My Head as First Contact

Okay, so not my head per se but rather a likeness of my head.  It would be this that would be launched into space.  I pondered this for a while the other night. How totally awesome it would be for a chunk of stone deftly carved into the likeness of my head  launched into the cosmos and decided to tell my wife about my dream, nay, my destiny.  She did not share my enthusiasm.

Let me first say that the thought occurred to me when I head read an online headline somewhere that Stephen Colbert had a likeness of his head launched into space.  I was immediately struck with envy and jealousy.  "Celebrities!  Psh, they have all the fun.".  However, I read later that it was a 3-d printer representation on Colbert's noggin carried up into the stratosphere by a weather baloon before falling back to search.  That's not being launched into space at all really!  "So there's still a chance for me...", I thought to myself.  If you're interested, here's the link to the Colbert head launch vid: YouTube vid of Colbert

So anyway, here's what I think.  If I could have my head launched into the vastness of space, inertia carrying it possibly out of our solar system and maybe even out of our galaxy, eventually it would crash into some asteroid, alien planet, or perhaps never seen before sun.  A piece of me, so to speak, would touch something that humans might never ever see.  So even after I pass on from this wonderful world, a piece of me could be careening through the void silently passing by unknown galaxies.  My head could even be first contact with an alien species!

So there I am, sharing my new-found dream with my wonderful wife, and she is just staring at me blankly.  When I triumphantly wrap up and wait for her astonishment and appreciation of this noble venture she tells me plainly, "I don't get it".  Taken aback, I begin to reexplain the complete awesomeness of my plan, "...but a piece of ME would touch something utterly alien.  Go to a place humans might never ever tread!"

"Eh, I don't think that sounds all that great", Kate's explains.

"okay, but long after I'm dead a piece of me could still be journeying through space on a collision course with destiny!", I passionately claim.  My wife says nothing.  Hesitantly now I carry on, "...so, um, you can see why that is cool, right?  I mean, my head, carved in stone, colliding with an alien world or and alien sun, or maybe eve-" she stops me there.

"I really don't think that sounds cool at all.  We're just going to have to not see eye to eye on this one."

What?  WHAT?!  How could she not share my excitement about this?  It was later that I realized she must just hate awesome bodiless adventures in space.  Pretty sure that's it.

The Newest Project

Alright, so my wife's most recent request was a bookshelf unit for the bedroom.  She wanted it to be quite shallow but very wide and somewhat tall (80"x50"x6").  And she wanted it to have more detail than any of my previous projects (trim and beadboard).  I'll admit that the idea of putting trim and possibly a cap (I opted against a cap) on the bookshelves was a bit daunting.  I hadn't done any work like that yet.  Still I drew up my plans, visited the hardware store and got to work.  Below is the finished project and below that are the details by which I came to the finished project.  At the very bottom is the cost sheet for the project (the cost for materials was about $125).

Finito!


The Process:

1.     I always start out a project with some plans.  I use the plans to help me figure out how much material I'll need and it helps me fix problems on paper before I get started and run into real world problems.



However, as they say, even the best laid plans...you may note that in my plans I have the bookshelf measure out to 36" tall.  I even lovingly and meticulously built out the frame to that spec...and then my wife came home and says "can you make it taller?".  Sigh. To be fair we had talked about it being taller but I thought that the 36" would be tall enough...it wasn't.  I deconstructed that 36" tall frame and cut down the supports slightly to turn them into shelves.

In addition, I had originally planned on making the piece 100" wide and 5" deep but because the standard cuts of lumber available at the big box hardware store came in 6", I expanded the depth to 6"to avoid a lot of extra cutting and I also shortened the width to 96" (8 feet) to utilize standard cut lumber.


2.    I set out to the hardware store to get the parts for the frame.  Before I bought the beadboard and trim pieces I wanted to be certain of the actual dimensions of the frame.  Sometimes in working on a project a piece will shrink or grow depending on needs or accidents (accidents more than needs).  In this case I'm glad I waited because I ended up making the piece 14" taller than I had originally set out (per my wife's request).  For the sake of not making this blog post any larger than it is already going to be, I'll continue as if I had started out the project with the final dimensions.  I purchased a 2x6x96 piece of Whitewood for the base (this actually turned out to be 1 3/4" thick. I've been told that the thickness of these boards typically runs below the labeled size), one piece of 1x6x96 Whitewood for the top piece and seven pieces of 1x6x72 Whitewood to be cut down for the six shelves.

