Upcycle Books

Learn to Upcycle the Old School Way

Read a book!

Upcycle Books

There are millions of YouTube videos to watch and it is, without doubt, the best way to learn something, well, if the videos are well made.
However, there is still a place for the good old fashioned book, when you’ve had enough of looking at screens and stupid adverts that keep popping up, get a book, a coffee and just sit in a quiet space.
There are some super upcycling books out there, very useful for getting ideas and inspiration. Below is a link to Amazon with a list of books all about upcycling, go and treat yourself.

Upcycle Books on Amazon

furniture makeover upcycle books

“Transforming old and worn furniture into a gorgeous, modern statement piece can be intimidating, but Jen Crider makes it easy with step-by-step tutorials anyone can do. This book is packed with ingenious, approachable projects to turn old chairs, tables, sofas and more into gorgeous furniture. Jen’s style fits right in to today’s farmhouse decor, making the book appealing to a wide audience. Unbelievable before and after photos will blow readers away, especially when they learn how simple it is to create the effects themselves. Beginners can dive right in with quick tricks and techniques like applying stain for a luxury wood finish and using paint to make details pop. More advanced projects are accessible to all-levels with Jen’s super helpful step-by-step instructions and photos. With plenty of tips on selecting and repairing furniture, it’s easy to get started. Learn how to give a second-hand table that perfectly weathered antique look. DIY enthusiasts won’t believe how easy it is to reupholster seat cushions, benches, armchairs and more. Give any room a special handmade touch in just a few hours and on a budget with 25 exciting techniques. Before long, readers will be impressing friends on social media with their own amazing before and after shots. This book will have 25 makeovers, each with a styled photo plus about 5 step-by-step photographs” Source: Amazon

Furniture flipping, upcycling, furniture painting, makeovers, thrift finds – whatever you call your hobby or business, there are books out there for you. Whether you are looking for hints or tips on making money from upcycling or you simply want to learn new skills, reading a book is still a great way to learn.

If I haven’t sold you on books and you’re here for some amazing how-to upcycle videos then fair enough, this is “Upcycle TV” after all!

Here is my How-To-Upcycle playlist on YouTube

The playlist begins with Jack making a ladder from scrap wood, the funny thing about this video is that Jack doesn’t know what anything is called – See if you can spot how many times he says “one of these” LOL, all jokes aside, its very important to get the younger generations involved with upcycling and this is a great little project with a fantastic end result so well done Jack.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND OFFICIAL COMPANION TO THE HIT BBC SERIES

BBC’s The Repair Shop is a place where Britain’s most skilled and caring craftspeople rescue and resurrect items that owners thought were beyond saving. Their shared love of craft has helped hundreds of people recover and relive cherished memories, and inspired millions to rediscover their own prized possessions. The skill required to properly restore those items may be beyond most of us, but there are small things we can all do to care for the items we love the most. How do you replenish the stuffing in your child’s beloved, tatty teddy bear, for instance? Or remove a water mark left on your wooden table? What’s the best way to prevent your leather from cracking?

Direct from the Repair Shop’s ‘Workshop of Dreams’, this ‘make do and mend’ guide collects advice and stories from each of the show’s experts, to help you understand and care for those aging treasures and heirlooms around your house or gathering dust in the garage. Whether it’s wood, ceramics, leather or silverware, you will get to know your materials, tools and terms from Britain’s best, as the Repair Shop experts share their tips on restoring and conserving, reveal their favourite tools, and provide a series of small, manageable projects that help tackle the most common problems that occur in their given medium. Their book, like the show it accompanies, with help you safeguard your sentimental legacy for generations to come

 

upcycle power tools
Power Tools

Top Ten Power Tools For Upcyclers

Having been painting furniture, upcycling and undertaking many building and rennovation projects for my entire adult life, ive had the pleasure to use a lot powee tools.
I have built a list of the ten best and most useful power tools when upcycling furniture.

1. Makita Jigsaw

I love Makita tools, the jigsaw is absolute quality and I would never swap it out. I prefer to use a corded version as in my opinion, you lose torque on the cordless ones and the batteries don’t last long. The quick-release blade change is an absolute must, if you don’t buy this model, make sure the one you get has that feature. My first choice for Top Ten Power Tools For Upcyclers.

800-2800 strokes per minute
Maximum cut in wood 135 mm; steel 10 mm
Stroke length 26 mm
Built in job light
Variable electronic speed control
Quick release tool-less blade change

2. Ryobi Impact Driver

For a cost-effective impact driver, the Ryobi is ideal, I have had mine for over 7 years and it is still going strong. Top marks for value for money.
Brushless motor is electronically-controlled to optimize efficiency for up to 40% more run time per charge
Brushless motor runs cooler and last up to 10 times longer than brushed drills
Ryobi offers battery powered or electric tools, excluding accessories and components subject to natural and normal wear and tear
Four pre-set speed and power levels unlocking new applications; 270 Nm of torque for fast screw driving and drilling
Deck drive soft start and AUTO speed reduction for ultimate control
Sound power level [decibel [A]] : 109.5, Sound power level uncertainty [decibel [A]], 3.0, Sound pressure level (decibel (A)) : 98.5, Sound pressure level uncertainty [decibel [A]] : 3.0

3. Makita Circular Saw

A very robust and effective circular saw for those bigger jobs like cutting boards. This saw is able to produce a pretty decent sharp cut but I have to say, having purchased a Festool plunge saw, I very rarely use this tool now, it is good for the “rougher” jobs and I put this in place of the plunge saw because I felt it was more relevant to an upcycled and also, a lot less harsh on the wallet.

