As with many of my projects, this week I attempted something I have never done before.  Screen Printing.  Now I have been wanting to try this for a couple years now.  A while back I purchased a starter kit to do a DIY screen print.  Included in that kit were all the chemicals, inks, and a screen that are needed.  Now I know you are supposed to use a photo sensitive emulsion for your screen.  However, I had also seen that for a small quantity of prints, some have used cut vinyl. Essentially a sticker.  Now since I have a vinyl cutter I figured I would give this method a try.  I had figured maybe some aspect of this wouldn’t go quiet as planned.  But, I had watched several videos, and read all I could find on how to properly do this.  So I felt fairly confident I could pull it off as a successful first attempt.  I was wrong.  You see, since I was printing a light, fluorescent orange ink on a dark shirt, I knew it would need multiple coats to get good coverage and a solid bright color on the dark shirt.  One critical aspect of resetting your screen in exactly the same spot proved impossible. Everything else worked as planned. But I had shadow images because I was not able to set the screen in exactly the same spot for the multiple layers. That said, I failed at my first attempt of making my first screen printed t shirt.  While from a distance it turned out ok, within 5’ you can clearly see the defect. It actually hurts your eyes as it is blurry because of the shadow image.  So, I learned a valuable lesson for my next attempt.  Make sure the screen gets put down in the exact same spot for each coat of ink. To resolve this I have purchased a screen printing press.  I will for sure be using this for my second attempt.  Hopefully with better results.  I understand this process requires some practice to perfect and I’m ok with that.  I will also follow the advise of others and print a coat of white before the fluorescent top color.  This is supposed to make your top color much brighter and more vivid.  Of course, this also will require that the project be a two color print, so I will need to use my press for sure.  Thankfully I purchased one that is set up with multiple screens for two color applications.  

Here’s to better luck and execution next time!  Check back to see how my second attempt goes sometime in the near future.  

Another week another project.  This week I cross off a project off my list that has been on the list for a long time, over a year actually.  A reclaimed wood photo web. I acquired a pile of barn wood from barn doors and some old cedar fence boards to use for this and a few other projects. As with any project I made a plan of how I wanted to make this thing.  Well it’s a simple project and I had a simple plan.  As often is the case, even the best plans need a backup plan.  I had intended to just keep it simple and not measure, and not use my drill or any other special tools other than the power saws, since I really didn’t think they were necessary.  I was wrong.  You can’t tell in the video since it was time lapse but I really struggled with the first handful of eyelets.  My fingers hurt since it was surprisingly difficult to turn them in the wood and this is a soft cedar wood that I figured would be very easy to screw these in.  Maybe it was cause they were so small…. I don’t know. 

Good luck on your projects this week.  Come back next week and see what were up to!

Our topic today, is a sort of swear word for many people. “PAINTING”! its really not that bad, I promise. I will admit that painting in the interior of your home is not for everyone. We have all walked into a home that has paint on the trim, or maybe a little on the ceiling. while many people may not even notice these small mistakes they are the difference between a good paint job and a bad paint job. In this weeks video, I show you how I paint kitchen, using NO masking tape. well, i have to admit there was one spot on this paint job that I did use some masking tape… there is a small piece of wall between the window and the countertop, behind the faucet, that was a impossible to paint without masking.

We’re back! While on vacation, I managed to get this video edited and ready for release!  With that, this weeks project is outside the shop.  Today, we’re patching ceiling drywall.  In this case there was a water leak from above and it damaged the ceiling and the flooring.  Water leaks can cause tons of damage and this is a perfect example of that. if you’ve ever dealt with drywall, or any building materials you have an idea how cumbersome a full size sheet can be. if you haven’t, well its like trying to hold your kitchen table up to the ceiling while trying to permanently secure it. it is possible to do by yourself, with some ingenuity, but even then it is still very frustrating and risky. today, we use a drywall lift to make the job go so so so much easier. We are starting with the ceiling and will also be doing paint and flooring to put this room back to its former glory.  The methods used here apply to a larger patch like this or even a whole ceiling and even a very small patch job.  If your in need of a drywall lift for your project, ive included a link to the one I have and it’s a great price and free shipping (at the time of this posting).  Side note, I am not sponsored by any manufacturers or retailers, however,  if you purchase this one through our link, your supporting our Blog and Channel as well. 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing our post from this week, come back next week to see what we’ve been up to!

Today, we review a budget friendly Hitachi 10″ Mitre saw and show you how to set it up and fine tune it for perfect cuts every time!

One of the most important things you can have in a woodworking shop is a correctly set up Mitre saw. I show you how to make sure your saw is performing its best so your projects come out as intended. This is a critical step in making your projects come out as planned with clean precise repeatable cuts. This is a budget friendly saw coming in under $100!

First of all, I would like to say, i am not sponsored by any manufacturer and purchased this saw with my own money with the sole purpose of personal use and testing to inform you folks of my findings.
I needed a new shop saw, and while I have my eye on a couple 12″ saws, i figured Id pick up a budget friendly version and review it for those of you who may want an affordable saw for your shop and projects. Below is a link to the saw i reviewed if you’d like to purchase one for yourself.

Help Support our channel, If you choose to purchase, i make a small amount on the sale if you purchase through this link. Thank you!

Hitachi C10FCG 10″ Mitre Saw https://amzn.to/2Gywxdi