DIY Woodworking, Home Improvement, and Art Projects

I was at my brother’s house over the weekend and we had one task – install 4 new recessed lights in the upper floor of his home that was built in the ’30s (I think.) This upper floor had some windows on either side of a long, narrowish central room. We needed to add some serious light in there to make it a more usable space. Basically when we asked ourselves how to install recessed lighting, we just turned to our dad, who has years and years of electrical experience, for both guidance and help on the actual install. So here’s the situation – our dad is the man, and that’s a thing that gets tossed around a lot – “oh, he’s the man”, etc., well, he really is, and he helped out in a huge way on this project.

Before I got there my brother, Dan, had done all the shopping, so we were ready to roll right away. I had a double-espresso in my belly and had also just scarfed down some breakfast burritos to fuel the long day of home improvement mania ahead. My eyes were wide, my camera was ready, and my laptop was open to start taking notes, and to get covered with ceiling-drywall dust!

My dad has been fiddling with electrons for a long time and he has this ‘magic bucket’ full of cool tools for electrical projects that pretty much goes wherever he goes. There are going to be pictures of the magic bucket later, so keep your peepers peeled. For this project you won’t need every single thing that he’s got in his kit, but here are the essentials that we used on this one. These links will go to Amazon and ToolBarn eventually because I love shopping at both of these places, I have ordered satisfactorily many times before, and you can pretty much find anything you’ll need.

Wire strippers
Wire cutters
Small and large phillips screwdriver
Small and large flat screwdriver
25′ tape measure
Wire nuts of various sizes
Hammer
1/2″ wood staples
Pen knife or small x-acto knife of some kind
Drywall saw
Pencil (not overly sharpened ideally)
Dust mask
2′ x 4′ 3/8″ board (dimensions aren’t important, but it needs to be big enough lay on, and light enough to maneuver in the space above the ceiling, whatever that looks like in your situation)

Other helpful items to consider:
Electrical tape
Compact LED flashlight(s)
Band-aids
Work towels (that won’t ever need to find their way in front of the important-type guests)

I am sorting/editing all the pictures this week and organizing/expanding on my notes, so there will be more posts in this series soon. Until then, cheers!

Bodies, necks, electronics – oh my!

Background

I am an obsessive researcher. Once I get an idea in my head, especially if it’s something I am going to invest a lot of money in, or something I am going to be making, then I seek out as much information as I can on the subject…really anything I am interested in is an excuse to spend hours and hours learning about every possible aspect of it.

I started playing guitar again at the end of ’07 after a couple of years off. I was in school full time and working 50+ hours a week so I wasn’t able to devote enough time to my guitar. So now that I’ve graduated I have many of those hours back. Right now I am playing a vintage sunburst ’95 Epiphone Casino through an Epiphone Blues Custom all-tube amp. I also play a Grand Symphony Taylor acoustic with a Rosewood back and sides, and a Red-Cedar top. Both guitars sound gorgeous and I literally enjoy playing so much more now that I have quality instruments.

I like a variety of music but mostly I tend to find myself listening to singer-songwriters and late ‘60s and early ‘70s music. I like some heavier stuff like old Black Sabbath, and some Indie rock like Weezer, too. I have always loved instrumental music as well; particularly surf rock from the likes of The Ventures, The Shadows, The Challengers, Man or Astro-Man, and Satan’s Pilgrims. The guitar that I needed to complete my triangle of sound was one capable of jangly, tremolicious surf pop sounds, with the ability to turn it up and make it growl when necessary.

So with a particular sound in mind I went searching for the right instrument to produce it. The thing that I noticed right off the bat was that most of the surf rockers used Fenders…typically a Stratocaster or Jazzmaster. I absolutely love the original Jazzmasters. The shape, the tone, the finishes available – all of it – but they are quite expensive and the stock tremolo bridge is suspect. The Strat is an American icon and comes in so many flavors it’s quite a confusing choice.

