Task

This project is designed for you to learn some basics of woodworking. Your task is build a compact wall-mountable shelf using 1/3 of a standard pallet. Carpentry and hand fabrication skills come into many maker projects, for example where you need to mount your creation to a platform or to a wall.

For this project, we have built a physical prototype for reference, but feel free to take the project in your own direction. Your final construction should function as a shelf, but other than this you are free to approach the details as you like. Final finish, details and additions are completely up to you. Your completed shelf can be used in the FabLab or garden area, or for a small donation you may take it home.

Tools

As this is a self-directed starter project, we require that you work mostly with hand tools. The only power tools allowed are:

a cordless drill
an orbital sander

This will allow you to gain confidence and enable you to work in environments where only basic tools are are available.

Note: for the bonus part you may need to use other techniques, which you must agree on with a FabLab manager before starting.

Safety

We take safety in the lab seriously. If you are unsure of any technique, ask for advice from someone more experienced. If feels wrong, there’s probably a better way! Some tips are:

watch out for nails in the pallets and don’t attempt to drill or cut through them!
use clamps and/or a vice where possible to fully secure material before sawing
wear gloves when handling the pallets to avoid splinters
use a mask if you anticipate you will create a lot of dust