The Garage: A craft-y type thread for handypeople

Hopefully some of us have hobbies that don't exist on the Internet; woodworking, sewing, model painting, etc. Hang out in The Garage and talk about them! Share tips, photos of works-in-progress, and all that good stuff.

Myself, I'm into carpentry. I've been involved in making a strange contraption (will post pics tomorrow when/if I remember to take some) at work; it's designed to do the work of a $15,000 milling machine. It involves 4 circular saws, a winch, a long steel track and a lot of 2x4s. Pretty cool stuff, really.

I like this thread already.

The old folk's home needed a garage/shop, in my estimation.

So one time I put together a portable kitchen with my dad to take on camping trips.

It was a pain to put together and I couldn't get my head around any of the tools and it ended up looking like a giant mess. It did technically work though.

That's my crafts story!

I do a fair amount of DIY stuff. Paying a professional is generally too damn expensive for me. I've constructed some simple furniture from scratch (bookcases, small tables and the like).

At some point I plan to get back into model railroading, but that requires some innovation when one has cats and no spare bedrooms.

I built this bookshelf◊ out of scrap lumber from work; it was rough-sawn when I got it, had to plane and size it myself in addition to all the cutting and fitting.

BTW, that is cabinet-grade quartersawn white oak. For me to go out and buy that bookshelf, I'd spend about $5,000. Yeah, not letting go of it.

Very nice.

I've done the "cinder block and wooden board" desk thing before.

My boyo does some woodworking. He built me a planterbox. I do some sewing but it's been months since I took out my machine.

Mr. b and I just got done setting the posts for the fence we are putting around the garden. Now I am making dinner.

Okay, as promised...pics of the Crazy Awesome "milling machine" we constructed at work.

• The whole thing.◊ The track is made from 3/8" steel plate; getting it level was a stone bitch.
• A close-up of the sled.◊ Yes, there are four circular saws attached to it. The reason for the differing brands is that one has the motor on the left, the other on the right.
• The underside of the sled,◊ showing the "business end".
• We have to check each beam for metal,◊ as they came out of an old warehouse. Saw blades typically do not do well when they run into things like this◊ (a case-hardened steel panel screw).
• Close-up of the winch◊ we use to move the sled along. Steampunk lovers, feel free to drool. There are gears and stuff.
• ...and believe it or not, it works!◊ I will confide, however...about thirty seconds after I took this picture we had to stop the cut because one of the saws started spitting sparks and smoke; turns out we missed a nail.

As crazy as it is, this was the easiest way for us to cut a 1 3/4 x 3 1/2" notch out of 500 timbers. To do it the traditional way (with a router-type milling machine) would have necessitated the purchase of over $15,000 worth of equipment. This way we spent $500 on saws (which will probably be dead by the time we're done but whatever) and 5 days putting it together.

The cool shit I get to do for money...

That is, indeed, Crazy Awesome.

I sew and do other small crafts.

• I made the dress and the mask.◊
• I assembled the chair out of cardboard and fabric scraps.◊
• Hand sewed the entire outfit.◊
• In progress.◊ Hopefully it'll turn out okay.
• Made the skirt and the petticoat underneath.◊

I've also done a bunch of jewelry and wireworking that I don't have pictures of yet. I'll have to take some eventually.

Edit: Some more pictures

• The petticoat under the green skirt.◊
• A wire tree with a river rock for a base.◊

edited 18th Mar '11 11:15:58 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

Is the tree going to be stage-setting for the dolls?

Maybe, maybe not. It was something I made a long time ago, back when Drunk Scriblerian and I were both unemployed. Really just a project to keep me busy and get my mind off of stuff.

Finally finished off the bathroom remodel DG have been plugging away at. We have a medicine cabinet, a towel bar (that actually works), a spare mirror and a place to put toilet paper that isn't the back of the toilet.

Now, on to fitting out the laundry room closet.

I'd love to learn more about woodwork, good stuff.

I make jewelry, a lot of wire and precious stone work in my spare time.

I do needlepoint. I suppose it's crafty to make tiny little stitches in cloth. I wish I could tailor clothes though. I'm an odd shape for a woman, and my clothes keep falling off.

Shima: Check in with Maddy or I if you have questions about making stuff fit. Do you know how to use a sewing machine?

I do know how to use a sewing machine, but that doesn't mean I'm skilled at doing it. I'd love some pointers.

Pendant and matching earrings I made a while back◊. I just found them again to take pictures of.

Neat. Kind of a cross between the world tree and a dream catcher.

Yeah, a little bit. I was going for "trees", so I guess it worked out.

Edit: Dug up another picture of an old project of mine. Couple years back, I made this dress for her Christmas present.◊

edited 25th Mar '11 9:46:37 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

Bumping the thread to add progress pictures of the costume I'm doing for con.

Attempt 1 at an empire waist dress.◊ Still a couple of wrinkles to work out, then I get to remake it in a crinkly gauze. Fitting's going well though, even though I really could use another set of hands. I just used a belt to see how it'd fit without going through the trouble of sewing channels for elastic.

So far, so good.

Looks good! Is it mocked up in muslin?