this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2024
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Woodworking

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Hello Lathe Ladies, Mitre Mates, and Plywood Pals!

I've been tracking my kids' heights on a wall for several years but I'd like a prettier solution. Something I can screw on the wall and mark their heights on (maybe temporarily and then go back with a wood burner or something). Ideally, sometime that's two identical adjacent pieces that I can give them if I'm ever lucky enough to be a grandparent.

A straight 7' board with a cutout for the moulding and burnt or painted 6" increments is the simplest solution, but can y'all think of anything nicer? I would prefer to keep it on a semi visible wall instead of the laundry closet.

Thanks friends.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

This is what I did for you our kids. Used a bull nose but in a router for the engraving. The graduations were done with a straightedge while the numbers were freehanded over pencil lines.

I then spray painted it black and sanded off the paint from the flat surfaces, leaving it paint in the engraving troughs.

Their heights are simply penciled on.

We're pretty pleased with it. It looks nice and doesn't feel out of place.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

That is pretty nice, and it's in a perfect spot!

[–] alquicksilver 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

If you take a measuring tape and paint the non-numbered side, you can both keep track of height and have a cute keepsake to give them when they're older. :)

E: I realized what community this was after making my suggestion. Ah, well. It's still a tool you might use in woodworking. 😅

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

That is a cute idea too, thank you!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

I hung up a maple 1x6.

The left side has an attached ruler with both metric and ft/in.

The right side has large vinyl numbers for feet (mainly just to look nice).

In between the heights are marked with multicolored Sharpies indicating who is measured and the month/year.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I built a height tracking tree - can't remember the size of the pine plank, but simply carved out the edges with a jigsaw and sanded it all. Used the cut off pieces to extend one or two of the branches horizontally

I put nubs of branches all the way up the sides. I know trees don't have branches that low on the trunk, but it gives them something to hang stuffies on.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I can't picture it, I'm sorry. Is it a plank facing the wall with organic looking edges, and a little nub of a branch sticking out perpendicular to the wall at every height mark?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Looks something like this.

Flat plank against the wall cut in to the silhouette of a tree. We didn't go for regular height marks- Height marks are burned in to the wood at each measurement date with the measurement written beside it. I attached it to the wall using picture hangers, so we will measure with pen and take it off later to burn it in.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

That's neat, thank you for the explanation and picture.