Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Mid-Century Moto Mecca Makeover

[Caddis295]

Gregor......honestly....my mouth started watering and my stomach growled. Very tasty looking....

 

[lilscorpion]

We got it yesterday evening and we've had pizza for every meal for the past 24 hours.

Gregor

What an awesome and memorable family experience.

 

[blz2dwl]

Gregor, I read a few forums, and this thread specifically, not expecting to actually do much of what I am reading about. But I figure if I can learn 10% of what someone is into, maybe that will pay dividends when I'm trying something of my own. Today was the day your lessons paid off for me. Thanks so much for sharing your Grandma Pie with us! It's delicious. My first try went alright!

 

[sakurama]

Gregor, I read a few forums, and this thread specifically, not expecting to actually do much of what I am reading about. But I figure if I can learn 10% of what someone is into, maybe that will pay dividends when I'm trying something of my own. Today was the day your lessons paid off for me. Thanks so much for sharing your Grandma Pie with us! It's delicious. My first try went alright!

That looks amazing.

I'm really happy that people are trying to make pizza. Unlike so many things it's actually pretty easy to do and ends up being so much better that what you can typically order in.

I was in Borrego Springs this past week (so nice to get out of the rainy PNW weather for a week of desert sun!) for the Ducati Multistrada V4 launch...



...and we ended up ordering pizza one night. It was not great and I was reminded of how I take great pizza for granted now.

I messaged Judiaann on my flight home to make some dough and I got off the plane, drove home through the snow and fired up the pizza oven right after bringing my bags in.

It was so good.

Thanks for sharing! Glad you liked it.

Gregor

 

[mepstein]

Gregor - While you've talked about building your own bike throughout this thread, I've often wondered why you haven't replicated your BMW on a small scale production. It seems like you already have a blueprint for success.

 

[sakurama]

Gregor - While you've talked about building your own bike throughout this thread, I've often wondered why you haven't replicated your BMW on a small scale production. It seems like you already have a blueprint for success.

I honestly don't like a lot about the silver GS - it wasn't my design but one that I liked enough that I figured it would be a way to test ideas. I've spent all my time fixing it instead of riding it. My cafe bike has been reliable and works well but there's a lot of room to improve that as well.

The basic reason is that I want to build the frame from scratch. A "from scratch" start is the only way to get the bike down to the weight I want and also fix the issues that bug me. But you're right in that those bikes are a good basis to start from.

Gregor

 

[mepstein]

I honestly don't like a lot about the silver GS - it wasn't my design but one that I liked enough that I figured it would be a way to test ideas. I've spent all my time fixing it instead of riding it. My cafe bike has been reliable and works well but there's a lot of room to improve that as well.

The basic reason is that I want to build the frame from scratch. A "from scratch" start is the only way to get the bike down to the weight I want and also fix the issues that bug me. But you're right in that those bikes are a good basis to start from.

Gregor

I was thinking the cafe bike. You said it was a big hit and you already have your working prototype. While there's always room to improve - "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good."

At the Porsche shop where I used to work, many customers had multiple Porsches. They didn't come to us to build the perfect or ultimate Porsche. They wanted one that would scratch a particular itch. Might be narrow body RS, wide body RSR or IROC clone. If we did that, they were happy.

 

[jimkinney]

I was in Borrego Springs this past week (so nice to get out of the rainy PNW weather for a week of desert sun!)

I spent a week in Borrego Springs one night back in college. I was part of a team pedaling an HPV (recumbent fully faired bicycle) from San Diego to Washington DC.
I believe we rode through there on Halloween night 1988. Really beautiful after the sun goes down.

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

Hey Gregor, this is another Gregor but I'm located in Boring.
Just wondering if you and your family made out ok from the storm.
We lost power twice but have its back and our phone and internet just came back late last night. One of the main North to South routes had about 6 - 7 telephone polls snap off from the weight of the ice, lots of tree damage and my gutters got ripped off when the snow and ice slid down the roof. Were going to be fine, just wanted to check on you guys on the west side. Gregory

 

[sakurama]

Hey Gregor, this is another Gregor but I'm located in Boring.
Just wondering if you and your family made out ok from the storm.
We lost power twice but have its back and our phone and internet just came back late last night. One of the main North to South routes had about 6 - 7 telephone polls snap off from the weight of the ice, lots of tree damage and my gutters got ripped off when the snow and ice slid down the roof. Were going to be fine, just wanted to check on you guys on the west side. Gregory

We had a few branches down but nothing too big. In town here there's trees down all over and we did lose power for a few hours. I was pretty excited to because I thought we'd be without power for a few days and that sounded like a fun challenge (it's not nearly as cold here as say in TX) but sadly the power came on in just a few hours. So not only did I have to go back to work but routine was quickly reestablished.