Some of the Whitewood for the Project

3.     When I got back to my garage with all of the pieces I used a sander to lightly sand down everything (this was to make it easier to paint once assembled).  My last bookshelf project was stained and I neglected to sand before assembly.  Sanding a project once it is put together is miserable work...take it from me.



4.     Once my pieces were sanded down I cut four pieces of my 1x6x72 down to 50" using a circular saw.  The skill saw leaves plenty of room for human error though so I leveled all four of the pieces to each other using my Dremmel's sander bit and my power sander as well.  It was important to me to be sure that the bookshelf was very level due to its width.  A small change through the width could result in a big difference from one side to the other.  Unfortunately I don't have a table saw which might have yielded a more precise cut to start with and might have helped me avoid the extra step of leveling all of the pieces out.

5.     Now that I had all of my pieces sized the way I wanted them I began to assemble the frame. I used 2" drywall screws.  I've used these on most of my woodworking projects and they hold really well.  I'm sure a wood screw or alternative joinery technique would be completely fine as well.

I lined up one piece at a time and drilled pilot holes to the depth of the screw through the base piece and into the support while manually keeping in place to assure the frame stayed true.  Each board got two screws for each side (top and bottom).  I placed the screws toward the end of either side of the board.

I had originally intended to recess the screws, putty them in, and paint them but I liked the look of the screws actually.  I wanted the piece to look handmade, not Ikea and I thought the screws were fine.  Another thing of note is that I did not use any wood glue in this project.  Typically I'll put Gorilla Glue at the wood connections. I was cautious because my last bookshelf project was stained and the glue blocked the stain at the seams. In hindsight glue would have been fine because I would have been able to wipe away excess and paint over any bleed-out.  However, the piece is still solidly held together by screws, heavy duty staples, finishing nails and paint.

The Frame Shell

6.     After some discussion it was determined that each of the three sections would be the same size, so I placed the middle two supports equidistant from each other and the edge supports.

Ignore all the crap in the background

7.     It was decided that the shelves should be the same height all the way across the bookshelf unit which changed how I normally attach bookshelves.  Usually I just screw 'em in from either side the same way I attached the frame pieces but this couldn't be done since one side would cover up the other and I wouldn't be able to screw them in.  I could have used some other joinery techniques but instead I went for the adjustable rack method.  But before I could install the racks, and subsequently add the helves, the frame had to be painted.  We wanted the bookshelf to match the wall so we used the same paint we used to paint the wall.  I didn't include the cost of paint for this project as that is a big variable depending on what type of paint or stain you use or if you use any paint at all (also I can't remember how much that paint was...heh).  I can say, though, that this project took about a third of a gallon of paint.  That covered the two coats it needed.

In mid-paint. The blazing Sun made the wait for drying next to nill.

8.     Next I fastened the shelf support rails.  I needed twelve in total.  They ended up being about 3/4" too tall so I used a hacksaw to cut them down to size.  We started out painting them but the paint was exactly the same color as they came so I installed them as is.I moved the rails slightly more inside for the middle cubby so that I wouldn't screw into the screws for the rails on the other side of the support.


9.     I cut the shelves out of the remaining pieces of already sanded 1x6x72, painted them and set them aside.

10.     Next I went back to the hardware store and bought the trim and beadboard. I painted the beadboard and fastened one half first, being certain that the lines in the beadboard were parallel to the frame.  I used heavy duty staples in my staple gun to be sure that it was fastened well since the panel didn't actually rest on the floor.  The height of the piece was just such that it covered the inside of the frame.  I stapled it to all of the vertical supports using a LOT of staples (extra staples since I could fasten to top and bottom frame pieces).  The staples were probably placed about 3/4 inch away from each other.

When I placed the second half in, it fit like a glove. Only when you look very closely can you tell that the backing is actually two pieces.

After the Beadboad is placed but before the trim. Also pictured: Paxton the Wonder Dog!