So after looking at hundreds of Strats of all styles and finishes with an almost infinite combination of pickups, neck contours, and body woods, I realized something. Since I am so damn particular and really wanted this axe to be something special, I decided to not decide, and just make my own.

This is a list of some of the posts to come chronicling my custom build:

• Research:
  • materials and finishes
  • wiring and pickup options
  • hardware options (bridges, tuners, etc.)
  • places to buy it all
• Buying the parts:
  • Where I bought the stuff
  • Why I bought what I did
  • Other purchases along the way…
• Building the guitar:
  • Part 1 – testing finishes
  • Part 2 – preparing the body
  • Part 3 – applying the dye finish
  • Part 4 – applying the lacquer top coats
  • Part 5 – finishing the neck
  • Part 6 – assembling the final guitar and testing

Sorry I don’t have any pictures yet, but I wanted to get out a quick update of the weekend progress.  I actually got quite a bit done on Saturday.  I moved everything around in the garage, swept out all of the dingy corners, cleaned the cobwebs, and re-organized all of the boxes and stuff that was still going to be stored out there…and that was all before lunch.

At noon I made myself some scrambled eggs and coffee, and then headed back out to begin the shop setup process.  At that point most of the area was clear where I wanted to assemble my router table and table saw.  There is this massive, metal cabinet that was left behind by the previous owners, so I used that to house most of my smaller tools.  That was nice because I don’t have my own workbench yet, and I definitely had a lot of tools to store away.

The next thing was to assemble my router table which took awhile, probably about two hours from start to finish.  There were a lot of nuts and bolts to this thing, and the router base plate had to be drilled and countersunk to accomodate my Bosch router.  I was very careful to take my time with this step to make sure I got it right the first time.  I got the table kit from this awesome hardware and homewares store not far from the house called Hartville Hardware.  They have an online store, but there’s nothing like going there in person and talking with their staff, and browsing the aisles full of great items.  So if you’re around Hartville, Ohio check ‘em out!

I took the saw and all of its components out of the box and laid them out so I could get rid of the massive box.  That thing is heavy!  The cast iron top is heavy, the motor is heavy, the main assembly is heavy…well, you get the idea.  That’s against the back wall too now, so it is ready to be assembled to work on our first major project of the spring–putting in the new stairs!

I’ll update this thread with some pictures soon, but not until I get a new CF card reader.  My Rebel XT doesn’t have a driver available that works with Windows Vista yet, so I can’t just plugin and download directly to the computer.  Well, check back soon for those pics and the next phase of the woodshop setup process.  Cheers!

Setting Up Shop – part 1
March 6, 2007

This coming weekend I am going to begin setting up my own woodworking shop finally. Well, truthfully, it’s more like a corner of the garage with a bunch of tools stuffed in there, but hey, I can call it whatever I want, right?!

The main thing I think is to start with a clean space. Then you can adequately plan for where you want the biggest pieces of equipment to go, and so on. I intend to use the back wall of the garage to setup my tools, build my new bench, and add lighting and extra outlets. Once the area is clean, I will measure out what I have to work with, and I will be able to see where I can attach lights, run cords, and store my other tools and wood supplies.

The garage is a double, and I love parking my car in there in the winter, but I may have to sacrifice my space so I can have enough room for my shop. Ideally you wouldn’t want your shop in the garage for several reasons; it’s hard to regulate the temperature, so any wood stock you may have can expand and contract more than if it was in a stable environment; in the middle of the winter in Ohio it can get really cold, and spending a long time on a project in a cold garage is the surest way to be uncomfortable and to start resenting the whole thing; garages are best for storing cars, not heaps of power tools.

Ultimately I will have a contractor-grade table saw, a router table, a large, functional homemade workbench, shelves, cabinets, lighting, and wood storage, all in one main area.  I already have the table saw, the router table kit, some cabinets, a portable work light, and most of the tools for the shop.  One can always add more tools to their arsenal, but I am starting small and planning to add only when I need things to complete a project.

