My Favorite Projects from 2016

2016 was a  busy year!

Make Custom Peg Board Hooks

With chain link fence ties you can make custom peg board hooks.

Make a Center Line Finder

Want a quick way to find the center line of a 2x4?

Make a $5 Baby or Dog Gate

Do you need a quick, easy, and cheap baby or dog gate as in my case?

AHS - Twisty the Clown Halloween Costume

This year for Halloween I created a Twisty the Clown costume.

Luke Skywalker Costume Belt from Scraps & Metal Chain

Need a belt on the cheap? If you keep left over parts, you have everything you need.

Headphone Padding Improvement/Repair

I've had my headphones for many years. The padding had flattened and they became uncomfortable. This is a cheap and easy way to fix that.

Batting Cage Net Repair

With the batting cage in place, it was time to tackle the numerous holes in the net.

Batting Tee Repair

With my new to me batting cage construction complete, it became time to repair the broken batting tee.

Building a Batting Cage

Seven years ago I began researching how to build a batting cage. I didn't need one, I just wanted one. Life moved on and that project was shelved. Now the project is back and I have a batting cage.

Future Pitching Machine Restoration

I have a pitching machine!

WardWorks Studio Office

No, WardWorks isn't getting an office. At least, not yet.
I had a few ideas for an office that I've been wanting to get out of my head and since it's been too long since I've opened Sketchup, here you go.

Question Everything

That's the way we've always done it.
Maybe it's a good way to do it, maybe it's worth investigating if there is a better way.

The truth is out there.

Electrical: Adding a Switch and Lights

I needed more lights in my basement, so I added lights and a switch. Let me be clear, I'm not an electrician.

How Long Does it Take to Succeed?

I'll let you know when  I find out. The length of time for success depends on the scope of your goal.

Mobile Modular Storage Cart

After building the lumber storage cart, I need a junk cart. I keep a lot of found items and need to organize it so I can find what I need when I need it.
An unorganized pile of items is a mess, an organized pile of items is a resource library.

Short Story - Time Past

Time Past
words: 1,061

Gary George stepped into the box, giving the bat a partial swing. A few cheers echoed from the crowd. It wasn’t like the roar he used to generate.

Is Windows 10 a Scam?

I now have the Windows 10 operating system installed on my personal computer, but I never gave consent or permission. How did that happen?

What Do You Want to Be? Why Aren't You Doing it?

There are so many things I want to do, that split my time. I'm a wood worker, film maker, writer, prop maker, podcaster, etc.

Shop Tip: Save Time Use Templates

Get more done in less time. Use a template. Even if it's a scrap piece of wood, a template saves time.

It's the Small Things

We are defined by others. I can call myself an artist, but without corroboration is it true?

I can state I'm great at basketball, but if we played a game I would lose. That statement can't be corroborated.

Idle Projects

Starting projects is easy, finishing them is not. I've got a few projects that  I should finish, but I'd rather start a new project.

Everything I do gets modeled in Sketchup.

Your Favorite Isn't Your Best

We have our favorites. Our favorite tool, shirt, athlete, game, etc. It can be hard to separate our favorites from the best. You reach a point where your favorite shirt, the one you spent a little extra on is now faded and worn. It isn't the best thing to wear anymore when you go out.

I Built a Wall

Well, I designed a wall, and it was actually built.

 

How to Blog Like Michael Jordan

Blogging is easy to start, but difficult to conquer.

Michael Jordan soared above everyone else and distinguished himself to become an icon. How can you do that with your blog?

Build a Vacuum Former

I finally built a vacuum former. I've been looking at builds for years, and I started talking about this build three years ago, but finally it happened.

If I ever build another one, this post lists everything I need and the tricks I learned along the way. To buy a vacuum former like this, I would have spent over $5,000. I spent a LOT less.

I'm Bad at Being Lazy

 I'm bad at being lazy. That's not a bad thing.

Build a Mini Vacuum Former

I built the larger vacuum former first, and then decided that I needed a mini vacuum former for smaller pieces and for the leftover scrap plastic from the big former.

Is My New Story Idea a Legacy?

I often get ideas of short films I want to make OR stories I'd like to craft. Even innocuous events can trigger an idea.