Oregon isn't exactly "weather resistant" - the kids had a "snow day" Tuesday even though the snow was mostly melted -just because so many people were without still power.

Glad you're doing okay.

Gregor

 

[Choirboy]

"Subscribe for Biannual Videos!" <-- Ok, now that was a funny way to end your video! LOL!!

 

[sakurama]

"Subscribe for Biannual Videos!" <-- Ok, now that was a funny way to end your video! LOL!!

If you're not subscribed to my YouTube channel (horrors!) I've actually uploaded a couple of new videos. I've decided that I just need to plow ahead and edit and put up videos as a way of learning this process.

Interestingly I spent last week with my friend Chad who started a small YouTube channel a few years back documenting his adventure of living out of his van. He was too embarrassed about it to tell anyone for a long time but about 5-6 years ago he passed 100,000 subscribers and then last week passed 500,000. He's a videographer I've worked with for a few years and I didn't even know about his channel. Long story short it was interesting to chat about that process and how the channel evolved. He is now making a comfortable living from his channel (

) and, despite the fact that he's an accomplished film maker, his videos, his channel and his approach is very low tech. And successful.

So a week hanging with Chad helped me realize that I just need to keep plowing forward making videos, of random things, anything, in order to keep learning. I can continue to fight the uphill battle of my career (trying to get a lot of money from a small number of clients) or I can move to a better model of trying to make a very small amount of money from a larger number of people or maybe with the bike building a mix. My friend John Roderick (#BeanDad!) also recently went this way with very good success.

I think TV is fading and YouTube is rising (duh) and I'm rethinking my future and my model. And editing video in my spare moments.

So like and subscribe as the kids say!

Gregor

I am 9/10's of the way done on the van ladder video...

 

[Arclitgold]

Whaaaaa!!?? You know Chad? I’ve been following his channel for a bit and like it a lot. He’s from Bellingham which is what sucked me in. ( fellow Washingtonian here)

Small world! Is he making a living solely from his channel? Did you get to see his new Sprinter?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[capww8]

Vanagon > Sprinter, but I can see how it (sprinter) would be more comfortable to live in full time...

When can we expect the Roccbox pizza tutorial?

 

[bdbecker]

...So a week hanging with Chad helped me realize that I just need to keep plowing forward making videos, of random things, anything, in order to keep learning...

If this thread has proven anything, its that there is an audience for your randomness. I don't think anyone would mind if you mix in single project videos in with long term build videos. Many successful YTers do this already. You can always create playlists for the long term builds to help keep things organized.

I also know that you set a very high standard for yourself when it comes to anything you work on. Don't let perfection be the enemy of good. A video that only meets your 'good' criteria is still going to be better than a lot of the content that is created by other channels.

You've got this... I know you'll get it sorted out.

 

[sakurama]

Whaaaaa!!?? You know Chad? I’ve been following his channel for a bit and like it a lot. He’s from Bellingham which is what sucked me in. ( fellow Washingtonian here)

Small world! Is he making a living solely from his channel? Did you get to see his new Sprinter?

Ha, a way better living than me! I've known him for maybe 3-4 years but had no idea he did YouTube. It was his secret second identity. So getting to spend time with him in our rental car I really bent his ear about all of it.

Honestly, he's put in the time and was lucky that it was a place that allowed a return on that. Obviously all my hard work on MySpace will eventually bear fruit I'm sure.

Perhaps the strangest part of YouTube is that there's no transparency to how you get paid. It's a black box. He told me that his most viewed video (11 million views) had made him over $50k so far and with a large catalog of videos each new person tends to dive in and go back so the channel keeps making money.

Vanagon > Sprinter, but I can see how it (sprinter) would be more comfortable to live in full time...

When can we expect the Roccbox pizza tutorial?

I'd say a couple of weeks. I'm giving up any pretensions of corralling my interests and will just double down on things I like and try to bring in some of the lessons I've learned.

