Wooden Money Clip

How to Make a Wooden Money Clip

  I was looking around for a small project to use up some of the nice bits of wood I have in my scrap box and found the Money Clip at Instructables. 

 After watching the video I decided to make a clip or two of my own. 

wooden money clips,
top-oak, bottom-poplar

  I followed the video instructions pretty closely, though I cut the slots with my back saw  rather then the band saw. It just seemed like a hand tool sort of day.  The clips have two coats of shellac and one of varnish. I sanded between each coat and so the clips are smooth and inviting to touch.  I plan to make some more clips and burn designs into the wood, that will make each clip individual. 

  On the weekend my grandson and I made an Imperial Star Destroyer, not a model, a toy.  Kieran knows the difference between a model and a toy.

  I am always bragging about 'K' but also I am interested in watching his continued development as a shop guy.  This time Kieran drew the plan and used a ruler to get straight lines, he has learned to use a ruler at school I presume. So the plan was better than before. 

  More importantly he cut the plywood pieces out using a back saw with very limited help from me.  Once he gets a little more comfortable cutting with the back saw he will be able to make things with very little help from a grown up. 

  To put the control tower on we drilled a pilot hole with his 4 volt little drill. For small hands a screw driver with a hex shank drill bit works best I have found. Even my 12 volt drill is too big for 5 year old hands. 

  Kieran was very proud to explain to everyone that he did 'all' the work, Opa only helped him steer the saw.  He also did nearly all the sanding, though he didn't find it very exciting.  Sanding is still done by hand, he doesn't like the noise or sanders, it time he'll get like the rest of us, we hate the noise, love the speed.

 Pretty soon my Granddaughter is going to start looking to work in the shop.  She is already pretty good at sweeping, and that is where apprentices begin  to learn the trade.

cheers, ianw