By: J.H. Everett,
on 7/7/2015
It's here! As we get closer to the release of our new show, My Dad's Garage, we're proud to announce the release of the My Dad's Garage Music Video. Thanks to our friends, songwriter Aaron Brown, and artist Everett Coast (Danny Byrne and Josh Misko), My Dad's Garage has its opening theme song. Thanks for sharing your talents with us guys!
Enjoy the video and share with your friends!
By: J.H. Everett,
on 12/19/2014
By: J.H. Everett,
on 8/23/2014
Skylar and his kids meet E.W. Tinker of My Dad's Garage, EverWitt Productions newest property.
Howdy, Monkey Wrenchers!
Today, we met loads of fantastic families. We saw dads, moms, and their kids working hard to lift each other up, love each other, and do great work in their garages! It was a FANTASTIC day at the IWF Atlanta, 2014.
Every single dad and their family was truly inspriational. We met Hanna, her brother, Skylar, and her dad Skylar at Surf Prep,
Don, a dad with an amazing bender at Magpi,
and even a fantastic dad named Randy, who works with ShopBot tools!
They are now all terrific friends of the blog and show, and will be featured on our You Tube segments at
https://www.youtube.com/user/mydadsgarageshow
They truly are wonderful! All the segments should be up by this Saturday!
But, tonight, most of all... because of winning the IWF challengers award, I want to give a little congratulatory shout out about one particular family... The wonderful Aiken family of North Carolina.
This family truly touched my heart. I can tell you from spending the most enjoyable evening working with them on a My Dad's Garage segment for the IWF Atlanta show, that they are an AMAZING family. Chris and his son, Ethan, started their business right out of their own garage. Through hard work, dedication, tenacity, family support (including a wonderful mother, sister, and a terrific wife), as well as good 'ol fashioned brains and elbow grease, they have built their Aiken Controls into an astounding family business!
But, you know what? Even though that is all totally amazing. The best part is that they have stuck it out, through thick and thin (good and difficult times), to accomplish great things through love, dedication and support of each other!
You know, we came to IWF Atlanta to see some great tools and machines, but it turns out that the best thing we ended up doing was to meet some amazing, loving and dedicated families, like the Aikens, really working hard, building AMAZING things out of their garage - just like you can! These families make our community stronger, better, and more competative than ever in the world! And, it is all done out of love.
Pretty neat, huh? We thought so.
~E.W. Tinker
My Dad's Garage www.mydg.tv
http://www.youtube.com/mydadsgarage
#iwfatlanta #mydg #mydadsgarage
@MDGDIY (Twitter)
Tags:
international woodworker's fair
By: J.H. Everett,
on 8/19/2014
Kids are raised by imperfect parents.
Zoey and Junior Tinker - My Dad's Garage www.mydg.tv
There are times we grow angry too quickly, yell too loudly, and punish too harshly. While we can all share stories of nearly sending our parents to the funny farm and how we almost didn't live to tell about it, a couple of things are certain: We pushed our parents to the limit, and they loved us more than we’ll ever know.
One day my children will tell their friends how I snapped to conclusions, yelled to the point where I went hoarse, and threatened to throw away every toy they owned. They will recall how imperfect I was (and am). But one thing they will know for sure is that I loved them more than I could fully show them.
Parenting isn’t easy, and parents make mistakes. Trust me when I say, “We've all blown it, but tomorrow gives us another shot at success.”
www.mydg.tv
~ E.W. Tinker
JOIN US IN ATLANTA FOR OUR SHOW LAUNCH FROM THE INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS FAIR, 2014! WATCH US LIVE ON YOU TUBE AND SUBSCRIBE!
#IWFAtlanta #mydadsgarage #dads #parenting #puppets
By: J.H. Everett,
on 8/11/2014
Hey, Monkey Wrenches! I just love GIGANTIC ROBOTS, don't you?!
We are having a rockin' good time getting ready for the International Woodworker's Fair in Atlanta on the 21st! My friends just got our cameras together for the event, so that we could stream like crazy! We are considering the IWF 2014 the launch of our entire blog show! If you Monkey Wrenches want to see some HUGE, AMAZING, ROBOTIC machines at work - you've got to tune in!www.mydg.tv or on you tube at My Dad's Garage
Rock on Giant Robots!
~E.W Tinker
By: J.H. Everett,
on 8/7/2014
One thing that we dads recognize is the awesomeness of Bob Villa. Yeah, monkey wrenches, he is a grey beard. But, boy does he know his stuff! This is his post on one of our favorite tools - The Dremel Multi Max! We could give a review - but, Bob Villa did it beautifully! Bob Villa, we dads salute you!
http://www.bobvila.com/articles/dremel-multi-max-tool-review/#.U-PbqoBdXYc
~ E.W. Tinker
www.mydg.tv
By: J.H. Everett,
on 8/6/2014
Mommywarrior blogs out about My Dad's Garage!
