Sanity With Five Kids

Draw Every Day...Mostly

2011-12-19T20:50:00.003-05:00

My "Draw Every Day" project evolved into "Work On The Same Picture Every Day for 9 Months". I started this picture of a barred owl back in March and finally finished it. While I didn't work on it every single day, I have quite a few hours invested. I'm pretty happy with the result and have already started on the next "big" (9x12) picture. Hopefully the next one doesn't take 9 months to complete!

It Snowed in the Mountains!

2011-12-05T18:54:00.001-05:00

The mountain is complete and has been installed 9 feet up on the mantle above the fireplace. A few pine trees and a box of powered snow completes the effect. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the outcome. The stone looks realistic through the camera lens. Next step: build the town to go in front of the mountain.

Airbrushed Mountains

2011-12-04T17:39:00.001-05:00

Spent the afternoon airbrushing detail onto my styrofoam mountains. The only thing left to do is add the snow on top. And trees. And climb a 10 foot tall ladder with one hand while holding the mountain vertically with the other. And not falling off...definitely not falling off.

Shaping Mountains

2011-11-27T10:41:00.001-05:00

I didn't like the way the train went through the back of the houses, so I decided to build a mountain instead. After spending too much time thinking about how to frame it, my Dad finally recommended wooden ribs.

We covered the wooden frame with chicken wire and stuffed it full of newspaper to give the "Great Stuff" spray foam a surface to stick to.

I went through a total of five cans of foam to cover most of the surface. Once the foam had cured, I began carving it with a fine-toothed pull saw.

So far, the effect looks pretty good. The marshmallow mountain slowly began to resemble rock as I cut away the smooth edges.

The next step will be to paint the surface with a latex primer and then airbrush in rock details with grey and brown. I'm still debating how to add the snow -- I may just sprinkle on snow rather than painting it to allow for more than one season's worth of use.

Model Train Town

2011-11-20T20:11:00.001-05:00

Now that soccer season is over I have a lot more for projects. It's been almost a year since I put the ledge train up and I've decided to build the town to go with it.

I started with a scale drawing based on a charming nearby town called Mariemont. The plan is to build a row of shops, a clock tower, a hotel, and a movie theater. The cardboard mock-up helped me to work out all of the kinks without having to cut a a bunch of wood. Cardboard is much easier to cut!

I had some luan sitting around the shop so I went ahead and jumped into construction. The cuts weren't terribly difficult so I managed to get a lot done this afternoon. The difficult part is going to be the dormers -- the angles on the roof are tricky.

Next I'll paint it and add cardboard cutouts for the window panes along with LED lights for the inside.

Linoleum Block Printing

2011-07-14T20:52:00.000-04:00

In gradeschool, I remember being given a rubbery block of linoleum and a sharp (very sharp) carving blade with which to create my design. I carved a brontosaurus and remember that more than half of the kids in class ended up cutting themselves in one way or another. About six months ago I purchased a Speedball Block Carving kit at Hobby Lobby which sat unused on a shelf in the corner of my shop -- until yesterday. On a whim I decided to give it a shot with a basic carving just to see how it worked.

The kit included everything you see here -- the three blades come in large, small, and "V"-shaped. I started with a basic design (one that I draw on just about everything.) The good news: I didn't cut myself. The bad news: there are probably shavings around and in the couch in the basement.

I found that re-inking the block each time produced the best results.

And last but not least: I stamped the inside of a "secret compartment book" that I finished last week. Unfortunately the cover didn't turn out so well, so I ended up just painting it black.

Calvin and Hobbes Mural

2011-03-26T13:26:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes and my kids enjoy the comic as well -- especially my daughter Stephanie. I had her pick out a couple of her favorite pictures and then asked my friend Steve to create a mural for her wall. The end result was better than we could have possibly imagined!


The finished mural!

Draw Every (other) Day

2011-02-24T20:50:00.000-05:00

The head cold that's been going around has finally caught up to me and I've been finding it hard to focus on drawing every day. Here are a few of my latest drawings:

Draw Every Day

2011-02-12T11:35:00.000-05:00

Sometime ago I wrote down the following in my idea notebook: "draw every day". I sat on that for a year or so and finally decided to start. For now, I'm just drawing from a photograph -- I'm taking it slow. Below is my first attempt after not drawing (regularly) for more than 15 years:

Not much detail, more stylized. Two weeks later and I'm starting to get brave -- moving into more complex pictures and trying to (re)-learn technique:

With five kids, it's hard to find a moment of silence to just sit and draw. For this reason, I've limited my drawings to 30 minutes (which sometimes turns into an hour). Perhaps we can turn this into a "family drawing night".

