My blog

[Al Navas]

I don't want to compete with Marc (The Wood Whisperer), that's for sure! But I do want to share "stuff" on a more regular basis than I did with my web site.

Please, feel free to leave comments and suggestions about content. Thanks!


Al

blog dot sandal-woods dot com

[Mike Seals]

Looks good Al, I was sipping on a cold one and spewed beer on my keyboard when I read the part about having the site for two years and ......... I've had a site I had for a couple of years and have made hardly any progress, lots of sawdust, no html. I've done sites for others but seems I can't find a layout I want to use. Yours looks very sweet, simple and easy to manuver around.

Who takes you pictures? They look professional.

I think that's my major hold up is I want my pictures to look professional. I bought my wife a nice Nikon D50 last year for the granbaby, with good standard lense and this year for the sons baseball, I bought her a nice zoom. Now I want a wide angle for me and I can't seem to "take the plunge" into the cost of the lense vs another tool.

Who knows, I might just order it tonight.

Thanks for the inspiration.

[Al Navas]

Looks good Al, I was sipping on a cold one and spewed beer on my keyboard when I read the part about having the site for two years and ......... I've had a site I had for a couple of years and have made hardly any progress, lots of sawdust, no html. I've done sites for others but seems I can't find a layout I want to use. Yours looks very sweet, simple and easy to manuver around...
Thanks, Mike!

My web site is with JYDHosting, and I simply added the blog to the account. If I can keep up with the blog, I may just drop the regular web site account.

The system uses templates, which can be customized in a matter of minutes, and off you go, blogging! If I can do it, literally anyone can do it.




...Who takes you pictures? They look professional...
WOW - What a nice compliment, Mike.

I take all my photos. I have a Nikon D50, and take the photos with either the regular lens, or a Tamron zoom telephoto. AND, in a pinch, I also use my 2-megapixel cell phone camera.


...I think that's my major hold up is I want my pictures to look professional. I bought my wife a nice Nikon D50 last year for the granbaby, with good standard lense and this year for the sons baseball, I bought her a nice zoom. Now I want a wide angle for me and I can't seem to "take the plunge" into the cost of the lense vs another tool.

Who knows, I might just order it tonight.

Thanks for the inspiration.
The wide-angle lens really helps in tight situations, Mike. And, with today's optics, you really cannot go wrong, even with the MUCH cheaper lenses like the Tamron line.

One thing that might help: I bought the 1GB memory card, and it truly helps. I always shoot at the highest resolution available, even if I will reduce the image size later.

I usually take 5-6 shots of the same item, sometimes simply changing exposure, over/under in 1/3 increments, or using different white balance settings. And I almost always edit with PhotoImpact, to either reduce the image size, or to get better color/brightness/contrast, until I am satisfied.

Let me know if you decide to go with the blog, Mike. Good luck!



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[Al Navas]

Late last night I posted an update, with details on my home-made spray booth. Thanks for looking!


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[Jim Becker]

The "standard kit lens" that comes with the D40/D40x/D50/D70/D80, etc. gives you an effective 28mm equivalent wide angle and I've found it to be pretty darn handy in my own project photo musings. And using the shutter delay, you can also be IN the photos if you want to... ;)

[Don Bullock]

Jim, I always thought that the LOYL took the pictures.;) :D

Al, Your shop looks great. I hadn't seen pictures of it before now. I'm sure as I get close to creating my own dedicated shop in the next couple of years that I'll be asking you some questions. Some of the things I saw in your pictures on the blog have already given me some good ideas.

I noticed that you used a steel building. Was it difficult to insulate it? I was thinking of doing the same thing but I'm curious about insulating one so that I can install air conditioning in it.

[Jim Becker]

Jim, I always thought that the LOYL took the pictures.

Nope, one-man show. And if I move to video at some point...I have a remote control for that, too... :D 99% of the pictures I take are of the actual "cut", too...not posed. The few times I do "revisit" something is merely because I forgot to document something important. I do this because I think that best presents the reality of the projects I document from a learning/sharing perspective.

[Don Bullock]

You sure do a fantastic job of documenting what you do and I, for one, greatly appreciate it.

[Al Navas]

Jim, I always thought that the LOYL took the pictures.;) :D ...

I used to think he did too, Don! Well, now that the secret is out, maybe Jim could share some of his secrets... :cool:


...Al, Your shop looks great. I hadn't seen pictures of it before now. I'm sure as I get close to creating my own dedicated shop in the next couple of years that I'll be asking you some questions. Some of the things I saw in your pictures on the blog have already given me some good ideas...

Thanks, Don! Always glad to help. Let me know, either right here, or via PM, or e-mail. Any time is great!

I look forward to seeing you build your own, too. THAT will be pretty cool!


...I noticed that you used a steel building. Was it difficult to insulate it? I was thinking of doing the same thing but I'm curious about insulating one so that I can install air conditioning in it.

