Bathroom Vanity

I built and designed a bathroom vanity. It is by far the nicest piece of furniture I've built.

Here are a few pictures and notes.

Pixel City

At a time, I endeavored to create a pixel art style collage consisting of various pop-culture and movie references...

Big surprise that never went anywhere. 

Pixel art is just that, individual pixels make up a very simple, cartoon-like image.  When you enlarge the image, you begin to see the blockiness the pixels create.
Here are a few images from that week in my life when I was going to make an awesome collage. I was aiming for something like this. I fell incredibly short.

All of these are done from scratch, using reference pictures for the two well known likenesses.

Possibly the most famous fire house- Hook & Ladder #8.

Truck Restoration: From Nothing to Something

This project, affectionately called 'Agent Orange', started in 2008. I decided I needed a work truck, something cheap... then it turned into a restoration project.  I did the majority of the work myself, and after two years ended up with a nice truck. I did not weld or do the final paint job. I did all the jamb painting though.

Here is the project!

The humble beginnings of 'Agent Orange'.

New Video: The Bumbling Brothers

If you've been following along, a few weeks ago I made a post about a Dexter inspired photo contest. After creating such a great set, I had to capture some video. Here is the splash screen.

So with minimal direction and no script we ad-libbed a few different scenarios. With a situation like this, consistency and plot suffer. I tried to edit the footage into some semblance of a story. I had hoped to shoot a couple more scenes at a different location, but it just didn't work out.

 

No worries, being a humorous take, the inconsistencies aren't quite as glaring.  I went with comedy as my latest string of videos had been a little dark. I don't want to be constrained to a type.

I hope you enjoy.

Paint Your Own Car for $100

Today I will show you how to paint your car for $100.

My vehicle needed a paint job.  The clear coat was peeling, there were scratches, a couple of dents, and years of abuse.

This is when I first got my vehicle. The paint was rough even then.

This is one of the first pictures. After six years, the clear coat on the hood
was gone and the roof was starting to rust.

Graphic Design: Boy Scout Banner

Provided with a pencil sketch and some direction, I had the opportunity to create a banner for a Boy Scout troop.

The finished banner. It's eight feet wide and one foot tall.

This banner will be used at the 2013 Boy Scout Jamboree.  The Jamboree is held every four years, and 50,000 scouts from all over the country attend.

Wood Work

A brief history of how my wood working hobby has developed. Don't worry, there are many pictures.

My first project was raising a wall cabinet three inches so that the refrigerator would fit.  I also had to shorten the doors.

The doors had a groove pattern I was even able to match. You could never tell I changed the cabinets now. The funny thing is, I tried to match the groove in a different set of doors a few years later and couldn't remember how I did it.

The next project was a trash receptacle.  It had a groove pattern to match the cabinets, and a lot of routing.  The top lifts off, and when on, keeps the edges of the bag in place.

I kept building, and accumulating tools to accomplish new techniques. The pictures below are a few of the highlights in chronological order, mostly. If I had taken more pictures of my projects, I would have included them.

An airplane shelf.

A baseball shelf.

A fun project, as not one of the surfaces was square with any other surface.

Honey-comb shelf.

Sofa Table. I built this completely out of pieces I had lying around.
All wood is sourced from 2x4's. All tile is scrap.

And then I built another. Why stop at one?

A rocket cut-out. All the lines between colors were groove routed.

My biggest project by far - a built in window seat and book case.
Crown molding, a vent, and baseboard have since been added.
Not to mention, the ugly carpet was replaced.

I've got quite a few projects in varying stages of unfinished. I hope to complete them soon.

Thanks for looking!

Graphic Design: Photoshop Silliness

The silliness started with this image.

This is a muftak.

Silliness is a great way to further photoshop skills.  The final image is nothing amazing, but it does include a few subtle details that will help any photoshopping effort.

Design Contests

A few years ago,  I entered a local design contest and won.

That propelled me to enter additional design contests and even a few video contests.
Unfortunately, I didn't win additional contests, and my interests have since shifted.

Design contests are a great way to push your creative side, learn, and develop your skills.  The fact that all contests have a deadline, means you can't put them off.

I have submitted a video for a Super Bowl commercial, a Lego animation, and designed a restaurant, an office building, a kitchen, and furniture.

I've also entered and even won a various 'photoshop' contests.

If you need something to do or you're stuck in a rut, try a contest. You may even win a prize.

The award-winning bus stop (that sadly, was never built).

Interior Design: Picture Rail

A picture rail, is exactly that, a rail to hold pictures.

This is a weekend project, provided you have a few tools.

I took 3 layers of 3/4" plywood. I cut the first one 1" wide and then cut a 45* angle with a table saw, the second layer I cut 2 1/2" wide and rounded over the edge with a router,the third layer I cut 4" wide and cut a 45* angle with a table saw and used a router to cut a 1/4" slot 1" off the front edge. This slot will hold pictures in place.

Concept sketch.

Prop Dynamite

You can't accurately impersonate Wile E. Coyote without a good stick of dynamite.

Dynamite!