Schedules for blog posts and videos / Pallet wood bathroom vanity update

Hello and welcome back!

Well after careful consideration, I've decided that every Wednesday I'll be posting a new post to my blog,  in which I'll relay the process of the current project I'm working on as well as any information that might be relevant to the current stage of the project or projects I'm working on.

On Sundays, I'll post the video from that particular week's portion of the project.

Please keep in mind, like most of you, I have an 8 to 5 job and have kids and a semi-supportive spouse. I also live in Florida so weather is always a factor when it comes to cure times for portions of the project.

So for this week's project, I'm working on building a vanity along with a counter-top from scratch using pallet wood. So far I've got the frame of the vanity completed as well as the bottom. The cabinet door frames are in place and I'm waiting on the hinges and other hardware I've ordered from Amazon to arrive.

I'm now using my GoPro, on an almost exclusive method. I'm learning how the camera works, and I'm trying to figure out the whole video editing software that comes along with it. The mount for tripods I ordered is in, I just have to dig out the tripod from my storage closet so I can use it at the shop. I've gotten a big kick from using the time lapse settings to create videos. I'm currently in the process of editing the first video from my sessions at the woodshop.

I'll be back later on to add the video.

Updated: 01-06-2016

I apologize for the delay, but here's the link to last week's video post.

https://youtu.be/iz1yjhw_kcs

Setting a schedule and upcoming projects

One of my biggest issues is time management skills, I spend a lot of my time looking for ways to better manage my time. So in order to keep juggling being a valuable employee, my personal life (fiancee and kids), my fledgling YouTube channel, and playing an occasional video game here and there.

Work: I'm grateful to  have an employer that allows me to handle my own time and allows me to function without being micromanaged to an extent. And allows me to doodle plans or ideas while waiting for the end of shift when I'm not particularly busy.

Home: Shared custody of my older kids, means my free weekends are premium time for my projects. And allows me to spend some much needed time doing my hobbies, and getting ready for a more structured schedule for posts such as this one.

YouTube: As I progress through this restructuring of my time, and by sheer luck of coming across an eBay auction for a slightly used GoPro + HD camera. With this I'll be able to step away from using my cell phone to create content and bask in the limelight that is the web from the front of the camera.

Games: I've decided to play my video games whenever the mood strikes or when I have a free period. Yes, I'm going to start using my time wisely and use it as a budgeted resource just like money.

So with this said, here's the link to my latest video, shot on my iPhone.

I will bring you along, any feedback is appreciated. Have a great day. 

Simple 2X4 Desk

Hello Again,


Today I'm going to show you how I built a simple, yet sturdy desk for my house. The desk was a pretty simple to make, it only took a few minutes to figure out the dimensions of what I wanted the desk to encompass. The following images were taken as I was building the unit.

The following materials were used in this project:

1 - 3.5 lb box of 3" Coarse Threaded Drywall screws
2 - 2X10X6 (for the top)
4 - 2X4X8 (Frame)


The cuts are as follows:

4 - 28" 2X4
6 - 8" 2X4
2 - 48" 2X4
1 - 45" 2X4
2 - 60" 2X10


The frames are pretty simple to make, follow the pictures as shown below. Make the two leg frames out of 2 sets of the 8" and 28" pieces, If you'll notice the bottom is flat and flush with the two uprights whereas the top bracing is vertical and flush with the ends.

The side rails were added afterwards to ensure that the desk top would be sturdy enough for what ever I wanted to put on it. The two 48" pieces are used for this. The 2 - 60" pieces of 2X10s were screwed in from the bottom, so the top could be stained, and sealed as shown in the last images. 

 The final touch was adding the accent bracing and rear brace of the legs.

Free, I said Free ...

Hello and welcome back to another post of my adventures. Well as you may already know from my previous posts that I'm pretty much all over the place at times. Moving forward, I was asked to clean out the 37 ft Silverton that belongs to my father. And in doing so I guess he realized how much crap, for the lack of a better word; he's got.