It is not a steel building, although it might look like one, Don. We used vinyl siding, but decided to install it vertically, which gives it a totally different look and might fool someone :D . It is frame construction, on a concrete slab. We did consider using a steel building, but worried about proper insulation, etc.


Thanks for looking at the blog - please come back to visit, as I plan to update fairly often.

Do let me know if you need answers as you get ready to build. I am sure others here will also be more than willing to pitch in!


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[Brian Weick]

Very nice blog- I like your shop by the way- man, that reminds me that I have to do something about mine. Very nice Al! :)
Brian

[Ken Stevens]

Al: great blog (although in my Opera, the text and pictures rendered below the bottom of the screen and I originally thought you had no content----probably my browser but maybe your code??)

Anyway, a great blog, and a great shop. As I have been struggling with how to better route my 4" dust collection lines, I have to admit I never thought of just laying them on the floor -- until I saw the pictures of yours. Can you share any problems you have encountered by laying the dust lines on the floor. Tripping?? Hard to move equipment around?? I have to admit that could be an option for me.

Ken

[Al Navas]

Nope, one-man show. And if I move to video at some point...I have a remote control for that, too... :D 99% of the pictures I take are of the actual "cut", too...not posed. The few times I do "revisit" something is merely because I forgot to document something important. I do this because I think that best presents the reality of the projects I document from a learning/sharing perspective.

Thanks for this information, Jim.

I will eventually be shooting video as well. I have an old digital video camera, and it has the remote too. VERY convenient!

I share with you the desire to shoot only the live shots, as I find it difficult to properly recreate a situation - it just is NOT the same, is it? In fact, when I don't have the D50 with me, I resort to the 2-megapixel camera in my cell phone, which does a passable job, especially since it has white balancing capability.

For now, I can illustrate detail using the still-to-video capability of StageTools' MovingPicture application or plug-in for my video editor, MediaStudio Pro 7. The following is a video I created from a still image of a cabinet I designed and rendered in eCabinet Systems:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/Sandal_Woods/General/th_Lightsincabwithglassdoor-3.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/Sandal_Woods/General/?action=view&current=Lightsincabwithglassdoor-3.flv)

Thanks again!


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[Al Navas]

Very nice blog- I like your shop by the way- man, that reminds me that I have to do something about mine. Very nice Al! :)
Brian

Thanks, Brian!

I chuckled when I read this, because I ALWAYS have to do something to mine. The DC system is next, as I think I have the heavy tools where they will be for a long time.


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[Al Navas]

Al: great blog (although in my Opera, the text and pictures rendered below the bottom of the screen and I originally thought you had no content----probably my browser but maybe your code??)...

Thanks, Ken. I have no idea if the code might be responsible. The Quick Blogcast site is pretty much template driven, which is how I created the blog. I am sorry about this. I will contact their Tech Support and see if I can do something with HTML to correct this problem in Opera - or, better still, to see if THEY can do something to fix it :cool: .


...Anyway, a great blog, and a great shop. As I have been struggling with how to better route my 4" dust collection lines, I have to admit I never thought of just laying them on the floor -- until I saw the pictures of yours. Can you share any problems you have encountered by laying the dust lines on the floor. Tripping?? Hard to move equipment around?? I have to admit that could be an option for me...

Funny you should mention about the DC hoses on the floor, Ken. I have been designing the central system for a while, since I think I have the machines in a semi-permanent location. I was just waiting for cooler weather, as the attic has been HOT!

Other than a tripping hazard, having the lines on the floor has been OK, but just that. You have to always be looking for them, and it gets tough when you have your arms full of pieces you are moving around. My suggestion? Go for it, until you can do something else!

Let me know how this works out for you. Enjoy!


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[Mike Seals]

The "standard kit lens" that comes with the D40/D40x/D50/D70/D80, etc. gives you an effective 28mm equivalent wide angle and I've found it to be pretty darn handy in my own project photo musings. And using the shutter delay, you can also be IN the photos if you want to... ;)

Well Jim I made a big mistake, I was at the camera store a while back and since they allowed me to play with the 12-24, I was hooked. Problem is I have all these different lens from prior cameras, but they were all Canon, the wife likes Nikon.

If you get a chance, slip that 12-24 on there and take a look at something wide like a table, you'll be hooked.

I used to play fairly deep in the photography world and when I look at all those older cameras and lenses sitting on the shelf knowing what I paid for them, I shake my head, and keep shaking it while I order more.

[Al Navas]

The "standard kit lens" that comes with the D40/D40x/D50/D70/D80, etc. gives you an effective 28mm equivalent wide angle... ;)

Jim,

I checked the lens that came with my D50, and it is a zoom, 18-mm to 50-mm. NOW I know HOW I can take all the REALLY wide angle shots :D :cool: . I had forgotten about the range of the lens; that is why I had not commented earlier.

The Tamron is 35-mm to 200-mm. Both are sharp as a tack.


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