A story about a raspberry pi laptop Once upon a time I was excited about typewriters. Wait a minute, I am still excited about typewriters. Once I was excited about typewriters, but also computers. I knew I liked the immediate typing experience and the “nothing can interrupt me now” flow of having one and only… Read More


This is my favorite keyboard. It’s comfortable, fast, and efficient. Make one! Materials 1 Arduino pro micro 1 nice micro usb cord 48 switches (your choice) 48 diodes (1N4148 or similar) 48 keycaps (I like DSA profile) 2 ft of old ethernet cable Some wire (18 AWG to 28 AWG is fine; copper is better)… Read More


Purpose Audio baby monitors are cool and all, but how do you know when your 1-year old decides she’s big enough to climb out of the crib? Enter the baby spycam. This project follows: jacksonliam/mjpg-streamer (github) start-service-at-boot (Linode) Download and build Create a dev directory, clone the github link, and compile for install. mkdir dev… Read More


I have wanted to try blacksmithing since I was a kid. Yesterday I finally got a chance to do that. My setup is a propane tank, 6 firebricks, and a piece of railroad track. I had to cut one of the bricks. I scored it with the angle grinder and then snapped it over the… Read More


I previously built a Roubo phone stand that gets used all the time. But phonestands are so useful that I have more. A lot more. I designed this one in OpenSCAD, a free text-based CAD program, and it is fully parametric. You can adjust the size and the angles to ridiculous degrees. But this is… Read More


I am a linux guy. Since Windows Vista, I’ve found that I prefer the simplicity and predictability of open source software to the arbitrary (and silly) business decisions that Microsoft keeps foisting on its users. However, I also run Windows in order to use Excel and for games. I have come to peace with it–mostly.… Read More


One of the benefits of the new house is my little workshop. I used to carry the lathe in and out to the back patio anytime I wanted to turn a pen or a muddler. That also meant that I never used the bed extension. Today I finally built a lathe stand. It’s quite simple… Read More


We’ve been in the new house since May. Slowly I am completing projects to make it more like home. I recently completed this coffee table. I wanted to build something simple with traditional joinery. I wanted something we could appreciate or ignore. I wanted something with details that I would enjoy whenever I saw it.… Read More


I recently got a small bandsaw. Every new tool offers new and different opportunities. The bandsaw is great for ripping boards–something that is not fun by hand. So last night I went to the shop and built a Roubo-style phone stand. This comes from the designs of Roubo, an 18th century woodworker and writer. This… Read More


We recently moved to within a quarter mile of a public boat launch, so I ordered an inflatable kayak. I have to tested it yet, but I know that the 3-year old will want her own paddle. I took a cedar fence picket and some round paint cans. I used the cans to mark some… Read More