The Seam

There actually were a few places where there was a small gap between the backing and the frame at the top and bottom.  I used a painters caulk to fill the spaces and it looked fine.  Ideally though, there would be no gap at all but, in the interest in saving some cash, I used just that one large sheet of beadboard.

Painter's Caulk Fill-In

11. After the beadboard was placed, I worked on the trim.  I mitered the corners for the top piece and I cut the bottom piece to size flat on the ends.  I mitered the tops of the two end pieces of trim to fit the top piece and cut the two middle pieces of trim straight across to fit the space between top and bottom trim.  I fastened the painted trim to the frame using white finishing nails.  i actually made pilot holes for the finishing nails also, so that I didn't accidentally split the wood.  I made the pilot whole pretty small though so that the nails would still hold fast. 
Editors Note: I actually used panel nails for this but have since adopted the use of actual finishing nails which have a small head and use a driver to recess them and then cover with wood putty. A preferable technique to showing the nail heads as pictured below.

Mitered Trim Piece and Finishing Nails

The Miter Saw

12.     That was it.  Once the trim and backing were in I set the shelves on their rack clips and finito!

Another Pic of Finished Product from Different Angle

13. As promised, the cost sheet.  Click on to see in detail.


****And thus ends the longest blog post in blog history. I'm sure there are things I left out so I'm glad to answer any questions about this project. If this post hadn't been so long, I'd have put some of my follies too but perhaps in another post down the road.

Highway to Blogger Heaven

Alright, I recently read that I need to set a"blog schedule" to get on track with this blogging thing.  I think it's true.  I'm about to add a THIRD blog to my repertoire and clearly I need to get a schedule going because I don't think I'm currently hitting a blog a month.  My third blog will be a professional blog.  A place where I can share my GIS knowledge and work successes with members of my linked in community.  BUT, I can't justify creating a new blog if I'm not keeping my existing blogs current...which is why you're reading this blog post!

I would like to take this opportunity, however, to say that I no longer hate my pool.  In fact, my pool and I are completely in love again.  Nothing like rekindling the fire!  Yep, the pool has really been cooperating with me since I got it fixed up.  Wondering how I got it fixed up are you?  Welllll, I cleaned the filter, shocked the begeezers out of it, vacuumed the sucker, and let everything settle back down.  Then I cleaned the filter again, vacuumed the begeezers out of the pool again, and let everything settle back down...again.  THEEEN, I cleaned the filter again, added the correct amount of DE through the strainer, shocked it one more time and, voila, beautiful clear clean pool.

Nice clear pool. Also pictured: The Often Imitated but Never Duplicated, Paxton the Wonder Dog!

See you all real soon!

Whoa, I Hate My Pool Right Now

Okay, when my pool is clean and functioning correctly I love my pool.  I can get up early in the morning and have a swim.  I can throw on my swim trunks after work and take a dip and relax from the day.  These are the good times...

When I hate my pool, as I currently do, is when I've spent hours and hours and day after consecutive day scrubbing the pool, cleaning the filter, shocking the pool, scrubbing the pool, re-cleaning the filter, shocking the pool and scrubbing the pool (ad naseum) yet my pool still has a green algae tinge.  This means no morning swims and no after work dips, which also means I'm dumping time and money into something that is yielding no return.  I'm shocking again today, added some much needed acid, and am crossing my fingers.  Once I got the pool on track last Summer maintenance was not too much trouble but it has been a monster headache since Summer ended.  If my last effort doesn't work, I'm either going to have to hire a pool company to keep it up or I'm filling the sucker in!  So frustrated.

Filler of the Week

So hey, I haven't blogged in a while and I'm feeling a little guilty about it.  This blog needs to stay fresh and happening...Right?  So, here are a few stories in the news right now...

Image from bbc.co.uk

-The Fukushima nuclear reactor is still making headlines.  Most recently the reactor is being discussed because it has been upgraded to an event on par with Chernobyl in regards to total radioactive output. The story, though, is that the output of radiation has been at a more gradual rate and is considerably less harmful than the Chernobyl explosion, but the upgrade on the nuclear disaster scale is still adding to the fear of the people who (used to) live near the site.  I feel for the citizens that have been displaced by the disaster caused by the earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent nuclear reactor incident.  Their homes may not be recoverable in their lifetimes.