Ledge Train - Operational

2010-12-24T11:31:00.001-05:00

With time running out, my Dad and I put in two long days of work on the train project to get it up and running. The bridge support ended up being the easiest part -- the 90 degree corners caused the most problems. One corner had to be taken down and re-tracked 3 times!

It's a relief to see my vision come to fruition. There were moments during testing that I thought it wasn't going to work. Thanks to everyone who believed in me and thanks to everyone who helped me. Trent, thanks for the idea for the bridge and the connectors. Dad, thanks for driving 800 miles just to end up working dusk-till-dawn on the train.

Nintendo Power

2010-12-22T19:24:00.002-05:00

So I found out today that my Princess Peach Pointillism project was featured in Nintendo Power magazine. Pretty cool!

The Ledge Train - Part 4

2010-12-15T22:19:00.000-05:00

For the last week and over the cold and icy weekend I was able to put quite a few hours against the train project. The bulk of the design work is complete and the remaining tasks are pure labor.

Yesterday, I decided to assemble the completed track pieces and test the train. Unfortunately, my puny 6-foot step ladder was only enough to get me at eye level with the ledge. Reluctantly, I brought in my metal extension ladder. Getting connectors and rail joiners to line up while standing on a ladder proved to be a challenge; especially without disturbing the pieces that were already connected. After drawing some blood and muttering a few choice words, I completed a 15 foot section. With alligator clips and some long wire, I rigged the transformer up and placed the engine and cars on the track. Thankfully, it worked and it looks great! Can't wait to see it complete the loop around the room by itself.

With only 11 days to go, I'm starting to feel the pressure. I really want the train up for Christmas, but I don't want to rush it -- I want it done right.

The Ledge Train - Part 3

2010-11-28T18:50:00.000-05:00

With my workshop now mostly operational, I've finally been able to get back to work on the Ledge Train project. Twenty-five pieces of 36" flex track are now en route to my house and I've cut a 4x8 sheet of 1/2" sanded pine down to 4' x 3 1/8" pieces.

Cut track base sections

I've started construction on two prototype track sections and have documented a 10 step process for manufacturing each piece. Whiteboarding has really helped for organizing and reorganizing.

Painted, soldering, and gluing the prototypes

I still haven't made up my mind on the bridge. With my deadline fast approaching, I may have to scale back my initial bridge plan to something a little simpler. Perhaps a covered bridge?

Whiteboarding track section construction

And the Winner of the NPR Three Minute Fiction Contest Is...

2010-11-15T22:24:00.000-05:00

...someone else.

So NPR ran a contest where you had to write a short story in 600 words or less beginning with the line "Some people swore that the house was haunted," and ending with "And nothing was ever the same after that."

I wrote my version of the story on the bus ride home from work one day and then spent a few days revising it before submitting. Unfortunately I didn't win, nor did I place as one of their "favorites". Bummer!

For what it's worth, here's my version of the story titled "The Trapese Artist":

"Some people swore that the house was haunted," but Garrett didn’t seem to care as a fistful of pebbles left his hand and arced towards the window. I cringed as they clinked off of the remaining glass panes in the abandoned house.

As he picked up another handful, I threatened mutiny, “I’m going home. We shouldn’t be here.”

Garrett slowly turned, a scowl on his face. I took a step back when our eyes met. “Says who?” he sneered.

“Nobuddy,” I mumbled. As he wound up for another throw I added, “I just have a bad feeling that’s all.”

His fist came out of nowhere and connected with my jaw, throwing me off balance and I tumbled backwards off of the rock pile. I hit the bottom and rolled onto my side, expecting another attack but he just stood there, staring into the house. I got up, brushed the dirt and leaves off of my pants and spit into the gravel.

“You jerk, why’dya do that?”, I shouted. Through the blur of tears and burn of anger I saw him sway slightly. I caught him as he fell, mouth agape, eyes wide and the shaft of an arrow sticking out of his chest.

