Marc Spagnuolo's Blog, page 13

Modifying a Builtin – I Did it for the Kids!

When we moved into our new house, one of the first things I noticed was the built-in in the family room. Older built-ins were often constructed as entertainment centers for CRT televisions which were very heavy and usually topped out at about 36″. These days, TVs are so cheap and so big that they tend to look odd (to my eye) sitting in an entertainment center that was built for the TVs of the previous generation. That was the case in our new house so I decided to do something about it. A fairly simple modification to the partitions and shelves would open up the space and allow me to fill it with some delectable 4K goodness. The project was a little more involved than I originally expected and the situation was complicated by the fact that all of my tools are still packed away, but I was able to get to the finish line in one day. And while you might think this is something I did for my own selfish reasons, I actually did it for my kids. ;)

Looking for the multi-tool I used in this video? Go here!

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So Excited! The Firehouse is Ours!

After months of preparation and a serious lack of certainty, we finally closed on the new TWW shop space: a old Missouri firehouse. The property features a 2600 sq ft building with two large garage bays and three rooms at the rear including a small kitchen. The space needs a lot of TLC including electrical work, a new roof, air conditioning, new furnaces, and a whole host of creature comfort upgrades that will make the space a lot more comfortable to be in. Let the adventure begin!

By the way, I’d like to thank all of our Firehouse Founders for their support. You guys really came through in a big way and helped make some of these repairs happen much faster than they otherwise would have. We truly appreciate it.

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The Littleton Console

This was one of my favorite projects of the year. It’s a small cabinet intended to go beneath a wall-mounted television in my mom’s house. Made from Sapele, Ambrosia Maple, and Ebony, it’s full of woodworking challenges and design elements. If you want the full course and plans, head to the Guild.

Looking for that knife hinge tutorial? Go here!

How to Apply Rubio to Furniture

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Last Chance to Join the Firehouse Founders

If you haven’t heard yet, the firehouse is officially ours! We are starting to move things into the space as we clean and make the place fit for occupation. A special thank you to everyone that took part in the Firehouse Founders. If you’d still like to be a part of the Firehouse founders and receive some cool rewards, click here. We are planning a private tour and Q&A of the shop on Monday, Aug 15th at 7pm Central/8pm Eastern for our founders (email with a link coming soon)! Tomorrow (Aug 10) is the final day to join. We can’t wait to turn this old firehouse into a badass wood shop. Thanks for following along

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The Best Food Safe Finish | Spoiler: It’s Not Mineral Oil

Think you know the best food safe finish? Think again! I tested a few of the most common food safe finishes and you might be surprised at the results. While mineral is the classic go-to food safe finish, I think it’s time we crown a new food safe king, and that’s Tung Oil.

Stuff used in the video:

Hope’s 100% Tung OilFood Grade Citrus SolventTried & True Varnish OilFood Grade Mineral OilWalrus Oil Cutting Board Oil

Don’t feel like mixing your own Tung Oil/Citrus Solvent mixture? Try Half & Half from Real Milk Paint Company.

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We Moved, It’s Humid, and a Game Changer for Rust Prevention?!

The move from Denver to Missouri happened, but not the way I had planned. Thankfully Mom was there to back me up and everything eventually made it to our new home in Missouri. My tools are stuffed in a detached garage and the commercial shop space is still in process. I’ll keep you posted as that situation develops.

Since I’m moving from one of the driest cities in the country to one of the more humid cities, I needed to finally take rust prevention seriously. I came across a cool product called Carbon Method and I’m hoping this will be a game-changer for rust prevention. It works by coating the surface with a single layer of graphite, providing a slick surface that’s protected from rush for months at a time. Does it work as well as they say? Let’s find out together! Check them out at CarbonMethod.com. To reiterate what I said in the video, I purchased this product with my own money. After talking with the owner, we decided to run an ad together with the caveat being I’d report back in a few months after my tools were exposed to high humidity.

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How to Install Knife Hinges | Perfect Every Time!

Knife Hinges can be intimidating at first glance but if you take a systematic approach to installing them, it’s a breeze. And your results will be predictable and perfect every time.

Looking for the best hinges for your project? Check out Brusso!

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TWW Guild SALE of the Year!

The Summer Sale has begun in the Wood Whisperer Guild and that means it’s time to save…..wait for it…..50%!!! Use the code SUMMERFUN at checkout. Limit two projects per customer. The sale ends Sunday, June 5th!

*The sale does not combine with other offers and excludes courses that were released this year (2022) including the Littleton Console, SketchUp: Beyond the Basics, Kumiko Lamp, and the Traveling Anarchist’s Tool Chest.*

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And the Walls Came Down!

50% OFF in the Wood Whisperer Guild! Use coupon code SUMMERFUN on up to two project courses. Courses from 2022 are excluded. Sale ends June 5th.

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Finally we have resolution to the foreclosure scare in the last video. I also show you how I dismantle the walls I installed in front of my garage doors and give you some quick tips for packing up various items in the shop.

Here are some things I showcased in the video:

Stretch WrapBubble WrapRouter Bit Foam Drawer InsertsMiter Station Free VideoMiter Station Guild CourseBack Brace

The material life I purchased is the Sumner 2010 and the vendor I purchased from no longer has them listed on their site. So shop around if you’re interested.

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Property Search & A Bad Surprise

In this part of my moving vlog series I’ll give you an update on our house sale here in Denver as well as show you some of the properties we’re looking at in Missouri. I also include some tips and tricks for things to look out for if you’re searching for your own woodworker-friendly property.

When you’re looking for properties that already have potential separate shop spaces, the terms I found helpful were: Outbuilding, detached garage, second garage, shop, barn and horse property.

Once you find a property, be sure to contact the local zoning department and ask them what you can and can’t do on the property. Here are some questions to consider: How many buildings can be on the property? Do the buildings need to be attached to the home? Can I run a business on this property? Can I hire employees?

As you’ll see in the video, we found a property we liked and put in an offer. You’ll have to watch the video to find out what happened.

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