August 6, 2014
Mommywarrior blogs out about My Dad's Garage!
Thank you to the wonderful mommywarrior blog for their terrific write up on My Dad's Garage! Tinker and the kids are so excited! If you want great advice for parenting and awesome family stuff, go visit mommywarrior at
http://mommywarriorlady.blogspot.com/2014/08/check-out-my-dads-garage.html#links
~Thanks!
E.W. Tinker (and monkey wrenches)
By: J.H. Everett,
on 8/6/2014
Each layer was scanned into Photoshop and reassembled as a whole image for print. Of course, the files are sent CMYK for print, but are RGB in these images for the Internet.
Once the Photoshop images were created, my job was pretty much done. The art director corrected what she needed, created a detailed color match, layered in type, etc. If she needed anything during editing, she called me or emailed and made requests for additional pieces of art. The cover went through a similar process as the entire book. The files were then made ready to send to the printer. All-in-all, though it was not a simple process, the end product was beautiful! Keeping the paintings in layers allowed the art director to manipulate all aspects of the images in order to really bring out the best possible version of my style. Going forward from this book, I have adapted my process to incorporate some of the Photoshop techniques that we used in creating Izzy and have had great success mixing real world art techniques and digital manipulation.
By: J.H. Everett,
on 8/4/2014
http://www.mydg.tv/
In my garage, one of the most useful tools is my handy dandy 14" adjustable wrench. The adjustable wrench can be used on many different sizes of nuts and bolts. the top of the tool is called the jaw and it is opened and closed against a fixed jaw by a screw-type wheel just below the movable part of the jaw.
10-14” adjustable wrenches are the standard size in most toolboxes. Those sizes are good for most household and garage work. The adjustable wrench is most properly used for plumbing. Over time and use, the screw wheel fitting can become looser, in turn making the adjustable jaw looser. This is often called “slop.” The problem with a loose adjustable wrench is that is can really bust up your knuckles when it slips.
When using an adjustable wrench, make sure that the majority of the force and pressure are applied to the fixed jaw, not the adjustable jaw. Otherwise, there’s a chance it could snap on you, slip off the bolt, accidently round the edges of the nut, and bang your knuckles in the process. All of these problems can make it much more difficult to loosen or tighten the nut any further.
We can thank Solymon Merrick for patenting the adjustable wrench in 1835. We can also thank Earle Dickson, an employee of the Johnson & Johnson Company, for patenting the Band Aid in 1920 and for making those busted knuckles a little easier to deal with.
~ E.W. Tinker
By: J.H. Everett,
on 8/4/2014
Typically, I would then paint in the original ink drawings and rescan them. But, for this book, the art director asked me to paint the book in separate layers. So, I did! We separated out into four layers: background, characters, ink, and the candy. Because of how prominent the candy was in the book, we treated it as it’s own character. For each layer, I would use a print out of the ink layer to size and I would create each layer of color with watercolor. I use Graham watercolors, Liquitex acrylic paint, and Fabriano studio watercolor paper (90lb) for painting. During this phase a color palette is also created.
By: J.H. Everett,
on 8/1/2014
Once the final pencil is approved, I print out full-sized versions with any corrections that were made (I usually do layout and print corrections in Photoshop). I place those pencils on a light table and draw the ink lines, using Higgins cartoonists Black ink, Waverly nib dip pens, and sable brushes on Strathmore drawing paper. I like the Strathmore, because the ink doesn’t spread or bleed on me too much. After the inks are created and dry, I scan them into Photoshop so that I have a plain ink version of the pages. After the inks are scanned in, I will usually replace the pencil version of the dummy with an ink version (at least digitally), so that I can see the true finished line of the book without color. Separating the ink out also allows for coloring a line digitally without affecting the interior color of an image.
By: J.H. Everett,
on 7/30/2014
Then, I move on to a final pencil stage. In this stage there is a lot to do. I recreate the book working on fine details, tone, line, expression, perspective, body language, etc. If I am working on designing new characters this is also the stage where I will produce model sheets and nail down specific character traits and details. Essentially, this final pencil is where much of the visual language of the book is determined. It is also the point when the majority of layout and design of pages are finalized. After the pages are finished, I scan them back into Photoshop and create a book dummy and new storyboard. I use Tombow pencils (2b and 3b) and some old animator Blackwing pencils for all my pencils.
By: J.H. Everett,
on 7/28/2014
Next, I scan the loose sketches that I had created on the manuscript into the computer and resize it to the approximate size of the actual book. From this, I print out a copy and place it on a light box table. From the enlargement, I create an initial pencil version of the illustration. In the initial pencil version, I work composition, lines of action, shapes, flow, and layout. Though I may add more detail in the initial pencil, I try to stay loose and worry more about big shapes and the feel of the page – how it will flow from and to the next pages.
