Weekend Industries

Antique Flower Truck Bucket Platform

This project was a commission piece for @AntiqueFlowerTruck They needed a platform to hold flower buckets on the back of their 1946 Chevy pickup for their pop-up build-a-bouquet business. They had a rough design idea and mockup to start from. I created a CAD model of the truck and support structure, then designed the platform on top of that. Once the model was complete, I built and finished the platform and rear working desk area and did the final install and fitting on the truck. The first time I got to see the truck was at final install, all of the design and build had been done from pictures and measurements from the client. All the parts fit perfectly. I also completed a signboard holder to stow their sandwich board under the platform in the bed of the truck, and a matching paper roll holder to hold the paper, ribbon and stickers for wrapping the flowers (not shown above).

Alphabet Hex Blocks

These alphabet hex blocks were created as a gift for the birth of my friends first child. They are entirely my own design. The design is very personal to the family, and contains a number of "easter eggs" and specific personal touches. I created the block design in CAD first, and laid out the lettering and symbols for the sides in Corel Draw. I created the CAM and then CNC machined them out of a piece of recycled maple butcher block. The blocks are machined top and bottom to stack vertically together, the rim on the top registers with a recess on the bottom of the block. The lettering and designs were laser etched into the block sides using a laser I had access to. The blocks were then dyed to the colors and finished with a shellac. All the colors were created with baby-safe food coloring, the finish is a non-toxic natural shellac and topped with a coating of beeswax.

MP3 Music Box

Cedar, burl walnut back/next button, 3d printed internal supports and speaker grilles, MP3 player electronics, speakers.

This was built as a commission piece for a friend as a Christmas present. He was learning to play the piano and wanted to have a music box that his Grandmother could open and hear him playing the piano. He found a "Salesman model" cedar chest as the base box, and I transformed it into a functioning music box. When the lid is opened, it starts to play a song, when closed it stops. It can be easily updated with new songs by swapping out a MicroSD card or USB thumb drive in the back. The box is a mix of traditional woodworking and modern CAD/3d printing technologies. The speaker grill structure, mounts for the electronics, and a few internal support pieces were created in CAD then 3d printed.

Fixed Blade Shop Knife

Used file, copper, shop-made micarta handle scales, brass/epoxy mosaic pin.

I built this as a fixed blade shop knife. It hangs on the pegboard above my workbench in a custom holder. It's skewed chisel (or "Tanto") style tip for scraping/chiseling. It uses a hidden tang handle. The handle material is micarta that I made from fabric and epoxy with a copper spacer and copper bolster. The file was annealed, rough ground, heat-treated (hardened), tempered, then finish ground and polished.

Wooden Mallets

Joiners Mallet (Front) - European Beach, Walnut Inserts, Leather Strap

Deadblow Assembly Mallet (Rear) - Birdseye hard maple head, walnut handle, steel shot (internal), leather pad on one face

Gift Box

Birdseye maple, walnut, olive wood, brass feet, brass and epoxy mosaic corner pins.

This box was built as a present for a Christmas gift exchange. It uses a novel system that combines the foot and lid retention feature into a single brass rod that runs thru the box in each corner.

Locking Tool Carriers/Storage for Motorcycle

ABS, 3d printed components, lock core, other mechanical elements.

Based on some other ideas I had seen, I created these additional carriers to run below the luggage cases on my CSC RX3 adventure motorcycle to hold tools, etc. I wanted to make them lock, but use mostly off the shelf parts. They use a modified mailbox lock mechanism with a 3d printed piece, a machined brass rod, and a spring on the inside to make them function. The locking rod seats into a grove cut into the pipe end cap, preventing the cap from being unscrewed. Custom 3d printed cradles and stainless hardware attach the carriers to the frame of my luggage cases.

Table Saw and Dust Collection Rolling Cabinet

Plywood, ash/chipboard counter-top, assorted other wood

This rolling saw/dust collection cabinet is was designed to fit the space I have in my garage workshop, which is very limited. It was built to fit under a fold-down workbench on one side of my garage, so the dimensions are specific to that space. It uses a novel system utilizing toggle clamps to lower the cabinet down onto feet while in use for stability, and raise it back up on to wheels for movement around the workshop. It provides a place for my Dewalt Worksite table saw, ShopVac, and storage for various jigs, guides, blades and other table saw related equipment. It also features a detachable folding outfeed table (not pictured here).

3d Printed Yashica Lens Cap

3d printed ABS

Lens caps for this model YashicaFlex twin-lens reflex camera are almost impossible to come by. I created the CAD model and 3d printed my own.