Letter box

i got approached by someone that saw the bug boxes. she had a specific requirement for a post box and could not find anything in the shops. we agreed on a time and we met at her house to see the space and to take some measurements.

she needed the postbox to be fastened to the existing steel palisade fencing above a short column next to her pedestrian gate. the problem was that the gap between the palisades did not allow for any of the horizontal letter openings that were available in local shops. could not get a box with a vertical opening.

we had a short discussion around the picture in her head, combined a couple of quick ideas and i went of to go and draw. a couple of design adaptations later and we settled on an idea.

the main construction is plywood that is covered in a product to keep the weather out. the sides are to be clad in aluminium creating a loop at the top to allow bigger articles like news papers to be delivered (gulp - my first time doing this scale of sheet metal work on my own). the exposed edges gets painted a colour that matches the rest of the fence.

the box construction was pretty straight forward cutting and gluing. the joints were held in place with some brad nails and clamps till the glue dried. i made a little "tunnel" around the letter opening to help keep water out and make it more difficult to retrieve items from the front of the box. i hope this is sufficient.

the door that covers the opening at the back is hinged with piano hinge to spread the load of the screws on the wood. the door needed to be latched in the closed position, i bought a cupboard latch that would hold the door closed. this latch usually gets operated from inside the the cabinet but this was not possible with the completely closed box. i made a hinged handle on the outside that gets connected via a piece of thin brass rod to the latch on the inside. lifting the handle unlatches the door. this was too much fun to design and make and it works like a charm!

after checking that there where no gaps in the joins and sanding the box it got treated against bugs and then coated with "Aqua shield". this stuff seems pretty cool, in the hardware shop product display there is a chipboard box that is coated with this stuff. it was then filled with water and left. there is no swelling in the chipboard and it has been standing like that for months. the shop has actually covered the top of the box with a piece of see through plastic because the water was evaporating... My postbox got coated inside and out.

i painted the box with a green coat of enamel and then started to tackle the unknown. the sheet metal...

i decided that the easiest way to get the curve on the top was to create a "buck". a form over which the material can be shaped. so i cut some  circles to the right diameter out of some scrap plywood and cut some notches. i held them together with some hot glue while cutting.

i then assembled the whole thing to match the size of the top of the box. its all held together by brad nails, i was not worried about what this looks like since it only got used to shape the material and then it gets discarded.

the bending process took some thought since the buck had to be held in place but i could not screw it onto the letterbox in anyway since it would then damage it. i tied it on using tie downs making sure that ratchet is located at the bottom of the box. this worked pretty well to get the preliminary shape. for this i carefully marked all the screw locations on the aluminum and drilled it. all the holes got counter sunk from the outside to get the screws as flush as possible. tricky when working with sheet that is only 1.5mm thick. i then rough cut the this side and fastened it to the side.

with the buck in place it got bent over. i used the heat gun and a rubber mallet to provide a little persuasion to the the curve the right shape. i then removed the straps and marked and drilled the other side. ( this makes it all sound so quick! )

the unit got rough cut again using the jigsaw to get as little material possible sticking over the edges.

after a little research online to make sure that it will not damage my tools i decided that the quickest way to the sheet flush with the sides of the wooden box was to use a flush-trim bit in the router. this work very well, taking slow cuts and clearing the bit when it got clogged.

i buffed the outside of the box to get rid of the little scratches on the outside. and gave the whole cladding a coat of clear lacquer to try and protect the shine.

since the box was going to be fastened through the front panel i needed a "foot" to hold it up in the back. i found some scrap stainless, and tried some YouTube acquired blacksmithing skills. and put together a foot that would go under the back of the box, getting fastened to both the underlying column and the base of the letterbox.


for the inside i cut and drilled a little piece of flatbar to spread the load of the screw heads.

installation went really smoothly - i really focused on the measure twice cut once principal and it paid off. the box mounted dead straight in the gap! the over all picture was good. the mounting is nice and sturdy and it blends well with the rest of the fence. the numbers where cut with the jigsaw. it felt so wrong leaving the completed letterbox out in the weather like that!

