System Upgrade

This is what I got (made) myself for Christmas! 

Going to my parent's place is great because I have access to all kinds of tools and toys. So what did I find in the garage? Well how about my old 10 gallon cooler and some wood. I made the false bottom from a coffee grounds basket from a large coffee maker. I drilled more holes in it and cut the sides off of it. I found a perfect sized banjo style piece of copper from an old faucet and mounted it to the valve with a flare fitting. Hope it will work pretty well.

The mash paddle is made from a piece of poplar. I sanded it down smooth and left it unfinished. Feels quite solid and would make a good brewery defense tool as well. 

Prius Shaped Teardrop Camper

Awhile back I started designing a teardrop camper. I wanted something that beat the hell out of a tent for use during the wet season. I also wanted something that could easily have everything ready and stored for the next outing, specifically the galley. 

It is designed to match the height and shape of a Toyota Prius, and be towed by it as well. 

This is basically the sum of my plans. Most of the details will be hashed out during contruction (i.e the solar/charging/battery system).

Tiny House = Tiny Bed Frame

Much to my surprise, if you lay a futon mattress directly on top of a loft floor it will breed mold. Who'd a thunk it? The science behind this is obvious once you realize what's going on. The heat generated by your body and the coolness of the floor, especially a non-insulated interior ceiling/loft floor, combine to produce condensation. This moisture is then held in the fabric of the mattress as it has no way to be evaporated due to the lack of ventilation. So I will provide you with this scientific formula. The NW + moisture = green stuff. If you live here, you understand.

So then you would need a bed frame to remedy this situation right? Something to provide that little bit of ventilation. Well what if you literally only have inches to work with? Well then, I give you the world's thinnest bed frame (it's the smallest I have seen anyway.)

It is a queen size bed frame measuring 60" x 80". It is split into two sections to simplify getting it in and out of the house as well as getting it under the mattress. It is made from five one by twelves and a bunch of drywall screws. All the cross pieces measure 3/4" x 1" while the bottom rails measure 3/4" x 2".  Two 3/4" x 4" pieces hold the two halves together. 

Other than sanding all 98 total pieces it was relatively easy to make. The sanding was the most time consuming. Once you get the end slats squared and check for overall square the pieces go together rather quickly. I chose not to finish the wood, as I do not currently have the necessary environment to let a good coat of sealer cure. So until the weather warms up it will have to do as is. Total material cost for this custom tiny bed frame: ~$75.