OT kinda - What was the most enjoyable thing you've ever made?

[Tundra Twin Track]

I'm always impressed at the things you come up with to make your job more efficient, and the tool modification projects. They always look so professional. I like building stuff from accumulated stuff laying around too, but when you do it, it looks very industrial and professional. When I do it, it looks exactly like cobbled together stuff lol.

Thanks Dan,always enjoy repurposing stuff especially when it works out.

Your Cowboy Hat looks great,that would be beyond my skill level!

[George Bulliss]

The kayak looks great,any idea how many hours you have into it,not that it matters when your enjoying the project takes the chore out of the picture.

That’s Great you could spend extra time with your Dad towards the end,it’s ironic sometimes how the timing works out.Had similar thing with a close friend.

I purposely did not keep track of hours. It was a lot. I've had people tell me I should build them to sell. I figure if I charged more than anyone would ever pay it might just work out to 2 bucks an hour.

I bet I could shave 1/3 the hours off of the next build, though. Each strip has a constantly changing, or "rolling" bevel along it to mate to the last one. The bevel was cut with a block plane and there is a big learning curve required before you get the feel of it. A time consuming part of the build but once I got it figured out it was enjoyable and relaxing work.

[darryl]

For me it probably was the replacement body for the Land Cruiser. '74 was a bad year for rust, so when the wheel wells started to rust out I took on the project of replacing much of the body. One day after work I looked out the window at the vehicle and decided to draw some lines- and took the jig saw to it. From just behind the fuel door, the body disappeared- and was replaced by a plywood/fiberglass structure. The back wall was a one piece fabrication which would swing down and be level with the floor, and hang on cables. A canvas 'tent' could snap into place, and it basically became a camper. I sold the roof and all the removable body panels, which pretty much paid for the entire reno.

The cab part of the new roof was built with windows on top, which has its own story that I won't get into right now. But it was nice to have that extra visibility. All the new body work was removable, just like the original body parts. It was a lot of work, but I enjoyed it- apart from the two times I got sick because I was fabricating and fiberglassing it inside the house- the only place I had to work in at the time. The Cruiser was my main drive for decades after that, so I got to enjoy the fruits of my labors for a long time. I always did like fabricating with fiberglass.

[Moxiedad2001]

I don't know that enjoyment is the right word for it, because shop work is sometimes tedious or frustrating even on favorite projects. I measure projects more by the satisfaction of accomplishment, especially if it endures. For some projects, that feeling of "Yeah, I'm kind of proud of that" never goes away. The glass cowboy hat by Mr. Dubeau is probably in that category.

Anyway, similar to George's, here is one of my favorites, all the more so because a son and I teamed up on it (he's on the right).

[epicfail48]

I'm gonna go with that. Milled out the pocket for the fire control group, hand-fit said group, assembled the lower from a parts kit, whole 9 yards. Hours and hours of fun, and the next group she's shot has been 1.5 inches at 100 yards, and that's with plinking ammo. Once I get some quality hand loads worked out, I bet I can get her to go sub-MOA

[Bob Engelhardt]

I purposely did not keep track of hours. It was a lot. I've had people tell me I should build them to sell. I figure if I charged more than anyone would ever pay it might just work out to 2 bucks an hour.
...

I built a stripper canoe & did keep track of the hours: 500! I was not then, and am not now, much of a woodworker, so I'm sure that I took much longer than average. I've had people ask me if I would build one for them (or for their husband ) and I told them that they couldn't afford it.

[gellfex]

I started making a mold to inject the tubes instead of dipping/cutting, and some other changes to the internal weighting and hook style and placement (along with a lipped crank, and lipless that use the same tube skirt), but it's all been on the back burner for a while. We're heading up to one of our good lake trout spots in a couple weeks after 2 years of not going so I should get on it to finish them.

That's a cool jig! I designed mine to be able to both tie hair on, or use 'hoochie' vinyl squid skirts. The skirts work so well I've never tied hair! And I've never added eyes, the flounder can't tell...

This pic was a balance test before I powder coated it.

[Jerrythepilot]

Of all the things I've made over the years we have had the most fun sitting at this picnic table with friends, and everyone who visits has to try out the giant Adirondack chair.

[JRouche]

Thanks AK and Dan. The deck is from one board and I kept track of the strips as I cut them and bookmatched them when building. Did the same for the board that made up the bottom and the one used for the sides. Was sure I would mess up the order but I managed to get it right. That shot was not long after varnishing – things aren't so shiny now. I treat it like a boat and it has plenty of scratches and one dent from a hard impact on a submerged stump. Needs new varnish every few years so it will look good again, at least for a while. (The varnish is only there for UV protection for the epoxy.)

I'm thinking that for my canoe I may just paint the exterior. Not as pretty but a lot more functional and being able to use fillers will mean a lot less sanding required. Less sanding is a good thing with these boats.

OT kinda - What was the most enjoyable thing you've ever made?




Well? Hang out a Second here like I and many others have, I have only been here less than MR. Tiffe. So. Whats the fuking question? JR

P.S.> It pisses me off to see anyone bagging on you. Sorry. JR

[OaklandGB]

Wow, nice projects!!
Akin to George's post, at 13 years of age, I bought a boat kit. A "kit" only in the sense that my dad had to pick up some sheets of mahogany plywood, some 1x1 inch pine, a gallon of marine glue, a package of copper or brass nails, a steering wheel, cables, dead man throttle, a couple of brackets and an envelope with blueprints in it.

Working all summer, I managed to actually construct a 12 ft hydroplane out of the blueprints and materials. Used my dad's old 10ph Kiekhaefer engine that would really push that thing along! Only sank it once! The boat survived, and the engine reworked and put back in service.

Wish I still had it.

[OaklandGB]

I actually found a photo back in the day. Hope I got it attached correctly.... It was "test day" out on Huron. Ah, the good old days!!

[A.K. Boomer]

That looks like allot of fun Oakland, great boat pics GB, Moxie also,

lot's of hard work and many hours but the end product is very special...

[Black Forest]

Glass blowing! We went to the island of Murano of the coast of Venice Italy. The island is renowned for all the glass wear they produce. You can walk around and watch all these guys working making incredible things. One of our prized possessions are the beautiful glasses we watched getting made. So like any good home shop guy I came home and thought I can do this! I have a forge for heating horseshoes and a bunch of empty glass bottles. How hard could it be! Piece of cake. I smashed up some green wine bottles, put them in a tin can and melted them. Stuck a piece of pipe in the melted glass lifted it up and proceeded to blow.....all I got was a blob of green glass on the end of the pipe. I think more air was coming out my ass than what was going into the glass. My face cheeks hurt just writing this here. It ain't that easy. Those guys made it look like it was easy. Nope it isn't.

[I make chips]

A little color balancing for ya.

[OaklandGB]

[QUOTE=I make chips;n1979485]A little color balancing for ya.


Thanks!! Yep, those old 127 Kodak prints faded a lot, and they weren't the best to start with.. I scanned hundreds them on WYSISYG scan settings, no adjustment, I'm thinking it was taken in about 1968, so 44 years give or take.... Ah, the old days!!