Crossfit 24" Jump Box (December 2012)

My brother Gregg is a Crossfitter and for Christmas asked if I could make him a jumpbox.  I found some plans on the Crossfit website and adjusted the measurments from the normal 12" and 18" boxes to the desired 24" my brother wanted.  This turned out to be simple enough for an afternoon project.  A few angles drawn on some plywood and few cuts with a circular saw and table saw was all that was required before gluing and screwing the end joints.  I didn't post a completed pic but I ended up painting the box a flat black and cutting a couple of hand holes to allow the box to be moved easily. Gregg reports that the box has been very stable, and the two-foot jump to the top has proven quite challenging (Though not as challenging as many would think as friends and relatives mistakenly thought Gregg no longer had the hops to jump that high). He does!

Kitchen Table refurb (July 4, 2012)

Everything seems to come full circle. This was my parents' kitchen table when I was growing up.  It was there as far back as I can remember.  Nothing fancy, just some 2" thick hardwood lumber with a great butcher block top and a natural finish.  As a side project in my high-school woodshop class, my mom wanted to raise the table to countertop height and incorporate some stools into the kitchen area.   After a few years she allowed me to keep the piece with me. 

Not only was the table used as an eating surface, it was a great work desk throughout the end of my college days as well as an entertaining piece in my early professional years at my downtown Kansas City loft. 

With the future in mind, my wife and I decided that the high-top table has had its day.  I cut the table down to its original height and with a little teamwork we sanded and painted the base an "off-black" color (to borrow my mother's term). 

Next, I sanded and stained the top a dark walnut color with some clear polycrylic applied for added durability. We were quite pleased with the result as the dark stain color really brought out the character hidden in the butcher block's end and surface grains (See below) that I had never seen before in all my years this table has been in my life. 
 

Full circle indeed, as I hope this can be our family kitchen table for many years to come until maybe someday it can be re-purposed yet again.

Low-profile built-ins (Winter - Spring 2011)

My sister was doing some updates to her living room including pulling up her carpet to reveal some old oak floors and making the switch from a free-standing media cabinet to built-ins flanking the fireplace on both sides.  She had the floors contracted out and finished with a dark stain. The built-ins were left to me.

My sister's direction for the cabinets was that she wanted something low profile and with some sort of "X" design on the doors.  I drew up some specs and dedicated one cabinet to store movies in pull out drawers that remain covered by the outer decorative doors. The other cabinet was divided so that one half could store audio/visual and stereo components, with the other having drawers for storage similar to the cabinet on the other side, only half the size.

For the doors we really wanted the X design to pop, so we decided to build them to have mirrored glass inserts.  Then we went with a clean white latex paint and some acrylic hardware knobs to finish it off.  The pictures of the finished product at the bottom have the stereo, DVD/Blu-ray, and DVR equipment on the left and media storage on the right.

My sister was very pleased with the modern aesthetic of her new cabinets. I may even have to incorporate the style touches to future project designs!

For future projects where a/v and stereo equipment is being stored I would recommend using two-way mirror. This allows remote controls to send signals through the glass without having to leave the door open while still maintaining a clean and stylish look

Storage/Toy Chest (May 6, 2012)

Just finished up this latest project in the basement shop. This storage chest was conceived as a blanket or pillow storage solution for the bottom of the bed, but also designed with safety and style in mind to be used as a toy chest or a stand-alone piece like a coffee table. Enjoy video of the progress below...

- completed 5-6-12

Javi's Tank (July 12, 2010)

- Built for my nephew's 2nd birthday.

Other than finding something fun to play with, I wanted to build something simple, yet challenging, and found both to be true. 

At first glance it looks like a simple shape and wheel base, but look closer and you'll notice that as the front wheels hit the carpet the internal suspension allows the wheel to absorb the bump. 

All three axles have suspension built-in which provides a smooth ride over obstacles and sturdy enough for a toddler to put his weight on it as he pushes it across the living room floor.  

Silver spray paint with black brushed on to give it a distressed (or battle-tested) look. Coated with poly to help protect from the inevitable dings and crashes.