Blog: Ramblings By: John Heisz

Start of a new year – 2012. Just saying that seems futuristic, for one born in the 60’s and grew up in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Of course, as we all can plainly see, reality does not keep pace with our imagination, as we are not all traveling in flying cars or vacationing on the moon. The “future” is probably a lot further off than Dick, Heinlen or Gibson envisioned.
Still, we could be worse off (not every version of the future was rosy…) and that is something to be thankful for.

Plans for some of the projects I’ve presented here are very close to completion. I have seven in the works, the biggest of these is the router table with more to come in the future. As I’ve mentioned before, plans are hard and take much time. It’s my hope that within the next month, I will have some of these on here for those that are interested. It’s worth mentioning that the plans will be in both metric and imperial dimensions, in one package.

Winter is doing it darnedest to keep me out of my unheated workshop and to be honest, I’m not putting up much of a fight. Typically, at this time of the year, I involve myself in projects that can be done inside, where it is warm – electronics, for example. Since starting this site, I feel the pressure to get a new woodworking type project ready to post each week and that has upset my usual routine. Those projects will continue – this is primarily a woodworking site, with other stuff on the side.

My next project will be a bit of a hybrid though, a computer case that is a an interesting woodworking project as well (I think so, at least). This will most likely be a two part project and should be informative and entertaining.

On the subject of computer cases, I have made a few. All of these have been so called HTPC cases, horizontally oriented, rather than the usual upright tower. My first was more than ten years ago and slightly embarrassing to me now:

An aluminum, plexiglas and copper behemoth. Despite it’s size, it only had space for one hard drive.

Long gone now, I think it took me nearly two weeks of almost constant work to finish. I was quite proud of it at the time and was especially proud of the biohazard symbol cut into the front panel.
My tastes have changed since then, along with my sensibilities. This new case will not have much in common with that first effort.