4. Ryobi Combi Drill

If you are going for an impact driver by Ryobi then you should also consider the combi drill to go with it, both are great at what they do and you are covering all bases, the added advantage of going for the ONE+ models is that you can interchange and share the chargers and batteries, it really is a great and cost efficient choice.

5. Makita Orbital Sander

You can see why I love this Orbit sander by watching me using it to strip a chest of drawers in this video. A real must in this list of Top Ten Power Tools For Upcyclers


6. Festool Vacuum

If you are doing a lot of sanding then I seriously suggest that you consider buying a decent vacuum for your workshop. The Festool one is absolutely outstanding, it is incredible how effective it is at extracting the dust before you even know there is any, it really makes working a pleasure. There is a downside to this model and that is that it is a very large unit, good because you don’t have to empty it every ten minutes, however, it does take up a lot of space!
On-site extraction for electric Power Tools for minor or brief sanding, routing, sawing and drilling work
Ideal for mobile use in service and installation work and for final cleaning
Suitable for both wet and dry extraction
Achieve ideal results more quickly

7. Greco Paint Sprayer

This is a difficult call, I have not yet found a perfect system for spraying, I prefer to use a roller, I feel it in many situations, it is actually quicker with a roller because you don’t have as much prep or mess. It really depends on the job in hand but those of you are building a lot of commission work should really consider looking at this model if you decide to buy a sprayer. I would only recommend this model if you have a workshop, it isn’t really something you want to be taking onto site. Please note that this model I have linked is 110v so you will need to buy a transformer for it to work here in the UK, not a difficult task but just wanted to ensure you are fully aware of that. If you read the exceptional ratings that this paint sprayer has to recognise that it is one of the best of the market.
CONTROL PAINT FLOW: Fully adjustable pressure to give you ultimate control of paint flow for any project size; RAC IV Switch Tip allows you to reverse the tip when clogged to keep you spraying
SPRAY PAINT UNTHINNED: Stainless Steel Piston Pump allows you to spray paint unthinned at high pressure. Compatible Tip Size (inch)- 0.009, 0.011, 0.013, 0.015
SPRAY DIRECTLY FROM PAINT BUCKET: Flexible suction tube allows you to spray directly from a 1 or 5 gallon paint bucket
RECOMMENDED USE: Annual use recommendation is up to 50 gallons per year
EASY TO STORE: Extra storage compartments provide space to store the spray gun, extra spray tips, and power cord
FAST AND EASY CLEAN-UP: PowerFlush Adapter connects to a garden hose for fast and easy cleaning
IDEAL FOR HARD TO REACH AREAS: Can support up to 50 ft. of paint hose to reach peaks or second stories without diminishing performance
VOLTAGE: 110 volts; ETL Certified, ETL File #3174859MIN-001

8.Makita Chop saw

I can highly recommend this chop saw as I’ve had mine over ten years now, it is a solid piece of kit, ideal for those simple mitre tasks or just the speed it adds to a job when you have a lot of straight cuts to make. It is light enough to carry around if needed but still robust enough for some heavier duty cutting, a really good all-rounder.
Pivoting fence provides efficient stock support
Built-in dust collection system
Electric brake
Double insulated. Miter cuts 0° – 45° left and 0° – 52° right; 9 positive stops for the most common miter cuts
Shaft lock for easy blade changes
Performs compound cutting operations
Makita Chopsaw for Upcyclers

9.Galax Pro Multitool

A multitool can be very useful in an upcyclers workshop but I have gone for a lower-cost model for this tool as I feel that if you have to make some savings then you can with a multitool, it isn’t a precision tool, I also like the kit that comes with this one.
POWERFUL & DURABLE:The powerful 260W motor provides 22000 oscillations per minute depending on the needs of the task at hand and making cutting, sawing, trimming, grinding and sanding easy and saving you time
VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL: The speed settings are located on the behind the motor housing.It features 6 settings allowing you to increase or decrease speed from 15000 to 22000 OPM, suitable for removing tile, cutting floor, cutting mental, cutting plastic, plunge cutting, sanding wood, scraping etc
FAST BLADE INSTALLATION: The quick release lever allows for tool-free blade replacement, saving valuable time and effort on the job, keeping your accessories securely in place
COMPACT ALUMINUM HEAD: Built a robust aluminum head, the head of the Oscillating Multi-Tool will get you into a tight hard-to-reach places so you can deal with your tasks with no hurdles on the way
WHAT YOU GET: GALAX PRO GP86225-1 Corded Oscillating Saw, 40pcs Accessories and Carry Bag, 1* User Manual, 1* Warranty Card; 24 Months Warranty

10.Bosch Cordless Tacker

A very useful little tacker for upholstery tasks, I felt it was important to consider those that upholstery in this Top Ten Power Tools For Upcyclers
Full control of the stroke release with the enhanced two stage Push and Release System
Soft grip for improved grip and control of the Bosch PTK 3.6 LI
Tack up to 400 staples with the powerful lithium-ion battery
Easy replenishment of staples strips – no more overfilling of the magazine
Battery status indicatorm, suitable for 8 mm and 10 mm staples (not compatible with larger staples)

Hope you enjoyed and found this Top Ten Power Tools For Upcyclers useful, please leave a comment and let us know your thoughts. You can read more blogs written by the author Stuart Miles here Don’t forget the Upcycle TV channel

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