Burying this in a reply, rather than a base comment, but SS doesn't have the best public record for system design and resilience; arguably behind Google, but better than Samsung for alarms, IMO. I'm a little surprised you didn't run simple twisted pair for sensors when you built the shop, rather than trusting 433MHz for anything important. You're in the country and will see folks approaching, so the largest downside for you might be battery replacement. An apartment in a city would be a different situation, again IMO.
April, you have become my most watched RUclips site. I'm a 72 yr. Young woodworker. I love the way you tackle any project. That is your success. You move forward while the other guy is sitting at his bench wondering if he can build a chair.
Fun idea, link the lever mechanism to a smart lock so you have essentially a remote-controlled dispenser. Depending on the lock brand you may even be able to set timers through your phone.
Amazing!!! My wife has six dogs ( which kind of make me mad sometimes ) but I am going to prove my love for her bulding one dog food dispenser, not so beautiful and perfect as yours, but at least functional.
Hot glue works for edge sealing just as well as the tube stuff plus it is substantially cheaper. It is what I have used to do epoxy pours without any issues. The epoxy stuck to the painters tape because it is basically a textured surface. I have used smooth, colored packers tape with success personally. Beautiful piece of mesquite and a really neat project, well done of figuring out the feed mechanism.
I am always amazed how people can click "thumbs down" on a video like that. If you don't like woodworking, simply don't watch it. April I think that is a great idea and the end product looks awesome. Thank you for sharing this idea with us.
Awe April, it’s stunning!!! Absolutely stunning and functional and you answered all my questions!!! Thanks for always being so willing to share so much of your knowledge that we viewers take for granted, thank you thank you! This piece made my whole day
April, you out did yourself this time! Beautiful job. Absolutely beautiful!! I love you’re enthusiasm. Plus your ability to think a project through. That measuring device was brilliant. In today’s world everything must be alarmed. As a kid, I can remember leaving the front door to our house unlocked and keys were left in the ignition of our cars. The world was much simpler back then and in my opinion much nicer. Today I have a Ring Alarm on all my buildings including my garage and Wood Shop. I too have 24 hour monitoring but it costs me 27 cents a day. Keep up the good work. Best regards, Richard
As a die-hard, somewhat-obnoxious-about-it Texan, I LOVE the idea of having all the natural wood in a house done with mesquite. It really is beautiful. I have 3 Aussies and their food bags are pretty big. I could NEVER get the bag up that high, but I'm thinking something that maybe resembles a deer feeder might work for me, just flush up against the wall.
Great build April, amazing to see how you've progressed over the years. I remember your "I've quit my job and I'm going to be a builder full time" video like it was just yesterday. Way to go!
Where you had the tape stick, we used to pour hundreds of Cypress clocks in Florida with epoxy. We used old boards and drove nails completely through and then placed our Cypress on the nail boards. Put plastic sheeting under the nail boards to catch the run off. Use a small handheld propane torch over the top as soon as you pour to get rid of air bubbles. When dry the next day, turn over on a old piece of carpet and sand of the drips with a grinder.
April, very cool project. I have 3 girls, and they all like to build. They can't wait for me to finish my CNC router, But, speaking of routers. You have a fantastic router in your shop, and I've seen that you pass up using it on pieces that are begging to be made on it. Jump in there. There is almost nothing you can't do on a CNC. I've been running CNCs for 40 years+ Have fun. You are a great inspiration to girls as well as the men out here with the way you go after projects. Keep it up.
I've been subbed to your channel for a long time, but I don't think I saw the original food dispenser vid. This mesquite really is a dramatic looking wood. Thanks for sharing!
Wow....such detail. Well done! Its amazing how you have the mind that can conjure up some wonderful ideas...and the hands and talent to make it happen. Nice
Mount it lower on the wall; big bags of dog food get heavy. Then make the lever spring loaded so you can push it with your foot and dispense the food into the dog bowl.
This is what I found: The wooden dowel rod used in woodworking applications is commonly cut into dowel pins, which are used to reinforce joints and support shelves and other components in cabinet making. Some woodworkers make their own dowel pins, while others purchase dowel pins precut to the required length and diameter. When dowels are glued into blind holes, a very common case in dowel-based joinery, there must be a path for air and excess glue to escape when the dowel is pressed into place.
