David Picciuto 8/3/16 David Picciuto 8/3/16

Trash to Treasure: Make a Wall Hanging Guitar Amp

Taking an old beat up guitar amp and giving it new life with an updated look and use.

Tools and Supplies Used

David Picciuto 4/8/16 David Picciuto 4/8/16

Upcycling a Clock from an Antique Store into Something New

Turn an old clock into something new and stylish in the upcycle project.

This was a fun project that involved one of my favorite hobbies and that’s going shopping at the antique store. I’m lucky enough to live close to a large antique mall in Maumee, Ohio and that’s where I found this old vintage clock I could upcycle into something new. What I liked about the clock is the face and the typography of the numbers so I decided to keep that and scrap the rest. I made a new case out of mahogany wood and guitar amp grill cloth. I liked the idea of having the clock offset with a lot of negative space and decided to fill that space with a piggy bank and removable money bag recycled from a Crown Royal sack.

I ended up donating the clock to my local Goodwill donation center in hopes that some stranger will find joy in this find. Inside the clock I left a note stating when it was made and to spread kindness.

I hope you found this build fun as I plan on doing more upcycle projects such as this in the future. As always, be passionate and make something!

Tools and Supplies Used

David Picciuto 3/15/15 David Picciuto 3/15/15

Pallet Wood Project: Key and Coat Rack

A simple coat rack make from free pallet wood!

Pallet Wood Project

The goal of this video is to inspire you to make something. Pallet wood is free and readily available to use and makes for some great woodworking projects. If you leave it rough you’ll get a nice rustic look. This is my first time using pallet wood as well as chalk paint. In this video I’m making a key rack/coat rack/sunglass holder that will be used in the entrance of my house. This is a very basic and simple woodworking project that anybody can do with a few tools. The chalk paint takes that rustic look over-the-top. I’ll add a base coat of gray let that dry and then add some color over top of that. Which we will then distress using sandpaper and a scraper.

David Picciuto 2/6/15 David Picciuto 2/6/15

Antique Flip Clock Up-Cycle Project

Taking an old antique flip-clock and upcycling it into a modern design.

Antique flip clock up-cycle woodworking project. I found this old antique flip clock at an antique store for $15. I gutted the clock and rebuilt the outer shell out of walnut using a joinery technique called birdsmouth joinery. Birdsmouth joinery takes a special router bit designed for 8 sided pieces (you can also purchase a router bit for 6 sided pieces). Using some glass I had lying around and a glass cutting tool, cut the octagonal shape. Wedged in behind the glass is metallic card stock cut on a Silhouette Cameo die-cutting machine. The glass and the metallic card stock sits in a groove cut into the inside of the walnut. There is also a rabbet cut in the back to hold the rear piece that is held in by hot glue. The gutted clock fits into the shell snuggly by hot gluing pieces of scrap wood on the inside to hold the mechanical unit. The complete clock was finished with a mixture of boiled linseed oil and polyurethane.

Here’s What You’ll Need

David Picciuto 12/19/14 David Picciuto 12/19/14

Speaker Cabinet Rebuild with Walnut and Hickory

Remaking and up cycling an old pair of Sony speakers with a new wood enclosure.

Speaker Cabinet Rebuild

I got tired of looking at the boring ol’ black Sony stereo speakersin my living room so I decided to break them down and rebuild them. I decided to use 1/2” walnut plywood for the shell of the cabinets and 1/2” hickory for the front face. Since there is a science to the dimensions of a speaker cabinet including depth and where the bass port is, I decided to keep all the specs of the original cabinets. The only change that was made was I decided to include feet to raise them up from the floor. They are finished with a heavy coat of boiled linseed oil and couple coats of Deft spray lacquer. This is one of my favorite projects because I finally get to build something for myself that’ll enhance my living room. I think this is going to be the start of a new passion for me. That is rebuilding and upgrading things around the house with wood.

Song used at the end of the video is called Flickering and is a rough mix by my band Hound. The album’s official release is scheduled in the distant future. Be safe. Stay passionate. And make something!

Products Used

David Picciuto 1/1/14 David Picciuto 1/1/14

Thrift Store Lamp Upcycle. Trash to Treasure Woodworking Project

Upcycling a thrift store lamp and giving it a new life!

I find myself going to thrift stores and antique malls quite often these days to find gems for upcycling. Today was a good day! I found an old “New Home Sewing Machine” and table for only $10! On the same trip I found this desk lamp that I thought would be perfect for a new upcycle project. We’ll save the sewing machine for another article.

I only want the guts and the lamp head so I tear apart this lamp and discard the base and gooseneck cover. I’m using mahogany wood for the base and I cut it in a way that’ll hold Post-it notes and a pen. This was a fun project that only took a few hours to complete. You can bet I’ll be doing some more mantiquing in the future. As always, be safe, be passionate and Make Something!

Tools and Supplies Used for the Woodworking Project

Woodworking Books

Make Your Own Cutting Boards15 cutting board projects to make as gifts or sell! Get your signed copy! — **Make Your Own Cutting Boards**
15 cutting board projects to make as gifts or sell! Get your signed copy!

The New Bandsaw Box Book8 bandsaw box projects you can make and sell at craft shows. Signed copies now available! — **The New Bandsaw Box Book**
8 bandsaw box projects you can make and sell at craft shows. Signed copies now available!