The Crafty Puzzles Company: 08/08/13

Thursday 8 August 2013

Puzzle table - made from upcycled / recycled spool

so last in this batch of projects, I’ve not been adding them recently.

Anyway, I put this side table together from some materials I “upcycled” (the new word for repurposed stuff I guess). I got the spool top and some 2×4’s from a yard debris drop site. Normally this wood would have been chewed up and made into compost or some such. A little TLC and I have a side table with character and furniture cooler than I’ll ever be.

The idea for the base I got online searching for base ideas from something called “puzzle furniture”. You can search that and get hits from some old French designs and a new fella in Europe who’s making/selling a more modern looking set based on that idea.

The legs all slide together and form the tripod base. I liked the tripod as the top is somewhat uneven and this keeps it stable. Also it makes a great outdoor or deck table. good for any uneven surface. It may not sit perfectly level on an uneven surface, but at least it won’t be tippy.

I don’t work for Rockler btw, but I love the Arm-R-Seal again. So easy to apply I don’t dread finishing any more. It’s also very water resist. The outdoor bar I made my sis earlier has taken a load of water when her patio roof started leaking and that finish never even blinked.

The top is just lots of sanding and smoothing, some nailing and screws to make it tight, a urethane oil coating and a cherry stain to finish. (Not in that order btw, I know some of you are gonna raz me for that)

http://lumberjocks.com/assets/pictures/projects/415430-196x130.jpg

The Saturday Quiz: Try our weekly brain teaser - The Independent

via brain teasers - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNE7a6z6r4fDF0maetBO7h6MaFh80A&url=http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/puzzles-and-games/the-saturday-quiz-try-our-weekly-brain-teaser-8740529.html

Today's Daily Brain Teaser (Aug 09, 2013)

Behead 3

When you behead a word, you remove the first letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first.

Example: Begin -> Sour, acidic

Answer: The words are Start and Tart.

1. Adoration -> Elevate

2. Indulge in -> Permit

3. Den -> Atmosphere

4. Precipitation -> Current time

5. Morally pure -> Swift action

6. Prize -> Person under protection

7. Head covering -> City related

8. Most plump -> Provide evidence for

Check Braingle.com for the answer.

Today's Daily Trivia Quiz (Aug 09, 2013)

About Mia Thermopolis

This quiz features questions from the first "Princess Diaries".

Take the Quiz at Braingle.com

Vocabulary : Word of the Day : Desultory

des-ul-to-ry

adjective :: Leaping or skipping about.

adjective :: Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order or rational connection; without logical sequence; disconnected; immethodical; aimless

"The mayor gave a desultory speech that touched on many topics but failed to really address anything of importance."

Creativity : Left vs Right Brain Thinking

As we know, the two hemispheres of the brain think in different ways. The left brain tends to be logical and analytical, while the right brain tends to be more creative and spontaneous. When you are using one side of your brain more than the other, this is called left or right brained thinking. Both types of thinking are valuable, so one should try to develop their skills in both.

Unfortunately, left brained thinking is the type that is most valued by our society and taught in our schools. Almost all of the major subjects taught in school (math, science, history, etc) depend predominately on left brained thinking. Rarely do teachers encourage their students to think creatively and explore alternate solutions, and rarely are right brained studies (art, design, music, etc) encouraged.

This over emphasis becomes even more problematic as students move into the professional world. In order to get support for a new project or idea, it must be clearly defined and understood (left brained thinking) by the people who are going to be paying for it. It's very difficult to get funding for a project if the goals are not clearly understood. As a result, creative ideas don't happen as frequently as they could if right brained thinking was more valued.

It's no coincidence that the really creative ideas that occur from time to time are usually self-funded by the inventor working out of their garage. These are the people who understand the true value of thinking creatively.

Memory : Only 10% of Your Brain

It is a myth that humans only use a fraction of their brains. Even though scientists are still trying to unravel the mysteries of the human mind, every part of the brain is known to have a function. From an evolutionary point of view, larger brains would not have developed if there had not been an advantage to do so.

The origins of this myth are unknown, but it might have originated from a researcher named Karl Spencer Lashley who lived about a hundred years ago. He removed parts of the brains of rats and showed that they could still perform certain tests. The problem with these results are that the rats were only tested on tasks that required the parts of the brain that had not been removed. If the rats had been given other tests, they would have certainly failed.