Chainsaw mill!?? You did such a wonderful job building that awesome bandsaw mill. I suppose those boards were cut a while back. Anyway, your craftsmanship, as always, is fabulous. I enjoy all your videos, keep up the great work.
Heres a tip I learned when working at Walmart to get labels and tape off of things use a hair dryer the heat loosens the adhesive so you can start to pull it up without leaving a mess behind.
In addition to what plc286 said already, the tape was applied to the table, so it was the non-stick side that was stuck...by the epoxy leakage, as mentioned already.
My jigsaw is my nemesis! I love drill-saws and forstner bits. Great project. I have three four-legged bums who depend on me for food, so I believe I will be doing a variation of this project in the near future. Thank you!
April, it is a beautiful and functional piece for your precious doggies! Have you tried using dowel alignment pins, aka dowel centers, before? It might help you avoid having to drill through the face next time.
As a former owner of a holistic pet food company...Dog food dispensers promote mold growth. Keep your dog's food in its original bag tightly sealed. BTW, Good for you. The Blue Buffalo dog food you're feeding your dog is high quality.
Nice build, I think I'll build something like it. Couple of changes I'd make if i ever get around to it: 1. I'd use pocket hole attachment from inside of the box to attach the face 2. Rabbit out the back of the center of the face plate and put glass there before epoxy pour to make a non static scratch resistant surface on inside (may be overkill though) Cool project!
April You nailed it again. I wish you were my all around shop teacher. Creativity and Hey let's give it a try, it can be awesome. Nice job, it's beautiful. And awesome engineering.
April, as usual, fantastic job. Your shop is awesome. It seems that you are learning as you go, as most of us often do. How cool that you aren't afraid to try new things. Outstanding, wholesome, and positive content. Love it!
A wonderful idea! (And, as for the group kvetching about how food-safe it is, it's as food-safe as a wooden cutting board or wooden cooking utensils.) This one inspired me.
Wow!!! This is JUST what I needed, on a few levels ...first of all, I've been subscribed for a long time, but haven't watched any April videos in a few months... second, I am always looking for practical and items to inspire me for woodworking projects, and this is right up my alley...third, I've been yearning to get myself a dog for years, but this year it's been really an acute longing....more inspiration! Thanks April!!!
Came for the dog food dispenser (because I keep Danes and anything like this is completely unrealistic for me but I can dream) and honestly if this video is any indication of your overall channel.......you’re REALLY good. The production on this video is amazing.
I love it! I adore mesquite wood. I used to live out in Bastrop County near the Caldwell border; my land was chock full of mesquite. I talked to an Ag Extension guy who happened to love mesquite. He said that if you irrigate mesquite, it will grow taller and straighter. (A friend of mine swears that if you irrigate it, it grows much fewer thorns, too.) The Ag Guy told me mesquite has a perfect 1:1 expansion rate, making it great for wood floors in wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens; because of the expansion rate, it won't buckle like most woods do in wet areas. I never had the opportunity to test that, but I never forgot it, either.
Beautiful work! I had a friend back in the 80s who was one of the first woodworkers to figure out how to work with mesquite. He was a cattle rancher down in Laredo and couldn't stand to see mesquite used just for bbq wood.
Now the offcuts can go in the smoker for some BBQ! Regarding the painter's tape - was it cold overnight in the shop? I've had that issue before and found hitting it with a heat gun helps.
Bless the DIYers, they always have the answers to the 'I need a thing that does a thing' that mass manufacturing fails me on. 😂 Thank you for this video, it's EXACTLY what I need!
Yes, mesquite is a gorgeous wood! This is an awesome project! I’m just a tinkerer, no professional woodworking skills, love working with the variety of woods, but that live mesquite was exquisite. Beautiful 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Protect your shop, home and family this holiday season with SimpliSafe! Check out their Cyber Monday sale: simplisafe.com/April
Wax paper with glossy side ☝
Wheres the mill updates?
Burying this in a reply, rather than a base comment, but SS doesn't have the best public record for system design and resilience; arguably behind Google, but better than Samsung for alarms, IMO. I'm a little surprised you didn't run simple twisted pair for sensors when you built the shop, rather than trusting 433MHz for anything important. You're in the country and will see folks approaching, so the largest downside for you might be battery replacement. An apartment in a city would be a different situation, again IMO.