Image from http://infosthetics.com/

 -Also, The House passed the budget!  The House passed the budget!  Wow, way to make it happen people.  After the looming (and then later quite pressing) threats of a government shutdown, Congress agreed upon the budget today.  It appears that this was a true compromise from both parties...Republicans cut more spending than the Democrats wanted but not nearly as much as they would have liked, and Democrats conceded more cuts than they would have liked but held on to more spending than the Republicans wished to concede.  For me, for now, the bottom line is that the government will not shut down and the IRS will continue to issue returns.  I get my tax return!!!

-Finally, I saw that JWOW from Jersey Shore published a book..It was on the shelves of Target today.  Seriously people?

Oh, I can BUILD a box. You betcha.

Okay, so I am not even remotely a professional woodworker.  I've been figuring it out as I go along since we bought a house with a garage last Summer.  Through trial and error and no doubt less than efficient means, I can usually end up with something pretty close to my vision.  Well, in most cases, my wife's vision but I'm just happy to be working on something


My wife's visions...

She wanted a box to cover the wifi cables in our new house; she get's a box to cover the wifi cables in the new house:

The Wi-Fi Cover/Thing Holder

She wanted boxes along the window in the study that could be used as seats; she gets boxes along the window in the study that could be used as seats:

Corner Boxes/Seats

They have storage too!

She wants bookshelves for the office; she gets bookshelves for the office:

My Crowning Achievement. The Bookshelves.

You get the idea.  But I enjoy the process.  Conceiving the item, planning out it's dimensions, and figuring out the way it will all fit together.  This blog will likely end up with lots of photos of my failures and successes in woodworking.  I'm going to try to get better about taking photos during the process of making these items in the hopes that they'll help someone else someday or that they will at the very least help me not repeat the same mistakes!

So currently, my wife wants a new master bed.  The frame we have now is one of those basic creaky metal doohickeys.  This bed will be nothing fancy as I haven't really graduated from box-like items, but I think it will come out looking respectable.  It is definitely a challenge though.  I have to make sure that it still looks nice but can support the weight of the bed.  The headboard is already completed but the bed will follow soon.  I think I'll finally get down to business on it this weekend.  Pray for me.

How Our Dog Lost His Privileges

Paxton the Wonder Dog

Yep, there he is.  Paxton.  And he's a good boy.  Just ask him.  Well don't ask him, that'd be silly, he can't talk.  But if he could talk he'd tell you what a good boy he is because he hears it two to three hundred times a day, every day, from his mom and dad.  However...

Paxton, formally Prince Paxton McBarky Paws, is not allowed on the bed.  He only has three major rules to follow. One, don't chase our cats.  Two, come when we call you.  And three, do NOT get on the bed.  And while we're at home he is such a good boy. Oh, that's a good boy.  Yes you are!  But invariably...every day...after work...it is discovered that he has been in the bed.  This is evidenced by any given one, two or three of his toys being thoughtlessly left on the bed (he is a dog after all and not an evidence hiding savant).  Well, the wife and I never really concerned ourselves with this.  It was kind of cute in a way.  He had his little secret and we played along. 

That was until this morning.

This morning I woke up at 4AM wheezing and sneezing.  You see, this blogger has seasonal allergies.  Seasonal allergies with a particular penchant toward Oak…of which we have a giant tree in our back yard…where Paxton, the best dog in the universe, loves to gallivant around, frolicking…and soaking up all of the things his pops is allergic to.  All of a sudden his innocent little day time indulgences in his master’s bed aren’t so innocent.  Now people are suffering! (mainly me)  I will admit that  waking up at 4AM is not the end of the world, I’ve done it quite a few times over the last couple weeks actually, but when I don’t get back to sleep, like today, that’s the when the dog loses his bedroom privileges.  When I’m up and showering for work three FULL hours earlier than usual, that is indeed when the dog loses his bedroom privileges.

So…sorry Prince Paxton McBarky Paws you’ll have to get used to playing with your toys on a different piece of furniture from here on out. But you’re still a good boy.  Oh, yes you are!