Workbench Riser

My workbench has been on 5 gallon bucket risers which are unstable and take up a bit too much space. I finally decided to building something better.

Why Can't Everybody Do Everything

I can go to youtube and find a video that will show me how to do almost anything. I've gotten help with car repairs, woodworking, prop making, and even video games. Anything that's creative, chances are someone else is doing it and showing you how. With all the tutorials out there, why can't everybody do everything?

Mobile Lumber Storage Cart

It's a happy little storage cart.

To organize and mobilize my shop I built a rolling lumber storage cart.

Fix that Lamp in a Few Minutes

I've had this broken lamp sitting on my work bench for years. I finally decided to fix it.

Fix that old lamp with the short.

Short Story - I Wish I Could Remember the Other Day

I Wish I Could Remember the Other Day

words: 1087

This story was inspired by the song Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto.

Short Story: Abe Zanarkand Rides Again

Abe Zanarkand Rides Again

[1] INTERIOR. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM. DAY.

We see ABE ZANARKAND's steely face. He's clad in a fedora and trench coat. He asks a question and then another. He raises his voice and asks yet another question.

ABE ZANARKAND:

Where were you?

What happened? 

What did you have for lunch?!

Then we see his foe. Six year old ZACH. Sitting behind a child sized desk. They're in a classroom.

ZACH points out the window, silent, unfazed.

V.O.:

He thwarts my question yet again as he points out the window. 

We've been playing this cat and mouse game for too long. 

I grit my teeth, realizing I won't be able to get any information out of this suspect, 

I ask another throwaway question.

Make Prop Dynamite

You can make realistic looking prop dynamite in a couple of hours using hand tools with what you have lying around your house.

Short Story - They Yearn for the Cup

They Yearn for the Cup
words: 833

Aika forced a smile as he watched his brother Mika walk away into the dim mist of the night. He felt pain in his stomach knowing it would be the last time he’d see his brother. Despite the cheering from the crowd, his parents included, he didn’t share their joy. A pressure swelled in his stomach.

Short Story: Abe Zanarkand’s Merry Quest to Determine Who Marries Mary

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and occurrences are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Abe Zanarkand’s Merry Quest to Determine Who Marries Mary

words: 939

Detective Abe Zanarkand’s entry into the florist shop was accompanied by the clatter of bells hanging on the interior handle door. The florist eyed Zanarkand from behind oversized red rimmed glasses.

Not many people could wear a trench coat and fedora in the July heat and not sweat a drop. The florist knew this meant one of two things, trouble or a lousy tip.

I Didn't Learn to Play the Keyboard

Yann Tiersen's Comptine D'un Autre ete L'apres Midi is an amazing song. Every time I hear it, I wish I could play that song.
I started an adventure to learn that song. I didn't know how to play the keyboard, though I had played an instrument in band class decades ago. That was all of my experience.

Short Story - Snowball Plight

Snowball Plight

words: 1183

[1] INTERIOR. TYPICAL BIG BOX STORE - ENTRANCE. MORNING.

Close shot on the wheel of a shopping cart as it rolls across the floor. It squeaks with every full rotation. CLYDE shakes his head, wondering how he always gets that one noisy cart. The noise of the wheel is miniscule in a store bustling with patrons and carts.

CLYDE is average looking, wearing neat, non-descript clothing and a dark ball cap pulled low. CLYDE moves towards the back of the store with purpose.

Short Story - Cinnamon Raisins Messing with My Mind

Cinnamon Raisins Messing with My Mind
words: 2176

 Allison inhaled and exhaled deliberately. Her mind was starting to race as she wondered how much oxygen was left. It felt like she was falling asleep standing up, her body going limp and regaining consciousness before she fell. Her knees were near her chest, and she had no room to move.

My Movie Reviews Are Moving

My movie reviews are moving to a new blog dedicated to movies and television:

http://crossthenetflixstream.blogspot.com/

I write and podcast about movies and television. Thanks for checking it out!

When MDF Attacks

MDF is a versatile type of wood that's easy to cut, it's soft which is a problem with screws. How do you fix that?

Repair MDF with a dowel plug.

Revisiting My Favorite Childhood Movies

Are the movies I loved as a kid actually good? I revisited my favorite movies from long ago. Did I have good taste? Do these movies hold up?

Ghostbusters - Comedy and special eff