A few years ago i picked up a set of 6 multifunction LED light bars. They can be set to hold a single color or to rotate through colors at variable speeds or even to activate to music. I had mounted them under the kitchen counter temporarily but didn’t like how the cord to plug them in showed. A few weeks ago i mounted them in the cabinets of the dining room. Five are mounted above the shelves and one is mounted in the bottom of the center cabinet under-lighting the liquor bottles.

I am thinking of ordering tempered glass shelves to allow the light to filter to the bottom of all of the cabinets. I found a place to order them online but will wait for some feedback on how it looks. 10 shelves would come to about $200.

I drilled holes between the cabinets and ran all the wires to the bottom of the center one. I drilled a hole in the back wall of the center cabinet and cut the end off the power cord which i then ran down to the outlet in the wall just below. I wired the power directly to the outlet terminals. The only drawback is that there is a power inverter that is constantly drawing power right now. I will next wire a switch to interrupt the power feed to the inverter and use it for the power button. The control unit has a power button but it is between the inverter and the lights. While I’m at it i might re wire buttons from the controls so i can change the mode and pause the color and then have identical buttons mounted below the center cabinet or in the bottom below the bottles. Naturally i’m thinking that some nice vintage 60’s or 70’s metal buttons would be best.

Star with LED rope light

Last year after Christmas i bought some LED rope lights on sale. I went to put them up but found that the only way to really put them “up” is to wrap them around something or to screw a zip tie to something. I have been thinking of attaching lights to a bike frame and then lights that are chasing each other to bike wheels and putting that in the bike shop window. Which had me thinking about zip ties and using them to just attach the lights to a shape.

But what shape?

I decided on a star because it would be easy and i had the following materials handy.

• aluminum tent pole sections
• long line wire
• zip ties
• electrical tape

It is pretty easy to do… cut a length of wire long enough to go through 10 identical tent pole sections with perhaps 18 inches of extra wire. String the pole sections on the wire like beads. Insert the male end on first.  Then connect two sections and then bend the wire back on itself.  Repeat until you have the five sections.  Now just arrange your star and attempt to have it symmetrical.  Tuck the ends of the cable into the opposite tent pole.  Use the electrical tape to secure the intersections.  THen just use the zip ties to secure the rope light to the frame you just built.

I started trying to figure out how i could support the threshold of the new door. I checked my supply of metal and found a 4 foot long piece of angle aluminum that already was predrilled at one foot intervals. Perfect. I thought this would be a really easy fix.

But the access to under the threshold was kind of blocked by the front steps. And Yeti threw up some bile right where i needed to be. Thanks Yeti.

So i lifted up on the top step and it wasn’t even nailed down! The bottom step was nailed the the wall in four places so wasn’t too difficult to remove.

I measured the distance that i needed to span – 15 inches. So i was aiming for about 7.5 inches from deck to first step tread and also 7.5 inches to the top step tread.

First i used a layer of 6×6 treated beams to build the foundation. I cut some treated fence boards leftover from the backyard fence. and used them to raise the height of the 6×6s. You can see that i decided to do a curve for part of the step. Originally i planned on doing two curved steps but then decided to square up the ends of the bottom step and make the top step rectangular.

After i had the five bases constructed and spaced at 16 inches on center i used 2×10 treated lumber to construct the first step. I used a long flexible piece of Azek trim to trace the curve that i would cut. I used nails tacked into the deck boards (that were not yet nailed down) to guide the piece.

I started to use my jigsaw to fut the curves but it wasn’t sharp or powerful enough. So i switched to my sawzall which i had to use to complete the cuts through the 6×6s.

You can see a bit of wiring between two of the 6×6s. That went to one of the light switches next to the front door and controlled the lights in the carport. But there also is a light switch in the carport. The lights i have in there are motion activated so the switch isn’t very necessary – certainly not the one by the front door. So i trimmed the wires (the breaker was off throughout) and shortened everything up and put the wire nuts in a (mostly) weatherproof box.

I knew i wanted the full width of the board to start the bottom step. I also could have just ensured that the step ends landed on the 6×6s. Only 5 inches or so sticks beyond the 6×6 on either end of the bottom step.

The rest was pretty straightforward. I cut boards to length and ripped them as needed on my table saw.

