Ok, I can't handle looking at my blog with the links way down at the bottom so I've resized my Scandinavian map. It's a thumbnail, so you can still view it in all it's massiveness.

Here's the blueprints for the cylinder. If you go here you can download a viewer for your browser that can read my blueprints in AutoCAD web format.

Ok, I've reworked my template for the blog here. What do you think? Better? Worse? You can look at my April archives to see what it looks like without the huge map at the top, pushing my links down to the bottom. Maybe I will have to resize that crazy thing.

Haha, this crazy spell checker doesn't know the word "blog". Is that a Catch 22 or what? Anyway, I'm working [well, not really working] on a fancy laundry hamper. It's a 12 sided cylinder. Therefore 15 degree angles must be cut on each side of the twelve staves. Here's a prototype.

I would make the map smaller, but this trip is huge. *See May 31st*

Ok, back from Cinci with a full sheet of 3/4" flat grain, natural, unfinished bamboo plywood. We unloaded the van, and I think this 4'x8' sheet is heaver than MDF.

Here's some cube variants I've been working on. The one I'm actually building right now isn't quite the same as these. It's got a larger bottom section, and the top is half the height of the bottom. Should be done in a couple days, depends on when I start sanding.

I'm in Cincinnati right now, with the intention to purchase some Timbergrass boards from Natural Interiors. The bamboo is a great material, I'm looking forward to using it.

Ok, so I followed up with Copenhagen Furnishings today, unfortunatly the owner is out of the country for a family emergency. So no go for now. However, I wonder where he is abroad, Copenhagen perhaps? The same city where I will be in two weeks?

In other news, I saw the movie Van Helsing today. I'm a fan of the classic Universal pictures, and found this new one action packed for the new melinium. As action movies go, I give it 3 stars out of 4.

I find it interesting that the entry that gets the most comments is the one about my hair. Perhaps I should scrap this whole furniture thing and concentrate on the do.

Last weekend was a great time! Friday I saw the band Watershed play at Skully's. Hands down the best rock show I've ever been to. Saturday I drove to Austin Lake for a camping/pig roasting/rip roaring good time. It was a little chilly, but we stayed dry, ate to our hearts content and stayed up late around the bonfire. Sunday Austin, Dawn, and I drove to The Mecca of Meccas... The Walmart of Design... IKEA. I picked up a couple things, mainly for furniture construction, two sets of brushed steel cabinet legs and a set of wooden casters. Then from Pittsburgh we returned to the Lake, and I headed to Canton to visit an old friend, and made it back to Columbus by 2:00 am.

And now... I will review the best designs of IKEA.

|Tables|
Buskbo
I'm a sucker for bent plywood

IKEA/PS
The large span is cool, can't hold much weight though

Lagfors
More bent ply, adds interesting space

Magiker
Very BluDot

|Shelving|
Amiral
The hardware is great, so are the circles

Lack
I was looking for the horizontal version, but this works

Enetri
Can't beat the price $50

Rosfors
The cutouts look like retro TV's

|Other Objects|

Hackas
Real slick CD column

|Seating|
Hissbro
Like nothing I've ever seen

Allerum
Useful and tasteful

Poang
Classic

Dromminge
This thing is huge! Bigger than a sofa

Benjamin
Concise

Frosta
Nice angles, and stackable

|Lighting|
Lane
Awesome, just awesome. Super 50s

And now... The worst of IKEA. The biggest design copies! These items are CLEARLY redesigned classics.

Ehlen Johansson - Svansbro___________Marcel Breuer - Nesting Tables 1925


Mia Gammelgaard - Gubbo______________George Nelson - Coconut Chair 1955


Gillis Lundgren - Ogla_______________Michael Thonet - Era Chair pre 1900

So it doesn't look like I'm going to do any more trimming, maybe, but probably not. So what did I do today? Yard work in the sun. Hmm, maybe it just feels like a day at work now.

I'm going to follow up on those furniture companies I went into the other week. Build a liquor cabinet for a friend, after I give the proposal. My friend Greg wants a wardrobe, but it might have to wait until after my trip to fabulous Scandinavia.

Here's my trimmer, and I hate it. Umm, err, I mean dislike it.

I'm off to my trimming job. There has to be a better way. At least I got to sleep in this morning.

I've got a new lamp!

It doesn't have a name yet, but I'll come up with one. See also here, here, and here. It has the same lantern elements of my previous lights, but uses only two panes and a luan backing. Look good? It's dimensions are roughly 13.5" tall and 7" square.

There is an inline switch, however the lead off the lighting element is so short, I've left the switch in the on position and plan on using home automation equipment to control it. Unless it sells, then I'll modify the design to include a standard switch. Currently, it employs a low voltage cabinet lighting element, but it could easily accommodate a narrow vertical 40 watt bulb with the proper hardware.

But for now, it's bedtime for me. Tomorrow I will be involved in hard labor to raise capital for my trip to fabulous Norway!

Ok, here she is, all done. It took three trips and two people to deliver it, but it's complete!

Also, on another good note, I've reconnected with a good friend from high school. Hi Sara, hope things are going well!

Whew, one more project down! This gigantic cardboard/art supply rack is complete. Well, nearly complete, after a few more pneumatic nails, it'll be all done.
Now this thing is in several pieces in this picture, when fully assembled it will form a MIGHTY FIGHTING PLYWOOD ROBOT!! Well, no, actually it'll be a 3 piece rack, with the two large vertical sections side by side on the bottom, and the third, horizontal piece will lay on top. Sorta like Stonehenge. Only, oak and luan.

The idea is that cardboard and foam core board can be stood on end in the divided sections of the bottom, while floppy paper and things can be laid flat on the two shelves of the upper section. I'll post a picture of the completed rack once it's assembled!

My resume is now available in PDF! JustinHickey-OH.pdf
I've also whipped up two more five sided 11" cubes, made from 5.2mm luan ply, all joints mitered.

Here's a new post!
Something I've built: and something I haven't':

The newest project, a custom designed and built paper/cardboard rack. This is only half, the second half is awaiting a few HVLP coats of water based polyurethane. Materials are 3/4" and 1/2" oak veneer plywood, and 1/4" luan ply.

I found the wardrobe pictured on the upper right on Google's image search for "deco wardrobe" but it's not showing up any more on Google. Speaking of Google, I've made the discovery that www.vorpalsword.com is Google. They are one in the same. www.vorpalsword.com/images brings up Google's image search page. The Vorpal sword is the weapon that kills the Jabberwocky in Lewis Carroll's famous poem. -That is all-