Note: Originally written on March 5, 2018. One of the things I like about living in Nebraska are the four seasons being so distinct. Independent of what the calendar says are the start of the seasons, there is usually a very definite tradition point between them each year in this part of the country. For […]
Lately I’ve been wanting to bring a little slice of nature to my workspace. Nature always inspires me, and it’s important to try to stay connected to it in anyway we can in this modern world. The obvious solution is of course a houseplant or two, and indeed I do have a couple of those […]
Each August the earth moves in to the path of debris from the comet Swift-Tuttle and we’re treated to the Persied Meteor Shower. This year I decided to take advantage of a few days off from work, and make a stargazing trip to the Nebraska sandhills for the peak nights of the shower. This region […]
We recently decided to section of a portion of our yard along an outside fence, in order to create a garden area that would keep the pets out. I considered many different options, but each had major drawbacks. Commercial garden fencing is expensive, and didn’t seem sturdy enough for what we wanted. Most are designed […]
After recently looking around for an inexpensive plant stand with no success, I had the idea for this simple project. It’s made from a single 8-foot piece of 1×8 western red cedar, and a few cedar pickets. From start to finish it took less than 2 hours to complete, and cost well under $20. The construction is […]
I’ve tried several ways of easily transporting kayaks over the years, and encountered several frustrations, particularly with those that involved tying them to the roof of a vehicle. For the last two years or so I’ve settled on using a small utility trailer, which has worked out reasonably well. However, the trailer isn’t quite wide […]
First, a disclaimer: I make no assertion that the information presented here is useful in any way beyond an interesting mental exercise. I am not a physicist, and have no formal scientific training. What I do have though is an intense curiosity about theoretical physics, and a recent abundance of relatively free mental time, in the form […]
Last Saturday the Mid-West Tool Collectors Association held their semi-annual national tool meeting in Des Moines, IA and I had the opportunity to go. For those with even a passing interest in vintage hand tools, I highly recommend checking out this organization, and if you get the opportunity, one of their Tool Meets. You won’t be […]
It’s been a long time since I posted anything, but it’s not from a lack of projects to report on, and I wanted to share the latest for any who might come across it. In particular, to share a few things I learned from working with some new materials. This is a classic drop point […]
My interest in custom knife making was sparked when a good friend gave me an unfinished project he had started years ago, and never completed. It’s a beautiful Damascus steel hunting knife with an ironwood handle, and sadly remains unfinished. I have, however, done a fair amount of work on it, and found the process […]