Big Books No Wammies!

Rockler is having a contest to win the book Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture: 27 Stickley Designs for Every Room in the Home 

 Click here to enter the contest!

Here is an excerpt from the site..

This fabulous book by Robert W. Lang gives 27 examples of "the sturdy, straightforward, and immensely popular oak furniture designed by Gustav Stickley and his associates early in the 20th century." Lang's new drawings are carefully checked against Stickley original catalogs and antique pieces. With this book you'll have "the heart of the Craftsman aesthetic along with all the information needed for success in [today's] workshop."

Hold on a second.... or longer

Yes more tools to add to my wishlist....

Baby, you make me soo hot!

When i go fishing, I have to spend time, too much time if you ask me, in a freezer hold stacking fish. This freezer is chilled to around 30 below zero. Then you have two large fans about two feet wide each blowing cold air at your face while doing this. Effectively making the windchill about 50-60 degrees below zero. So as you might guess my face tends to get a wee bit chilly.

Enter the Cabela's PolarWrap Exchanger Headcover. 
















Well, if I'm gonna keep my face warm, I might as well keep my head and ears warm too. I found this hat and it looks like it would do a good job and not retain a whole lot of fish goo. I could use spray waterproof repellent stuff and make it even better too.













I am still looking for some good gloves. I even sent out a request to a glove specialist but havent heard back from them yet. Here are my requirements I sent them....


Glove #1- For general fishing Needs to be:

-Waterproof
-Breathable
-Cut Resistant (from fin pokes ruining the waterproofness of the glove)
-Have some cuff length or atleast not be able to allow water to run down into the glove

Glove #2 for putting wet fish in a 30 below zero freezer Needs to be:

-Waterproof
-Cut proof (Frozen fins can be a sharp as knives)
-Very warm
-Have some cuff length or atleast not be able to allow water to run down into the glove


I would like to have as much dexterity as possible for both gloves. For Glove #2,  I am in the freezer long enough that the gloves I use now freeze up and get hard. I would like to change that. Also, both gloves I use know constantly get wet on the inside even though they are long cuffed and waterproof gloves, maybe due to perspiration? I would like to change that as well.

Something to go with my popcorn

On the boat, in the car, flying, wherever, it's a must have.

Tools continued

Not gonna say much, just click on the provided links to see the tools. This is for a good tape measure.

Better than a tin can with string.

It does everything and even stuff you didn't know was possible, so I'm not gonna waste a bunch time writing about it. In short, it is fuckin awesome. It's the Nexus one Google phone.

 

Go here and watch their vids. http://www.youtube.com/user/GoogleNexusOne

I'll Make Ya Famous

Earlier I received an email from the Art of Manliness website. They were looking for subjects to write about in their column "So You Want My Job". And since I am a commercial fisherman they thought I would be a good candidate. While staring at the many questions I am supposed to answer for the article I started thinking. More specifically I was thinking about something that would be cool to have while fishing. Even more specifically than that, a waterproof camera that I could mount to the boat, or under the boat or on me via a helmet. Imagine how neat it would be to see underwater when the fish are striking the jigs. Or when we are reeling them in or other fish wildlife like sharks taking bait. Or a helmet cam so you can see the action as I see it thru my eyes and then post that for all to see. Imagine you are the one bringing the fish in, free climbing to the top of the 30 foot mast to look for "jumper fish", or working down in the 50 below zero fish hold during a storm getting knocked on your ass. Friends, family, random strangers, hell they could all be virtual fishermen! Yes, very neato indeed.

So once again, I scoured the internet and found something. What I found was the GoPro Wide HERO Waterproof  Digital Camera. They have so many different models I can't really see a difference between the Surf model and the Motocross model or the Helmet cam. They are all waterproof and that's pretty much the only care I have.

So what happens after fishing season? You take that sucker snowboarding, rafting, biking, swimming, motorcycling, whatever! Just get the appropriate mount and go at it! Helmet cams are cool, no doubt about it. Check out a sample vid, looks like fun huh?

Gettin' Creative

Okay, for some time now (around 5 years) I have been looking at getting a digital pad to do drawings, sketches, etc on. Back in the day I was a pretty good little artist. But life took over and I rarely got to practice the craft. Occasionally I would whip up things for friends or family or projects I was doing. My sister has every drawing I have ever given her, I'll have to ask her to scan them for me sometime to post here.

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with putting lead or ink to some mulched and bleached trees but I have a strong inclination to go digital. Besides being able to manipulate my images and drawings, it is alot easier to share with the world in digital form. I don't have much to show for now since scanning things seems to be an elusive capability of mine. But here are two very plain examples of when having a digital pad would have been great.

I did this one when a scooter group that I am a member of was having the Nationwide meet in Seattle. So I made this up for our t-shirts, patches and fliers.
Another one I did was when i was trying to design some remodeling ideas for a project that I was working on.

I also do cartoon type stuff but I dont have anything with me or on the computer to show what that's like.

The digital pads I have been looking at are ones made by Wacom . They have many different styles, types, sizes and price ranges. The one I find most affordable and offers the best features is the Intuos line like the Intuos3 . It is not the most advanced, but it seems to have the capabilities of what my budget is looking for. Wacom does offer the Cintiq line which is awesome but also about $2000! Sometimes if you are persistant enough you can find good deals on any of the Wacom tablets on Craigslist. But be wary, sometimes they don't include things like pens, mouse, software etc. Wacom also offers a very affordable Bamboo, but this isn't that great and are geared more for people that just doodle.




Here is a quick review of the Intuos3 from YouTube that highlites the main points.


So as you can see, it's pretty damn awesome! I like his because he has the 6"X11", although they do come in smaller and larger sizes. One of these days, I will just make it happen, instead of wishing i had one everytime I wanted to draw something.
If anyone out there has one and wants to send me some feedback, it is greatly appreciated!