What are your Custom Projects

OMG the Mrs needs this! You have plans for it?

 

Sorry, I don't. I just sort of ..... built it.

It is pretty easy to do, though. I have done a few barn doors now - this was the only one with a mirror. I use just basic 1X4 dimensional lumber. I go and pick out the straightest stuff I can find. Then, I figure out how tall and wide I want it - cut the pieces to length (so far I have only made doors in widths that are exactly in increments of the board widths - so I don't have to rip any of the pieces). Next, lay out a single layer of boards on some sawhorses and using a a few large clamps, I get it such that all of the pieces are laying square. Then I cut 3 boards to serve as crossmembers (two horizontal, one diagonal - they are in the backside on the one pictured). Finally, on the front side, I cut 4 boards to size and use a miter to cut in a groove that is slightly bigger than the mirror. I installed small strips of foam into the bottom and top grooves so that the mirror wouldn't shake. I screwed down 3 of the 4 outer boards, then slid the mirror in and installed the final board.

A couple of things:

1. You sort of have to design the door around whatever mirror you can find. I actually had this mirror made using fabglassandmirror.com.
2. This door is heavy. Make sure whatever barn doorhardware kit can handle it. I never actually weighed it - but I would guess it is in the 80 lb range.


HTH.

 

What is a good barn door kit? I am getting ready to think about building some doors but have zero experience. If you know a good hardware kit to buy that would be a huge start for me

 

Thanks

 

@Misfire those knives & sheaths are kicka$$...nice work! I do a bit of kydex...nothing fancy. The new sheaths arriving with cutlery aren't to my liking, too bulky and....sucky.

 

Just finished this one up a month or so ago

 

As a hobby I began shooting and eventually modernizing semi-auto M1A / M14 rifles when surplus ammo was cheap in the late 1990's, my friend Ron Smith in Tempe Arizona replaced the barrels & bolts and upgrade the fire control groups on rifles I supplied... I would do the rest by finishing the assembly, installing them in different stocks, and shooting them with different accessories.

It all began with my quest to make this problematic Springfield M1A more reliable, and more accurate, that rifle was a basket case right out of the box but it got better after every warranty repair. Making this rifle work became my #1 project.

I quickly became somewhat of an authority on EBRs helping GI's in the sand box un-fuck their EBRs, and in 2010 my hobby became a niche business of helping other GI's and enthusiasts modernize their rifles. The entire experience has been great, and I met a lot of great people in the industry. Business is good, but I do need to get back to shooting more.

BTW, I finally found what I was looking for with Smith Enterprise, the Blackfeather RS chassis stock system and the EBR trigger shoe.

 

This was my last custom project, making the front gear change easier.

 

A friend of mine also makes a few knives... his name is Johnny Strong.

 

Nice work!

 

most of my free time is consumed by yard/house work + two kids, but if i do have some down time, i've been into tying flies for trout/steelhead. I realize most normal humans can't fathom this being enjoyable (my wife is at the top of that list), but i enjoy it. Also, trying to keep my old vw on the road usually takes up some of my time, too.

 

Wood working..




Making beer..




Wood working and beer combined (made the tap handles, and the kegerator actually)..



Working on bikes..

 

Combo spare tire carrier & grill staysh for the RV:

 

like the tire mount! Didn’t think of that when I built mine... may have a re-work in the future!!

 

Nice fab work