BEEF up your frame

The frame I had around the mirror was not looking very good anymore kinda wimpy. I liked the position of the mirror and did not want to take it off the wall so I did a total make-up job on the frame.

Here is what the frame looks like before.

I needed to add a slim boarder so that the wood tiles lye flat.

The finished mirror. The little sticky out boards make great little shelves for your little treasures!

Tea Tray for Gong Fu Cha

So I have been wanting to buy a tea tray for Gong Fu Cha (Chinese method of tea-making) but I did not want to spend much money since the ones I usually liked were expensive. I saw a really simple modern designed tea tray at a tea shop in china town called The Chinese Tea Shop so I studied it quickly, and thought that I might be able to just make one.

This is the tray that I studied for a basic design from The Chinese Tea Shop and the one I would buy if I could not make it. This tray is very reasonably priced, a good starter tray.

My grandfather had built a 3 legged table using a beautiful chunk of Yew. The table was left outside for a couple of years and the legs fell off but I kept the top. I thought it would be a good test piece that looked about the right size plus it had a nice natural feel being all beat-up and weathered.

I first tried hand carving the channels into it. After spending 30 minutes, not getting anywhere, I remembered that I had a router. I went out and bought a 1/8" round router bit and made the groves for the water to drain out.

Used router to make the grooves, sanded and varnished. 

For the drain I bought a 1/4" pipe connector drilled it into the side on a slight angle. Then attached a clear hose to drain water. I put the other end into a nice pottery vase to catch the water.

The Finished Tea Tray for Gong Fu Cha handmade and it works great! Oh and it's one of a kind!

Ha ha ... now I can spend more money on good quality tea which tends to be quite expensive ... but so worth it! I think it's TEA TIME!!! Who wants tea?
Cheers!
Adam.

Display all your tiny treasures with a simple shelving unit

I had this old cupboard door that I couldn't throw away because I thought I would be able to use it one day. That day became ... today.

I wanted to build something that would display my tiny Chinese teapots and tea accessories in a nice warm natural way, I also only had 2 hours to build this. Here is what got created ...

Original beat up old cupboard door.

Painted the panel using a solid stain paint that was a nice retro blue / green colour. 

After it dried, I used my electric sander and sanded more than I usually would because I wanted it a lighter colour.

I then found 4 pieces of scrap wood and cut them some what random and then pre-drilled them from the back of the panel.

Screwed them in making sure the board stayed in place.

All screwed and in place. Done.

Here is the finished product. I just screwed it into the wall.

This makes a great shelving unit for your small treasures. Another way to hang this unit would be as if it were a picture using eye screws and wire on the back. Then using a picture hanger that attaches to the wall, hang the unit on it (just make sure that the picture hang will hold the weight of the shelving unit).

Until the next moment of inspiration.
Yours warmly,
Adam.

Shakers Acres Trailer Park Sign

I was asked by Mike (Collide Entertainment) if I could build and design a sign for the set of a music video for the band The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer. 

I had a 3’X3’ piece of 1” plywood with an Arborite finish that was used as a counter top in a part of my house that I took out. I was never going to use it but it will make an amazing sign, since it already has an old look to it. I cut the top round using a skill saw tied to a string which was anchored to the bottom center of the plywood. I need some letters so, I experimented with the size by printing out letters and found that 6" was a good fit.

I tried a solid stain (greeny/blue) to see what that would look and work like and also added an orange coloured border. I thought by using a solid stain that it would easily scratch to give that old tin look. which worked perfectly!

Once I had all the letters in place I was able to trace them and they left a mark in the paint outlining where I needed to paint.

I finished painting the letters and was not satisfied with the shape. I cut the sides on a slight angle then added a little detail by cutting more angles at the bottom of the sign to match where the sign will join the pole that holds the sign up. 

Let's make it look old. I started to put some black rain stains and scraped some of the letters as if they had peeled off over the years. 

Put it on a stand using an old support pole that I found in my basement and attached it to a X-mas tree holder ... the sign now stands on its own. Added an arrow and thought we needed more bullet holes ... of course!

Here is the finished project with aged arrow and bullet holes. 

Here is another shot of the whole sign on the stand.

What a fun project ... amazing what you can do with some stuff just lying around. I should go into the fake vintage sign business eh? I can not wait to see what it looks like in the music video.

A window that serves two purposes

I took out a window from what used to be the outside wall of our house. It was a good window so I re-used it in a new addition to the house which we refer to as the Reflexology Lounge. Now there is this big ugly opening.  

Here's the issue - On one side is Emi's Hair Salon so if I block off the opening, it gets really dark, but on the other side is where I do my work. When I have a client especially a massage client there is no privacy so blocking it off is necessary ... what to do? Mmmmm A covering that blocks but can also open???

Materials I had - I looked around to see what I had. I found a small pile of old weathered wood that my Dad had behind the garage of his house. I also had a couple of really old hinges. 

This is Emi's View with the hole in the wall. (After I did some painting)

Here is my view of the hole from the Reflexology Lounge

Emi's side - was easy enough to make look good, just finish the opening off with some of that old weathered wood.

Added the bottom and side

Simply finished with trim looks way better and goes more with the feel.