You guys need to stop pushing simply safe. It's been shown recently that a modestly powered ham radio can make the system essentially useless.
but guys... "experts" call it the number one recommended home security
I would need a wall full of them. One for Malted Milk balls. One for M&M's Peanut, almond, and plain.
Great idea April.
who only eats a half cup of M&Ms?! FREAK! :D
yeaaaaa...but I would rig it so it would give me WAYYYY more
That's GENIOUS!
Old Sneelock's Workshop Heck ya!!!
Pittsburgh Flip **slows raises hand** me 🙋🏽♀️
April, you have become my most watched RUclips site. I'm a 72 yr. Young woodworker. I love the way you tackle any project. That is your success. You move forward while the other guy is sitting at his bench wondering if he can build a chair.
Great for all your pets and of course as you said make it to the size of your pet and the amount of food you buy.
Excellent use of live edge and epoxy!
Fun idea, link the lever mechanism to a smart lock so you have essentially a remote-controlled dispenser. Depending on the lock brand you may even be able to set timers through your phone.
great build that looks beautiful. one of the things that is best about your vids is the clear non-excessive way you explain things
Brilliant simplicity.
Clear packing tape works well with the epoxy.
Amazing!!! My wife has six dogs ( which kind of make me mad sometimes ) but I am going to prove my love for her bulding one dog food dispenser, not so beautiful and perfect as yours, but at least functional.
Wow thats awesome! I LOVE the idea of the clear part in the front to see how much food is left, function and fashion at the same time, it's fantastic!
It's perfect! Something I'd love to make for my dog, but he's raw fed, but your explanation is really easy to follow.
Yeah, that could get messy 😏
Awesome project! Beautiful.
Hot glue works for edge sealing just as well as the tube stuff plus it is substantially cheaper. It is what I have used to do epoxy pours without any issues. The epoxy stuck to the painters tape because it is basically a textured surface. I have used smooth, colored packers tape with success personally.
Beautiful piece of mesquite and a really neat project, well done of figuring out the feed mechanism.
I am always amazed how people can click "thumbs down" on a video like that. If you don't like woodworking, simply don't watch it.
April I think that is a great idea and the end product looks awesome. Thank you for sharing this idea with us.
Awe April, it’s stunning!!! Absolutely stunning and functional and you answered all my questions!!! Thanks for always being so willing to share so much of your knowledge that we viewers take for granted, thank you thank you! This piece made my whole day
April, you out did yourself this time! Beautiful job. Absolutely beautiful!! I love you’re enthusiasm. Plus your ability to think a project through. That measuring device was brilliant. In today’s world everything must be alarmed. As a kid, I can remember leaving the front door to our house unlocked and keys were left in the ignition of our cars. The world was much simpler back then and in my opinion much nicer. Today I have a Ring Alarm on all my buildings including my garage and Wood Shop. I too have 24 hour monitoring but it costs me 27 cents a day. Keep up the good work. Best regards, Richard
As a die-hard, somewhat-obnoxious-about-it Texan, I LOVE the idea of having all the natural wood in a house done with mesquite. It really is beautiful. I have 3 Aussies and their food bags are pretty big. I could NEVER get the bag up that high, but I'm thinking something that maybe resembles a deer feeder might work for me, just flush up against the wall.
This girl is so cool. I love her attitude.
I don't know how you figured out the dispensing mechanism. Great build!
Pretty cool! Well done
That's awesome! Thanks!
Great build April, amazing to see how you've progressed over the years. I remember your "I've quit my job and I'm going to be a builder full time" video like it was just yesterday. Way to go!
Where you had the tape stick, we used to pour hundreds of Cypress clocks in Florida with epoxy. We used old boards and drove nails completely through and then placed our Cypress on the nail boards. Put plastic sheeting under the nail boards to catch the run off. Use a small handheld propane torch over the top as soon as you pour to get rid of air bubbles. When dry the next day, turn over on a old piece of carpet and sand of the drips with a grinder.
You should get dowel centers from Rockler. They allow you to set your dowels without drilling through
I love some of the techniques you used. I don't need a dispenser but many cool things can be built using some of your methods.
Que hermoso trabajo...que lindo poder aprender de una mujer tan creativa y capaz...te admiro..
Muchas bendiciones 🤗🙏🏻
I love it!! Beautiful! Great work!