Bug Boxed

as i have heard it said many times, its about timing, listening and talking. that is how work comes your way first.

was chatting to a friend who had an idea for her kids birthday party coming up but was a little stumped by the resources that she required being unavailable. she wanted to have a birthday party in the bush and give the kids the opportunity to to find and catch bugs, putting the bugs into a breathable easily open-and-close-able container that can breath. she had a sample of what she wanted but could not find it anywhere. i had a look at it, did some costing built a basic prototype with some scrap and we had a deal. 

i cut up some 9mm plywood for the main construction and glued and nailed it together using some brad nails after drilling a "half hole" in the one end with a hole-saw to create an opening, an "entrance to demise". poor bugs...

after a quick coat of clear lacquer the body was covered with some fly net, the kind you use to keep the bugs from coming in the window. i added two little eyelets to accept a handle. the handle was made using some brightly colored shoelaces that i slipped through the eyelets and knotted together. 

the party was great fun. it was held in a wooded park and the kids were taken on a walk. some chocolate eggs where hidden in the bushes encouraging the kids to keep their eyes open. loads of ants, 2 huge millipedes, some spiders and other bugs where examined very closely. worked better than i thought...

light butler

i love having a picture in my head and being able to make it real. so others can see it too.

for a while now i have been wanting to make a lamp that can light up your book that you are reading and hold the book till you have time for the next chapter.

ok sure put the lamp on a table and sit next to the table. but what if you could sit close under that lamp that had its own table.

i had 15mm (half inch) copper pipe left over from previous projects at home so that was it. i carves some feet out of some pallet wood with a jigsaw and some rasps. and made a little plywood base. this added weight and stability to the lamp that was about to grow out of it.

from here i started to build a little man with cross-overs for knees and combinations of 90 and 45 degree elbows for the hips shoulders elbows and neck.

it holds a little table made from an off cut i had int he shop. the base was stained and all the wood was given a coat of boiled linseed oil. the copper was cleaned off and also rubbed down with some linseed oil.

the cable runs up the left leg, up the spine and the light is operated by a foot switch. this was loads of fun to build! and i'm loving the end result.

best of all, the light butler is for sale... 

Privacy settings

i love being at home. my workshop and garage are places where i relax. two hours in my garage - even just cleaning, has a similar effect to a day or two leave from work. what i do not like is an impromptu audience.

my garage faces the road the. when i open my roller door then the entire shop is exposed to the road, and as any human being would, passers by always have a nice look inside. unfortunately, crime makes us skeptical of every stranger. terrible, i know but hey... having just recently had the paving in my driveway repaired and leveled my kids were aching to ride their bikes in the driveway. because of the a fore mentioned skepticism i'm not comfortable with every passerby having a little dialog with my toddlers... point was the steel palisade fence was far to open.

closing it up completely is not a very safe option either - i have been told. i decided that i'll go with an idea that i had ages ago to put wooden slats in between the galvanized steel palisades. leaving a gap between for two reasons: 1. there will still be a level of visibility through the fence, but looking in will no have to be deliberate as the small gap will not give a clear view to the moving passer-by. the second reason was wind. the steel palisades are only bolted into the clay brick wall that it it is standing on and a proper coastal storm ,m like we occasionally have will create some unwanted diy if i were to make the fence a complete barrier.

i shopped around somewhat since everything is done on a shoestring budget. the hardware shop prices were ridiculous. i found a place that treats the timber and mostly deals with round poles. the wood was pressure cooked in a chemical i only know as H3. it is rot and bug proof. (if the timber is in contact with soil then you need to use the ones treated with H4)  i used 75x25mm pine fence slats of various lengths for the different parts of the fence.

after catting all the slats to the precise lengths required, i cut the corers off the tops at 45 degree angles. i used the miter-sled that i used to make the picture frame. i simply cut one corner flipped the wood over and and cut the opposite corner. adding a stop to the sled (i just nailed it on temporarily) made the cute repeatable for every slat.

i then drilled holes (roughly 25mm) in the tops as well. i like adding a little detail to stuff. it removes the "homemade" factor. but i did not take a picture...

now it was the job of fitting the slats to the fence. my initial idea was to drill through the galvanized angle iron and bolt the wood to the steel. after careful consideration i realized that making a hole in the galvanizing would introduce rust. and that would kill my palisades fencing. so i went back to the wood shop and bought more slats. i ripped these slats down the center and used then behind the fence. putting a bolt through the fencing slat and through the wood at the back fastening it with a nut. this effectively clamped the wood to the metal without damaging the galvanizing. the bolt holes where drilled after getting the slat in place. turns out the gaps in the palisades are not nearly as accurate as they look...

and there is was. the wood was given a coat of boiled linseed oil, only because it makes the grain pop out, and that is nice. the effect is great, my kids are loving being able to play in the driveway! and i have not set foot in the garage since i finished...

