Building

[JusVisiting]

Do you enjoy building things and working with power tools? What do you enjoy building? If you were going to build a table, how detailed would the blueprint be? Do you enjoy the process of building or the final product more? How organized are you projects and tools?

[Zilal]

I like building, though I like hand tools more than power tools. I'd do a lot more of it if I had my own garage or basement. I tend to like to build specialized things to solve problems of mine, or working models for exhibit concepts I have. I'm not sure I'd make a blueprint for a table... I like planning, sure, but I'm lazy too! I'm not terribly organized with projects... I'll make a few sketches and try a couple things then start sawing.

I don't think I like either the process of building or the final product so much as the moment when the final product is complete. Just the act of completing something.

[Cytastic]

My projects tend to be sporadic, though I'm sure I would build more stuff if I had a garage or workshop. I built a halloween costume (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.) out of fiberglass last fall, and having my schedule dictated by the weather was a pain (you don't work with fiberglass indoors).

The complexity of drawing I come up with is dictated by the complexity of the project. If I'm building something sophisticated, I'll do a quick blueprint in CorelDRAW, but if it's something simple, the drawing will be in my head (tape measures come in handy). Note: I work with blueprints, so my version of a blueprint is probably a lot more detailed than most folks.

Given my usual reaction to surprises, I probably don't plan as much as I should. I enjoy the accomplishment more than the process, particularly if it's something I've never built before. I love figuring things out.

I do enjoy working with tools (both power and hand). Tools in my house have their home (I'm not a fan of running around yelling, "Where the $!%& did I put that?!). I'm not anal about it; I don't have pegboards with outlines drawn on them, but I do know where everything is. If I'm using tools for a project, though, they're likely to be all over the place - my costume project turned my kitchen table into a workbench for 2 months. Yes, I live alone and can get away with that.

[elsdfr]

I love power tools, my favourite is the hammer drill followed by the mallet... oh yeah and the good old hammer. I'm good at the destruction just don't ask me to build it.

Blueprint for a table? yikes! :p

[INTJoe]

I'm not good with tools or mechanical things. I'm too "big picture"...I'm inept, and I try to steer clear of machinery, for fear of making a fool of myself around other people.

But in architecture school, I did enjoy building wood models of my buildings. But primarily, all we had to use was exacto knives, basswood, wood glue, sandpaper, dremel tools...so nothing too major.

I do plan on renovating my home and upgrading it myself when I purchase, as a hobby.

[JusVisiting]

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Cytastic, that is so AMAZING! I was expecting a felt egg with prop fork made out of cardboard and tinfoil; instead I open the link and WOW! Was that a project for school or for fun? I'd display that costume in my living room for everyone to admire. Very impressive!

Zilal, what type of exhibits? Art?

Elsdfr, have you ever ripped down a wall?

INTJoe, I relate to wanting to renovate my home. I rent my place so I'm limited in how much I can do.

[Zilal]

I used to work at an aquarium and would participate in coming up with ideas for exhibits, often temporary things for school vacation week or whatever. I am very into the interactive stuff, where kids could spin wheels or pull levers and have things happen. It didn't take me too long to discover that my supervisors were a lot more receptive to my ideas if I had a working model all built before I even brought up the idea.

[Mountain Lion]

I am adept at making "men" and building castles in the sand along with literal and theoretical bridges. But my true specialty is destroying things :embarassed: ...including men, castles and bridges.

[Cytastic]

Was that a project for school or for fun?
For fun. I spent 200 hours and over a grand - which is ironic, since I decided to build that thing instead of getting a stormtrooper suit because I thought it would be too expensive at $800. I never knew what I was getting into, haha, but it was fun, I learned lots, and I've got some new nifty tools. The helmet is on display in my living room, and now I'm trying to figure out what to do for next year. Gonna be hard to top last year!

[elsdfr]

Elsdfr, have you ever ripped down a wall?



That's pretty much all I've done :p

I have constructed 20+ node Linux Clusters for email and web with scripts that will make you drool but no one really gets to see or comprehend those :(

One day I will construct something huge and pretty and everyone will be in awe!

[lordrrr]

For fun. I spent 200 hours and over a grand - which is ironic, since I decided to build that thing instead of getting a stormtrooper suit because I thought it would be too expensive at $800. I never knew what I was getting into, haha, but it was fun, I learned lots, and I've got some new nifty tools. The helmet is on display in my living room, and now I'm trying to figure out what to do for next year. Gonna be hard to top last year!

Well whatever happened it's an amazing job well done.

[BloozeGit]

A few years back, a lethal cocktail of boredom and curiosity got me into making my own tube/valve guitar amplifier with schematics off the internet. In retrospect I really should have thought twice about building an electrical device from scratch that would be plugged into the mains, but I wouldn't have thought that if I hadn't tried it. For what it's worth, the circuit breakers in my home are in excellent working condition, I know. ;)

It started off as a haphazard "rats nest" of wiring in an old baking tin that was *hell* to drill because it was made of stainless steel, but I didn't know better then. The whole project was really a mess because I had to run and get tools I didn't know I needed, look for stuff buried under the tools I didn't need etc and it was the impetus for me to get a dedicated workbench. It also got me into reading schematics more carefully and doing physical layouts as opposed to mental ones. Amazingly, in spite of all that it didn't blow up and worked the first time I fired it up, in a classic Victor Frankenstein moment.

I've since helped a friend with some amps, rebuilt some old ones from yard sales and transplanted the first one into a semi-proper housing together with a $5 speaker from my then-university's EEE dept clearance sale. I'm by no means an expert, just a slightly less befuddled hack who's been there, made the mistakes :laugh:

On another occasion, for the final-year project of my Mech Eng degree I had to use an ancient lathe and milling machine to make my prototypes because the workshop was overworked beyond hope to make mine in time. In retrospect, it wasn't a great idea since we never had ANY proper instruction on working with high-powered machine tools (apparently it was scrapped from the curriculum after some dainty sorts thought it beneath them), but I wouldn't have thought that if I hadn't tried it.;D After making plenty of paperweights (ie. scrap) I managed to produce something workable without taking off any of my fingers/limbs. I have since gained a much greater appreciation of proper machining techniques as well as safety procedures :thumbsup:

But to answer your question, yeah I really enjoy making stuff, both the process and the product.