My Projects

12/26/2022 - Jay builds the Lego lighthouse kit.12/27/2022 - Jay starts to thinking . . . 2/17/2023 - Jay draws a basic function diagram and then goes fracking crazy.3/15/2023 - Jay starts ordering parts3/23/2023 - Prototyping the electronics starts4/15/2023 - Interface to the actual lighthouse electronics4/17/2023 - Building...

I did this one fairly quickly so I could send it as a Christmas gift for Christmas 2022. I started it late November and finished it in only a couple of days. (Obviously, its very simple, but I wanted to be careful and make it as finely as I could, so I took my time.)It's all from one piece of poplar, and stained a dark walnut color. The...

11/22/2021 - Set dimensions and basic design - Documented the basic dimensions and design. Cut the raw parts from a single curly maple board. And created a replacement crosscut sled to use on the project.4/10/2023 - Main case joinery commences - After a long delay, finally making progress again.

My wife Adriana has a lot of costume jewelry as well as some nice fine jewelry. She asked me last year to make her a jewelry box that's big enough for everything. I, of course, went overboard. I've designed it and redesigned it about four times now. But I'm sort of committed to the latest design. This will be, by far, the most...

I began looking for design ideas and taking measurements in late November 2017. I created a basic Sketchup model at that time, and then worked on it through the holidays. I finished the overal structure of the design and finalized the dimensions in mid January. I went to purchase the plywood and secondary wood material january 20th, 2018...

Completed in two nights after work. I opted for a simple miter cut on each corner and I just reinforced the frame with metal corner brackets on the back. Quick and simple. I didn't want to mess around with any fancy miter joints due to the risk of attempting to outshine the artwork.  The piece itself is supposed to represent a crowd...

I got started in early September on this. I went and bought some plain clear pine at the local Home Depot. I didn't want anything difficult to work with, especially with all of my recent efforts to shape hard-as-hell maple.  I bought a set of  3/4" thick 6" wide boards and glued up a 24" by 24" square. No biscuits or dowels. It...

Update 10/8/2017 - Working on the face vice . . . and there is a problem.Update 9/4/2017 - Installed the wagon vice. Turned a set of bench dogs out of maple.Update 8/13/2017 - Pinned the top to the legs.Update 7/5/2017 - Just shy of the sixth anniversary of this project. Like some cathedrals, I suspect the world will have changed and the...

2/20/2016 -- Started designing the aviary. Ordered the cage material.2/25/2016 -- Received the cage material. 2/27/2016 -- Went out and bought construction-grade untreated lumber, southern yellow pine. Started cutting it down to 1 3/4" by 1 1/2"posts. (The Sketchup design shows 2"x2", but I need to maximize the lumber, so I just...