Category : Blog


It was a great feeling to unwarp the package and find a nice swanky Dremel in it. I have never had the opportunity to use one, though the closest I came to using a rotary tool was the Bosch Engraver. So I was excited. Given that it is such a versatile tool with so many purposeful attachments, I wanted to see how best I can use it for my day to day work. Nothing like getting to review a product by using it for my own daily work, right ? And so I had to take my own sweet time until now.

Before looking at the application, here’s a little something about the Dremel Micro. It is a very compact, rotary multi-tool that comes with various modular attachments that you can use based on your requirement. The Demel tool works by rotating at high speeds and by using the appropriate attachments one can drill, grind, sharpen, cut, clean, polish, sand, route, carve, engrave and more. It is a very handy tool that one can hold like a pen and perform the required activity . The 5 different speeds allow the user to gain more control over the tool depending on the application.

Dremel Micro comes with a sleek charging pad and a 7.2 V lithium ion battery that lasts for more than 4 hours. It has no cords and that is an added plus. The LED lights in the nosecap make it easier to work on intricate surfaces Now for the attachments that it came with. While I had use for some of them, I tried using few and I could not find means to use the rest. Each of the accessory is attached to a mandrel that can be easily removed and replaced. Here’s the list of attachments and the application. 


Drum Sander

Earlier last month, we were participating in an exhibition and I struggled to make the base for my HALO series lampshades. I managed to make two. But I still needed to make 8 more and that is where I thought I would put the Dremel Micro to good use. My biggest challenge was to slightly round the edge of the base which was taking me time with hand. The drum sander attachment came in handy and I was able to complete the other 8 much quicker.  




Metal cutting wheel

The other issue I had was to cut the SS pipes using hack saw blade. While it did work, it took me lot of time to cut through from one end to the other. The metal cutting wheel, that comes with an easy, quick change system called EZ SpeedClic, came to the rescue. It took me some time to get the knack of it, but it certainly helped. With sparks flying around, one should be cautious and ensure safety masks are worn.




Aluminium oxide grinding stone

Something I have long been looking for. Finally used it to sharpen my carving knife and chisel. The rotating stone rubbing on the metal sends sparks flying around, so make sure you cover your eyes up. Wear gloves if you must.

Silicon Carbide Grinding Stone

This one was pretty exciting for me to use. I have always wanted to try etching on glass and have been exploring options. I did not have real purpose for it at that moment, and so I went about trying it out in a bottle of pickle. And look what I ended up with. I could have done a better job had I used a template or did an outline before trying to etch. This is what my free hand expertise could manage. Nonetheless, I was quite happy with how easy it was for me to etch the W. Caution : Wear safety goggles and a mask.


High speed cutter

Given that I had worked with the Bosch engraver earlier, this attachment excited me. It is in my vision to start either engraving or etch the WOODOOZ logo in all my products and so these two attachments have been of special interest to me. Again, I went about randomly trying out on a piece of pine wood. I had trouble moving the tool against the grain, but I feel a trained hand would be able to do this with ease. A handy tool for someone who is into carving too. Some of my clay carving friends might find use for it. Works well on metal too.




Cut off wheels

The cut off wheels are made of hard abrasives and are ideal for cutting metals, wood and ceramics. This is particularly useful if you want to cut off a portion of a screw, bolt or a nail from your WIP projects. 


Nylon bristles and polishing wheel

The Dremel Micro comes with a polishing compound that is ideal for polishing metals and plastics. I had few silverwares on whiich I tested it and it did wonders. You can either use the nylon bristles or the polishing wheel, take a bit of the polishing compound and run it along your silverware and watch it do wonders. I was surprised at the luster that it added to the spoon that I tested it on. Surely a winner attachment at home given that there is lot of metal polishing that is waiting to be done.


On the whole, the Dremel Micro is a very functional tool for a DIYer. Priced at a little less than 17K, I strongly believe only serious DIYers would give it a due consideration. The one and off DIYers would still want to manage with low cost options like hand sanding, using hack saw, and other means to getting their work done. With routing and saw attachments being available, the Dremel Micro can truly be a tool that can replace most other tools. I am falling in love with it and finding it extremely useful for my needs as I keep working more on it. Happy that I could lay my hands on it. 