If this thread has proven anything, its that there is an audience for your randomness. I don't think anyone would mind if you mix in single project videos in with long term build videos. Many successful YTers do this already. You can always create playlists for the long term builds to help keep things organized.

I also know that you set a very high standard for yourself when it comes to anything you work on. Don't let perfection be the enemy of good. A video that only meets your 'good' criteria is still going to be better than a lot of the content that is created by other channels.

You've got this... I know you'll get it sorted out.

I am absolutely doing that. It was one of the things Chad and I talked about. He's a professional videographer with his own Red camera and most of his videos are made with an iPhone or a small Canon camera. It's a spectrum of quality and ease and you have to pick the point where you're making progress and videos - I tried to do a video on making the buffer stand and ended up with a huge folder of video that was so overwhelming I gave up.

I did the video of making the van ladder with just a phone and a couple of GoPros and that worked. Of course I wanted to add a little drone footage afterwards and sadly lost my Mavic in a river so that was a very expensive little exercise.

I will keep trying different things to find the balance. I appreciate your support and encouragement and am lowering the bar so I can clear it. Also, I'm giving in on my generalist tendencies. All aboard!

Gregor

 

[hewey]

Interesting to hear about Chad making a living off his #vanlife videos. Arguably that's a perfect theme for a youtube channel given the people into vans and tiny homes are also the generation watching youtube instead of TV.

Gregor you might enjoy this video from Trent Palmer on making a new intro for his channel. Lots of thought about the video editing and sound mixing which I reckon you might enjoy. I love Trent's channel, and it's shot beautifully, but I think the niche focus holds him back - adventuring in a van is much more accessible than flying a bushplane.

Beau Miles is an Aussie adventurer, outdoor educator, and bit of a philosopher. His biggest video is a 'Mile an Hour', where he runs a mile every hour for 24 hours, and between miles he does jobs like build a table, plant dozens of trees, bake bread from scratch etc. 3.3M views from a really random concept, and utterly enthralling.

And another random video, documenting him eating nothing but baked beans for 40 days

And this one about adventuring around his rural block with his baby daughter which I reckon you might enjoy

Keen to follow your youtube exploration

 

[kwoody51]

It happened... Gregor made me do it....

This little gem just arrived to MN all the way from FL via fastenal freight, only $200 to ship this beast 1200 miles.

Gregor planted this seed back in June and his recent Kranzle post coupled with my being in FL in January sealed the deal.

Haven’t been able to test it out yet as I need to rewire the plug. It’s also MN so... it’s a bit cold

 

[sakurama]

Interesting to hear about Chad making a living off his #vanlife videos. Arguably that's a perfect theme for a youtube channel given the people into vans and tiny homes are also the generation watching youtube instead of TV.

Gregor you might enjoy this video from Trent Palmer on making a new intro for his channel. Lots of thought about the video editing and sound mixing which I reckon you might enjoy. I love Trent's channel, and it's shot beautifully, but I think the niche focus holds him back - adventuring in a van is much more accessible than flying a bushplane.

Beau Miles is an Aussie adventurer, outdoor educator, and bit of a philosopher. His biggest video is a 'Mile an Hour', where he runs a mile every hour for 24 hours, and between miles he does jobs like build a table, plant dozens of trees, bake bread from scratch etc. 3.3M views from a really random concept, and utterly enthralling.

And another random video, documenting him eating nothing but baked beans for 40 days

And this one about adventuring around his rural block with his baby daughter which I reckon you might enjoy

Keen to follow your youtube exploration

I watch all sorts of videos and much like my projects I tend to have big ambitions and not the skills to pull it off. I need to start small and figure it out but I'll certainly put these in my cue tonight.

As has been said many times - don't let perfect be the enemy of good. In many ways this is how we start learning as kids. We're awful. We're bad at drawing and math and all of it. The difference is recognizing that's part of the process and knowing it will get better.

I think as adults, when we've mastered something we want to hold that feeling of mastery and so we stop trying things that are too challenging. We don't want to look like fools. Clearly, at 55 and still learning to wheelie a bicycle for about a year now, I'm not afraid of looking the fool. But wanting to be good at something right away - yeah.

It happened... Gregor made me do it....