Framed

so if you read the last blog you might have or might not have been waiting for the update on what i did with my window frames. well i have done nothing with them. it has been an incredibly busy time of year and i have been unable to accomplish anything tangible.

i have been watching a lot of youtube though. i love youtube. i have learnt so much from there. people freely sharing their knowledge, sometimes sharing mistakes that they have made. there is a lot to learn from there. i follow a couple great people on youtube. yes there is a lot of junk there too, but you just filter and then keep what you like. one of the guys i follow on youtube is called steve ramsey. he does woodworking. what i love about his projects is that they show that it is not difficult. he would take seemingly complicated things and make them simple without using complex or other than the normal tools or equipment.

i really liked a picture frame that he had made in the beginning of this year and was really keen to try it. i needed an excuse though... my sister in law got married and i had committed myself to making a wedding gift. she got married last year, so i was really starting to feel the pressure. here was my excuse.

most hand made frames' downfall are the mitered joints. if you get these wrong then the frame looks shoddy. i wanted mine to be perfect. well steve knew that and in that same week uploaded another video showing you how to make a simple jig to get yourself perfect miters every time.

these are the videos i mentioned:

and

having that ammo i made both. my miter sled is not as neat as his and i did not think it picture worthy but it did the job and that matters .

the frames started as a small sheet of plywood that i got from a crate that i picked up for free. yes the free stuff again! i stripped the crate and used its lid. i followed the same process as on steves video. "want to be any good? then copy the masters" they say. so i cut some strips of plywood. laminated them and worked them into the basic frame shape (cutting the rabbet for the picture to sit in etc.) 

then came the careful measuring of the picture. while preparing for the wedding last year, i found some owlets in a tree and took a picture of them. i had this canvas printed and blocked to A3 size. 

i'm known for making a hash with cutting so i measured and remeasured and it paid off! here is the frame around the picture for the first time:

 when i glued it it measured square without any adjustments. that mitre sled is really a neat little addition to a workshop and will be used quite a bit more in the future. i sanded the frame as smooth as i could get it and then beat it with a piece of chain i found in my workshop. making marks in the wood. i used some black spray paint and gave the wood a very light coat of black. immediately after spraying i would rub the wet paint into the wood with a cloth. i then proceeded to sand the entire thing again. all the little indentations where now highlighted by the black paint. it also gave the corners and edges more definition.  the frame then got a coat of raw linseed oil. i love the smell of linseed oil. i gave it that "not-born-yesterday" look. exactly what i wanted. 

to mount the picture in the frame i used some hard board/masonite that also got a coating of linseed oil. these where just nailed in place at 45 degrees. yes i measured each on to make sure. i also fitted some wire to hang the picture. i had to use screws to hook the wire around since the frame is fairly heavy. 

i'm super stoked about how this turned out. hope she likes it! 

i'm now getting closer and closer to being able to rebuild the engine on the honda. a little more shop cleaning and i'll be there. hold thumbs! 

Hung for throwing a sign...

Sooner rather than later has become a bit of a something that has started sticking with me. its great, i'm a born procrastinator... but the sign needed to go up. did not like having it lying around when it should be hanging!

at work we have a surplus of hardware that came from crates, either holding the crates together or holding the contents in place. i found two bolts that were the same and a broken drip stand in the scrap box. i drilled two little holes into the head of the bolt and welded the drip stand hooks to the head of the bolt. and painted the welded area, rust is cool but destructive. i like the cool, not the destructive...

to connect the hooks to the sign i drilled a hole from the top as long as the bolt is. perpendicular to this hole i used the same size drill to make a slot that could take the nut. drilled it just deep enough so the nut would closely line up to the bolt shaft drilled before. slip the nut in the slot and fasten the whole deal together.

i made a little bracket from off-cut scraps i found in my scrap box at home, and hooked a chain in there.

the sign is about 200mm from the wall so it clears the tool wall nicely to retain access to the tools etc. so there. done and dusted.

next project got lined up for me yesterday. i have wooden window frames and i need to do some maintenance on the one which involves giving it an annual coat of varnish, and this time repairing some holes where the screws holding the latches are pulling out the wood. maybe i'll put a bit of that up here too...

