Build idea
DIY Christmas Village General Store
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A laser or CNC general store in tab-and-slot Baltic birch, at the same tabletop scale as the village church and covered bridge. It lifts off over a battery LED so the windows glow; rough size, wood and tools below.
- Rough size
- About 6 in wide, 4 in deep and 5 in tall
- Wood
- 1/8 in Baltic birch plywood
Decoration, not a toy. Keep small parts away from young children.
For battery LED lights only, never candles. Wood can catch fire. Keep button-cell batteries away from children.
Laser: never leave it running, keep an extinguisher in reach, and with an open-frame laser everyone in the room wears eyewear rated for its wavelength. See laser and CNC shop safety.
CNC: clamp the work, keep hands clear while it runs, and never leave it running; friction can start a fire. See laser and CNC shop safety.
Tools you might use
- Laser
- Sanding
- Laser cutter/engraver, or a CNC router with a small bit for thin ply
- Laser or CNC software
- Exhaust fan or ducting to the outdoors, or the fume extractor your laser's maker specifies
- Fire extinguisher or a fire blanket, plus a spray bottle of water, within reach
- Laser safety glasses rated for your laser's wavelength (laser builds)
- Digital calipers and a steel rule
- Wood glue and small spring clamps
- Sanding block with 180-grit paper
Our tool picks for this idea: Wood glue
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