April, very cool project. I have 3 girls, and they all like to build. They can't wait for me to finish my CNC router, But, speaking of routers. You have a fantastic router in your shop, and I've seen that you pass up using it on pieces that are begging to be made on it. Jump in there. There is almost nothing you can't do on a CNC. I've been running CNCs for 40 years+ Have fun. You are a great inspiration to girls as well as the men out here with the way you go after projects. Keep it up.
you are my hero!!
That epoxied live edge is GORGEOUS, April.
Nice build April !
The kids are going to love it (and you)
This is a terrific idea. I never would have thought of this kind of diy solution. Thanks for the video.
Thank you
Nice work ! - now I have to make one for my cats!
Great project and a GREAT job! Thanks for sharing.
That is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Thanks for taking the time to really explain what and how you are doing and using things.
I've been subbed to your channel for a long time, but I don't think I saw the original food dispenser vid. This mesquite really is a dramatic looking wood. Thanks for sharing!
Wow....such detail. Well done! Its amazing how you have the mind that can conjure up some wonderful ideas...and the hands and talent to make it happen. Nice
Great project April! The sight window is awesome!
Mount it lower on the wall; big bags of dog food get heavy. Then make the lever spring loaded so you can push it with your foot and dispense the food into the dog bowl.
This is awesome!!!! I love the clear epoxy window. The wood combination wasnt my favorite at first, but with the finish it looks great!
Maybe your best project to-date. Love the epoxy site glass.
great idea with the live edge to see the level of food left. Brilliant idea!
Outstanding April! Just plain outstanding.
Beautiful work. I may use this idea instead of the giant goat we use now. Thanks for sharing this great idea
This is what I found:
The wooden dowel rod used in woodworking applications is commonly cut into dowel pins, which are used to reinforce joints and support shelves and other components in cabinet making. Some woodworkers make their own dowel pins, while others purchase dowel pins precut to the required length and diameter.
When dowels are glued into blind holes, a very common case in dowel-based joinery, there must be a path for air and excess glue to escape when the dowel is pressed into place.
Great update to the original design!
Chainsaw mill!?? You did such a wonderful job building that awesome bandsaw mill. I suppose those boards were cut a while back.
Anyway, your craftsmanship, as always, is fabulous. I enjoy all your videos, keep up the great work.
April Wilkerson the mixing cup you used was made in Cambridge, Oh. I use to work for Encore.
Heres a tip I learned when working at Walmart to get labels and tape off of things use a hair dryer the heat loosens the adhesive so you can start to pull it up without leaving a mess behind.
What prevented the blue tape from coming up was that the epoxy leaked underneath slightly. No amount of heat would've helped in this instance.
thank you for this advice, I just knew there was a way to end my mess.
Your welcome
In addition to what plc286 said already, the tape was applied to the table, so it was the non-stick side that was stuck...by the epoxy leakage, as mentioned already.
One thing I learned working in the rock quarries is that dynomite will loosen pretty much anything.
My jigsaw is my nemesis! I love drill-saws and forstner bits. Great project. I have three four-legged bums who depend on me for food, so I believe I will be doing a variation of this project in the near future. Thank you!
The mechanism is the best I’ve seen yet!! Great engineering.
Thanks! I just love it. Thanks for watching.
April, it is a beautiful and functional piece for your precious doggies! Have you tried using dowel alignment pins, aka dowel centers, before? It might help you avoid having to drill through the face next time.
As a former owner of a holistic pet food company...Dog food dispensers promote mold growth.
Keep your dog's food in its original bag tightly sealed.
BTW, Good for you. The Blue Buffalo dog food you're feeding your dog is high quality.
Awesome work April!
I love it! Great job!
Nice build, I think I'll build something like it. Couple of changes I'd make if i ever get around to it:
1. I'd use pocket hole attachment from inside of the box to attach the face
2. Rabbit out the back of the center of the face plate and put glass there before epoxy pour to make a non static scratch resistant surface on inside (may be overkill though)
Cool project!
April You nailed it again. I wish you were my all around shop teacher. Creativity and Hey let's give it a try, it can be awesome. Nice job, it's beautiful. And awesome engineering.
April, as usual, fantastic job. Your shop is awesome. It seems that you are learning as you go, as most of us often do. How cool that you aren't afraid to try new things. Outstanding, wholesome, and positive content. Love it!