Now to My side of the Story ... to cover the opening but also open for Emi.

Building two panels

One of the panels in place

The other panel is held by the old hinges

Fully closed blocking off the rooms.

So this is what I came up with and it looks really great!

The finished product.

The Attic - Wall project

I have been creating a little space in the attic to relax and have my own space. I have one wall that I never finished.

I have been doing some spring cleaning and wanted to get rid of some wood ...
Do I have any wood to finish this wall???
Well, I have a bunch of pieces of wood.

Welcome to The Junk-Wood Wall

On the way ... not too sure this is a good idea.

The finished wall, I think it looks pretty good.

Side view of the wall ... it is quite practical since it has natural occurring shelves

The many layers of wood at different and random thicknesses creates a wall that has many natural occurring shelves. as you can see in the above picture. 

Also another bonus is I do not have to make a trip to the garbage dump.

Tall Buildings - Welcome to Cardboard City

Mike Southworth a friend of mine gave me a call and asked if I would be into building a set for a video. "Sure", I said not knowing what I was getting myself into. The idea was to build a cardboard City on top of a cardboard life size Grand piano. My main job was to build the Grand Piano and put some buildings together and help establish a look for this project.

Another environmentally friendly project! 

Had some used 4X4's laying around to use for the legs. It did not matter what shape they were in since they would be wrapped in cardboard. I was on my way to Rona to buy some plywood for the top of the piano but stopped at my neighbour's house to see if he had some ... Yes he did ... recycled and Free. Mike scored a keyboard that never got picked up from the repair shop that was going to the garbage. Most of the Cardboard was picked up from the alley and I had some moving boxes that were given to me.

Trying to figure out how to make the piano???

Finally the basic shape for the Grand soon to be Cardboard Piano

It took a full 2days to get to this point but as you can see a Cardboard Life size Piano sit in front of us.

The 2 main building in the video - with lights

Mike's amazing bridge - with some of buildings I made around it.

I was there for the first part of the project while Mike and Hilary with help from some friends chugged along. After many days and hours of cardboard addicted work, in-between tours and summer the video is finished. Enjoy!!!

Hilary Grist - Tall Buildings (Official Music Video)

The Making of 'Tall Buildings' by Hilary Grist

Buy on iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/imaginings/id384516084

 ||||||| Credits ||||||| 

Directed, filmed and edited by Mike Southworth for Collide Entertainment. http://www.collideentertainment.com

Set construction and design by Adam Thomas, http://adamprojects.blogspot.ca/  Mike Southworth and Hilary Grist

Additional building construction by Cory Lake, Adri Lake, Tim Cyr, Dawn Pemberton, Kathy Fitzpatrick, Alison Maira, Mike Zobac, James Scholl, Steph Jackson, Ryan Grist, Charmaine De Los Reyes.

Clothing by Motel http://www.motelrocks.com/shop/ Clothing supplied by Brooke Roth at Skout Lighting by Toby Gorman, Mital Gorman and Mike Southworth

Additional styling by Dani Barnes http://danibarnes.blogspot.com/

Funded in part by the generosity of 100.5 The Peak, Music BC and The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group

Our house - bathroom

When we moved in here this bathroom looks 10X's better (in the before pic) then it actually was. It smelled, it was not functional ... there were bi-folding closet doors for the door to the bathroom I guess because the cabinet was too big for a door to open.

Before

  So I thought one day ... I'll just rip up the tile and give the floor a quick sand and be done with it. but no ... the floor was in amazing shape halfway through but then the entire other half was completely rotten. I could remove the flooring with just a puddy knife. Not good. But I was able to find some cheap hardwood that was sold in 4ft chunks. Now we have a floor that I know what is under it.

After

A Table Design

I was asked to build some tables for Nan-chu Resturant in Richmond. http://www.gyokingroup.com/
Made from plywood and 2X3's. The pictures are a bit blurry.

G-Men Ramen Restaurant

This is a restaurant my wife Emi (with baby in belly) and I designed and built. February 14th - March 12, 2009.

The Counter

We wanted to keep costs as low as possible so we decided to just dress up the existing counter. The idea was to make a Yatai a Japanese noodle stand.

Before

After

Window treatment

The owner wanted the windows to be covered. These were very big windows to cover. We used plywood with 1"X4" frame around with tinny windows in each covered by beach wood. I think like the rest of the restaurant has a Japan meets the West Coast feel.

From the out side ... The Entrance

The Idea here was to put a Japan feel by adding a Vintage Honda Cub (Left side) and Tokyo Tower (Right side) in the windows on the sides of the entrance.

Right side: We build a stage for the Honda Cub. and hung the open sign on an angle and added a big light above. That says Ramen.

Left Side: A mini Tokyo Tower stationed on a floating shelf in the window. With other vintage looking toys from Japan.

From Inside: Entrance

Since there are two doors we were asked to stop the flow and make an entrance that customers could wait to be seated.

Before

After

The Entrance - This is what you see when you open the front doors

 Other Pictures from different angles

Emi (6month pregnant) and owner Eiji

Adam working

Owner Eiji (closest), Chef Takaru (hidden) and Owner Minoru (in back)