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Mike's Amphora Homebuilt Boat
Status: In Progress - last update (21 JUN 2008)
Pearson 26 Sailboat
Status: In Progress - last update (28 OCT 2007)
Gas Fired Crucible Furnace
Status: In Progress - last update (3 FEB 2006)
CNC Foam Mill
Status: In Progress - last update (03 DEC 2006)
Gingery's Lathe
Status: In Progress - last update (28 JAN 2007)
Gingery's Electric Furnace
Status: On Hold - Last Update (18 AUG 2004)
Wax Injector
Status: Finished
The Workshop & Remodelling
Status: In Progress - last update (18 JUN 2008)
Plans
Notebook
Injecting wax by hand
Making a surface plate
Weird Science
Making Honey Mead
Last Update (9 APR 2007)
Making Milk Plastic
Last Update (19 FEB 2006)
Making Green Slime
Last Update (12 FEB 2006)
Misc. Stuff
The My Heap Guest Book
My Craftsman 109
Credits
The Guilty Party
Site History
The My Heap Online Book
Chapter 0 - Introduction
Chapter 1 - Materials
How to Make IRC
Gary Overman's Charity Wax Recipes
Chapter 2 - Tools
Wax Injector
Vacuum Caster & De-bubbler
One Touch, variable heat gun
A Spin casting centrifuge.
A Reil Type Propane Burner.
A Tumble Mixer for Dry Components.
A Poor Man's Engraver Ball.
A Wax Warmer.
A Homemade Sand Muller.
Chapter 3 - RTV Molds
     Example 1: Split Mold
Chapter 3A - Alginate Molds
     Example 1: Clasping Hands
Chapter 4 - Plaster Molds
     Example 1: Fish Mold
Chapter 5 - Latex Molds
     Example 1: A Latex Glove Mold
Chapter 6 - Vinyl Molds
Chapter 7 - Silicone Caulk Molds
Last Update (9 APR 2007)
     Example 1: A Glove Mold
Chapter 8 - Slip Casting
Chapter 8A - Steam Casting
Chapter 9 - Misc. Notes
Chapter 10 - The Hall of Shame
Appendix A - Definitions
Appendix B - Suppliers
Appendix C - Credits
Appendix D - Resources
     Example 1: Casting & Mold FAQ
The New Workshop

     I know most of you would care less about this page, but I have friends who I talk to and this way they can see the progress. For those of you who are wondering here is the quick and dirty story. When my wife and I married we both had children, when you join two households you find space is a premium, especially if you have children. We have five between us. We have been trying to decide what would be the best solution to our space problems. One thought was just to find a bigger house that would hold us all and give the needed space. There were a couple of problems with that. First, we both feel that the real estate market around where we live is rather bloated for the industry located here to support it. Second, with the oldest child being 16 it won't be long before they start leaving the nest and leaving us with a house much to large to maintain. Our solution then was to focus on what we had and see what we could do to make it better. The house we live in is a modest 2800 square feet if you count the entire basement. Or another way to look at it would be 1400 Square feet per level. Half of the basement is finished and the other half is the existing garage. (I guess it is called that because it has two garage doors. I don't think a car has been parked inside it since I moved in with Melissa.) >SIGH< Our decision then was to finish the rest of the basement out, adding two bedrooms and another bathroom as well as finishing out the laundry room. That led to another problem, what to do with all the stuff in the garage. I mean, that is where my tools and projects live and all the junk we store out there. The solution we decided was to build an outbuilding to use as a workshop and storage.

     Now, this seems like a good idea to us and we decide that this is the direction we are going to go. Baby steps, in the words of Bill Murray in "What about BOB?", we decide would be the best way to approach it. Small chunks that we can digest and afford. See that is the other catch, we believe being in debt is not healthy for the maintaining of a good healthy marriage and lifestyle. You never know when work runs out, or payday does not come because whoever employees you is no longer in business. Then how do you pay for all that debt? Can you say bankrupt, or even worse can you say divorce. It is ashmed that so many families are broken apart because of the lack of money which boils down to the lack of managing it or at least not sharing the responcibility of it. (Anyway, that is a different soapbox, and I should get off it. Sorry, it is a pet peave with me.)

     Now to get back on subject. This is a multi-part plan, and a plan that I will do from payday, to payday without taking any debt to do it. So, even if you think I am nuts, wish me luck. For God's sake, wish me luck, we have five kids man and sanity runs low by about Wednesday. :-)

     The first step of the plan is to dig out and get the basement of the outbuilding done. I will put a floor in and seal it. Then I will cover it with tar paper to keep it dry. I will use this new basement to store the stuff in our garage so that the remodelling can be done down there. When that stuff is done, I will finish the building.

Monday, 26 March 2007 - I decided that I should move each phase of the project to it's own page. There are a LOT of images and as a result, if you have limited or low bandwidth available to you, or you would not care to see all of the images, I can save you the hassle. When I feel like I am done with phase one of the project, I will put a finish date and start phase two, etc. Thanks for you interest and support. I appreciate it! :-D

PHASE 1: Doing the basement part of the outbuilding.

PHASE 2: Landscaping and getting ready for the interior remodeling.

PHASE 3: Doing the outside of the house..

PHASE 4: Building the bedrooms.

PHASE 5: Building the Workshop.