I repeat these steps until the entire book exists in a loose pencil form. I then construct the first storyboard of the entire book from the individual pages. I post those up on the wall of my studio at full-size and construct a one-page storyboard (8.5″ X 11″) notes page that I keep with me at all times in my sketchbook during the time I am working on a book. It is this initial pencil that I use for editorial/art meetings.
By: J.H. Everett,
on 7/23/2014
Jr Tinker has started writing a new story about baseball with his dad. You can read and enjoy it at this link!
http://www.mydg.tv/#!The-Magic-Arm--Chapter-1-A-Broken-Dream-A-story-by-Jr-Tinker-and-EW-Tinker/c4g8/7AB10FD7-8899-40BA-B72D-0906FCCA63C7
By: J.H. Everett,
on 7/21/2014
I think that I use the computer the same way a lot of artists do who still work with real materials. First, I sketch loose thumbnail notes inside of the manuscript as I read the copy.
By: J.H. Everett,
on 7/15/2014
3D printing is also called "additive manufacturing," where material is built up by the machine as it follows the descriptions contained within some sort of 3D model or CAD file that has been created on a computer. The curves, lines or polygon faces that describe the shape are translated into commands that drive a print head, much like an inkjet or laser printer would. In fact, both variants of inkjet and laser printers are actually used for certain 3D printing technologies, but not all. In fact, until the last year or so, most of the emerging hobbyist 3D printer market used what are called "extrusion printers", where plastic filament strands are heated up, pushed through a little nozzle, and "drawn" onto platform. That platform is raised or lowered (depending on the brand of printer) millimeters at a time so that the design is built up in layers.
In fact, the common technique in all commercial 3D print technologies are layers: the 3D file is split up into volumetric layers, much like you would slice up cheese. That layer information is then used to regenerate the shape in a physical material of some sort, either various plastic filaments, or special resins that react to light (white light, ultra violet light, or laser light.) The material might be "plotted" where the print head is driven across the platform and layer surfaces, or sprayed ("polyjet") and cured, or exposed onto the resin a slice at a time.
There are only two printer technologies that can print in full color: the ZCorp printer, now from 3D Systems (which prints with inkjet inks into a tub of gypsum powder, along with a glue binder) and a paper-cutout technology that prints ink around the shape boundary, cutting out the shape from the paper, and laminating it onto the previous layer (LOM). Both of these technologies are interesting, and useful for certain things, but are best for representational work work color is the most important driving factor. If not, the other technologies are better, both in terms of strength and durability.
~ Jay Roth
www.everwitt.com
By: J.H. Everett,
on 7/12/2014
EverWitt 3-D Printed logos from our Maker bot Replicator 2 and 3D Systems Projet 1500 - www.everwitt.com (created by Jay Roth)
Fabrication core, EverWitt Productions, MakerBot Replicator 2 - www.everwitt.com (created by Jay Roth)
Talk about a hot topic. It's hard not to see articles that espouse the benefits of 3D printing, from human organs to saving the environment, 3D printing would seem to be the be-all/end-all technology, right? RIGHT??
Not so fast, compadre!
3D printing is coming along at a good pace, but it is no panacea. Like most things, there are tasks well suited to 3D printing, while others are not so. 3D printing as part of a fabrication chain makes quite a bit of sense, and in fact is likely more common than you may think. However, the "Star Trek" replicator concept, defined as a device that can create something complex and functional, is very far away. That said, the interest level of 3D printing should continue to drive innovation, and hopefully we will continue to see some impressive developments.
~ Jay Roth
By: J.H. Everett,
on 7/8/2014
Like many other things, mold making and casting can become a very demanding processes, depending upon your needs. When making silicone rubber molds, for example, most types of rubber require a process called "degassing" which removes air that has become trapped in the liquid, and prevents pinhole bubbles from forming on the surface of your mold. This must be done under vacuum, and before the rubber is applied to the master object to be molded. Degassing requires a decent vacuum pump, and a pressure vessel (vacuum chamber) large enough to accommodate a container that is roughly three to five times larger than the rubber you intend to mix up. This extra size is necessary for degassing, as the rubber material will rise just like bread batter during the process, and if your container is too small, you will have quite a mess on your hands.)
Jay Roth working on puppet head sculpt for the character E.W. Tinker on My Dad's Garage, the new show by EverWitt Productions. www.mydg.tv or www.everwitt.com
In addition to a vacuum chamber, you will likely need a pressure pot if you are casting resin. The pressure pot is used when casting to compress the air bubbles in the resin mix to be so small as to not be visible or noticeable in the final part. Typically, 40 PSI or so is fine, depending upon the resin. It is possible to buy pressure ports that are made for casting, but these special case parts are usually more expensive than they need to be. You can modify a painter's pressure pot, though care must be taken -- these things can explode if proper construction or use is not followed.