You can buy the Dremel Micro from Amazon

P.S. This is a sponsored post. However, the views expressed are my own and based on my use of the tool.


Furniture forms the major part of the entire home décor. There are many other decorative pieces and furnishing that add to the look, but the furniture pieces always dominate them all. The design of furniture has evolved over years. The bulky furniture is slowly replaced by sleek designs. Similarly, many replacements for wood are also entering the market. Though there are many new entrants in the furniture designing, the one on the top is definitely “WOOD”! Wood is graceful, durable, and easy on maintenance, hence it is mostly found in furniture designing. However, designing experts have also explored more options to complement the popular wooden furniture with style. 

Here are the 5 popular materials usually used in furniture making and the ways to care for them.

1.Wood 

As already mentioned, wood is one of the majorly used materials in furniture making. Wood has been the primary material in furniture making from the royal times. The main advantage of using wood in furniture manufacturing is that it can be used in creating different designs by using it alone or in combination with other materials. It is neutral and goes well with all other colors and décor. There are different types of wood like Redwood, Teakwood, Mahogany, Cane, Mango wood, and various other varieties used in manufacturing durable furniture. 

Care Tips 
  1. Avoid direct sunlight and moisture contact. 
  2. Apply wax coating to keep the surface scratch proof and shiny. 
  3. Carry out regular cleaning with dry cloth.


2.Plastic

Plastic furniture is the best option for outdoors. It is lightweight and can be moved as required without any hassles. It is quite durable and can be used even in rain. Plastic furniture is available in various colors to get the vibrant décor, but over exposure to sunlight and other weather conditions would result into fading of color. Continuous sunlight would also make plastic furniture brittle. 

Care Tips
  1. Can be cleaned with water and mild cleaning agent. Dry it completely after cleaning to avoid water marks.
  2. Avoid constant sunlight to increase the life of the piece of furniture.
  3. Indulge into frequent cleaning as more you let the dust to accumulate, more it would be tough to clean.

3.Stainless Steel or Other Metal

Metal furniture is slowly taking the front stage due to its cost effective nature, malleability and durability. Stainless steel has found a major place in outdoor furniture designs as it withstands all weather impacts well. Steel furniture stays new even when exposed to sunlight and rain. Other metal furniture types include wrought iron and aluminum furniture. Aluminum is again quite durable as steel, while wrought iron furniture may undergo corrosion if its paint coating is damaged. 

Care Tips
  1. Wash with mild soap and water. Dry it properly to avoid water marks on steel and aluminum, while corrosion in case of wrought iron furniture.
  2. Apply automotive wax and mineral oils on wrought iron furniture pieces.

4.Glass

It is rare to find a furniture piece made of only glass, but it is very natural to find glass in combination with other materials. The transparency of the glass is main reason for using this material more in wardrobes, showcase, book shelf and crockery unit. Glass can be cut in any shape and size, which makes it ideal for shelves in cupboards. Use of glass is also found in tables and other decorative furniture pieces, as glass is not bulky and may not obstruct the vision due to its transparent nature.

Care Tips
  1. Glass is fragile, so handle it with care.
  2. It can be cleaned with mild soap solution and water. Use paper to wipe the glass for keeping it free of stains.
  3. Don’t put very heavy, hot, or sharp objects on glass table. You can use a mat to stay safe.

5.Cane

Looking for the furniture that takes you near to nature then cane is the solution. This is one of the most durable and natural form of furniture materials. The main advantage of cane is that it can be used to make varied designs due to easy bending into different shapes. Cane is affordable, easy to maintain, and good on looks. It will offer an instant makeover to your interiors and exteriors both.

Care Tips
  1. Clean regularly with dry cloth.
  2. For cane seats, put a cushion over it for even load distribution.
  3. Use glass top on cane tables.
Decorate your home with furniture made out of different materials and ensure that you take proper care of the same to have longer life and better utility.


 Author Bio
Worldcraft Industries is a furniture manufacturing company based in United States. They are known for distinct Indian designs and styles. They have different collections of products like bedroom furniture, curtains, pillows and decorative artifacts.