“Jesus Garrett,” I sputtered as he lay motionless in my lap. I forced myself to look at the arrow, black feathers on a four inch black shaft sprouting from his worn corduroy jacket.

It was then that I noticed the thin black thread extending from the arrow up over the rock pile. I shifted Garrett's immobile bulk off of me and reached down for the thread but as my finger and thumb closed around it, it faded and scattered like fog in a carnival fun house.

Suddenly, the thread went taught with a twang. I watched in amazement as the thread began to bounce up and down. Squinting, I followed the hazy black line as it led from the arrow in Garrett over the rock pile and into the second floor window of the house beyond. It was then that I noticed a dark figure casually walking down the line like a trapeze artist, intent on his task and seemingly completely unaware of my presence. Through the light and shadow of the leaves he faded in and out and I tried to cry out with fear or laugh at the absurdity, but I was as immobile as Garrett was.

As he passed by me, I could see the house and trees through his coat. When he got to the end of the thread, he perched upon Garrett's chest and howled triumphantly to the surrounding forest. A chill ran up my spine as the shadowy man turned to face me, hollow black eyes beneath a high top hat. His lips pealed back revealing blackened teeth and he smiled at me as he reached down and touched the arrow. Without a sound, he and the arrow and the thread were gone.

A convulsion ran through Garrett's body and he abruptly sat up coughing. “Not fair,” he wheezed, “you can't jump me when I'm not looking!” It was then that I realized I was laughing hysterically; laughing so loudly that the sound of my voice echoed off of the house and the surrounding hillside. Garrett stood up and pushed me. “Let's get the hell out of here,” he skulked, “I'm bored.”

We rode home in silence, "Nothing was ever the same again after that."

Princess Peach Pointillism

2010-09-08T17:35:00.000-04:00

For those of you that helped me to collect plastic bottle caps: thanks! I've finally finished my Princess Peach Pointillism project and posted it on Instructables.com (see link below).

Princess Peach Pointillism - More DIY How To Projects

The Ledge Train - Part 2

2010-08-15T08:57:00.001-04:00

For the last month I have been working on the design for the ledge train project. I've built some prototypes for the corner pieces and straight pieces to work out any issues before I go into full production mode. Each straight section will be about 3 feet long and mounted on a 1/2 inch x 3 inch piece of plywood. Each piece will have two sets of wires underneath that will carry the power to the track. On the ends will be connectors and dowels so that they can snap together.

Testing track layout

I also spent some time designing the bridge. I used Google Sketchup to layout the design based on 1/2 inch square pieces of wood. I'm going to go with poplar as it's strong and easy to paint. The only issue I have right now is how to get the train to turn onto the bridge. I may have to do some tweaking to the design to make it work right.

Bridge design in Google Sketchup

So I'm pretty excited about this project. Lisa and I have talked about expanding the display into October so we can have a fall and winter scene. I'm not sure that I can finish the project by October!

Another Great Time Lapse: Man Walks Across America

2010-07-26T20:34:00.000-04:00

This is a great video, specifically the technique they used to sync the walking motion through subsequent frames so that it looks fluid. This must have take a lot of time and patience to produce -- hats off to the creators!

Vacation Dashboard Camera

2010-07-20T18:21:00.002-04:00

While on our way to the Georgia Coast, I set up a webcam on my dash and connected it to my netbook. From Ohio to Chattanooga, the camera was set up to take an image every minute. The result was OK, but I wanted more frames per second. From Chattanooga to Georgia, I set the camera to take a shot every 5 seconds -- the result is below.

The details: I'm running Ubuntu Netbook Remix on my netbook and used "webcam", cron, and a small shell script to take an image every 5 seconds. To my knowledge, cron only has a resolution of 1 minute which is why I had to write a shell script.

     /usr/bin/webcam /home/user/.webcamrc

The .webcamrc file looks like this, yours may be a bit different:

     [grab]
     device = /dev/video1
     text = "tokala %Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"
     width = 640
     height = 480
     delay = 8
     wait = 0
     rotate = 0
     top = 0
     left = 0
     bottom = -1
     right = -1
     quality = 100
     trigger = 0
     once = 1

     [local]
     dir = /home/user/webcam
     file = currentwebcam.jpg
     local = 1

After capturing the image, I then copy it to a folder for later processing. The `date` command appends the date to the filename (this method can be improved but I through this together in Panera the morning we left.)

     cp /home/user/webcam/currentwebcam.jpg "/home/user/webcam/`date`-webcam.jpg"

So, I ended up with just over 4000 images. To create the video, I used mencoder and set the frames per second to 5.

