How To Make a Perpetual Block Calendar (WnW #51)

Build this simple Desk Calendar in a day or two.
⇊ Click "Show More" for all the details! ⇊
My son came to me with a photo that he found online of a perpetual desk calendar made out of wooden blocks. It was originally from pinterest or a similar website. He asked me to build one, and as a “selling point”, he told me that he had not seen any other youtube woodworker who had made one of these.
Sneaky kid, eh?
So I made one. It is really a quick and easy DIY project. You could probably knock one out in an afternoon if you tried. It doesn’t take much wood. There are all kinds of way you could build one. I found one on instructables that seemed to be mostly made of cardboard.
I chose to use my CNC to carve out the numbers on the big blocks, but you really don’t need to do so. You could easily just paint on some numbers or do something similar.
The big blocks are 2” cubes. The smaller blocks are a bit over 5/8” in cross section, and 2” long. The base is about 4” x 6”. None of those dimensions are critical. The big blocks do need to be cubes but you can make them as big or small as you want and adjust the others to match.
Now I did make my son help me with some of this project (mainly the boring CNC tending), but I was nice and kept him off-camera. Maybe next time.
Thanks for watching! Please share and subscribe.
Project web page:
www.wordsnwood.com/2016/calendar
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LINKS TO SOME OF THE ITEMS SHOWN. (Affiliate links)
amzn.to/1LleENk - Bessey small 4” clamps
amzn.to/1qbopUK - Bessey VarioClippix - adjustable spring clamps
amzn.to/1pFGjPk - Sensgard ZEM hearing protection
amzn.to/1V4ZHkv - Painter’s Pyramids
amzn.to/1TdiBp8 - Rust-Oleum clear Lacquer
amzn.to/1WSNq1j - Stanley LeverLocks - I love these tape measures
amzn.to/1WxYb9l - Grizzly G0513ANV - similar to my big Bandsaw
amzn.to/1pApdTh - DeWalt DW735 Planer
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Many more woodworking projects:
www.wordsnwood.com
Thank-you!

[@MattFriedrichs]

Great project. Nice explanation of what numbers you need on each block. Car Talk used that as the puzzler one time.

[@JoshMillarTheWoodMillar]

Very cool project! I really like how you explained the numbering!

[@NannyDevas]

Really enjoy watching and yes i learn a lot. Very nice project.

[@willemkossen]

I got one of those a few years back. In the end, it just shows the right date about once a year. As a project its nice, but it isnt necessarily a thing i use. Yours looks great!

[@tobaccoworm2511]

Couldn't figure out the numbering. Thanks for explanation 😃

[@kstone8292]

Nice project and well done. I enjoy all your videos. Thanks so much for posting.

[@cher4645]

omg thank you solo much for explaining the numbers! iv been raking my brain for hours haha :)

[@donnymcarter]

Cool project Art!

[@TheShavingWoodWorkshop]

I have always thought these were great little calendars, nicely done :-)

[@KSFWG]

It's a work of Art.... ;) Nice little project.

[@Wordsnwood]

+KSFWG So is everything I do... ;-)

[@ytthieme]

nice project tfs! thumbs up

[@AngelFernandez-ig7ip]

nice!

[@WesHamstra]

Nice project art! I cant wait till i have time again to do projects like these and make videos of them. Work and finishing my basement is getting in the way of any free time i have

[@Wordsnwood]

+Wes Hamstra (Wes Hamstra Woodworking) Why not make videos of finishing your basement?

[@WesHamstra]

+Wordsnwood (Art Mulder) i did think about that. Im the kind of guy that hates wasting time and just wants to get things done. I need to build a floating tv cabinet, i probably will film that

[@JohnHeisz]

Neat project! Could use three number blocks on top to get those blank faces. Oh, and what kind of proper imperial fraction is 2/3 of an inch? :D

[@Wordsnwood]

+John Heisz 2/3 isn't one and it was a pain trying to figure out the setting on the TS fence for that... 11/16", okay?

[@BruceAUlrich]

I like it, Art! Looks really nice. Did you have to do a lot of hand sanding to get that burning off from the profile you routed into the base?

[@Wordsnwood]

+Bruce A. Ulrich Nah, that lifted right off. Thankfully. (Cheap router bits....)

[@BruceAUlrich]

+Wordsnwood (Art Mulder) Oh, good.

[@rayclark1333]

I was wondering what brand of cnc machine you are using. I am thinking of getting one, but have no experience with them. Thanks.

[@Wordsnwood]

This is an earlier version of the Xcarve CNC. They've upgraded it since with a bigger router, and I've heard rumours that they might be changing it up again.

[@jean-marclabonte2844]

Nicely Done. Thanks for posting the build. How are the LED Lights? Are you getting used to them?

[@Wordsnwood]

+Jean-Marc Labonte a follow up LED video is on my todo list. I had some hiccups with this setup, but it's settled enough that I've ordered 3 more strands. Too many ideas, not enough time.

[@jean-marclabonte2844]

A few hiccups? I sent you an e-mail a few weeks ago about some LED Tubes, I was thinking of purchasing them to replace my florescent ones I have in my kitchen. Would you mind letting know about your hiccups? These tubes are quite pricey and I would hate to run into the same issues you have had after I buy them. Thanks a bunch. Jean-Marc

[@Wordsnwood]

+Jean-Marc Labonte That's a different product. My issue was technical with my items: the DC-DC converter dies, and the hotglue came loose...

[@AppalachianLife]

Did your table saw come with that splitter?

[@Wordsnwood]

+John Harris No it came with the same basic awful splitter that a lot of saws did. That is actually a piece of a shelf support that I cut down. I made a slot in one end to fit over the stock mount and I use that as a splitter: www.wordsnwood.com/2002/j.splitter/

[@nihadbedour1362]

Wow.. it's a pretty old video but i just came across it.. Why not put a zero before any of the numbers?? A zero on the left is just as a blank. 01 02 03 04 05 ... etc

[@Wordsnwood]

There is a zero on each block.... am I misunderstanding what you are asking? "how it works" is explained starting at about the 6:00 mark. Or see the accompanying web article www.wordsnwood.com/2016/calendar/

[@katherinephillippi8478]

What about 9?

[@Wordsnwood]

upside down six.

[@katherinephillippi8478]

Thanks

[@ohmygoodnessits]

I think you could've had a blank face by removing one of the 0s. Why would you ever need two 0s for the date? There is no 00 date...

[@Wordsnwood]

Feel free to work it all out and show me your proof. Believe me, I tried. Merry Christmas!

[@BrumBrumBryn]

ohmygoodnessits you can't remove the 0 from block A because when you have the 6th 7th and 8th day you wouldn't be able to have a 0 in front of it, which is fine but every other day you would have a 0 so might as well be consistent. Same issue with block B

[@nickelalloy3477]

but wouldnt that be the point? have a blank side in front

[@frankyboy4409]

ohmygoodnessits also that gives you the option to have a different 6 and 9, which is probably the more useful use case ;)

[@BazMel14]

I just tried and its about consistency. You could make a blank on the 1,2,3,4,5 block, but then the single digit dates would not all display the same. When you displayed 3rd 4th 5th they would be 03 04 05 but when you displayed the rest they would have a blank. You do need two zero's if you want consistency. Thank you @Wordsnwood for sharing your talent with us

[@MzzMona]

make me one plz

[@ladymary9689]

thank u very much..may Allah bless u and give u a place in paradise