The wooden plywood beading sticks have always been my favorite materials to work with. There are a multitude of things that can be made with these and I have personally used them for many projects. Be it a photo frame, or some parts of my lampshades, or frames for my wall clocks, they have always come in very handy. I believe these are good materials to start with for a beginner who is looking using wood for his / her craft projects. They are cheap, easy to work with and can be cut using hacksaw blades.

Here are 4 projects that can be easily made using wooden sticks (look for the video at the end of this post).

Simple DIY
Easy DIY projects

1. A wooden coaster

This was an interesting project for me. Did this mostly as an experiment. Have always been awed by some of the cutting board projects I have seen on the net and so wanted to use the same concept. Stacked few wooden sticks together, joined them with glue, and cut them to the desired dimension. And viola ! My coaster was done.

Wood Coasters
Do it yourself wooden coaster

2. A Pen Stand

There are many ways to get this done. However, since I was only in an experiment mode, I used the same coaster to demonstrate this. Just few holes of required diameter and your pen stand is ready. Try it out. I really like the way it turned out.


3. Smartphone holder

This DIY was recently published in The Hindu Metroplus. But, only not had the time to write about it. Watch the video to know how you can make it too.

Wood mobile holder
Smart Phone Holder

4. A Photo Stand

While I had already written about this DIY, I got around to doing a video too. Do check out.

DIY Photo frame / stand
And finally, don't be limited by these 4 options. There are many more things that you can do with wooden sticks. Given that it is easily available, can be easily cut and can be easily glued, you should certainly give it a shot. Start with these 4 and then give wings to your creativity to get more and more things done. Good luck.


So, are we going to do the next Serving Tray workshop ? Yeah we are and I will put up the details. Meanwhile, I wanted to share some details about the first workshop that we recently announced and conducted on the 24th of Jan, 2016. I am still kicking myself for not having someone capture photos and videos of the session. All I could manage was some poorly captured photos in between the workshop.

Here’s what we did at the workshop.

 Each participant was given a DIY hand tool kit to take back home. The kit had hand tools for cutting, screw drivers, few other basic items  and an instructional manual to help them retain what they learn in the workshop.


The were also provided with the materials required for making the project. The material was cut just enough for the participants to experience the process without having to spend much time. They were also giving additional tools and safety goggles for using during the workshop.


The session started with introductions and we went on straight into cutting the plywood plank. Somewhere in between we also took a breather to have a demo on few power tools. One of the participants also volunteered to try her hands at the tool. For me it was an enriching experience meeting up with like minded folks. This was also my first workshop and so it gave me lot of ammunition to make things better the next time.

The biggest plus for me was to catch up with people which I have never done in the 6 years of my Woodooz journey. And that really gave me the kicks. Some felt that they would like it if there was a morning and an afternoon session. Few recommended topics like center tables, doors, finishing to be covered in future workshops.


I am already planning to have the second workshop. Just working on the logistics. Watch out this space for the announcement soon.


Note : Updated with video and a note on ease of use of the tool (4th Feb, 2016)

"For drilling hole into a wall all by ourselves, do you use the local drill or any other branded one? When I checked the nearby hardware shop, they all had drill above 2k+ nothing for 700 or 1k. Any latest updates on which drill to use? Does it really need strength or can I handle it myself without disturbing my husband?" - A reader's query in Facebook

Before getting into the electric drill itself, it is important to understand what is it that makes drilling into wall seemingly difficult. The most common composition of a wall in our homes is an underlying brick wall covered by a certain thickness of concrete. It is drilling into the concrete layer that is quite a task, and once we penetrate that, eating into the brick level is cake walk. The choice of drill is primarily based on the application and your day to day needs. Based on my own experience in using an electric drill, the following are the major two categories that I would recommend for your home use. There are various brands, and these drills are available at various costs, and that is out of scope of this post.



