DIY: Projects

DIY: Plexiglass on Tree Trunk

EPEngineer By EPEngineer2 min read667 views

About 3 years ago I came across a piece of thick plexiglass which I knew that I wanted, but did not know what to use it for. Time passed and about a month ago, while cleaning the garage, I came across it again. This time I decided to file down the edges to round them off and make it usable. As luck would have it, I needed to place it on a surface to round it off and after looking around for a bit; found myself a tree trunk that was the perfect size.

An hour later and the piece of plexiglass was ready to use and while looking at it from different angles I found my answer. “A TABLE”. I used wood screws to drill it down to the plexiglass and used a drill bit to make the holes on the plexiglass to not crack it. Here is the result. I hope you enjoy it.

Table made with Plexiglass on salvaged Tree Trunk.

After numerous trips to Lowe’s and Home Depot, my wife asked me once again to make her a Primitive Wooden Bench. I had spotted a couple of choice piece on a pile of used wood behind our garage and now was the time to fish them out. I had seen the leg pattern from other benches and knew what they looked like, so I started with them. Once I got the correct angle in place, I cut two pieces of each for the legs and screwed them together to verify the angle.

Once done with the legs I started working on the sitting part and the back rest for it. This two pieces where cut the same size and rounded off to eliminate the possibility of splinters. I used to pieces to unite the back rest to the legs and the rest is history. You can see for yourselves the end result.

Reclaimed Wood Bench.

Enjoy!

DIY: Sheep Craft

EPEngineer By EPEngineer2 min read924 views

We treasure weekends in my home as it is our moment to unwind and let our creativity go wild. After bike riding around the block, we decided to work on some crafts with the kids. From all the creations we made, they enjoyed the Sheep Crafting the most and we had so much fun making them. I am sharing the tutorial with you and hope you enjoy making them as much as we did. This are some of the little things I refer to as “Strength of the Small.” They move me and I respond positively.

Materials Needed:

  • Construction Paper/ Toilet Paper Roll (for body, head, ears, eyes, nose and/or legs)
  • Styrofoam Balls (for head)
  • Googly Eyes
  • Scissors
  • Cotton Balls
  • Q-tips/Straws/Toothpick/ Wooden Skewers (for legs)
  • Craft Glue
  • Yarn (for mouth)
  • Wrapping Paper/Tissue Paper/Toilet Paper (for face)
  • Sharpie Marker (for eyes, mouth)

Step by step:

  1. In the absence of toilet paper roll, cut out a rectangular piece of paper and roll it to form the body of the sheep or use a white construction paper to cut out the body shape.
  2. Use a black construction paper to trace the faces and legs and then cut out the pieces or either glue a styrofoam ball onto the body or insert a tissue paper through the toilet paper roll to form the face.
  3. Make 4 holes on the body to pass the q-tips/wooden skewers through and glue them to form the legs.
  4. Apply glue onto the body and cover it with cotton balls
  5. Glue the googly eyes or use a sharpie marker to trace the eyes and mouth. You could also use a yarn or a cut out for the mouth, ears, and nose and glue them on the sheep’s face.
  6. Use your sharpie markers to add colors

Based on the picture of the sheep you’re trying to make, follow the steps that apply to you.

DIY: Wine Glass Lamp Shades

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read913 views

What would you do if, suddenly, a few of your favorite wine glass broke? My guess is that most of us would toss them in the trash can. Others like me, who collect objects with sentimental value will find it difficult to part with them. We would find ways to repurpose/ reuse these objects in hopes of holding on to them and/or extending their lives.

A few months ago, I purchased a set of Eiffel Tower Wine Glasses from which two were broken. I refused to part with them and decided to store them in a safe place until I figure out what to do. This evening we had family craft time. While the kids were working on their projects, my husband used Loctite Epoxy to reconnect the glass handle to its base. I was busy creating and decorating the lamp shades. Now we have a new use for them.

Wine Glass Lamp Shades.
Wine Glass Lamp Shades.

Materials Needed:

• Wine glasses
• LED tea lights
• Scrapbook paper (8-1/2″ x 11″)
• Scissors / Decorative bladed scissors
• Glue pen/ Double-sided tape

Step by step:

1. Be creative and design our own template OR print out this template (by Good Housekeeping).
2. Trace the pattern onto your scrapbook paper. Cut out the shape with your regular scissors (use decorative bladed scissors along the bottom edge to add another element to the shade).
3. Use the glue pen or the Double-sided tape to one straight end. Wrap the other end over and hold together to form the shade.
4. Set the lampshade on top of your glass and voilà!

DIY: Robot Creation

EPEngineer By EPEngineer2 min read861 views

Ever since I was a little boy I have had a fascination with the electro-mechanical from steam works to electronics and to robotics. I am always thinking of new things to make/build.

OG (Original) ‘Bot

This was the first creation that was spawned by this parts which stood out from the rest. You can look at thousands of parts and at times, they come together to form a unique figure. This was the first creation that screamed to come out of my brain and materialize into what you see before you. All the parts were scavenged from scraps and drilled together to form this Bot. It has a 9Volt battery to power the lights and a toggle switch to turn it ON and OFF.

OG (Original) ‘Bot

Electro Tester

This Bot was built to help me do my work faster and more efficiently. It has a connection and switches to run 110Volts to test leads and also a 24Volt transformer to test leads. My testing required to verify that 24 Volts where present on the output of the units, so I wired the eyes to function on 24 Volts. So, if the unit output was good, then the eyes would light up. If not, then they would stay off. When working with power  you need to have fuses to protect your equipment and this bot has one fuse per line. This Bot was not only my most useful creation, but also the most requested by my co-workers.

Electro Tester

Impact Bug

After coming across this a couple of Impact Sprinklers I noticed the top section looked like the top read area of a bug and so, the Impact Bug was born. This Bug is powered by a 3Volt battery attached to a toggle switch to power the eyes. This became a great gift idea for co-workers who were moving along after their contracts where up.

Impact Bug

Music ‘Bot

The evolution of the OG ‘Bot after about 8 different variations in style. This ‘Bot was a present for a co-workers birthday and it went to a good home.

Music ‘Bot

Robot Hand

This hand/arm was built for a Science Fair project for a co-worker. He wanted to build a hand that could grip an empty soda can and lift it. After some deliberation and some research on the internet, the Robot Hand was born. Each finger can move independently from the others or all together by pulling on all 5 wires at once. The springs for finger joints help the fingers to straighten up while the double string on the thumb allowed up to not only pick an empty can, but also a full can of soda and hold it while all 5 wires where being pulled on.

Robot Hand

These are a few of my creations.

DIY: Medicine Cabinet Makeover

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read2.3K views

Most of us have at least one Medicine Cabinet in our home. It is an area where we store our everyday essentials for quick access, such as toiletries. If like me, you bought an older home, then I am sure, it came with one of those old school Medicine Cabinets (plain with silver or gold metal frame around it). There’s absolutely nothing wrong in having one of those as long as it’s been placed at the right location.

In my case, I didn’t like the location of the Medicine cabinet, which was placed on the left wall. After all the turning to look at the mirror it took a toll on my neck and it was time for the cabinet to go.
I started by removing the screws from the inside panels of the cabinet and then I pulled it free from the wall. I build my recessed shelving then I installed the shelves and trim.

Medicine Cabinet as Display Cabinet.
Medicine Cabinet as Display Cabinet.

It’s a fun and very simple project which can be accomplished in just a couple of hours.