Motor Heaven

If you have tools, one thing is for sure... they're eventually going to break down. 

No matter how much you keep up with normal maintenance, parts wear out or fail. That's just the way it is, if you work with motors and pulleys and belts and fan blades.

So when a few motors in the shop started sputtering and whining, I knew I needed some professional help. I went to my usual motor guy, but unfortunately ... he couldn't perform the repairs I needed.  He's been around a long time, and has probably worked on motors longer than I've been alive. But I think he's got one foot out the retirement door, and just couldn't seem to perform the repairs. 

So he sent me to another motor shop in town - who knew that one town could have two motor repair places that have been in business for 60+ years?

Walking into Carlson Electric is like walking back in time. 

The front counter greets you with a bunch of signs, obviously relics of past issues they've had with other customers. I guess if you've been around that long, you're bound to have had some issues.

Honestly, I had the feeling that Woodie, the owner, has probably forgotten more about motors than most have ever learned. 

The best thing is that they have so many spare parts, scrapped from old motors, that just about any type of repair can be made.

 Pulleys? No problem.

 I'm not even sure what these are called - motor ends? 

Either way, there are a buttload of them - in every size and shape imaginable. Seriously, it's like a graveyard for motor parts. 

It's hard to take it all in. 

My repair was performed while I waited, with spare parts.  $25. I even got to watch the repair being made, until Woodie caught me in the back repair area, cussed me out and made me wait up front. 

Yeah, yeah, I get it... insurance regulations and all....

The bottom line is - I've found my new repair shop in town. 

And if you're ever in need of a good motor repair shop, I highly recommend them. Sure, Woodie can be a little gruff (read some of the Yelp reviews to understand what I mean), but he's one of the best in town.  He's who you want repairing your gear.

Late to the party?

 Maybe I'm late to the party, but I learned a sweet trick this week from one of the members of the carving club.  

Listen to the tune below while reading the rest of this past... it'll make sense at the end.

Remember the last post about tattoos, and covering up accidents? 

Barry was working on this eagle head,

 and accidentally broke off the tip of the beak.  As I looked closely at it - I could barely see a flaw, and asked how he'd fixed it.

 And he gave me the tip of the year... baking soda and superglue. He built up the tip with drops of glue and baking soda, and once it dried - he dremel-ed it smooth. 

Genius!

(Maybe I'm late to the party, but I've never heard of this technique.)

You know those nasty cracks that we get on our fingertips, especially during winter? Someone suggested superglue, rather than the more traditional first-aid solutions, like Skin Shield or New Skin. I've tried them all - they sting, and don't work. At least for me, they don't work. 

This past winter - I became a big fan of super glue. 

In fact, you can pick up a pack at your local Dollar Tree that will last a while. 

You don't have to worry about a bigger tube of it drying up and going to waste.

Honestly, I've tried them all, and superglue is a game changer for skin cracks. This fellow actually repaired a smashed nail, and although it's a nasty photo below, the repair is brilliant.

 I'm going to remember this one. 

Cool Woodworking Tattoos

If you regularly check out woodworking websites like I do, you'll notice some really interesting tattoos. I love the way people incorporate names or some personalization into the artwork -  here are a few of my favorites.

 I love how this woodworker has hidden the fact that he's missing two fingertips. Genius! 

That brings me to my dilemma - depending on how my shin heals, I might need some artwork to disguise this nasty scar. We'll see.... 

Stay safe!

Game on!

The buzz is starting....

What's a chair worth?...

Working smarter, not harder

Customers often come to me with vague ideas of what they want. 

So when someone came by recently, and gave me a photos like this one,

but with some changes, I knew what had to be done. But I was on a very tight schedule - just a few days to complete this, and with a full teaching schedule and a pile of other work stacking up, I had to prioritize the details. 

He wanted a collage of photos in frames, and some added embellishments. 

The word "Family" had to be in there somewhere, as it was intended for a close knit family. The theme of a family tree was my focus. 

We looked at a lot of examples and options, and finally came up with an idea of an easy-to-hang shadowbox, with a french cleat on the back. Making the outer frame was easy, and I domino'ed the corners for some added strength. 

In light of the time crunch, I found some wonderful wooden frames and utilized those, rather than making my own. Not enough time. 

But the best part was cutting out the artwork with my Glowforge laser. Here it is, as I was experimenting with the layout and spacing. 

 My ingenious method for attaching the frames to the backer board used these - brilliant!

And I matched the color of these (gray) frames by using this toner - so easy and professional of a match! It's available in many different colors, and the Light Walnut matched perfectly.

Here is it, starting to come together, with hours to spare.  

As a little bonus, I added the initials of the couple, as if they were carved into the tree trunk... a fun detail that really capped off this build. 