     /usr/bin/mencoder "mf://*.jpg" -mf fps=5 -o videos/output.avi -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=msmpeg4v2:vbitrate=800

A better webcam would yield a better result, but overall I'm pretty happy that my hacked together project produced any result at all.

The Ledge Train - Part 1

2010-07-09T18:49:00.000-04:00

So....I have this ledge that runs around the great room of our new house about 9' off the floor. At the upstairs landing is a window that overlooks the room and while standing there one day I came to the realization that I needed to put in train.

Yes, a train. My wife had the same reaction.

After some negotiations, begging, and clever marketing I was able to get the project approved. Naturally, the project presents some interesting challenges.

First and foremost is cost. Obviously I can't let the budget run away on something that is going to be up a quarter of the year. Three months is all I've been able to negotiate: November, December, and January. Consider it a holiday decoration for now.

That brings us to the second challenge: the whole display has to be assembled and disassembled 9 feet off the ground. I've been working on a design for modular track sections mounted on half-inch plywood that "link" together via dowels and possibly power connectors. (More on that later.)

Last but not least are the corners of the room and the six foot gap over the foyer. The corners present a challenge because the minimum turning radius for an HO gauge track is 15 inches (I'll talk about the reasons I chose HO later). From what I have read, 15 inches is pushing it. I believe my plywood mount idea will solve the corner issue, but I need to test it.

For the gap over the foyer, I have decided to build a bridge (thanks to my buddy Trent for that idea.) Why not just go around the corners you ask? Well, there's an outside corner (see drawing below). A tunnel would be cool but I'm not allowed to cut holes in the walls.

Overall I think it will be an awesome project. I've always been interested in model trains and now I finally have a venue to get started on the hobby. Right now I've started designing the bridge and purchased my first set (an Athearn Union Pacific set with 4 cars, a power pack, and some track.)

Google Vacation Map

2010-05-21T19:44:00.000-04:00

Using Google Maps, I put together a map of all of the places we've visited on vacation. Lots of trips to the Gulf and Atlantic and one awesome trip to Northern Michigan.

View Family Vacations in a larger map

Weekend Project: Compressed Air Rocket

2010-04-24T18:34:00.001-04:00

Augmented Reality Windows

2010-04-19T21:26:00.003-04:00

Years ago I saw a setup similar to this with static pictures presented on LCD monitors. The augmented reality aspect of this version is simply amazing. Must have one in my office!

Target Practice With Jakob

2010-03-27T17:51:00.001-04:00

Tilt-Shift Photography

2010-03-13T20:09:00.002-05:00

This video illustrates how tilt-shift photography can make everything seem miniature.

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

Trinket Box Collection

2010-02-06T12:48:00.004-05:00

Since the purchase of my first metal trinket box while on vacation in Michigan, I've been watching eBay auctions looking for similar pieces. So far, I've purchased 4 additional boxes to add to my collection.

From what I can tell, the boxes were made sometime in the 40's or 50's. One of the boxes is stamped with "JB" on the bottom which I've found to stand for Jennings Brothers -- a company that made cast metal boxes from 1891 to 1950.

Racing Wheel Stand - Continued

2010-01-25T18:16:00.006-05:00

With warmer temperatures (up into the high 40's), I was able to get out in my garage workshop and cut some plywood. I kept to the overall design with minor modifications to the top (it was off-balance). I also added a carpeted removable base for the foot pedals with the thought that I may eventually hinge it and add pins to adjust the pedal height for shorter drivers.

Above all, this project proved that I can use Google Sketchup to mock up my wood projects. The biggest advantage was the ability to print the model and measure components. While it's not 100% accurate, it's close enough to work from.

Next step: paint.

New Project: Racing Wheel Stand

2010-01-20T19:12:00.005-05:00

I purchased a force-feedback steering wheel so I can better experience racing games on my PS3 -- specifically Grand Turismo.

Unfortunately, I've been unable to find a suitable mounting solution. I tried to rig a stool with a couple of clamps and also tried mounting it to a lap-desk. Neither method worked well.

