The Secret Briefcase

In this video I go through an in-depth walkthrough of a device I built for a party game, a mysterious briefcase that can be unlocked over the internet.

Supplies used:

Vaultz Locking Storage Clipboard: https://amzn.to/3eauTx8

RavPower Power Bank Battery: https://amzn.to/2JLQSMQ (not same as the video, but a newer model)

6in Micro USB A to Micro B cable: https://amzn.to/2VkUgn9

Hydraulic Gas Strut: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hardware-Furniture-Lift-Hydraulic-Gas-Strut-Spring-Support-Pneumatic-Door-Hinge/333412948217

40 piece Tap and Die set: https://amzn.to/3aRQhVT

4-Digit LED Segment Display TM1637: https://amzn.to/2JSPKaj

Micro Servo: https://amzn.to/2Xqdiet

Particle Photon IoT Development Board: https://amzn.to/2RocHGv

Wifi antenna (optional): https://amzn.to/3c7ufi0

Addressable RGB LED strip, 60 pixels: https://amzn.to/2VuitaW

Low profile Red arcade buttons, Pack of 5: https://amzn.to/2xhpmUW

Circuit Prototyping:

32pcs Assorted Prototyping Circuit Boards: https://amzn.to/3efC9HM

60pcs Male and Female Pin Headers: https://amzn.to/2UZ797p

Right angle single row pin headers: https://amzn.to/2RqE5Dx

Solid Hook Up Wire Kit, 6 spools: https://amzn.to/2XrSMub

Making a small walnut tool holder

Time to steal away for a little late-night shop time and make something small... a small walnut tool holder. Watch to see how this little custom hanger is made on the miter saw, table saw, & drill press, sanded smooth and finished. Just a fun little project for one of my best clients.

Wall Mounted Compartment Bookshelf from reclaimed plywood

I've been needing a nice bookshelf in my office for awhile, and I had a design in mind that I wanted to build. Once I stumbled on a piece of free plywood I knew just what to make with it.

This project was also an opportunity to try some new things with dowel joinery, solid wood edge banding, and some new dado cutting techniques. In the end, I really like the new shelf.

Plans available: http://www.b2builds.com/store

The Barcode Box Joint Box

This was the crazy idea that drove me to build my Programmable Box Joint Jig. With precise the ability to precisely position each and every finger and slot, why not make something visually interesting? This is my fun way of combining digital technology with the ages-old joinery method of box joints. Watch to see how I encoded a secret number in the joints of this box.

Magnetic Storage for Dowel Centers

I recently bought a couple sets of dowel centers for use in some woodworking projects with dowel joinery. While they work great, I don't have a nice way to store them until now. In this video I walk through the 3D design/modeling process of my storage solution for these dowel centers, using Fusion 360. The main body of the holder is 3D printed, with a series of magnets to hold them in place when not in use.

Overall I'm happy with the end product, though if I were to make it again I might make it bigger and thus easier to hold, and I would add labels for the sizes as well.

The dowel centers I used: http://amzn.to/2hLTUT6

Yard dice with inlaid wood

For Christmas 2017's batch of homemade gifts, we set out to make "Yardzee" sets of big yard dice for our extended family. Rather than settle for dice with painted-on or burned-in dots, I wanted to try inlaid wood for the dots. It was a lot of work, but I really like the result. This was also an interesting exercise in making things in large batches.

The white dice were made from a 4x4 post of untreated pine with walnut dots cut from a dowel. The "red" dice came from some old posts I had replaced on my kids' backyard playground. The bottom ends of the posts had rotted away, but I saved the rest and reclaimed it for this project. My best guess is that they're redwood. The white dots came from birch dowels.

Center Finder using a Dowel Center

I've been working on a larger project that requires some dowel joinery, so I picked up some dowel centers. I also needed a center finder to mark the middle of the edge of a board. Why not use the dowel center to make the mark? In this video I design a 3D printed center finder that uses a dowel center to mark the wood.

The center finder was designed to fit the 1/4" dowel centers from this set: http://amzn.to/2hLTUT6

If you'd like to print your own, the 3D model can be found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2667068

Building a cyclone system for my shop vac

Every time I empty my shop vac I have to deal with cleaning out a clogged filter. I've always wanted to try a dust cyclone, but avoided the expense. I decided to try a low-cost cyclone from BangGood.com, which they gave to me for this video. I had some trouble getting my hoses to connect to it, but through some custom 3-D printed connectors, I was able to make it work. To hold the cyclone setup, I built a minimal "trailer" to attach to the shop vac to hold the cyclone. Overall I'm happy with the system and the final result works great.

High Efficiency Cyclone Powder Dust Collector Filter Top: https://goo.gl/wpKkir

More Budget Home Appliances: https://goo.gl/fsu3m4

Desktop Laser Engraver Repair and Upgrade

Several months ago I ordered a small laser engraver from an online auction for a project, and it died after a short time. When BangGood.com gave me the chance to pick out some free merchandise, I jumped at the chance to try some of their laser components. Thanks to some new parts I was able to get this machine working again. I also got out in the shop to make some new acrylic mounting plates, and designed and 3D-printed a new add-on for the laser.

Products used:

EleksMaker® LA03-2500 445nm 2500mW Blue Laser Module -- https://goo.gl/JM9DZg (10% off coupon: EleksMaker)

EleksMaker® Blue-violet Laser Goggles -- https://goo.gl/AMZruJ (15% off coupon: Suleve)

EleksMaker® ManaSE 2 Axis Stepper Motor Driver Controller Board -- https://goo.gl/ZTddQU (10% off coupon: EleksMaker)

More Budget Laser Equipment -- https://goo.gl/cAu5nt

Harbor Freight Belt Sander to Shop Vac Dust Port Adapter

My Harbor Freight 3 x 21 belt sander (Chicago Electric, #69859) has served me well, but the dust collection could be improved. I wanted to hook it up to my Shop Vac's 2" hose for a bigger sanding job, so I turned to 3D printing to get the job done. This video takes you from the design process through to a finished working part.

Get the STL file here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2338492