit perfectly by “sneaking up” on it. I hope this is helpful.

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– Rob Maguire
Cheltenham, UK

See the Gallery Below:

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“To answer your question, yes I have built a project without using power tools. Attached are pix of it. It’s an old abandoned country church. It’s made from weathered (laid outside on the ground for over a year) redwood strips. It was a lot of fun, and a nice change from the power tools.” – Bill White

“I haven’t built a project without electricity since my seventh grade woodshop class. But I have to say that, after a day at the office, spending some time in the shop is as relaxing and satisfying as few other things. The idea of doing so without power tools is intriguing. I might try it on an upcoming project.” – Sam Morris

“Go for it! It’s rewarding… but a table saw sure makes ripping a lot easier.” – Bob Janousek

“Like they say, ‘If ya got’ em, use ’em. And good luck; it should be great.” – Gary Knable

“I vote for hand tools. You mentioned you don’t have a hard deadline. If you have the time and other things don’t get put on the back burner, then go for it. For me, it’s a relaxing feeling to make things with hand tools. There is nothing quite like the sound of a sharp tool slicing through the grain; it’s just such a sweet sound.
I wish I had more time for it, but time is money. Whatever you end up doing, just have fun doing it, and I’m sure you will share the end product. Thanks for doing what you do; I always look forward to your newsletters.” – Tim Hoyt

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The cooler cart features an insulated cooler box that is lined with aluminum, so it can get wet and is easy to clean. The interior of the cooler is sealed, so that it will not leak. It also has a drain that makes it easy to empty when the ice has melted. Click here to download the complete project plans, including a material list and how to photos.

VIDEO: Check out new Gorilla Glue Products and see how this cooler cart was built.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PLANS.

How to Build this Backyard Cooler Cart

Make the Legs and Side Panels

1. Cut the eight long and short leg pieces to length. See Material List on next page.

2. Apply a bead of glue to one long edge of each end leg, and then clamp each leg to a mating front or back leg. Drive 1-1/2″ finish nails through the front or back legs to secure the joint.

3. Cut the front, back and end panel boards to length. Apply a bead of glue to each edge and clamp the boards that make each panel (photo 1).

4. Position the tops of the panels flush with the top of the legs and attach the panels to the legs with 1-1/4″ exterior-rated screws. Predrill 1/8″ pilot holes to prevent splitting the boards near the edges or ends. We chose to use finish washers to add a decorative element, but you could also countersink each screw (photo 2).

5. Cut the bottom supports to length and attach them5. Cut the bottom supports to length and attach them to the bottom of the panels with 2″ screws.

6. Cut the axle support blocks to length and attach them to the inside face of the front and back short legs. These blocks are flush with the bottoms of the legs.

7. Bore a 5/8″-dia. hole through the front and back legs and axle support blocks. The center of these holes is located 1-1/2″ up from the bottom of the leg.

8. Cut the axle to length with a hack saw.

9. Insert the axle through the axle holes. Place one flat washer over each end of the axle. Place the one wheel on each end of the axle. Then secure each wheel with a 1/2″ push nut. Use a hammer to pat the push nut on the axle.

Insulate the Cooler Box

Note: The foam insulation and sheet aluminum measurements that are listed on the Material List are based on using 7/8″-thick cedar boards. If the thickness of the lumber you are using is different, then you must measure and cut the insulation and aluminum pieces to fit your cooler box dimensions.

1. Cut the rigid foam insulation pieces to size with a retractable blade knife and straightedge.

2. Cut the sheet aluminum using a circular saw. The safest and easiest way to make these cuts is to sandwich the aluminum sheets between two pieces of plywood. Use a standard universal-use circular saw blade to make the cuts (photo 3).

3. Evenly space the bottom slats on the bottom sup-ports. Secure each slat with a couple of 1-1/4″ screws.

4. Place the bottom piece of insulation on top of the slats. Then apply construction adhesive to the back of the bottom aluminum sheet. This piece of aluminum is not cut to cover the entire piece of insulation because the front, back and end insulation will cover its edges. Center the bottom aluminum sheet on top of the bottom insulation and press to ensure complete contact (photo 4).

5. Install the front and back insulation against the front and back panels. Similar to the bottom aluminum sheet, the front and back sheets of aluminum were not cut to cover the entire piece of insulation because the edges will be covered by the end insulation pieces. Apply construction adhesive to the back of the aluminum sheets; center them over the insulation and press into place.the edges will be covered by the end insulation pieces. Apply construction adhesive to the back of the aluminum sheets; center them over the insulation and press into place.

6. Install the end insulation pieces and attach the end aluminum sheets. These two pieces must be cut to fit exactly between the front and back of the cooler box.

7. The drain spout is made from three common plumb-ing fittings; a 1/2″ galvanized coupling, a 1/2″-dia. x 3-1/2″-long galvanized threaded nipple, and a1/2″ sillcock valve. You must bore a 7/8″-dia. hole through the side of the cooler box to install this drain spout. Drill a small (1/8- to 1/4″ diameter) starter hole through the aluminum sheet on the wheel end of the cooler box. Locate this hole approximately 3/4″ up from the bottom of the cooler box. Next, drill a 7/8″ hole through the aluminum sheet, foam insulation and end panel. Drill carefully through the aluminum to minimize tearing the sheet. Wrap both ends of the threaded nipple with Teflon plumber’s tape. Thread the coupling on one end of the nipple. Then slide the nipple through the hole in the cooler box. On the outside of the box, thread the valve onto the other end of the nipple (photo 5).

8. Seal the interior of the cooler by applying a heavy bead of clear silicone sealant over all interior corner seams and around the drain coupling (photo 6).

Make the Top Cap and Handle

1. Cut the top cap parts to length. The top cap should overlap the inside edge of the cooler box by 1/4″ on all sides.

2. Attach the top caps to the front, back and end panels with 2″ screws. Be careful to center the screws on the edges of the front, back and end panels.

3. Cut the handles to length.

4. Bore 7/8″-dia. x 3/8″-deep holes in the handle sup-ports that will capture the handle. Use a 7/8″ Forstner bit to bore these holes.

5. Soften the sharp corners of the handle supports by mitering the corners of the handle end of the handle supports.

6. Fit the ends of the handle in the 7/8″ hole in each handle support to capture the handle. Then attach the handle supports to the front and back panels with 2″ screws.

Make the Lid

1. Cut the lid boards to length.

2. Apply a bead of glue to each edge and clamp the boards to make the lid panel.

3. Cut the lid bracing parts to length. These boards will reinforce the lid and frame the lid insulation.

4. Center the lid bracing on the underside of the lid panel and attach the lid bracing with 1-1/4″ screws.

5. Cut the piece of 3/4″-thick rigid insulation to size for the lid.

6. Cut the lid aluminum to size.

7. Secure the lid insulation and aluminum sheet to the underside of the lid with construction adhesive.

8. Cut the piano hinge to a length of 20-1/2″ long with a hacksaw. When marking the hinge, measure out from the center of the hinge to create symmetrical ends.

9. Center the lid over the cooler box opening and attach the hinge to the lid and back top cap with the screws that are provided with the hinge.

10. Attach the handle.

Finishing

You may apply any exterior-rated finish that you prefer. We chose to leave our project unfinished so that it will gray to a weathered patina over time.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PLANS

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