Modifying the SparkFun BigTime Watch Kit:
Making it more socially acceptable

Hi fans!  Glad you're back for another lesson in simple, yet very effective do-it-yourself tomfoolery.  I ventured outside of home improvement projects and purchased a watch kit from SparkFun.  Looked pretty cool from the pictures online, plus I thought it might give me a bit of engineering credential amongst my peers if I showed up to work one day with a watch that I built myself.  I was really excited when I got the box in the mail,

then really disappointed at the size of the thing.

It's enormous!  No self-respecting adult would ever wear this thing in public.  I quickly realized this was for kids.  So, in avoidance of ridicule from my wife, I quickly devised a plan to make this thing more grown-up approved.  The enclosure is made of 1/8 inch fiberglass, 4 pieces high, so it's obnoxiously huge.  I first tried to cut it down to a more appropriate size,

but it broke into a million pieces.  I tried cutting it with a dull hacksaw, and as expected, it didn't work.  Just so happens that I work in a machine shop and have ready access to a laser cutter and unlimited amounts of stainless steel.  So I drew up a quick CAD drawing, mirroring the dimensions of the SparkFun BigWatch mainboard, and came up with the following design:

Bent up the edges to mold around the 7-segment displays.

Assembled everything as instructed in the SparkFun tutorial and I must say, it looks pretty awesome.

It's still really big and now it's really heavy since I used 22 gauge stainless steel, but darn it, it looks cool and it's a great conversation piece.  A word to the wise--this watch, while super-cool, is not in any way water-proof.  In fact, if you bump it on something, the memory will reset and you have to set the time again. 

How to build a platform bed out of pallets! 

Here is a simplified and revealing guide to build a nice-looking platform bed that is 100% functional, really easy to build and made of reclaimed wood. 

Step 0: Limber up.  The saw vibrates a lot and your forearms will cramp up.

Step 1: Get help

Step 2: Get pallets.  For a full-sized bed, you will need 4 pallets.  The length and width do not matter, but make sure they're all the same height.  Here's a picture of some pallets:

Step 3: Get a circular saw and cut off the overhanging edges of the pallet

Step 4: When the battery runs out on your battery-powered firestorm (it won't take long) switch to your scroll saw.  Make sure you have a new blade.  Makes it really easy.

Step 5: Lay out the pallets on the floor, then lay the box spring on top.

Step 6: To cut off the excess wood, try this handy maneuver:

Step 7: Put the pieces back together, then lay the boxspring and mattress on top.

And there you have it!  Simple, yet completely functional.  Now Spiderman's bed is a safe 4 inches off the floor.  Quickly found out, after the first night, that you absolutely need to sand down the edges.  Apparently, children's feet are drawn to sharp edges.  Next time, I'll demonstrate how to disassemble a pallet and introduce a very handy tool to get the job done quickly.