fireplace, woodworking

Build a Rustic Mantel from Reclaimed Wood

(This article is part 3 of our Fireplace Makeover series.) We built this mantel entirely from a few pieces of rough-sawn lumber pulled out of a recycled building materials yard. Part of the fun of building it was deciding how to combine the pieces while keeping the rustic charm of the wood. Our local yard […]

fireplace

Trading (Fire) Places—A Weekend Fireplace Makeover

Okay, I admit it. It was my fault it took 10 years to finish our fireplace makeover. I was nervous about putting paint on brick. Fortunately, Vag is persistent—very persistent—and I finally relented. The whitewash looks beautiful and maintains the character of the brick. Not counting the guitar and Japanese wood block print, this cost […]

game room, woodworking

Easy DIY Pool Cue Rack

About 15 seconds after we got our pool table set up, we both looked around the room and realized something was missing. We had made sure to get everything we needed to shoot pool, right down to the chalk, but danged if we hadn’t thought about where we’d put the cues. Fortunately, the old scrap […]

game room

Arcade Configuration

(this is the fifth and final article in the series on building a retro arcade table) Now that the construction is finished, it’s time to finally make this game table work. The arcade configuration should really begin before you fully assemble the cabinet, so that you can check that your controls are wired up properly. […]

game room, woodworking

How to Build Arcade Controllers for a Cocktail Table

(This is the fourth article in the series on how to build a retro arcade cocktail table) The controllers for this arcade table consist of a plywood top to which the controls are mounted and a housing box that hides the wiring. The top panel is mounted directly to the internal support rails, providing a […]

fireplace

Whitewashing The Old Brick Fireplace

Whitewashing old brick is pretty darn easy but getting Dick to agree to it, not so much but after 10 years of nagging he finally gave his “Alright, Vag!” Showtime, DIY Warriors, it’s time to knock the pants off this manatee. The Long-awaited Whitewashing Funzies Any good thing starts with a good clean. I can […]

woodworking

How to Make a Quick-and Dirty Woodworking Compass

In order to make the oval tabletop for my arcade cocktail table, I needed an adjustable compass capable of drawing large radius circles. My mind immediately went to the compass my high school geometry teacher used to draw on the chalkboard. It’s really a simple affair with two arms: one for holding firmly to a […]

game room, woodworking

Retro Arcade Cocktail Table

Retro gaming arcade machines are all over the place, and they are relatively cheap and easy to build. If you’ve got an old monitor lying around and you never throw away your scrap wood, then you just need to buy a Raspberry Pi and some cheap controller parts and you can build a sub $100 […]

game room, woodworking

How to Make an Oval Arcade Tabletop

(This is the second article in the series on building a retro arcade cocktail table) The oval arcade tabletop gives this gaming cabinet a retro-modern look and turns this design into a piece of furniture that fits in your living room or play room. The extra surface area you get with an oval shape makes […]

game room, woodworking

How to Build a Trapezoidal Arcade Cabinet

(This is the third article in the series on building a retro arcade cocktail table) The cabinet for the arcade table is a trapezoidal box made of plywood. It houses all the electronics and provides a sturdy frame to support the monitor and game controllers. The trapezoid shape gives the table a cool mod look, […]