Peter Brown's ShopTime

Welcome to November’s installment of Couch Time ! Each month, we will bring you a selection of videos covering interesting projects from other YouTube makers working in a variety of media. We are big fans of mistakes. Huge fans, really. Everybody makes them, no matter how experienced they are or how perfectly their videos are edited. Peter made his own mistakes in the recent Micarta video , which he finally published after eight months of pretending the footage didn’t exist. So for this episode of Couch Time, we’re going to highlight videos that show those mistakes. Batman Mech Helmet // Behind the Scenes – I Like to Make Stuff 2 Bob Clagett takes us behind the scenes of his Batman Mech Helmet build. Foamwork is a relatively new area for Bob, and he made several failed attempts before creating the final product. Third time’s the charm, right? Not this time. The fourth build finally worked out and it looks great. DiResta: Axe Mold Making – Make: Jimmy DiResta’s Make: video c...

Micarta is a composite material made from paper or cloth and resin. It is exceptionally hard and durable, and is commonly used for knife scales and other items that need to stand up to rough handling and heavy use. Peter decided to make micarta from card stock. This is Shop Time’s third foray into making micarta (previous micarta projects include the blue jean bracelet and book tablet holder), and you’d expect that previous experiences would make this project go more smoothly. And that’s where you’d be wrong. The actual process of spreading the resin went well. Peter used a shop-made HDPE roller to spread the resin and a piece of laminate to prevent the project from sticking to the bench. He remembered to mix enough resin (because paper and cloth both drink the stuff like they’re dying in the desert). And then things started falling apart. First, the paper started slipping around when Peter tried to put pressure on it. Then the duct tape wouldn’t stick to the parchment paper. THEN Pete...

Another month has passed us by, which means it’s time for another installment of Couch Time. This series highlights interesting projects from other YouTube Makers working in a variety of media. BUILD: Easy Rubber Jam Chuck by TabLeft Workshop Ray at TabLeft is an accomplished Maker but doesn’t do a lot of turning. When he needed a way to finish the bottom of his bowls, he made a simple jam chuck using a piece of plywood and some rubber floor mats. Secret Compartment Frame by Dustin Penner  Dustin Penner is afflicted with a compulsive desire to put secret compartments in everything he makes. To his credit, he’s very good at it. Watch him create a frame for his “If it looks straight, it is straight” print that includes secret ice pick storage. Homemade Flamethrower Slow Motion by Giaco Whatever  Giaco Whatever tests out his hardware store flamethrower while visiting Jimmy DiResta’s farmhouse in Upstate NY. Mrs. Brown, if you’re reading this: this one’s for you. How to Make the Horned Ste...

Welcome back to Couch Time, the monthly column where we show you unique and interesting projects from other makers on YouTube. Last month  we covered videos from David Gagné, Laura Kampf, Matt Cremona, Jimmy DiResta, and KRTWood. La Fabrique DIY – Making a Very French Birdhouse A birdhouse is possibly the archetypal woodworking project. Bill Lutes on the Reclaimed Audio Podcast even turned it into a joke — his first guess about every project is “a birdhouse.” In this video, La Fabrique DIY (an artist group that runs a French-language Instructables-type website of the same name) creates a birdhouse in the Basque style. It isn’t complicated, doesn’t require any special tools, and looks adorable. Stay until the end for some footage of the birds enjoying the house. Frank Howarth – Maple Clouds Frank Howarth has always been an exceptionally creative woodworker, but he took his work to an entirely new level after building his giant CNC router. This turned segmented bowl would be i...

Every so often, we will be sharing some unique and interesting projects from other makers on YouTube. This is the first installment in an ongoing series, so congratulations — if you’re reading this, you’re getting in on the ground floor. Elm City Vintage – Pallet Up-Cycle Every year, Sterling Davis runs the Pallet Upcycle Challenge . Dave Gagné of Elm City Vintage took things literally and made a pallet “up-cycle.” Think woody station wagon, only two wheels instead of four. And more punk rock. And beer.   Laura Kampf – Laura’s Tallbike Laura Kampf creates another “up cycle” – a tall bike. Two bike frames combined form the core, while some pedals placed strategically allow Laura to climb up and down. There’s no kickstand yet, so every ride starts by leaning the bike against a wall.   Matt Cremona – Building a large Bandsaw Mill (Introduction) Matt Cremona is known for fine furniture, traditional joinery, and milling his own lumber...

I think you've all come to expect something a bit odd from me. This is project will be no exception. Black locust naturally fluoresces under a black light! There are no camera tricks used, or any special treatment done to the wood itself. It's just the property of this wood.

Would you like to see how easy it is to bend wood like a slinky? The trick to this technique is all about the setup, and once you've got that down the possibilities are near endless! I saw a band saw cut vase on a woodworking forum that I frequent, that lead me back to the work of Seth Rolland . I was amazed that I'd never seen any of his work until now.