SO...using Google Sketchup, I designed a stand:

So far I've managed to get all of my cuts done, but the cold weather has forced me out of my garage workspace. I'll post more pictures when my tools thaw!

Log cabin ... with the logs cut perpendicular

2010-01-15T17:59:00.002-05:00

Two-Thousand and Ten

2010-01-04T22:00:00.003-05:00

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

...I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind.

--Neil Gaiman

RC Aircraft + Fireworks

2009-12-29T18:41:00.002-05:00

Amazing video of an RC airplane with a camera mounted onboard flying through exploding fireworks.

Acorn Puzzle Box

2009-11-24T17:22:00.002-05:00

I love small trinket boxes and Japanese puzzle boxes. Here's a neat idea: an acorn puzzle box:

Papercraft Animation

2009-11-22T19:17:00.003-05:00

Wood Project: Pine Onion / Potato Bin

2009-11-19T18:04:00.005-05:00

For the first time I've built and sold a piece of furniture -- an onion / potato bin. I used 3/4" pine and bead board with chicken wire mesh on the doors. The doors are held in place with magnetic latches.

Another fun and rewarding project!

Inventing Games

2009-11-15T21:59:00.004-05:00

The kids and I invented a new game today. It started with me on one side of the street and the kids on the other bouncing a racket-ball back and forth. Eventually, the game led to us trying to land a ball in the mailbox (and succeeding). The mailbox was 50 points, the newspaper slot 100 -- a much harder target.

A perfect mix of skill and luck, the kids already asked if we can play the game again next weekend (since it gets dark around 6:30pm.) Perhaps we can make our own "goals", although hitting the mailbox just right makes a satisfying "thunk-thunk-thunk".

Stacking 117 objects on a Lego block, then knocking it over.

2009-11-15T20:22:00.003-05:00

Stacking 117 objects on a Lego block, then knocking it over.

Artist Walter Wick stacks 117 objects on a single Lego block, then sends little wind-up creatures toward it to knock it over. Fun! (Via Gurney Journey)

Amazing Fountain Light Show

2009-11-10T18:30:00.002-05:00

As I watch this I can't help but think about the power and precision on the pumps and the program they wrote to synchronize everything to the music. Be sure to watch in HD -- definitely worth it!

Happy Hallowe'en!

2009-10-31T21:01:00.003-04:00

Scary!

More 30 Second Horror

2009-10-10T23:04:00.003-04:00

The girls had so much fun making the first 30 second horror movie that they made their own. My third daughter, Molly, directed the second movie "The Closet":

From that footage, I was able to put together a funny "Outtakes" video:

Quothe the Mythbusters

2009-10-05T21:08:00.000-04:00

Jamie: "...The core of what we’re doing is, we’re playing with the world. And our curiosity in doing that is what we are most proud of and what we like to put out there. It’s sort of a mental attitude about critical thinking and curiosity. It’s about mindset of looking at the world in a playful and curious and creative way."

Latest Cabinet Project

2009-09-09T18:57:00.002-04:00

I had a lot of trouble with the finish on this cabinet. Originally I had stained and poly'd it, but for whatever reason (more than likely too much sunlight) the poly finished didn't turn out right. To save the project, I just painted a flat red over the outside. Overall, I'm happy with the outcome.

30 Second Horror

2009-08-05T21:32:00.006-04:00

The challenge? Produce a horror movie that delivers suspense or drama in just 30 seconds. I had this idea a couple of years ago after watching some funny horror movies online. It wasn't until this previous weekend that I was able to sit down with the kids and my Creative Vado and record some footage.

It seems that 30 seconds of footage = 1 hour of recording = 4 hours of editing. Overall, I think it came out OK for a first shot. Special thanks to The FreeSound Project for providing some awesome sound effects.

2009-07-24T20:04:00.002-04:00

I came across this great Slashdot thread about what to do with "great" ideas. The comments are the best part: the basic gist is that you should not keep your ideas to yourself but rather socialize and spend your time and effort on figuring out how to collaborate with others to get them done.

"Got an idea for a better mousetrap? Build it and see if it really is better. Talk is cheap and action speaks louder than words."

http://ask.slashdot.org/story/09/07/23/2110205/How-To-Vet-Clever-Ideas-Without-Giving-Them-Away

Sugar Squirrels

2009-07-19T21:03:00.003-04:00

Found this news clipping about sugar squirrels. Weird.