Rotary Drills

    This is the basic form of electric drill. When turned on, the chuck to which the drill bit is attached rotates. The rotating bit then has to be placed on the spot where a hole needs to be drilled. As the bit cuts into its target, it is completely up to the user to apply the necessary pressure to provide the thrust to dig deep into the surface. 
    I use a very basic rotary drill that rotates in the clockwise direction and in a single speed. Because the force to drive the drill bit into the surface comes from the user, it is really not suited for thick concrete walls, particularly the external nine inch walls. It has been perfect for all my internal needs, especially for all the wall hanging work at home. I have tried using this drill on "certain" walls, miserably failed and then sought professional help. The rotary drill is ideal for basic masonry drilling (not so thick concrete layers), your DIY projects and other woodworking needs, particularly for drilling pilot holes, counter sinking etc…

Impact Drills

    The only difference here is that the thrust for breaking into the surface does not come from the user, but from the impact of a built in hammering action. It relatively eases the effort on the user by eliminating the need for him / her to apply pressure while the drilling is on. These drills are also called hammer drills. While they easily serve your DIY / Woodworking needs, they are ideal for all your masonry requirements, particularly drilling into concrete walls.
If you need these drills to drive screws, you will have to look for features like multiple speed options, clockwise and counter-clock wise (from removing a screw) rotating capabilities. The other varieties of drills I feel are high end and are more suited for industrial and professional uses. And to answer the question whether one can use it without disturbing ones husband, I would like to inform you that a teenager, with adult supervision, can easily get around to master using this tool. And so, if you are an adult yourself, man or a woman, this is your tool as much as it is anyone else's. So go ahead and get yourself one and kick start your DIY journey.

Do you own an electric drill at home ? What brand ? What are its features ? What do you use it for ? And most importantly, do you think women can use it without disturbing their husbands ? Leave me your comments.
Meanwhile, here is an external link to Vinay's blog post that explains how to hammer a nail into concrete
- Somu 
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Yeah. And I can vouch for that. Being able to customize is one of the biggest advantages of DIY. And being able to change from one décor scheme to another is easily facilitated by DIY. You would have seen the DIYed side table from one of our earlier posts. The traditional look was something in line with the décor makeover that we are working on. However, how interesting would it be if we could have a completely opposite design on the side table that we can keep going back to ! It was this thought that inspired the idea behind this rehab project.  The side table top is 12mm plywood plank and is merely placed on top of the table.

The underside of the plank, until yesterday was just an unfinished plywood surface. But today, it carries a swanky design on it. Bored of the traditional Kathakali painting ? I can overturn the plank to expose the newly painted top. And that means, I can keep moving between this and that whenever I want to. Cool, no ?
Side table painting
Side table makeover


The video is self-explanatory. And so I am not going to write much about this make over. All that it required was primer, acrylic paints and some masking tape. At the end of it all, we have a table can flip flop between two décor extremes – A table I so lovingly call the bi-polar side table.

Traditional to abstract
Do it yourself project


Me being drawn to DIY and Preethi to home decoration, it has been quite a challenge for us to choose between DIY and buy for sprucing up the home. Either way, we have had some good times picking up things for the home. It has not been difficult for me to be enticed by home decoration which made it all the more easy for the two of us in our decisions. Fluidity is what best describes our décor tastes and the way we are moving from one style to another is testament to that description.

When we first started building the home immediately after we moved in, we had our eyes set on contemporary styling. The box type sofas, along with the accents of red and orange helped create an environment for lively conversation and happy times. But then, we got bored and so started our journey to bring in a complete transformation into our living space.
Since our wedding, we have been to Kerala umpteen number of times. Munnar, Thekaday, Wayanad, Kumarokom to name a few. Maybe the recent change in taste is an influence of all those visits. Antique is the new contemporary, or so we thought. We wanted the décor elements to have a story behind them. Be conversation starters. And help in reflecting our personality.
The teak wood sofa with its athangudi touch, and the rose wood trunk that came all the way from Kumarakom, always help us recount the good Kerala times. The Bharani (Jar) that comes from my mother, and the copper vessels that were passed on to Preethi have vintage written all over them. They come with family history behind them and trigger wonderful memories. 



