Mr. Blue Sky + tools = Homer Simpson (long, hopefully humorous)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I was looking at my audio/video setup and decided the time had come to pare it down a bit.

I had the following:

Video:
2 DVD recorders
4 VCRs (1 used for recording and 3 for playback)
2 laserdisc players (one had become quirky and wouldn’t play certain discs)
1 satellite DVR
1 region-free DVD player w/PAL-NTSC converter built in
1 standard DVD player (my first one)

Audio:
Receiver
turntable
5-disc CD player

Since I don’t record anything onto video any more, I figured I could move the recording deck into a playback position. It’s a 4-head stereo and one of the others is a 2-head mono (about 80% of my old tapes were recorded this way). I’ve been slowly transferring stuff to DVD. When I do, the tapes are disassembled and put into storage.

I decided I could get along without one laserdisc player, 2 VCRs, the CD player (I rip CDs and transfer them to my MP3 player), and the older DVD player.

All this stuff was spread out amongst 2 stands. After much measuring (I even measured twice!) and so forth, I went out and got the various bits of wood and fasteners I needed.

I figured I could get all the components into one stand.

HA!

I royally screwed up the distance between the shelves. I had to rip out one shelf (and it’s supports) and re-work the whole lot. The old 2-head VCR is now standing on its side between the stand and a bookcase.

Still, I was able to rewire everything and get it right the first time (I’ve redone this mess about every two years since I had more than two VCRs - about 15 years).

While I didn’t mutilate myself, I am not 100% happy with the results. It’ll have to do.

Even though my Norm Abrams gene is recessive, I am compelled to buy and use tools.

I suck at this and yet I can’t stop myself from doing it anyway. It hasn’t been all that costly (most of the tools have come from pawn shops), at least.

It was an interesting way to spend a couple of hours.

So my fellow male Dopers, make me feel better by telling me tales of your mechanical incompetence.

2

Too much building stuff, not enough Homer! The stand didn’t fall apart when you put stuff on it, it doesn’t have bent nails sticking out of it–I’d say you did a pretty good job.

Just remember–measure twice, cut once!

I built a harp. :smiley:

3

You’re right:

The stand was a bit wobbly already, so I decided to add crossmembers - cut them wrong, twice.

I recenty got an electric brad nailer. I was going to out brads into the sides of the shelves. I fired a half dozen and missed the shelf every time - on each shelf.

I had to either pull the brads out or hammer them flat. I had to resist the urge to take the hammer to the whole project.

When I tried to cut one shelf out of 1/4" plywood, I cut it about 1/4" too short. When I recut it, I ended up cutting a curve into it and made it 1/4" too short on one side.

It’s still wobbly.

4

Wobbly, nails sticking out–that sounds more like Homer! Did you say “D’oh!” a lot?

5

Uh, yeah, I said “D’oh!” a lot, but it came out rhyming with “duck”.

:smiley:

6

I occasionally make Steve Urkel look like a coordinated gentleman by comparison.

7

Okay, why isn’t anyone impressed with my harp-building skills? I think that’s pretty impressive!

8

Hell, I’d be impressed at the site of a well-built birdhouse after some of my projects.

Pics? Sound bites?

9

You’re lucky I don’t have any sound clips of me playing the harp! It’s not pretty. But here’s a picture. It’s not too ugly–it does have a lot of extra wood putty on the neck, where it kept popping off and I ended up having to bolt it on. So now it’s a Franken-harp. :smiley:

Impressed yet?

10

Makes all my stuff look like a pile of crap!

11

Sorry! It doesn’t look so good if you see it up close. It’s a little rough around the edges. I’m pretty proud of it, though. I made it from a kit, so most of the hard work was already done.