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Creating the perfect garage space for modeling

For the last few (bunch of) years, I've cycled through 4 houses, each with a garage dedicated to woodworking, crafting, and modeling pursuits. The recent Plastic Model Mojo podcast episode included a discussion about tricking out a shed space and using a HVAC mini-split to regulate the temperature. I thought it might be worthwhile to share my winning formula for creating a great hobby space in the garage. In short, there's five main things to do to your space to make it absolutely rock. Here we go! Drywall Many garages don't have drywall on the walls or ceiling, and I highly recommend you put up drywall on both if you don't have them. Couple reasons: Dramatically cuts down dust, bug, and general gunk collection in the garage space The white walls make the space feel brighter... because it is brighter. The white drywall helps reflect light around the space Mentally, at [...]

By |2024-12-04T15:25:48-06:00December 4th, 2024|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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Guest spot: Plastic Model Mojo

I'm excited to share that I was once again a guest on the Plastic Model Mojo Podcast. We had a great time talking about laser cutting as I start my laser cutting adventure. I've been putting it to work on the Warrengas station in a big way and it's a great new tool!   Check out the podcast here!  

By |2024-12-04T12:17:51-06:00December 4th, 2024|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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LEGO, dreams, and full circles

As a wee lad, I had dreams of the perfect future career. Like we all do. But where other kids wanted to be astronauts, firemen, policemen, I wanted to be a LEGO Designer. I wanted to work for LEGO designing kits. I still remember clearly sitting on my floor in 3rd grade and talking to my Mom about what kinds of kits I wanted to design and asking if she thought that was a job that I could get. (She emphatically said "yes!") Flash forward many years and I was in Denmark a few months into my employment at LEGO as a Senior Web Designer. My boss sat across a conference room table where I presenting about how we were building programs to engage adult LEGO fans. Next to him sat Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, the third generation family owner of the LEGO Company. I can't tell you how full circle life [...]

By |2024-08-05T11:19:55-05:00August 5th, 2024|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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When tweezers try to get the better of you

Over on the Scale Modelers Critique Group (SMCG) on Facebook, one of my favorite spots on the web, a conversation came up about getting older, hands getting shakier, and how demotivating that can be. As Jeff posted: Despite being only 51, my hands regularly get the shakes. I've been building the Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire, and after shooting a part off into the ether this morning I just want to get a win. I replied with many words and figured I'd share that ramble as a blog post. Here's what I told Jeff: 1. Getting older SUCKS. I find myself having to compensate for eyes and hands more than ever before as I rush up on 50 in September. 2. No matter your skills, there are good modeling days and bad. Last night, I sat down at the bench to decompress a tough week and immediately dropped a (large) resin part and [...]

By |2024-07-27T14:23:14-05:00July 27th, 2024|Random thoughts|0 Comments
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PSA: Traveling with models and asking for a hand check

I'm going to put this right up front in this post: If you're flying with fragile items (like a scale model) and have to pass through a TSA checkpoint ASK FOR A HAND CHECK. Do not, I repeat, do not try to put it through the metal detector. I learned this lesson the (very) hard way on my way to the Rocky Mountain Hobby Expo. After telling 3 different TSA agents that the box I had with me (marked with multiple "fragile" red stickers) was incredibly fragile, not one offered for me to get this "hand check", wherein the TSA agent wouldn't put my box through the metal detector and would inspect it by hand. Instead, they all grumpily pushed me to stick the box in a bin and shove it through the xray. My spidey sense was tingling, but I pushed ahead. I waited on the other side of the [...]

By |2024-07-01T10:51:29-05:00July 1st, 2024|Random thoughts|1 Comment
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An Ode to the OG Gangsters

This week we heard that the Sprue Cutters Union podcast would be indefinitely halted after a number of years, a bunch of episodes, and some truly remarkable insights, ideas, and interviews. I posted a few "I'm sad" comments of support on the various social channels, but I had a deeper sense of loss (and joy) that I wanted to express in a few more words. So here we go. Community and Connection SCU was more than just a podcast. I listen to plenty of podcasts, effectively none of them have prompted as much action and connection as SCU did. Listening to Will Pattison, Tracy Hancock, and Chris Meddings ramble, rant, joke, and support reminded me of one of the core reasons I love scale modeling: community. I was inspired by their camaraderie to reach out to people I wanted to be friends with and learn from. I felt a sense of [...]

By |2024-05-17T11:49:44-05:00May 17th, 2024|Modeling thoughts|0 Comments
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Making springs

As part of the Cylon Raider Diorama, I needed springs.... those kind that the Mak. guys add to their armored suits to look like power cables. I'm running electrical wires across the deck and wanted to hide them in a "big ass power cable" and springs was the easiest way to get there. The problem was... the way I wanted to run electrical wires required a spring bigger than I could find easily. (Read more about this on the Cylon Raider project page) I had previously purchased a bunch of beautiful springs from HobbyLink Japan. They were relatively inexpensive, long enough for my needs, and arrived quickly. But... there was no way they were big enough to fit the large wire I was using. I search Grainger, McMaster-Carr, and a variety of spring selling online businesses. I even ordered a few off Amazon and realized I'd gone way wrong. I did [...]

By |2024-02-29T18:26:40-06:00February 29th, 2024|Tips & Tricks|0 Comments
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