| It's fun and satisfying to design and
| |
| | board that is about 2 feet long and 6
|
| then make simple items that serve some
| |
| | inches wide. Cut a V shaped notch in one
|
| purpose. I find it very rewarding to
| |
| | end. Use nails to attach a small piece of
|
| conjure up designs out of my imagination
| |
| | wood to keep the notched end raised above
|
| and then build them using common tools
| |
| | the floor. Keep the bootjack near the
|
| and cheap or free materials. I've made
| |
| | door where you most often enter wearing
|
| all kinds of things. Most of them
| |
| | boots. Put one foot on the jack to hold
|
| performed some function that no readily
| |
| | it in place. Put the heel of the other
|
| available, store-bought device offered.I
| |
| | foot in the notch and pull your foot out
|
| do a lot of text keying at a computer
| |
| | of the boot.Wall display cubby box:Small
|
| keyboard. After many hours of keying, day
| |
| | cardboard boxes can be fastened together
|
| after day, my hands and fingers tell me
| |
| | and hung on the wall. Small and valued
|
| (as in pain) that they're pushing too
| |
| | objects can be placed there to be
|
| hard, too many times. After going from
| |
| | displayed and admired.Save boxes from
|
| store to store looking for a keyboard
| |
| | muffin mix, artificial sweetener, rice or
|
| with easy to press keys, I realized that
| |
| | other often used food items. When you
|
| I needed something to measure the force
| |
| | have enough, cut each box to an
|
| needed to press the keys on a particular
| |
| | appropriate size. I started with boxes
|
| keyboard. Trying to judge the force by
| |
| | 4-inches wide, 2-inches deep, and
|
| typing a little with each keyboard wasn't
| |
| | 6-inches tall. I cut each box to half
|
| separating the Tylenol endorsed keyboards
| |
| | height, so that each box was 3-inches
|
| from the more finger friendly keyboards.
| |
| | tall. Boxes that are twice as wide as
|
| So I rigged up a plastic tube taped to a
| |
| | they are deep can be arranged as shown in
|
| vertical wire a few inches long. Pennies
| |
| | the diagrams of this article. If you use
|
| could be put in the tube. The lower end
| |
| | boxes with other ratios of width to
|
| of the wire is rested on a key. The
| |
| | height, use a different arrangement or
|
| number of pennies needed to push a key
| |
| | use pieces of corrigated cardboard to
|
| down is a measure of the key's required
| |
| | fill any gaps between boxes.Lay a piece
|
| press force.Then there was the see
| |
| | of plastic sheeting such as a plastic
|
| through, wall hung beehive that I put on
| |
| | grocery bag on a flat surface. The
|
| my bedroom wall. My father used to keep
| |
| | plastic will keep excess glue from
|
| bees to harvest honey. One cold day in
| |
| | sticking to your work surface. You can
|
| March, I discovered an abandoned hive
| |
| | use white glue to fasten the boxes
|
| that had fallen over exposing the bees to
| |
| | together. To help keep the glue from
|
| the elements. There was only several
| |
| | running down the side of the boxes, use a
|
| hundred bees left out of what was once
| |
| | method similar to that used by
|
| thousands. I put a sheet of glass, about
| |
| | bricklayers applying mortar to bricks.
|
| 2-foot by 2-foot, onto a wooden frame
| |
| | Before putting a box into position, put
|
| that I attached to my bedroom wall. Then
| |
| | glue on each side of that box that will
|
| I carefully transported the faltering bee
| |
| | be against a box already in place. That
|
| colony to their new home. A tunnel made
| |
| | way, while applying glue, you can turn
|
| of metal window screening provided a path
| |
| | the box in any way that makes it easy to
|
| for the bees to come and go under a
| |
| | apply the glue. And the glue will quickly
|
| slightly raised window. The colony's
| |
| | be between two surfaces. That helps keep
|
| queen had not survived being exposed to
| |
| | the glue in place. A good glue pattern is
|
| the weather, so I knew no new bees would
| |
| | shown by the red lines below.As you
|
| be reared. This colony would only last as
| |
| | assemble the boxes together, use a
|
| long as the lifespans of its current
| |
| | straight edge such as a wall or a large
|
| members. But it was interesting to watch
| |
| | box as a guide to align the boxes in
|
| the bees doing what bees do throughout
| |
| | straight rows. Set something heavy
|
| the next several months. And the bragging
| |
| | against the boxes to hold them together
|
| rights for having a bee colony on ones
| |
| | while the glue dries. Bricks or large
|
| bedroom wall was something to envy.Both
| |
| | books work well. Use the plastic sheeting
|
| the keyboard force-o-meter and the
| |
| | to keep oozing glue from sticking the
|
| wall-mounted beehive were inspired by
| |
| | boxes to the books or bricks. You can use
|
| circumstances. I just saw the possibility
| |
| | paper clips to hold the edges of the
|
| of what could be done and wanted to do
| |
| | boxes together where gaps occur.When all
|
| it. I try to be open to possibilites for
| |
| | the boxes are in place, let the glue dry
|
| other gadgets and gizmos that would be of
| |
| | for about 12 hours. Then use a nail to
|
| value. It is well worth the effort: It is
| |
| | punch holes for a string that will go
|
| fun to make improvised gizmos, and you
| |
| | around the group of boxes. Two holes near
|
| get a valued item. The item may suit your
| |
| | each corner will keep the string in
|
| needs better than a purchased item
| |
| | place. Tie the two ends of the string
|
| because you make it the way you want it.
| |
| | together. Hang the box display from a
|
| The item could inspire wonder and
| |
| | small nail.Alan Detwiler started the web
|
| delight. And it feels good to prove that
| |
| | site Leisureideas. Visitors to the site
|
| your ingenuity and imagination can
| |
| | are encouraged to use imagination and
|
| produce things of value.Below is a
| |
| | whatever happens to be available to
|
| description of a couple of items you may
| |
| | discover new ways to enjoy
|
| like to make.Bootjack:If you often find
| |
| | themselves.Alan writes books on how to
|
| it annoying to remove boots as you enter
| |
| | pursue playfulness and a sense of wonder.
|
| the house, this project is for you. The
| |
| | His books are available in digital format
|
| bootjack makes the task easier especially
| |
| | and can be purchased and downloaded on
|
| if the boots are tight fitting or you are
| |
| | the eBookMall web site. Go to Then do a
|
| carrying something so that your hands are
| |
| | search for Detwiler.
|
| not free.Begin with a 3/4 inch thick
| |
| |
|