Again, the Internet has a terrific amount of information available on this topic. Two sites to peruse are smooth-on.com, bjb.com and alumilite.com. These and other sites have products for mold making and casting, and are "industry-standard" offerings. At Everwitt, we primarily use Smooth-On and Burman silicone rubber and BJB and Smooth-on urethane casting resins. We use the Alumilite degassing chamber, as it is notably less expensive than others. Our pressure pot is a modified Harbor Freight pressure pot, which is connected to a Campbell-Hausfeld air compressor via quick-release fittings. One last thing to note: silicone rubbers and resins such as urethanes are often temperature and moisture sensitive -- and, you usually have about a 6 month shelf life from date of shipment, so only buy product when you really need to. It's a good idea to invest in a cheap weather station for your casting area; if you pour rubber or resin on days with high humidity, or temperatures outside of the specific range for your products, you are wasting money. And don't forget to use adequate safety measures, such as respirator, gloves, eye protection and fire extinguishers rated for your task.
By: J.H. Everett,
on 7/5/2014
Mold making and casting are staples of fabrication (building stuff.) There are so many different ways and reasons to create a mold. Molds can be very simple, one piece affairs to extremely complicated multi-part molds. Mold materials can be clay (polymer, wet/WED, plasticine, etc.), wax, plaster, fiberglass-backed epoxy resin, vacuum-formed polyethylene, and so on. Basically, a mold can be any material that takes an impression and allows for material to be poured in or coated to create a final part as a result. The intention of the final part (what you need it to do) will typically dictate what materials you will need to create your mold with. The shape of the master object (the part which you will take the mold of) will dictate the approach you take in creating your mold. Any shape with an overhang or undercut will typically require at last two mold parts (which, once created, are joined together before the final part is created.)
Some casting processes require steel or aluminum molds, and this is true for injection-molded parts (like a model kit, but really most things you experience daily), as well as hyro-formed parts (using hydraulic pressure to form the final part out of metal). Even today, cool technology makes creating these molds more accessible, though the level of education and experience in order to do so is significant.
Casting is the part of the process that will produce the part from the mold. In many cases, this process involves liquid polymers (resins) or other two part compounds that are poured into the mold, or painted inside, and then backed with a fiber material of some kind. However, you can also pour candy, soap, jello and many other materials into molds as well. In fact, if you make a trip to your local craft store, you will find ready-made molds for you to use! You will also find some simpler mold-making materials, some of which may be of use in some of the things we do here at Everwitt.
By: J.H. Everett,
on 5/30/2014
The sound studio is coming together! With 24-digital tracks and boasting some of the top software sound recording suites, as well as AKG, Senhieser, and Audio Technica mics - we have an indie sound recording capability that can stand up to the big guys.
Computer controlled i-Pad playback, three layers of sound proofing, and a floor that was made nice and comfy for extended sessions... It's all blue sky in the booth!
By: J.H. Everett,
on 5/28/2014
No independent studio would be complete without a voice over booth and audio setup. Once again, our friend Gabriel McKeagney, master woodcraftsman, came to our aid and helped us build a proper studio window. It is fantastic!
The window fit like a glove (a super tight glove!). It was perfect. Check out the next post - we are just finishing up all of the electronics and sound proofing.
By: J.H. Everett,
on 5/23/2014
As the stage has gone up, we have learned a lot about how film was shot in the early days of cinema. It is awesome to be involved in the new media revolution - one that allows us to mix old and new technologies for modern media work. The sun is still the brightest source of white light. Making a gigantic soft box, as Sennet and Melies did, is a great solution for cutting power consumption. We are also going to be installing solar panels across the top of the towers to collect the solar power for use with the rest of our lighting and studio needs... Solar cells meet Charlie Chaplin...
By: J.H. Everett,
on 5/21/2014
Palettes. It's all about the palettes.
Industrial palettes have been used in architecture for years. Here are a few of our inspirations...
Our own building materials collection going up as a new insert stage for filming at Longbow. www.everwitt.com
By: J.H. Everett,
on 5/19/2014
The rack steel that the towers are made of was a bit tricky to work with, mostly because of having to line up bolt holes with the cement footings. They had to be right on and took some engineering!
The towers had to be hoisted into position and then bolted to the footings. They also had to be aligned to each other, so that lighting bars, and gaffing pipes would be even across the stage span. A feat Archimedes himself would have been proud of!
By: J.H. Everett,
on 5/16/2014
Like any good building, we started from the ground up. This is where we had to spend a bit of money and use some new materials: masonry blocks, rebar, and cement to build the footings of the stage and towers.
Gravel and sand are used to wick moisture away from the palette floor. The masonry allows a basic barrier against soil and the elements.