This little gem just arrived to MN all the way from FL via fastenal freight, only $200 to ship this beast 1200 miles.

Gregor planted this seed back in June and his recent Kranzle post coupled with my being in FL in January sealed the deal.

Haven’t been able to test it out yet as I need to rewire the plug. It’s also MN so... it’s a bit cold

I'm so psyched that you bought that. I can't tell you how many times I looked at it, called the person and tried to find shipping that was less than $500.

Looking forward to hearing what you think. And thanks. I no longer have to check on it.

Gregor

 

[kwoody51]

I'm so psyched that you bought that. I can't tell you how many times I looked at it, called the person and tried to find shipping that was less than $500.

Looking forward to hearing what you think. And thanks. I no longer have to check on it.

Gregor

I’ll keep you posted! When I looked at fastenal it appears they have 2 regions and don’t cross regions. Guess I was lucky MN and FL were in the same region.

When I told my wife this was coming she said ‘you know you already have a pressure washer... why do you think you need the ‘best’ of everything?!’

If you know there is something better out there, why not?!

I have Jack Olsen to thank for my Vidmars and now Gregor for my Kranzle

 

[BoilermakerFan]

Gregor,

I watch a lot of various how-to and "shop tour" vids on YT. A lot of the woodworking and general DIY YT'ers show off their gear in vids or link it in their descriptions. A lot of them make a lot of their videos with pretty simple setups. I'm sure you already have 90%+ of what you need except the time.

For me, as long as the audio is clear and the content is presented well, I don't get hung up of whether it's shot on an iPhone, a P&S, or a $10K camera. There are some high profile car channels that I can't stand because the editing is nausea inducing or the "host" is obnoxious.

That said, a "shop tour" video of your garage would be cool.

 

[locul]

It happened... Gregor made me do it....

This little gem just arrived to MN all the way from FL via fastenal freight, only $200 to ship this beast 1200 miles.

Gregor planted this seed back in June and his recent Kranzle post coupled with my being in FL in January sealed the deal.

Haven’t been able to test it out yet as I need to rewire the plug. It’s also MN so... it’s a bit cold

I took a quick look at the Kränzle options in Germany(south of me)...whoah. Lets just say there is options...lots.
https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-kränzle/k0

 

[sakurama]

I used to run in high school. Distance. That's what coaches did with skinny kids. The skinnier you were the longer the distance. Anyway, the pandemic has been like a very long run. I'm sure it's not just me but I've found that, just like a race, once the finish line is in sight it gets so much harder.

While I've been busy with work I've also been really suffering the burden of the pandemic and have struggling to stay positive and motivated. The vaccine is on the horizon and it seems that it has gotten a lot harder to deal with all this.

Riding used to be how I'd reset but I just haven't been making time for a lot of different reasons, work chief among them, but last week I put my foot down and said I needed to take a day and go ride.



I was having more electrical problems with the BMW and so I took it back to Cheshire after two wasted days with a multimeter only reminded me how much I hate electrical troubleshooting. Then I put the KTM 500 on the lift and... dove into the electrical.

Such an idiot.



I have a real bad habit of tearing off rear blinkers and I really want the 500 to be a legal bike so I decided to spend an evening or so and just put some work into the bike. The plan is to mount these low profile blinkers on the fender with a small bracket.





Nothing fancy. Just a spot to hold them in tight to the plate. I like to take advantage of our very lax rules and flaunt my ability to do things Europeans can't do like turn my plate sideways. Ha ha suckers! Someday I'll get stopped for it but until then I'll look cooler.



Black makes it disappear.



This is the best way to mount a plate if you don't want your plate to get ripped off by a tree. It's not so likely out here but when I lived on the east coast our trails were about as wide as the engine cases and plates were usually dubiously obtained and much cherished.

My plan was to head out with a friend or two and have a good fast, mind clearing romp through the woods. I'd test out my new GoPro and generally reset. Unfortunately none of my friends were free but when Nadia heard me talking to Ben who was taking his son out she demanded to go ride.



I took her to a place we've ridden before but my memory of what was "easy" is, it turns out, is calibrated to an expert adult rider on a 500cc dirt bike and not an inexperienced 11 year old on a 70cc Honda. Despite this she buckled down and did a great job.



Lucas didn't want to go which was a blessing as it's much easier to coach one kid and it was nice to have some one on one with Nadia.