I ran a plastic board through my table saw to trim out underneath both steps and fastened it with galvanized nails.

At about 6:15 i wrapped up the project. i spent under $35 on materials. my stash of treated wood is severely depleted and i’m running dangerously low on the white plastic material too.

On the afternoon of Thanksgiving i decided to take the plunge and replace my front door.  I popped off the trim around the inside and outside, removed the long screws from the hinge and jamb and the door just about fell out. There was no insulation between the door and the wall.

Here’s a photo that shows the old door from the outside.

Seth and Kahn arrived about a half hour into the project and we had our Thanksgiving steaks so i took a break from the door.  Friday i got spray insulation in and trimmed the interior.  today i worked on the outside.

I messed up three things.  First, i ordered a door for a wall based on 2×6 construction.  Well, there are parts of my house framed with 2×6 but this isn’t one of them.  So the door frame would have to stick beyond the wall on the inside or extend outside further.  I chose outside.

The door came with some wood blocking to make sure the kickplate stayed secure.  I didn’t remove those and so the door sits about a half inch higher than it needs to.  I still need to support below the kickplate so it is more stable.

When putting in the lock hardware i carved out the part of the door to receive the plate that surrounds the latch.  Once i read further into the instructions i found out that i could have just removed the plate.

Here you can see the gap between the outside trim and the wall sheeting.

You can also see two switches – one was for the light mounted just above and to the right of the door.  The other leads to the motion sensing lights in the carport.  There is another switch in the carport for those lights so i intend to circumvent this switch entirely.  The one for the light at the door i changed to motion activated.

To easily attach trim to frame in the door i cut a number of 6 inch long 2×4s and mounted them at 16 inch intervals behind the existing trim.

I then used some small galvanized nails to attach MDF boards that are almost 6 inches wide and have been primed on three sides.

The other side of the door took a little more time because of the wiring but i changed out the light fixture with a more modern one and installed a motion detecting switch to help with hands free light and making sure the light goes out when not needed.

I need to now run some of the MDF through my table saw so that it can be slipped in behind the facade trim to complete the boxing of the door.

So aside from the last few trim pieces i also need to brace the kickplate and wire in a doorbell chime inside the house (once i have one to install)

If you look at the last two pictures you can see the cabinet lighting that i’m working on in the background,

Almost ten years ago i bought my first house.  For an additional $2,500 i also bought a bit of furniture; a queen size bed with oak frame, oak dresser and vanity, two recliners, a couch, an oak hutch and a dining room set. Right now the bedroom set is part of the apartment. The hutch is holding my DVD collection in the living room and the recliners are there too. The couch is long gone. It was an awful floral pattern. Honestly, none of the furniture is really “me” – except perhaps the dark green recliner. Here’s the dining room set.

The center comes out to make the table small and circular.

I want a new table – something a bit more unique and personal. Something much more – me. I mulled over possibilities. Pepper suggested a few large boards would be adequate so i considered buying some rough cut lumber. Then i saw this instructable about a table made from scrap lumber. I like the natural wood, the variety of materials, and the recycled nature of it. Two weeks ago i took a load of some wood and metal to the dump. I then salvaged and collected some great wood from the burn pile there.

There were two large pallets made from red oak. I removed the decking and bottom boards to get to the 3″x4″ pieces that were 5′6″ long. Each pallet had three of them. I also grabbed a few 2×12 pine boards, a few 1×12 pine boards and one 1×12 oak plank. All were longer than 6 feet. I took them home and put them in the carport and stacked them with stickers – small pieces of wood that allows air to flow around the pieces. A week later i cut them all to 5′6″ and i began to mill them all to about 3″ widths with my table saw. I added in a few red cedar pieces that i salvaged from the front porch which gave me this collection of 25 pieces.

The size is 5′6″ by about 3′6″. I arranged the boards in a somewhat random pattern with two large oak pieces on the outside. I measured to the center and drilled a hole through every board with countersunk holes on the outside boards. Then i ran a piece of threaded rod through with washers and nylon lock nuts. With the table on one side i then marked a spot about 9 inches in from each end and countersunk and drilled through. Each board was used to guide the hole in the next board and i removed them when they were drilled. Then i started with one board with three threaded rods and washers and nuts and stacked each board into place. After they were all on, i put on two more washers and tightened down the nuts a bit. I put the table down and used a socket wrench on either end of each of the rods to take out all the gaps between the boards. I cut off the threaded rod that protruded beyond the edge of the side boards.

