Tag: DIY
New Boots for the Young Lady
My daughter finally dove in and made her first pair of shoes, primarily from the instructions given by Mr Morris of Seamlyne Design. I think it’s a fine tutorial for the uninitiated but would like to see a few photos along the way. Anyway, they came out excellently and fit rather well. Just FYI, they take about 10 square feet of leather as shown here. Neither of us felt up to documenting the whole process but here are the basics.
For durability, we added a rubber outsole of Soleflex (18 Iron). If you’re looking for a straight-forward tutorial on boot building, Mr Morris’ site is an excellent source. Maybe I’ll make a pair later this summer and try to photo-document the process.
Pedal Power at the Maker Faire
Some of the interesting pedal power found at the Maker Faire. Crazy welder contraptions, wooden works of art, well designed cycle cars. The Faire had it all.
Maker Faire 2012 Update
The Bay Area Maker Faire was bigger and more interesting than I thought possible. I have rarely been so busy in my life as the eighteen or so hours I stood and talked about the Vardo. There were many interesting and interested people who thoroughly examined every aspect of the wagon. As it was built on a whim and shoestring budget, I’m not proud of every inch of my workmanship. I never thought it would be displayed for public scrutiny but it was received with great enthusiasm. When I dove into this project I thought it likely that it would be looked at as some crazy art project but it seems there is a core of like minds who long for a micro traveling home with a certain amount of style and aesthetic.
Knowing that loads of people would be poking around in the wagon meant a bit of cleaning and spiffing up was in order. Most of the interior received a fresh coat of varnish and most personal things were stowed away. It was sad that I couldn’t actually stay in the wagon as it was on display but the grant helped cover the cost of a nearby hotel.
Location, location, location. The obvious place for a low tech micro home is between the underwater robotics and the universal charging station. The Faire is so chaotic, I don’t think it really mattered but I think our setup would have been more at home in the Homegrown Village area. As it was, the Vardo was an interesting Low Tech display amidst all the electronics. There was generally a line of five to ten people all day, both days to file in and around the Vardo, hear my explanation and ask loads of questions.
The nifty sign created for the display. They said it, it must be true.
Closed up, ready to hitch to the truck I noticed all the eclipse shadows filtered through the leaves onto the Vardo. What timing.
I have loads of photos I’ll put up shortly when I make some sense of them. All in all, if you are a MAKER OF THINGS or even just a dreamer, the Maker Faire is worth a visit.
Maker Faire
Its almost surreal. Somebody* is actually paying me money to drive the Vardo out to the Maker Faire in San Mateo next month. Even with my old clunker truck, the small travel award will more than pay for the trip and I’ve been wanting to attend the Faire for several years now anyway, so his is a perfect opportunity. If you are a maker, artisan, artist, or mad scientist, the Maker Faire is worth checking out. In their words its a: A two-day, family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement.
On a personal front, I am busily working up the line drawings of the Vardo and hope to have high quality prints for sale at the Faire. Also, they will available via the web and purchasable for a small price via PayPal.
Hope to see you there.
*Esurance Road to Maker’s Faire ChallengeA Quiver
My new quiver. Re-worked from one I made earlier in the winter but was just not quite right. I like it a lot now. It’s a little smaller, hangs either vertically (Medieval style) or from a shoulder strap which is removable. Made from oak tanned leather and so far, just washed down with yellow saddle soap.
It’s a simple and not very interesting design really but suits me well.
Travel Shutters
I wanted to put up photos of the travel shutters. As the windows face forward, they take a real beating on the road. After solving the issue of covering three sides, the construction was pretty simple. Being small, I was able to knock these together from scraps around the barn.
Leatherworker’s Tool Tote
Updated: Last weekend I finally finished the leatherworker’s tool tote. It took time to figure out what needed to be included and handy. Since the leather straps are fairly specific to the tool they hold, it pays to get it right. The original post is here: https://paleotool.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/tool-tote/
It may not look exciting but it is a great boon to have handy, easy to access tools.
A fun and useful project.
More Vardos
Here are a couple new Vardos found in the Arizona desert this February.
Jack’s wagon, nearly complete inside. I helped him build the main structure in my driveway last summer and he has been trimming it out ever since. It essentially the same design as mine (with a few logical improvements) and lengthened by two feet.
The portholes were purchased from a ship salvage company and add a cool nautical look. This one is ten feet long (3 m) and feels very spacious inside.
Paul’s wagon is a beauty but I suspect weighs quite a bit. The tandem trailer alone might outweigh my little rig. This one is 14 feet (4.25 m) long and could host a small dance party inside.
The color scheme and interesting details really make this one stand out in the crowd.
Winter Count Bow Makers
Thanks to those who participated in our bow making class this year. I failed to get many photos so if anyone would be willing to share theirs with me, I would be most grateful. Email me at zcoyotez (at) yahoo.com.
We made very traditional flat bows. This is a straight-forward, predictable design that is easy to tiller and makes a fine shooter.
I use a minimum of tools, relying primarily on the axe, drawknife, and spokeshave for the heavy work with rasps and cabinet scraper for finishing.
It is a little more difficult to teach such a hands-on skill to groups, as opposed to individuals, but the class seemed to go very well. The point was not to just make a bow but to learn enough of the concepts that everyone in the class should be able to go home and make more without much guidance. A key to the success is using good staves to begin with. There is enough to learn without added problems of twists and knots in the raw material.
All of the bows were successful and I hope will bring happiness for years to come.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 