I knew of a good overlook above Dimond Mill that I thought Nadia would enjoy so we drove the van up to the top.



And we had a really good day.

Nadia said she really wants to take a trip on a motorcycle and do exploring. So while I might not have gotten out of first gear we did take a few small steps on a longer journey. I'll get out and do my fast ride next week.

Gregor

PS - new video up on YouTube about the van ladder. But you already knew that right? Because you're already subscribed. Right? I thought so.

 

[gearhead1960]

The look on Nadia's face in the last photo says it all!

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

Great work Dad, what a great memory for both of you!

 

[monsterbronco]

Loved the video! The welds look awesome!

2 small comments.
1) The music volume during the montages was louder than the volume during the rest of the video
2) Where was the coffee time?!?!?!?

Sent from my Pixel 3 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Bad Mojo]

It was great to see the video pop up on my subscribed channel! Made a cold brew and promptly sat down and enjoyed.

I will agree with the music, but everything else was good and enjoyable. It was a great way to start a Friday.

Lastly, I just wanted to say thanks for sharing so much. It is always refreshing to see what a person pulls off in a 2-bay garage.

 

[TiFJ]

PS - new video up on YouTube about the van ladder. But you already knew that right? Because you're already subscribed. Right? I thought so.

Looks like a great day with your girl Gregor. Memories to cherish!

I saw your van ladder video pop up on my subscriptions page last night briefly but when the queue refreshed, your video was gone. I tried searching for it, checked your channel page and wasn't able to locate it again.

I don't know if anyone else is having the same issue but I am looking forward to watching it!

**Edit - just looked for it again and it appears it's back!

 

[sakurama]

Looks like a great day with your girl Gregor. Memories to cherish!

I saw your van ladder video pop up on my subscriptions page last night briefly but when the queue refreshed, your video was gone. I tried searching for it, checked your channel page and wasn't able to locate it again.

I don't know if anyone else is having the same issue but I am looking forward to watching it!

**Edit - just looked for it again and it appears it's back!

Thanks guys.

Yes, I uploaded it after fixing the audio levels and doing a last edit. Then I went to bed and checked on the video after the upload and saw that a bunch of video was black. I then spent about 4-5 hours trying everything I could to get the video fixed. It's evidently some kind of Adobe issue.

Eventually I gave up after re-exporting a bunch of times to no avail. I realized I had a version on my phone that didn't have the last edits but did work so I decided to just upload that. I didn't realized the audio was quite so bad - sorry.

That I think was my last video using Rush. I realized last night that you can't backup or even find Rush files as it's too dumbed down. It really limited my options. I was hoping it would simplify things to keep me moving and that I'd eventually switch back to Premiere but I guess that moment came last night.

In other news that I forgot to mention I got a new camera. Actually two. I bought a small Sony ZV-1 that I figured would be a step above the GoPro and while researching that I came across a camera I didn't know existed - the Sony A7C which you see above. It's basically, on paper, exactly the camera I wished the Leica was. Full frame sensor, 24mp capture, better screen that flips around, interchangeable lenses and capable of doing video and still images equally well and all the same size as the Leica Q.

So I have been investing in gear (including mics!) that will help me make videos more easily. I'll be sad to see the Leica go as it's been my favorite camera by far but it will pay for both the new cameras. The A7C will allow me to use all my current Sony glass and not be so cumbersome that I don't want to use it.

Hopefully next week I'll have some time to make a small video on a simple project where I can get the hang of the gear and the software.

Thanks for your patience with my learning curve!

Gregor

 

[T-handle]

Great stuff and great projects Gregor!

Love the riding trip with your daughter, She's going to remember that forever. Great way to spend some family time and have a moment for own hobby too. I'm trying to include my children to my hobbies too but feel that I have lost the older ones already. Daddy's not cool anymore
I'm happy that I have my eleven year old still and he has definitely some gas in his veins. I guess I'm soon waiting some grandchildren to do the the cool stuff with

As a amateur Youtuber I'm waiting a long post about filming, lighting and all that cool stuff and tricks how to film a good video

Keep up the good work!

 

[bdbecker]

The results are in... my 5yo liked your video, so it must be good (she's actually pretty picky when it comes to YT videos). Her only critique was that the music was quite a bit louder than your dialog. I told her I'd pass the message along to you. She was pretty impressed that I "know" the guy on TV.