Trinket Box Mystery

2009-06-23T19:48:00.007-04:00

While vacationing in Northern Michigan last week, we came across a large antique "barn" in Beulah. Among the tons of bottles, cans, fishing reels, and furniture I came across this box in a locked cabinet. I liked it so impulsively I bought it.

So at this point, I'm not really concerned if it's really an antique or not, I just want to learn a little history about it. How old is it? Are there others like it? What's it really worth? The box is made of brass (I think) and about 3.5 inches wide x 1.5 inches deep x 1 inch tall. On the bottom, it's stamped with "Made in Japan" and a symbol that looks like a globe with "K I" in the middle.

Checkerboard

2009-06-06T16:26:00.007-04:00

I've had some 3/4 inch ash boards sitting in my garage for a few months and finally decided what to do with them: I built a checkerboard set complete with a magnetic drawer to stow the pieces.

Tornado Warning

2009-06-01T19:16:00.003-04:00

The other night a series of storms rolled through the tri-state area and spawned tornados in three counties in Southwestern Ohio. I happen to live in one of them and while I don't think I caught of picture of a tornado, what I did catch shocked me enough to freeze me in place. It wasn't until my wife reminded me that I should be in the basement that I went inside.

"Madness"

2009-05-17T15:29:00.005-04:00

I've always liked to draw, I think it was the only thing that got me through High School. One of the drawing habits I developed was to put a bunch of small drawings and patterns together on one page to make one big mass of...well...madness. I have several iterations of "madness" -- here is one of the more recent versions.

Drysink with Matching Shelf

2009-05-13T19:17:00.002-04:00

My wife had me build a shelf to match the dry sink. Overall I think it turned out pretty good.

Project Complete -- Mostly

2009-04-25T16:32:00.003-04:00

The poly is still drying on the drysink project but it's mostly complete. All that's left to do it figure out how to put the shelf back in and rough up the corners a bit. Now it's on to my next "assignment".

Tetris

2009-04-23T06:05:00.003-04:00

Note to self: When designing a cabinet, make sure that the inside shelf fits through the door. I had to play shelf-Tetris for a half an hour yesterday trying to fit it through the cabinet door. There is one way that it goes in and one way that it comes out and it's easy to forget.

Voynich Deciphered?

2009-04-21T18:55:00.004-04:00

If you're not familiar with the Voynich Manuscript, it's a book thought to be created in the 16th century written in an undecipherable text with drawings of plant species that don't match anything that exists today. I've been fascinated by the concept for the last few years.

I just came across an article published in Wired in 2004 where a psychologist claims to have "broken" the code -- that it's not a code at all but rather an elaborate hoax. I have to say, I was a little disappointed that the mystery had been solved. However, the article is light on details and it seems that the "community" in general has continued to disagree for the past 5 years.

Be this text a hoax or a secret undecipherable message, I think it's important that we appreciate the mystery of it all. Mysteries fuel imagination and creativity. Imagination and creativity fuel innovation and drive us to solve impossible problems or beat impossible odds.

Extended Weekend Project

2009-04-19T21:02:00.003-04:00

The primitive dry-sink project has taken longer than I thought it would. I finally got around to mounting the door and purchasing the shelf pins. My wife wants me to stain it, then paint it and rough the paint down to the stain in some spots. I've never tried that technique but it's worth a shot.

Selling Online

2009-04-15T18:14:00.007-04:00

On the Rockler twitter feed, the following sites were recommended for selling wood (and other) projects online:

Weekend Project: Primitive Dry-Sink

2009-04-11T20:05:00.005-04:00

My wife brought me a printed picture of a dry-sink with the hopes that I could build one instead of spending $399. After working out the measurements, I decided to give it a shot over this long weekend.

This is my first cabinet project with 3/4" plywood sides, pocket-screwed face-frame, and adjustable shelf pins on the inside. My biggest challenge was handling the 4x8 sheets of plywood in my tiny garage shop.

Wood Project: Primitive Shelf

2009-04-09T20:04:00.004-04:00

The frame of this shelf was already built, originally it had wicker baskets. We crackle-painted the sides, rebuilt the boxes, and added stars. The top was built to match the rest of the shelf; it fits over the existing frame.