That’s it for part 1, check back next week for part 2 which will hopefully cover the beginnings of the new shop itself. 

I found some interesting information on home renovation loans as I was searching around tonight. Now Wells Fargo is by no means the only, or the best, mortgage lender out there. I saw this page on their site and it really caught my eye. The idea is that you’re financed for the amount the home will be worth after the improvements. They go through a little list of the benefits of financing your home this way below Wells Fargo link.

In our case we’ve already purchased the home, and are looking to do all of our projects on a tight budget, as we get the funds. So this particular product isn’t for us, but if you’re looking to buy a home that needs renovation right away, consider a renovation loan like this one. If you have already have your home and have some equity built up in it, then you can take out a second mortgage against that equity and use that for home improvements. I would advise you to think this through before jumping in and splashing around your good credit and equity though. Be careful that what money you’re putting into the house you’ll be able to get back when you sell it. If you don’t plan to sell anytime soon, then be aware that second mortgages are often more expensive in terms of fees and overall interest rates. I hope this information is helpful for you.

This is the first in a series of posts I’ll be doing on different financing options for your home and/or home renovation. It’s important to be aware of all the opportunities and pitfalls out there regarding home financing. If anyone would like to help with this series and contribute their ideas, or an entire article, please let me know. Thank you!

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage – Renovation Loans
Renovation Loans
Whether the improvements you envision are large or small, necessary or optional, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage has a solution that lets you purchase or refinance a home and improve it – all in one loan! Our renovation loans benefit borrowers who:

* Have found a home they love that needs a little work
* Are current homeowners with little equity who want to remodel
* Are increasing the value of investment rental property

Benefits of Purchase & RenovateSM Loan and Refinance & RenovateSM Loan
More Money:
Your loan amount is based on the increased property value after renovation. Lower interest rate:
First mortgage rates are usually lower than second mortgage and credit card rates saving you money on renovation financing.
Lower monthly payments:
Financing your mortgage and renovation simultaneously spreads improvement costs throughout the term of your loan. More tax deductible interest: *
The interest on your renovation costs are part of your first mortgage.
No wait:
You can begin your renovation immediately after closing. Simplicity:
There’s only one application, one set of fees and one monthly payment.

You know, it can be hard to determine your own decorating style. When it comes to clothing, music, cars, etc., we generally don’t seem to have a problem distinguishing ourselves, and choosing a style. Ask most anyone what kind of music they like and you’ll get an immediate answer. Ask them what kinds of clothes they feel good in, and look good in, and they’ll either grab a catalog, name a store, go to a website, or show you their closet, to describe and demonstrate what “does it” for them.
But, I bet that if you asked the average person about their decorating style, or favorite architecture, or favorite color scheme, they wouldn’t have an answer; they’d probably look at the ground for a minute, twist their mouth up in mock concentration, and then tell you that they don’t know. Do you like the Danish modern style? How about German minimalism? Or, what about that great Craftsman period, and the great Bungalows of the early 20th century? Huh?!
If you’ve been thinking about redecorating your current home or apartment, it would be helpful to know what style you are. Since home renovation isn’t a small, or cheap, undertaking, it’s well worth it to research and plan ahead. The single best thing you can do to ultimately save you time, money, and lots of headaches, it’s to read, watch, and record. What is involved in reading, watching and recording? Fine questions, and I am going to go over each phase in a series of posts about finding your style, and planning to make it a reality in your home.
The ‘What’s Your Style?’ posts will be a series of at least 4 articles including this introduction. I will show you places to look for information, pictures, inspiration, and products; the Reading phase. Then I’ll give you a rundown of the best programs, and even movies, to watch for ideas, inspiration, and up-to-date examples of what’s possible; the Watching phase. Then finally, I’ll walk you through how to write down your ideas, organize them, and create a winning plan so you can make your decorating dreams a reality; the Recording phase.
So come back every week as I will be writing one part of the ‘What’s Your Style’ series each week. In the meantime I’ll still be posting on other topics and interests throughout the week. Cheers!