Gotta love this women! She is awesome!
Dispenser 2.0 turned out great I love the mesquite & resin combo. Well done, April!
April is a beast! This is awesome stuff!
That is just amazing April. Always look forward for the next project.
what an awesome build dogs or humans will be happy with this build, next build is a dispenser for lucky charms cereal...
Great idea. That’s a beautiful and functional upgrade.
Nice work April.
Thanks for always sharing your projects
That was a very creative and well-done build! Nice job April!!
Wow, great design~! So many applications for this project. Thanks for sharing it~!
Very nice engineering and nice final result, well done April.
This project was very technical. Lots of cool materials and tools made for one of my favorite episodes to date. Great job!
Great work! Thanks for taking the time to make, film, edit and share.
Absolutely gorgeous what a beautiful pet food dispensary. Great great looking piece of art.
Very clever build. Your rooster is as talkative as mine.
A wonderful idea! (And, as for the group kvetching about how food-safe it is, it's as food-safe as a wooden cutting board or wooden cooking utensils.) This one inspired me.
First time to view your channel. Loved the dispenser as well as your style!
That blind-doweling trick is great
Cool build. Always love your videos. I saw most of the build over at Instagram but it was nice seeing it all together, with the commentary.
Love it. However, you certainly add to the video. Well done. I'm going to build this with a few alterations. Keep up the great videos.
Excelente
Wow!!! This is JUST what I needed, on a few levels ...first of all, I've been subscribed for a long time, but haven't watched any April videos in a few months... second, I am always looking for practical and items to inspire me for woodworking projects, and this is right up my alley...third, I've been yearning to get myself a dog for years, but this year it's been really an acute longing....more inspiration! Thanks April!!!
Love it! Looks great! If you ever do another one, for a friend maybe, you should do one with your bow ties like your shirt design.
Great Upgrade. As I. I know I can do projects I built better once I've gotten better at what I do. Calling Simpli Safe tomorrow.
You absolutely ROCK Girl.
Another beautiful project, your imagination constantly surprises me, I love mechanisms like this, so simple and elegant.
Love watching your videos! Neat ideas and learn a lot!
Great project April and very tidy work.👌 I hope the dog appreciates your efforts.
Cheers for now,
Dougie.
Beautiful work. Love the mesquite. Great idea on the dispenser thingie
Came for the dog food dispenser (because I keep Danes and anything like this is completely unrealistic for me but I can dream) and honestly if this video is any indication of your overall channel.......you’re REALLY good. The production on this video is amazing.
I love it!
I adore mesquite wood. I used to live out in Bastrop County near the Caldwell border; my land was chock full of mesquite. I talked to an Ag Extension guy who happened to love mesquite. He said that if you irrigate mesquite, it will grow taller and straighter. (A friend of mine swears that if you irrigate it, it grows much fewer thorns, too.) The Ag Guy told me mesquite has a perfect 1:1 expansion rate, making it great for wood floors in wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens; because of the expansion rate, it won't buckle like most woods do in wet areas. I never had the opportunity to test that, but I never forgot it, either.
I am so glad you posted the build on this one!
I've been watching on social media...
Beautiful work! I had a friend back in the 80s who was one of the first woodworkers to figure out how to work with mesquite. He was a cattle rancher down in Laredo and couldn't stand to see mesquite used just for bbq wood.
That live edge epoxsay sight glass is next level
So fancy for "just a dog" but so super cool!!! Great little project. I'll now use "blind dowels" as a technical term. ;)
i thought you use a drawer style dispensing mechanism..but the pipe works too.. the result still looks great!
This is actually a really great idea, solves my issue of container taking up floor space. Thx for sharing
Now the offcuts can go in the smoker for some BBQ! Regarding the painter's tape - was it cold overnight in the shop? I've had that issue before and found hitting it with a heat gun helps.
Bless the DIYers, they always have the answers to the 'I need a thing that does a thing' that mass manufacturing fails me on. 😂 Thank you for this video, it's EXACTLY what I need!
Thanks! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.
0:59 Thought you would have cut the plywood on the CNC machine.
Yes, mesquite is a gorgeous wood! This is an awesome project! I’m just a tinkerer, no professional woodworking skills, love working with the variety of woods, but that live mesquite was exquisite. Beautiful 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