Throw a sign!

a little while ago i saw a fantastic picture on Facebook. it was an old race car from the around the 70s, Grand Prix style, was difficult to tell exactly what is was because it was from behind. it had a stunning set of exhaust pipes, three on each side. all abreast. there is something about exhaust pipes stacked like that. i have always loved it, a symmetrical outflow of power i suppose? really messes up my brains just thinking of it. must be why i really enjoy the 6 cylinder bikes from long ago. cannot get enough of it.

anyway, back to the point. what made the said photograph that much cooler was the caption. "Let me play you the song of my people". i instantly needed that in my workshop. like an utterance over my Honda that one day, it will sing that song again!

the gears in my head started turning. i found some fonts that i liked and made the printout in A3. seemed to be the right size for my sign. those letters then got stuck on some Masonite and individually cut out on the scroll saw. this was some great practice on a piece of equipment i do not use often enough!

i sprayed the letters and then edged them all with a little brush. i worked on the layout and blackened the wooden backing (that i picked up on the beach) to add effect using a heat gun.

i'm fairly satisfied with the end result. i'm still needing to fabricate some brackets to hang the sign from the rafters. but this is its temporary spot.

while making this i was thinking that all of this could get laser cut or the lettering could just get bought of the shelf, but would this then appeal to my people? ;)

Fixed up in flames

i love dumpster diving! whenever i get rid of my garden refuse or drop off some recycling i have to stop at the steel recycling dumpster. it is incredible what people throw away! (its also incredible what people will take out the trash! *drops head in shame*). i dropped off some chopped branches after an excessive garden cleaning spree and stopped at the metal bin again and found this three tier metal shelf. it was rusty but the shelves seemed not to be rusted through and the whole thing was still in a sturdy fair condition.

now the recycling part of the dump is a low income site and there are people that work there that sort all the rubbish and then generate an income from selling the scrap steel and glass. so you always need to enter into some negotiations to buy what ever scrap you would like to take. i approached the guy in charge and motioned to the dumpster that had the shelf sticking out the top. "how much you going to charge me for that shelf?" he gave a deep sigh and a slight whistle, "that is a lot of steel, uh, R30." thats about $3 and i had that in my pocket. suddenly i owned a rusted shelf.

At home i took it apart and put a wire brush to it removing the rust and loose paint. it was somewhat pitted but the shelves would still be able to hold what ever i had to put on it. i got hold of some gloss black Rustoleum appliance epoxy and gave it a couple coats before re-assembly. just leaving it plain black would have been terrible so i  scratched around and got hold of some colors i had left over from previous projects and set the back plate alight.

always nice to have some fun in the workshop. i've made some brackets for the shelf to sit on since i'm planning to mount it on the wall. you can barely see them sticking out from behind the little blue desk next to the shelf. they still need a little finishing, some holes and some paint. hope to have the shelf on the wall  by the end of friday. yay for more packing space!

Stuff

apart from building fountains i have invested a considerable amount of time in sorting out all my rubbish. being a hoarder it does not bode well when you have limited space. i needed to get rid of some stuff (because i wanted to get other stuff).

i endeavored to replace the leaking roof on my single garage that i'm using as a workshop for all things with wheels. i had attempted many different things to try and safe the old fibrous cement roof and had just given up. i could stand the damp wetness no longer, everything that was inside this garage was getting destroyed by the leaking roof. so a new roof was going on. one days really hard work paid off. i officially have a dry place to work. i don't have to strategically place everything away from where the leaks where anymore. this was incredibly freeing!

now that it was dry i could go ahead and solve a problem that i have had for ages!

i have always coveted a proper too rack. to keep everything within reach and nicely organised. having some old crates on hand and just having heard of the french cleat system i got cracking to make this space accessible. i started with the garage looking like this:

there was no access and everything was being stored on top of each other and nothing was being packed away because it was too big a mission.

so for my tools i made this:

this was GREAT fun since every little shelf was a project on its own. all the shelves are modular and the entire rack can be re-arranged to suit the need at the time. having worked with it once or twice now, i'm in love... 

the racks look like this from the side:

i also made a shelf to triple the floor space along the back wall, it so worked out that the honda and the bike lift fit into the gap as if it was made for it! and although still full, i can walk in and use the workbench without removing anything from the garage. 

the work bench underneath the tool rack has been relegated to the driveway and the one on the other wall has been given a new back board and a new work top. the  bench vise was mounted on it and it was moved in place. 

the little blue table in the front (it was my childhood desk in my bedroom) will be put on wheels and will become a moving island in the garage that is the perfect height for stripping a DOHC CB750 engine. 

there is still a lot to be done but the place is becoming a much more functional space, adn i did not need to get rid of too much of my junk...