SO that being said, he and my younger brother came up from Miami and swung by my apartment in Central FL to pick up his stuff. But what happened next was astonishing, he left me with the following tools/parts/car:

- Air Compressor
- Brad Nailer
- Table Saw
- 1000 W DC to AC power inverter
- Deep Cycle batteries
- 99 Honda Civic (which he wants me to sell)
- a ton of drill bits and taps
- digital caliper

And that's from what I remember last night, this morning, I'm going over to check what else I can find in the stash he left behind as well as what's inside the car. As always I'll keep you posted, I'll be making a video for my youtube channel today. It's probably going to be a setup video on how to setup an at home/garage wood shop or something to that effect.

Boating Mishap

A Captain is a Captain no matter the size of the boat nor the size of the body of water, and your's truly has come in to the possession of a 1980 Silverton yacht, well, its too big for a trailer. Being a 37' monstrosity with dual Caterpillar engines, onboard Genset and a shit load of stuff I barely care to mention. But alas its for sale, so I'm entertaining offers on this thing. As I'm investigating its potential for fun under the sun. 

So yes, I'm happy this has come in to my life but I cant afford the dock rent as I'm trying to save for a house. So I'm serious, if you're interested in buying this boat let me know. 

Pallet Recycling 101

Welcome back for the latest installment of my adventures in woodworking.

So recently, on a pallet hunting trip, I decided to make a video to add to my fledgling YouTube channel (1 Video). So apparently having an old iPhone as my camera turned out to be pretty good, I just need a few things to get these projects/videos and blog posts coming on a scheduled basis. The first thing, well the one thing that comes to my mind when sourcing pallets is Etiquette.

I for one am grateful when individuals or a company posts on Craig's List for free pallets or crates or whatever industrial trash they no longer want and I can re-use or recycle in to something someone might want to have or keep. So in an effort to help other newbies such as myself.

I decided to post a video on my YouTube channel, on what I look for and how I go about doing it.

Collapsible Pallet Work Bench

For today's post, I'm going to show you how to I created a collapsible pallet work bench out of recycled 2X4s and a crate. The work bench is sturdy enough to hold all 325 lbs of me and will not wobble. 

The following is what you're going to need to make this bench for both tools and materials, I tried to keep it as basic as possible so anyone can replicate it. 

Tools needed:

- Drill

- #2 Phillips Drill Bit

- Miter Saw/Chop Saw/Circular Saw/Jig Saw/Hand Saw.

- Glue, lots of glue. (If you think you've got enough glue, go get more.)

- 12" Clamps at least 6, if you're working solo. 

Materials: 

- 5 LB Box of 2-1/2" Coarse Thread Drywall Screws

- 15 - 36" - 2X4

- 4 - 14" - 2X4

- 8 - 6" - 2X4

- 2 - 40" - 1X12 (I got mine from a crate that a workstation came in at one of my previous employers.)

- Various pieces of scrap 2X4. 

It's a pretty basic concept, first you'll start by gluing and screwing together 2 of the 2X4s to make corner pieces and make them in to an L shape. Use the clamps to hold the pieces securely in place while allowing the glue and screws to set. 

Once you have 4 of the corner pieces, arrange them on a flat surface facing one another and use 2 more pieces as spreaders. Place the top spreader piece flush with the tops of the legs, use a scrap piece of 2X4 to act as a spacer. See examples below of the completed leg assemblies. 

  

Next you can begin assembling the top, as shown below, the top consist of an I piece which is made up of 2 - 14" pieces of 2X4 and one of the 36" pieces, I would suggest using a square to find the straightest line for the center of these pieces, and use some imagination when placing the pieces on the 1X12. Use 2 pieces of 12" lengths of 2X4 to act as bracing for the top of legs. 

Next step is to assemble the bottom pieces that lock the legs in to a straight position, first, assemble the table with the legs facing down as show below.

The spacers can be assembled with the table holding the pieces in place, its a pretty simple process to make the bottom spacers, just make 2 Ls  with 4 of 6" pieces, then make 2 mirrored sets using the remaining 4 pieces. And use the 2 14" pieces as shown below and remember to screw and glue together as you're going along. 

Once you assemble your table it should look like this one below. 

If you have any questions as to the durability of the bench would like a video posted explaining how to assemble it. Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts.