The most unique doormat you can make. Weekend woodworking project.

This video has become an unexpected social experiment lol. 12 years ago I made this exact same project and posted a video: Not a single comment concerned about the perceived lack of purpose to this project. So to make it clear for many of today's viewers:

1) In 12 years of using this, I have NEVER walked in mud or needed to scrape the gunk off my shoes. (Why are you walking around in mud???) Nobody visiting my home has ever arrived with mud on their feet either.

2) Nobody has ever tripped over the 1.5” rise. The threshold to the doorway itself is raised. People look where they are walking. It ain’t that difficult.

3) You can use whatever jointery you like in your projects. Nobody but you is impressed by the woodworking techniques you use.

4) Not everything has to have some deeper meaning or purpose. Sometimes woodworking can simply be fun and fulfill a decorative purpose. Visitors to my home always comment on the doormat and love it.

You know what would make it better is if you used exterior pocket hole screws...

Hey Steve, the secret to repetitive alignment for hand drilling is called a "jig," make sure you give them a look. One could be cobbled together (probably with the redwood scraps from this very project) in 5 minutes for this job.

That looks pretty, but I use a welcome mat to essentially clean the bottoms of my shoes before I enter the house by friction with the rough surface of the mat to remove stuff like wet leaves or whatever. That looks a bit too smooth to be of much use in that regard. Then again I live in a rural area, gravel driveway, concrete porch, etc. If I lived in town I'm sure it would be fine. Trust me, in a rural area you are going to occasionally walk through mud, slush, wet leaves, etc, lol.

I'm getting into welding but I hope to do wood-burning and woodworking projects part-time and I don't have a big box store locally but I do have a local lumber store that can order things for an added charge but carries Minwax on the shelf, as a man with decades of experience and knowledge with wood, stains, and other finishes I was wondering what your professional opinion is of their stains and other products.

What's the point of a doormat that doesn't clean off your shoes?

Skull with blood on a pentagram? 😶

Nice build! The steel rods are really an unnecessary feature if you mount the slats in a frame like that; they contribute no strength to the assembly. Omitting them decreases build time by about half and reduces BOM cost as well.

Thank you for muting your power tool noise, nothing ruins a good video like load screeching. Great tutorial, thank you!

Looks too thick. Trip hazard. Lawsuit waiting to happen.

Two hands on a hacksaw, please. Youngsters may be watching.

I actually made two of these along with you 12 years ago. The first one I made to your specs, and I found it a little small. So, that one is now in front of my doggie door to make it a little easier for my chihuahuas to get outside.
The second one I made a bit larger, and I gave it as a gift to a coworker.
I always intended to make more for my own house, but I drifted away from my hobbies, and had some major health issues. I'm working to get better now, and hopefully I will be able to make another one soon.

The link for your tool list just keeps going to a 404 error page.

Looks great.
Oh yeah and thanks for addressing the redwood thing.

Would I be able to do something like this for inside the shower also? What differences would I need to do?

Very nice project. In my opinion the best thing about screws is that the option for repairs is convenient if needed.

There are basically two types of woodworkers/carpenters.

Those that appreciate and admire the work.
And those that just look for mistakes, and criticism.

Does it flex the middle? If you had rabbit on the two end boards it could sit flush. I am just thinking out loud.

I would not have been able to resist putting some Titebond III on those corners before putting in the pocket screws

Hey Steve! Thanks so much for all your content. You’ve really got me inspired to start woodworking!
Do you have any project videos you’ve done with minimal tools? I’ve only got a circular saw and a jig saw but I’d like to make myself a monitor stand.

Parang napakaganda naman para gawing doormat lang. Pwede pang decor.