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Build Log: Dust Collection Cart Mk II
There are two things that will almost certainly happen when you get a cyclone separator. First, you will be so happy when you see it working and do it’s thing and secondly, you’re going to knock the bucket over and curse. And shortly after, you’ll want to build a dust collection cart so that it never happens again.

Build Log: Small Parts Organization
I’ve had my original small parts storage setup since when I first started out building things and while it’s held up over the years, it could be better. Now that I have a bit more of a permanent setup, I’m revisiting this easy project to get everything organized.

Build Log: Mini Network Rack Mk II
With all of the incremental upgrades to my network, I felt it was time to finally revisit the network rack that I had outgrown. Doubling the capacity from a 6U to a 12U should give me a bit more breathing room for all the stuff I need to jam in there and rebuilding the enclosure/stand will give me an opportunity to address a few of the shortcomings and quirks of the original design that I’ve learned over the years.

Upgrading my Networking Gear (2022.1)
I had always intended to make the switch away from consumer-grade networking gear but like all things, there’s ‘never a convenient time’ to up-end your setup. For me, it was IoT devices that was the driving force to finally revisit my networking plans.

Berry Flognarde
A super easy dessert that really follows the ‘set it and forget it’ school of thinking, this berry flognarde is a hoot to introduce to guests purely on its name alone. Most will do a double-take on the name and some might even proclaim that you are pulling their leg.

A Somewhat Smart Home
Over the last few years, upgrading to a ‘smart home’ has been all the rage. The typical party-trick automation is pretty cool but in practice, tends to come up a bit short. Perhaps looking at something a bit less ‘smart’ can make for a more effective system.

Build Log: Dining Table
Now that we have our own place, I can finally get rid of the wobbly IKEA table we were using as our dining table and build something personalized that we can use for years to come

Build Log: Entertainment Hutch
A fairly quick project for getting all the living room TV ‘stuff’ off the ground and into a manageable place with a home for a robot-vacuum.

Integrating Work-Laptops into a High-Performance Flow
Working from home can be a wonderful thing if you have a totally dialed-in workspace but one of the biggest gotchas is that, (generally), at some point -- you're going to have to use a sorry excuse of a computer to get stuff done. Some work machines are better than others, but so, so, soooooo many are mobility focused paper weights.
I took a non-standard approach to integrating the work machine into my flow and because of this, I had to come with some creative workarounds for challenges around meetings and such that popped up.

Build Log: Floating King Bed Frame
We recently got a new king-size mattress to replace our old queen so this was a great opportunity to build a new floating frame, add cool new tech to it and address a few small grips with the original design!

Buying a House, Part 3
So I’ve been low-key planning for ‘the big move’ for the last few years. Now that we’ve got the house sorted out, it’s time to see how all of the planning and preparation comes into play when moving day comes!

A Dive into Security Cameras, Part 1
Security cameras can be different things to different people - for some, it’s a vehicle for peace of mind acting as a deterrent or aiding in a recovery. For others it’s just a tool for package delivery notifications.

Pork Wellington
Everything about the pork wellington feels off — the steps are fairly straightforward, ingredients list is simple (and much cheaper than the mighty beef wellington!) and it’s still a crowd-pleaser.

Tonkotsu Ramen
Tonkotsu ramen was always a dish I wanted to try out but I was afraid it was going to be super-involved, super-intricate and require a lot of ‘hands on’ work. Turns out I was wrong and there’s actually a lot of waiting around. Which is great as it makes this so much more approachable.

Buying a House, Part 2
In general, insurance isn’t a fun process for anyone - it’s a necessary evil that we all need to have. But we can certainly look at it from a more data-centric perspective.

Keeping Inventory
Maintaining a home (or business) inventory can be as simple as a yearly walkthrough with a camera or an involved process that involves barcodes and NFC tags or in my case, somewhere in between - but definitely leaning on overkill.

Mango Chicken Wings
Unless I’m in a specific mood for it, I’m generally not a fan of super sticky/saucy wings. Even when I’m in the mood for sauce, I’ve never been a fan of the sauce packets - so this was a first attempt at trying something slightly saucy and a step up from sauce packets.

Build Log: Planter Boxes
Our shed was looking a bit bland so I built a couple of planter boxes to give it some contrast. This was a pretty easy project to knock out (with lots of room to simplify further!)

Build Log: DIY Truck Bed Divider
While Ford makes a fantastic bed divider, it’s lightweight and snaps in and our of place easily, it’s also expensive as hell so I figured why not make my own bed divider? Check out this build a 2x4 and plywood bed divider build!

Lobster Bisque
Made using leftover lobster shells, this soup is rich, creamy and might taste more like lobster than lobster. The best part is that lobster shells are very affordable and most of the effort involved in this recipe is sitting around a simmering pan.