Wood Project: Armoire

2009-04-09T19:40:00.003-04:00

I worked on this "primitive-style" armoire project for a few months over the winter. My wife "commissioned" it at least a year and a half before I finally got the nerve to make it. Most of the work was done over the coldest weeks of January (tools felt like fire on my hands.) This was the biggest (and most complicated) project I've completed to date. I even wired a puck-light into the top to illuminate the shelf.

Project Progress

2009-03-20T20:32:00.005-04:00

First off -- my 5 kids "inherited" my Lego collection. That is, Lego sets that have accumulated in a large blue tub from when I was their age. I can't say how many there are...but it's a lot. Finding small pieces is a pain, you have to literally dig down to the bottom of the tub and hope you spot *and* snatch the piece before it's again lost in the fray.

It is for this reason that I created Lego sorting boxes. This isn't a new idea, in fact you can pick up a set for around $40. I had some extra wood lying around so I decided to give it a shot. I found that 5/8" diameter holes were good for the small pieces, 1" holes for the medium pieces. So far I've assembled two of the 3 boxes and initial tests worked great. The kids had a blast sifting for "treasure" and couldn't believe that it actually worked.

Guerilla Gardening

2009-03-13T22:10:00.001-04:00

"Have you ever wondered why so much public space seems to go to waste? Even apparently ‘natural’ green areas are carefully cultivated, requiring time, energy and water. However, these only produce a return if people are sitting, interacting, or playing on them. A great deal of urban green space is never used for these purposes. However, such spaces can be (and many are) subverted through guerilla gardening: the act of seeding useful plants in public spaces."

Complete Article: The Art of Guerilla Gardening

Mystery, Imagination, and Inspiration

2009-03-08T22:33:00.002-04:00

While watching a neat video about interactive blocks (complete with RF transmitters and OLED displays), I came across a 20-minute speech that JJ Abrams (the creator of Lost) gave on the importance of mystery. Well worth watching.

My favorite quote: "Mystery is the catalyst of imagination."

Both videos are presented via TED -- Technology, Entertainment, Design. TED's mission consists of two words: "Spreading Ideas".

"We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we're building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other."

Entertainment

2009-02-26T21:49:00.003-05:00

This morning I was talking to a colleague about how much entertainment has changed over the last 30 years. We used to have to sit down in front of the television at a certain time of day to watch a sitcom that was funny perhaps 10% of the time.

Now we get video content from a wide variety of sources -- DVR, cable on demand, Youtube, Netflix, Boxee, podcasts, etc. And not only that, but it's also super concentrated and unregulated. I can watch a show that was produced without sponsorship, without FCC regulation, without censorship, and without bounds. How awesome is that?

And not only that, but *anyone* can produce content with readily available equipment with better quality that the old public access channel.

I suppose my point is that we are fortunate to live in a time that empowers everyday people from all walks of life to get out there and be creative.

Creativity

2009-02-25T21:02:00.001-05:00

Check out this great speech on creativity by Elizabeth Gilbert: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/453.

The moral of the story: just get out there and make something. Be creative. Don't worry about failing.

I often find myself staring at a blank piece of paper unable to get the ideas out of my head. The hardest part is just getting started. As if I'm going to get it perfect the first try -- that doesn't happen. You have to write and idea down. walk away from it and come back when you're ready to refine it.

Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-20T21:13:00.000-05:00

So it’s 9 degrees outside and I’m standing in my driveway with my camera on it’s mini-tripod perched atop my Cherokee.

Dremel Tikis

2007-08-19T21:04:00.001-04:00

It all started this afternoon while I was messing around with my Dremel XPR 400. I saw a television show where an artist had used a Dremel to carve a face in a wooden character so I decided to give it a shot. What came out was a tiki of sorts (the third from the right.)

The kids liked the idea so much that they went off and designed their own. I’m going to buy some dark stain and see how they come out. We may keep making tikis until the scrap bucket runs out.

Lightning!

2006-04-16T21:56:00.000-04:00

Friday evening, a line of severe thunderstorms rolled through the Cincinnati area setting off some pretty spectacular fireworks. I grabbed my trusty digital camera and a tripod and set it up on top of my Jeep. On a 15 second exposure, and after about 20 tries, I was able to capture the image to the left. All danger aside, it has to be the best storm picture I've ever taken.