I have two projects I will be starting soon: a workbench and a boat!

The workbench will probably take me longer because it’s going to be BIG. So big, I need to clear out space in the garage for it. But it’s going to be so cool! It will have a built in miter saw shelf which will put the miter saw deck level with the work top, and I’m still planning out how to add an upper rack where I can hang my tools. It will also have a storage space for my drills and a charging station for the batteries and other devices (like my phone and Bluetooth stereo, on which I like to play lots of P!nk, One Republic, and various shamefully generic pop and country music).

I am, naturally, working on fully illustrated plans. I don’t want to post the draft because I haven’t built it yet and I don’t know how well it will turn out, but here’s the drawing I’ve got so far. Once I build it, I’ll tweak the plans and post those along with pictures.

I’m figuring it’s going to cost me somewhere around $120 in supplies, because it’s lots of heavy wood, bolts, and I want to put it on casters. So I’m trying to plan it carefully so it works right and I don’t waste anything.

The project I’ll probably start sooner than that has to do with this:

I know, I know. You’re saying, “But 2N! That’s an inflatable boat! What can you do with that?! And why would you want an inflatable boat anyway??”

Well the thing is, we’re planning to go camping in August for BandGeek’s birthday, and the camp spot we selected is on a lake. And we thought, “Hey! Why not get a boat we can paddle around the lake in?” So I started googling, and looking at reviews, and found (and bought) the Intex Excursion 5 on Amazon for $123.

And then…I found these…

link to site

link to site

I mean, seriously. Who would have thought you can add some plywood and outdoor carpet to an inflatable boat and get something like this?

So, I’m going to try it. And it might turn out like the balloon-tissue-paper-mod-podge-bowl, but I’m hoping not. I’ve been planning it out all weekend and I think I have a good approach. I will definitely post pictures of the completed project, and if it works! And if it does work, BandGeek will be. Over. The. Moon.

The boat arrives Tuesday. I’ve decided she must have a name, so…I’m taking suggestions. Though I’m partial to The Good Ship Scuttlebutt, myself.