 


The Bharani and the copper vessels serve as lovely vignettes in the two corners of the room. The paintings, the accent lighting, the center and side tables mirror the love we have for making our own things. Imagine our joy when faced with the, “Where did you buy that”, question ! DIY Décor has indeed helped create an identity for us.
But wait, there is more. We added wooden wall brackets and hung a lovely peacock diya.  And there is more too, but all in the pipeline. Some approved, some not approved.
  • A small wooden bench
  • Pillar (very ambitious, but would be wonderful to have a small partition in the hall with a wooden pillar :-D)
  • Oonjal..again ambitious given the space constraints
  • Our balcony is attached to the living room and at present does not have a nice seating area. I am thinking a mini thinnai made in concrete and redoxide for the balcony.

That is the sneak peek into our living space. We take our time with decor. Do one thing at a time. And we want it to speak volumes about our passion – Both for DIY and for home decoration. We hand pick everything. No impulse buys. We give it our personal touches. We want it to have a past that we can look back at and relish. And when that guest, while casually sipping his / her cup of hot chai, utters that “WOW, you guys have done it up well”, we know that our efforts make sense to others too. And that is enough to make our day.

I am nominated under five categories at the Asian Paints Indian Décor Influencer Awards. Social Samosa along with Asian Paints opens the gates for the first ever India’s Décor Influencer Awards (#IDIA, #IDIAwards) – an initiative sculpted to accost the contribution of influencers in the digital hemisphere. And this post was my attempt to show the world how this blogger's space looks. Hope you liked reading as much as I loved writing it.


I am back with another video. But before that, wanted to take a moment to share a wonderful news that can do loads of wonders for whatever I am trying to do here on the blog. Social Samosa along with Asian Paints opens the gates for the first ever India’s Décor Influencer Awards (IDIA) – an initiative sculpted to accost the contribution of influencers in the digital hemisphere. And guess what !!! Woodooz.com has been nominated in 5 distinct categories. Fortunately or unfortunately, it boils down to the number of votes the blog can garner for the jury to come to a conclusion on the winners. And hence this request.

VOTE FOR ME and WOODOOZ.COM. Help us win. All I need you to do is follow the links below and cast your vote for Somu Padmanabhan. Here’s the link to my profile that has all the nominations. If you are not interested, you can skip and get to the post below. 
Click to go to my profiles page

We have always been driven by our passion to do what we do here. Sometimes, a little motivation and push from you can help fuel that passion. Please do consider voting for us before you head to the post below. You can use your FB login to cast your vote. Thanks 

Meanwhile, here’s what we have been up to. We have been wanting a paper towel holder for a while now.  The little one is still not 100% potty trained and we have been using up loads of these papers on and off. So having it readily available on the kitchen counter became the need of the hour. Please do watch this video on the step by step procedure on how this was made.



Our Kitchen cabinets have a combination of bright red and white. And so when it came to matching up with the existing scheme, the choice of colors was evident.  Furthermore, we are also working on an overall traditional decor for the home, which made the design on the holder even more evident. The design, the color scheme and the execution – All Preethi’s handiwork. All I had to do was to give her the holder made in Plywood.

Do it yourself decor
Do it yourself decor

DIY project
Traditional finish to a DIY stand
While the video explains how this was made, I shall leave you with some progress shots of the project. Meanwhile, it would be great if you can reconsider voting for me, just in case you came until this point without casting your votes. I shall meet you soon with another project and I expect feedback from you that can help me improve the quality of my next video. Please leave me a comment.
Make your own DIY Stand
Progress shots


Do you know we are having our first workshop of the 24th of Jan, 2016 ? Did you get a chance to go through the details of the Woodooz carpentry workshop ? If not, please do and help spread the word around by sharing it with your friends and family. Apparently, such workshops are not so common in Chennai and I want to take it to as many people as interested. Kindly share. While you do that, here is a reproduction of an article that was recently published in The Hindu Metroplus Melange. This is a simple DIY project that you can do with just pebbles and a plywood board. The entire article reproduced below :
 
New Year is over and the next festival is round the corner. Most of you are probably all the time busy planning get-togethers and parties with friends and family. While you do that, how about also decorating your house for those memorable times spent together?
 
If you are looking to replace that old wall-hanging in your home with something that has a more personal touch, here’s a quick D-I-Y décor idea that is simple and easy to execute. It is elegant and will perhaps make you feel proud of your creativity, every time you look at it on the wall. 