Having the Glowforge  has opened up amazing doors... I'm working on some very fun  commissions right now, and it's great to be working smarter, not harder.

 I'll take it!

Wonder what a shop class is like? Here's a peek....

The future is handmade...

Spring has sprung...summer is on the way...

The only constant in the woodshop is that people will hit me up for some of the most unique requests, from repurposing old furniture into something new, to working on their kid's school projects. I've been getting a few calls about Pinewood Derby cars - something I worked on a few years ago.

I still have mixed feelings about working on some kid's pinewood derby car, 

but as the comment at the bottom states - at least that mother was taking an active part in her child's life. If she couldn't build the car, at least she could find someone who could.

 So lately - I've been getting a ton of calls to work on student's school projects. A recent one involved the state of Nevada, and making a puzzle with all of the counties cut out. It was relatively easy to find the clip art on Google images. 

And of course - having a Glowforge laser makes easy work of cutting everything. 

The "trace" function allows me to scan the image, and click on the parts I want to cut out. 

Seriously, it couldn't be more simple. 

After adding a solid sheet behind this cut-out piece, it's easy to create a puzzle.

It's so easy, I made two... one for the student, and one for me!

The more I play with this, the more I learn what it can do... it's a totally awesome machine!  I'm working on a few corporate gifts using the Glowforge, I'll try to post some pictures of upcoming projects, but honestly - these products fly out of my shop as soon as I make them!

On a totally unrelated note, an aunt of mine passed away this week. Two things stand out in my mind about her - she was the very first person I ever knew who had air conditioning, so visiting her house was aways a cool treat.  

Even better - she took me to my very first concert - guess who we saw? 

RIP Aunt Jean - thanks for the concert!

Skysurfing? Ummm.... no thank you

We've all done some things in our lives that we would take back, right? 

 In my last year of college, I went skydiving with a group of co-workers. We spent a day in classes, learning how to do it properly, and how to deal with problems, should they arise. My buddies didn't look too thrilled about it, but I seemed happy at the time. 

As the day ended, the sky clouded over, and we had to abandon the idea of jumping that day. The next morning, we went back for our first jump.

I've run through this scenario in my head so many times, I can still recall the details - my chute malfunctioned and I'm lucky to be alive. Here I am, a speck in the sky, after I got the chute straightened out. 

That training the day before saved my life. I landed near a corn field about a mile from where I should have landed, 

took my chute off, and decided it wasn't for me.  

It was life changing - I lost all desire for thrill seeking - no more roller coasters, no bungee jumping, no zip lining, no scuba diving, no para gliding, no wind surfing, no rock climbing... I don't even like ferris wheels. Or elevators with glass sides.

A customer recently stopped by my shop, and explained that he was a sky surfer. 

I'd never heard of it, but he was trying to make a surfboard, and brought in a piece of aircraft plywood...

 I didn't even know there was such a thing, and apparently the sport has mostly died out. Sky boards are mostly unavailable, and it's hard to even find a used one to copy.  I pictured a bunch of guys in their garages, making boards from low quality plywood from the big box stores... a recipe for disaster! I could picture the wood delaminating at high speed, or worse....

He and I have been working on some prototypes of boards, with the hope of producing some safe, aerodynamic samples with which he can experiment. This was our first version, 

but the second and third have better bindings and a different footprint.

 If I'm lucky, I'll get a photo of these boards in use.... but I won't be taking the pictures, trust me.  

Want to read more?

Click here: Skysurfing

Looking for carving wood?

Anyone looking for carving wood? 

Utah wood dealer Jim Grace will be heading back to Las Vegas with a trailer full of wood, and will be selling it at Wood It Is on Saturday, March 2 at 10:00 AM.  

Jim is planning on bringing 4/4, 8/4 and 10/4 cherry, walnut, ash, butternut, white oak, eastern red cedar and hard maple.  Some of the slabs will be with natural edge.  He’ll also bring a large selection of basswood and butternut in sizes from 1" to 4" thick… so carvers - start planning your next work of art! 

The address is 2267 W. Gowan, in North Las Vegas.

It's been a minute...

Do you remember a while ago when the crew and host of Handcrafted America stopped by my shop, filming as I built one of my tiled filing cabinet benches? 

Having makeup applied is harder than building furniture, in my mind.

The show was a blast to film, and screwing around with everyone afterwards was truly memorable.

 One of the producers of the show sent me an email today, saying that all three seasons of Handcrafted America are now available on Amazon Prime, so if you're a Prime member, you can catch up on all the old episodes featuring artists around the country. 

Here's a link to the show that featured me and a few other Las Vegas craftsman. 

Amazon Prime member? Click here!

Enjoy!