Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Sometimes, the Changes Aren't Needed



Every once in a while, a cool piece of furniture catches your attention and you just grab it on impulse, thinking you will eventually have a use for it. In this case, it was a cheap knock-down style unit that you could probably pick up at any department store on the cheap.

I brought it home and let it sit in my garage for about a month, giving it regular glances, hoping inspiration would finally strike and I could get to work transforming it. However, what eventually happened to it was that I never did a much of anything with it. It found a new home in my downstairs bathroom serving the purpose that it was originally intended to. All I did was replace some door hardware and upgrade the decorative handles, all things I already had stored away in the garage.

I even bother mentioning this because it just goes to show you that you don't always need to have a lot of tools or any woodworking skills to still transform an old item into a new and improved one. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh coat of paint or a new hinge to make it usable again. Always a good alternative to the landfill.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Rustic But Ready Computer Stand


I had an extra computer kicking around and hadn't made any definite plans as to what I could do with it. It was mostly just sitting in the corner of my garage, half-assembled and collecting dust. So, with the new renovation of my garage, I decided to get it working and use it in there for various tasks. Now I can stream music off the web while I work or look up any information, like how-to's, when I am building various projects. Eventually, I would also like to set-up something like an internet phone service because the garage is not already fitted for that.

But, the problem was where I was going to put it. So, I took some excess pine I had lying about and built an upright stand from scratch. Total height puts the old CRT monitor at eye level for an average 5 to 6 foot person. I hope to eventually put some wheels on it to make it easy to move it around if it's in the way.

I already have newer design ideas if I ever need to build another one. Something with an adjustable keyboard tray and a place to store a printer as well (and any other accessories).