I obtained a box of recycled containers which I thought would make great sculptures. The idea: Have the kids to stack the containers and then glue them. What happened: Elmer’s glue didn’t work obviously. Hot glue would have melted in the sun, so I didn’t even try it. I also thought I could use Goop, but […]
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Try looking in the monthly archives. November 2017
Acoustic Shell
Last year we were given a play house built by the 8th graders at the middle school. However, I wanted to alter it and it occurred to me over the summer to change it into an acoustic shell! I remember them from the days when I sang in choir and I thought it would be a […]
Continue ReadingThumb Piano
I found https://makezine.com/projects/thumb-piano/ and was inspired. I bought a grounding bar, and gathered plastic paintbrushes of various sizes. Then I installed it in our Acoustic Shell. By the end of the day the paintbrushes were all broken. I bet I’d have better luck with metal tines as they would vibrate louder than the soft twang […]
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Musical Keys
I saw some pins on pinterest that showed a cord with keys on them. The idea was that the kids could play with them and they would make a neat ‘jingle’ sound. I asked a home depot employee for some miscut keys, and the manager was glad to oblige. It worked… for a while. Eventually […]
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Pegboard
I had this great idea last year. I bought a pegboard, waterproofed it so it would last outdoors, and then hung various peg hooks off of it. I imagined something like this- When in reality, even though it was ‘waterproofed’ the pegboard started to bend without a frame to keep it stable. I could have […]
Continue ReadingBees and Wasps
Wasps or yellow jackets kept bugging the kids while they were eating outside. The kids kept thinking they were bees, but I explained that they were yellow jackets or wasps and they were attracted to their lunch meat. Bees usually are attracted to sweet things and bright colors. Later that day I was able to […]
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Polyurethane
I was at home depot and I asked them about the best way to waterproof wood and I described the signs I was making and I was told I needed “polyurethane” or ‘spar varnish’. Then I learned there were many types. Oil based, water based, interior, exterior.. Since I wanted it for outdoor use I had […]
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Weathered Wood
I noticed that if I hadn’t gotten around to protecting certain types of wood it would start to look really old. It would turn silver/gray and start to look terrible. I tried finding solutions, and I found three options: replace the wood and coat it with polyurethane or some sort of protectant next time. pressure […]
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Goggles
In addition to eye protection when using tools, I have also picked up a pair of chemical splash goggles. I use these when I am coating polyurethane or other fume types of things. However, they keep steaming up. they have the little holes for venting, but they aren’t enough. I read that if you are […]
Continue ReadingIssues
There are lots of issues, or problems that I’ve identified and have been trying to research solutions. Sometimes the issues are big, sometimes they are small. Sometimes they fail, sometimes I succeed! If you have any suggestions, I’d greatly appreciate them!
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