 

[jake28]

@gregor I stumbled on one of my new favorite youtoube non-celebrities, Brit MTB legend Rob Warner:

I think he has a special blend of irreverence, humor, and knowledge that you'll enjoy. Or maybe it's just the accent. You should develop an accent.

 

[Vieux]

Gregor you've got some great cameras. I also want to buy an Sony A7 sometime.
I am sure that now the videos will be even better.

 

[LaCorski]

So, I'll be honest, with a job change, Covid and the holidays, I haven't visited your thread in some time Gregor. I have kept up on the YT vids and watched your van ladder build the other day. In fact I think I was viewer # 20! Ha! Good little vid, good editing, humor and some general know-how. All the things we like here. Keep them coming!! Now, to go back to mid-November and catch up! See ya in the thread!

 

[kjdhawkhill]

I took her to a place we've ridden before but my memory of what was "easy" is, it turns out, is calibrated to an expert adult rider on a 500cc dirt bike and not an inexperienced 11 year old on a 70cc Honda. Despite this she buckled down and did a great job.

And we had a really good day.

Nadia said she really wants to take a trip on a motorcycle and do exploring.

I've been guilty of getting my kids into situations (bicycling) that are slightly above their capabilities and if they manage, they're usually willing to acknowledge the struggle, and feel proud and encouraged, looking for more next time...

I've also gone past that point a time or two, but fortunately they're resiliant and bounce back pretty well. The last line is a pretty good indication that you didn't go too far.

The look on Nadia's face in the last photo says it all!

You've identified one of the greatest achievements a parent can have - give a child an experience that causes true joy.

 

[gasgas17]

"Nadia said she really wants to take a trip on a motorcycle and do exploring. So while I might not have gotten out of first gear we did take a few small steps on a longer journey. I'll get out and do my fast ride next week."

Nadia would likely enjoy watching ItchyBoots on youtube. She does an awesome job on her videos and it could very well instill the "Adventure" bug. Just cast it to your TV and it's good family watching.

 

[matmann]

Hey Gregor, long time since I've visited, great to see your still posting.

Saw your insta post on pizza which prompted me to log on, I've got an Ooni, which is superb, and as romantic as wood is, it's so hard to beat gas, when it's dark, kids wanting to eat, and mouths to feed.

YT is my TV nowadays. what makes someone popular is so random.

One of my regular watch's is New Zealander Scott Brown Carpentry, he uses random footage of city scenery, something I'm sure you would excel at, beautifully shot scenery. as someone else mentioned, the eclectic mix of topics is one of the reasons many come back to this thread.

 

[Ralf99]

+1 on the Scott Brown Carpentry recommendation - laid back but informative presentation style interspersed with great local scenery - and he has just clicked over 250k subscribers.

 

[GrantT]

+1 on the Scott Brown Carpentry recommendation - laid back but informative presentation style interspersed with great local scenery - and he has just clicked over 250k subscribers.

+2 on Scott Brown, even my wife has started watching them with me. The lo-fi/trip-hop type music and cityscapes work really well together, and it helps that his standard of work and attention to detail is so high

"Scott Brown Here..."

 

[sakurama]

I've been guilty of getting my kids into situations (bicycling) that are slightly above their capabilities and if they manage, they're usually willing to acknowledge the struggle, and feel proud and encouraged, looking for more next time...

I've also gone past that point a time or two, but fortunately they're resiliant and bounce back pretty well. The last line is a pretty good indication that you didn't go too far.

You've identified one of the greatest achievements a parent can have - give a child an experience that causes true joy.

Sorry to be absent lately. I've had a bunch of work and no time for any projects or even catching up. It's looking like I'll have a break here with Spring Break coming up.

Also, in an attempt to fight off the depression of lockdown, I've started making an effort to work out again regularly and a few weeks back Nadia asked to go on walks with me every day in the morning. She's discovered the wonder of getting up before dawn and how much free time there is then so every day she wakes herself up a 6am. After a week of walks I asked if she wanted to try running and she did.

So for the past few weeks Nadia and I spend 30 - 60 minutes either walking or running. No pace, no plan - we just walk out the house and pick a direction. If we see a new road we explore it, a path, we'll take it. It's quite random and I think a pretty great thing to share as she becomes a tween.


