Simple Wood Fabric Cutting Board

My mom has decided to go back into business making dresses and costumes, something she used to do many years ago. One thing she realized along the way is that she does not have a good cutting surface to work on when she needs to lay her fabric out for cutting and so forth. So, I went to a local construction supply recycling center and found the table top from an old ping pong table and used that nice surface because it was smooth and durable. However, cutting down the board proved more challenging than I had imagined as the tough particle board it was made from chipped badly no matter what kind of saw I used.

The solution was to put a wood frame around the rough edges and to fill in the bad edges with wood filler. Then I painted the surface with chalk board paint and put some measuring lines on it with a silver art pen. The board is very heavy but durable. I found this to be a very challenging project because, like I said, the tabletop was very hard to work with. I really don't know what kind of material I would have used otherwise as most woods are too soft to endure scissors and Exacto knives.



I wouldn't consider this item esthetically pleasing and not one of my prouder projects, but hey, it serves it's function and every little bit counts.

Ghostbuster's Pack (Part Two)

Well, I was excited that the Ghostbusters pack was a big success. Not only did everyone know what my son was supposed to be, many people complimented my wife and I for the thought and effort that went into the overall design. Now, I have to figure out how I will top this for next year?

Happy Halloween! The Ghostbuster's Pack (Part One).

Well, today's post isn't so much about the usual. As a matter of fact, this project isn't even furniture related (right now). But, since I have nowhere else to post this ongoing project, I'll put it here. However, this project DOES involve making something out of junk, so maybe, it is sort of related then.

My oldest son wants to be a Ghostbuster for Halloween. I wasn't sure at first how I was going to pull that one off. My mom stepped up to plate and offered to make the jumpsuit for him. My wife set to work finishing the details of it, like logos and final adjustments. I set ahead to build the proton pack out of whatever I had lying around in the garage.

So, the first step was to study some pictures of the REAL props and do my best to make something that would be similar in nature so that the average person understood what it was. I would love to get deeply involved in a project like that and try to replicate the real thing. There are lots of amateur prop makers who have built their own units and have done an exceptional job.



I decided to build mine out of empty cookie tins because this had to be light and proportional to my son's size. I attached the cookie tins and painted them black. Then I dug around the garage for various electronic parts to situate around the containers as close to where the real objects are on the prop units.

My wife added straps from an old backpack and I finished it off with some LED lighting and fake decals for final effect. I suspect that his costume is going to get a lot of attention.



Now, I mentioned that this backpack isn't furniture yet? When we are done with this prop, I intend to put the backpack into a custom made shadow box using various supplies I have lying around the garage so he can hang it proudly in his bedroom for years to come.

Sometimes, the Changes Aren't Needed

Every once in a while, a cool piece of furniture catches your attention and you just grab it on impulse, thinking you will eventually have a use for it. In this case, it was a cheap knock-down style unit that you could probably pick up at any department store on the cheap.

I brought it home and let it sit in my garage for about a month, giving it regular glances, hoping inspiration would finally strike and I could get to work transforming it. However, what eventually happened to it was that I never did a much of anything with it. It found a new home in my downstairs bathroom serving the purpose that it was originally intended to. All I did was replace some door hardware and upgrade the decorative handles, all things I already had stored away in the garage.

I even bother mentioning this because it just goes to show you that you don't always need to have a lot of tools or any woodworking skills to still transform an old item into a new and improved one. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh coat of paint or a new hinge to make it usable again. Always a good alternative to the landfill.

Rustic But Ready Computer Stand

I had an extra computer kicking around and hadn't made any definite plans as to what I could do with it. It was mostly just sitting in the corner of my garage, half-assembled and collecting dust. So, with the new renovation of my garage, I decided to get it working and use it in there for various tasks. Now I can stream music off the web while I work or look up any information, like how-to's, when I am building various projects. Eventually, I would also like to set-up something like an internet phone service because the garage is not already fitted for that.

But, the problem was where I was going to put it. So, I took some excess pine I had lying about and built an upright stand from scratch. Total height puts the old CRT monitor at eye level for an average 5 to 6 foot person. I hope to eventually put some wheels on it to make it easy to move it around if it's in the way.

I already have newer design ideas if I ever need to build another one. Something with an adjustable keyboard tray and a place to store a printer as well (and any other accessories).