Wall decoration DIY
DIY Wall Décor

 
 

Materials required

  • Two wooden planks
  • Colours to paint (Depending on the color of the pebbles, use contrasting background)
  • Random-shaped pebbles (You can get it at a local aquarium)

Pebbles from aquarium
Pebbles and a sheet of OST


Procedure

I used one-side teak sheets. They are easily available at plywood stores. I had to match the plank with the colour of the door next to which I was fixing it. However, you can choose to use any dark color, based on your requirement. You can use acrylics, oil paints, enamel paints, or wood stains to color. Work with whatever you are comfortable with. Here's a link to the video on how I stained this sheet of wood.


Staining
Stained OST - Check out video link for the process

Once the base is painted, start sticking pebbles onto the wooden surface. Use a good synthetic rubber-based adhesive, which is available in the market.
 
You can glue them into a pattern or into arbitrary shapes. Give it at least three hours of drying time, and voila, your new handmade wall hanging is ready to adorn the wall of your home!


Use a good adhesive
Plan the positions before you apply glue

As an alternative, you can also apply different colours to the pebbles if you are not happy with their natural look. Give them a vibrant look with your creativity. So, the next time you are at the beach, take the extra effort to pick up some pebbles. You never know when and how they can come in handy.

Wall decked
Trying it along with a wall painting by Preethi

 This article was published in The Hindu on the 26th of December, 2015. Please follow this link for my other published articles. And remember, we are having a hobby Woodworking workshop of the 24th of Jan, 2016. Have you enrolled  ? Not interested ? Have you shared it with your friends and family ? Please do. NOW. Please. :) My next post is a video and am so looking forward to it. A kitchen accessory. Can you guess what ? Please do leave your feedback as a comment. Would love to hear from you.


This has been going on for quite a while now. I get at least about two mails a week about the next workshop. And all that time, I get back with the routine, “I don’t do workshops”. But then I wanted 2016 to be new and refreshing for me. I want to experiment and try newer things as far as Woodooz goes. One of the challenges I wanted to take up was to get out of my comfort zone. And what better way than to go beyond the virtual world and meet up with some real people that I can connect with and discuss a common interest. There is always time for things to get kick started and I guess it was just about time for me to do a workshop. So here goes. Announcing my first ever beginner level hobby woodworking workshop. If you are interested, please check the workshop details below this video and register for the workshop.



Please note that I am taking in limited attendees for the first workshop. However, based on the response, I would be organizing more of the workshops in the next few weekends after 24th. Make sure you register as it would be completely based on first come first basis. You can mail me or call me for any further clarification you will need.

P.S. Currently we are not doing the workshop. We may not have it until August 2017. 




About the workshop and registration form


It is a new year and I wanted to start the year with a positive note with the Wodooz resolution for 2016. Over the last few years, I have received queries on the DIY posts requesting me to explain few things in detail. Either the photos posted were not helping or the post itself was lacking in some information. I have felt the inadequacy myself at times when I am reading something for inspiration. And more often than not, videos come to the rescue. We also realized it late when we saw my Golu Padi video reach more than 10K views.

Videos are fun to watch and help to easily understand the DIY procedures involved. And so this year, I have taking it upon myself to make more DIY videos to go along with the blog posts we make here. That means step by step instructions on how I build the things here. And that is my top resolution for 2016.

In the last 30 days, I have made 5 videos and that by my standards is a very good thing. And I intend to keep the good thing going on. And I need you to subscribe to TheWoodooz YouTube channel (Https://www.youtube.com/TheWoodooz) just so you are informed whenever there is a new video published. Not all videos might translate into a blog post and so a subscription will ensure I would be able to reach you as soon as a video is published.

So , go on, SUBSCRIBE now. This could be your New Year gift to us.

I made a short video talking about what we do in Woodooz and also about our goal for 2016. Do check it out. You can either click on the SUBSCRIBE link you see on the right bottom of the video or click the image further below to go to the subscription page.



Click to go to the subscription page
Click on the image to subscribe

I also have an important announcement to make in YouTube in the next two days. Something I have not tried before, something I have been receiving requests for and something I am so looking forward to. Please do join us and remember to leave your feedback as a comment.
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Woodooz Home Decors,
3/371, First floor,
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