I like Scott Brown and I think you guys are totally right about the videos - I need a good accent. I'll start thinking about what ones might work best but you guys clearly like the down under accents. I really love an Indian accent so maybe I'll try that.

So, yup, no way that could go wrong!



So while busy I did take a bit of time to fix an Ikea book shelf that broke. I know, I can hear you saying it now, "But how? How in the world could anything you ever bought at Ikea fail?" I want you to know I share your astonishment. Isn't pressed sawdust and glue one of the strongest things known to man?

To be fair I let the kids rearrange their room and they moved the bookcase while it was filled - by pushing it across the floor. So Ikea + kids = destruction.



My plan was to get rid of the legs - they weren't worth fixing - and make a simple box to put on the bottom. I didn't have any baltic birch laying around the right size but I did have a cheap old pine board that if I ripped in half would work. I also made a little jig to try my hand at making box joints. I was going to buy something and decided that it seemed simple enough to make one for the Festool router table. So I did.



It's just a board with a notch and a... tenon that I bolt into the sled of the router table. A small 10mm notch that I put a small piece of 1/4" baltic birch into to serve as the indexer. I originally planned to use this to make small boxes for kitchen drawers from 1/4". Box joints are my favorite sort of joint but I've never made them because I always thought you needed a fancy jig. Turns out not really.



(if you're wondering about all the wood flakes - I didn't hook up the vacuum so that I could capture all the sawdust to make fire starters. I figured they'd be good filler)

You just need perfect spacing from that stud to the bit. The 10mm spiral router bit is set to the height of the boards width and just a tad more and then you stand it up and run it through moving it over to register on the stud/tenon. You use the first board to set the spacing for the second. I honestly can't really explain it because the entire time I'm doing it I'm fighting my dyslexia and trying to remember which board is which. I mark them all 1, 2, 3, 4 and then put the numbers towards each other and do them in sequence.

(Also! If you can't quite tell, I got a new lens for the Sony - a 24 f1.4 and it's my new favorite lens. Sorry if I'm abusing it's depth of field at the moment but it's a fun lens and I'm still learning it.)



The first board is the top one and then setting it on the stud as the upper photo sets it up to be offset for the bottom board. Honestly this was an experiment to figure it out. Mostly an excuse so I could spend some time in the garage which I'd been lacking. I could have just screwed it together.



I cut the boards for the cabinet base, then cut a few shorter lengths to make a square so I could try a box and then used the scraps to test it out. I held these by hand and that was the issue - I couldn't hold them perfectly enough to make a good joint...



... and once I clamped the boards to the backer it was much tighter and the fit up was very tight. I set the bit heigh to be just a shade deeper so the fingers would be slightly proud and then sanded down to be flush.



I decided to take the smaller ones that formed a square and make them into a new knock box for the coffee station. I didn't have a good plan for the bottom and didn't want to breech the joint with a rabbet (or try to not do that) and so I just cut a scrap to fit and glued it in.



I had a few tiny gaps here and there and just filled them in.



I sanded it smooth and put a chamfer on the edge of the box because I like chamfers. Also, fun word to say. Chamfer...



Confident that the box joint thing was working I made the box for the bookcase and then pocket screwed it in place. I know I said I was done with them but I guess there's still a place and time for them. And a few hundred screws in a drawer that won't use themselves.





I sanded to to 220 and then put on my ever favorite satin poly making sure to almost soak the inside so that it was waterproof from the coffee grounds.



And there you go. A simple box joint and a new knock box. I'm sure that pine is probably the worst wood I could use for something like this that gets hammered every day but now that I know how to make a box joint I can make another when this gets beaten up too bad.

I probably should have turned this into a video but I think that's the thing that holds me up. I didn't think this was a "project". I needed to fix the book case and making it more complicated allowed me to spend a bit more time in the garage and away from the computer. The box was just a glorified test fit for the ****** Ikea cabinet. It wasn't a "project" until I realized that the joints were good enough that it was worth keeping. In hindsight it probably would have been simple but I don't know how to shoot video yet without getting in the way, of me or the project or itself. It's not my language yet.

I am planning on making a couple of pizza peels and I'm going to shoot those as videos so that will be my experiment. Super simple project with a very simple timeline.

In the mean time I'll start working on my New Zealand accent mates!

Gregor