The table is essentially solid wood three inches thick. Because of variance when i drilled the holes the top needs to be planed and sanded down. So this past weekend i bought a $300 belt sander. They only had the floor model available and i found out after using it for a while that someone had removed an adjusting screw from the side of the sander – the screw that prevents the belt from drifting to one side. I knew i should have asked for a discount before taking the floor model.

It will take a while to sand down even after i get the adjustment screw. That gives me some time to figure out a good system for legs.

I was contacted on Instructables about including the Cart Bike in this project…

The Wild Pansy Press Book of Rainy Day Activities A Call for Works The Wild Pansy Press will be producing a publication in which a range of artists, designers, activists make concrete suggestions for new cultural activities in a Post-Credit-Crunch society, with an emphasis on the practical, the sustainable, the challenging and the subversive… The book will be a collection of templates, instructions and recipes which can be used to make or to generate Art works in the widest sense. The book will include some pieces about ideas raised by the projects as well as the “instructions” and templates, parts lists, supplier contacts, artists’ information and plenty of visual material. Everything will be copyright-free and we will encourage readers to get back to us with their own ideas or adaptations of the pieces The book will be our contribution to the exhibition CRUNCHTIME: artists’ responses to the global credit crisis and its timetable of associated events and will be available free at the main exhibition venue in York for the duration of the 8-day event in February 2010 and will then be on sale through various distributors, independent bookshops and galleries worldwide and from our own website. In addition, larger-format supporting items such as detailed plans, circuit diagrams and motivational posters will be also available as free downloads from the Wild Pansy site. The publication will be a squared-off A4 format (210 x 210 mm) and its design will reflect the contents. We are currently negotiating funding to cover the costs of making selected “prototypes” by contributors. So we invite you to submit your ideas, proposals and plans for things to make, things to perform, things to read, models for organisation, models for action, recipes for (avoiding) disaster, recipes for big dinners… to: info@wildpansypress.com www.wildpansypress.com

Today i took apart much of what i built yesterday. I replaced the desk top boards with new ones that were smoother. I replaced the top shelf – what i had in yesterday was just a place holder. Everything is made of red cedar.

You can see the shelves are done and on the left side the drawers and printer shelf have been installed. On the right side will be three more drawers (if i can make them work) in this photo they are just stacked in place.

Here is a close up of the two left side drawers – Bartlett Pears and a Pepsi crate. the pear drawer is on tracks. the Pepsi will just be a friction drawer. I need to put some nylon or other rails on the bottom so it slides a little better. I need to buy some longer screws for the drawer handles that earl helped me salvage at the dump on Sunday.

I got home from work last night and grabbed my shoes and a pair of socks to change into to ride the funbox with Mike.  The weather has been so nice that i’ve been able to wear flipflops to work.  Hey, you would too if your office was at the pool.

While i sat on my front steps waiting for Mike to get there i looked at my lawn and realized i really needed to mow it.  Last year i broke the pull cord on my mower though.  So i paid $40 to have it done once and the other times this year have just used my weed whacker to mow it down.  That’s sloppy.

So i dug out the mower and some tools to try and get into the flywheel contraption.  The mower i have is a John Deere and it is definitely not designed for owner repairs.  There is a plastic cowling that pops off and under that is the cover that needs to be removed.  Unfortunately it is riveted in place.  I grabbed my drill and bored out the rivets.  Then i strung parachute cord around the sping wheel and used short metal screws to remount the wheel.  I put the handle on the other end of the cord and checked the oil (fine) and gas (empty).  So i grabbed my 1 gallon jug and ran to town for $3.21 in fuel.  Mike was at the house when i got back.  He got excited and asked if he could mow.  So he mowed and i trimmed edges with my string trimmer.

We rode the ramps a little (it is really too hot to do much riding and jumping) and then slapped on a waterproofing coating onto the wood of the ramps.  Now i won’t bother with putting tarps over them.  Witht he extra sealant i started to protect the part of the deck that isn’t covered as well as the front steps.  I have more sealant and will finish up the first coat either tonight or during lunch.  I might slap on a second coat on the ramps and porch tomorrow then.

I love getting things done!