John Rainsford.com

DIY Retail Displays

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 21:22:00

In my day job, I have a workwear business where we sell and customise workwear. I needed some new displays for the shop floor.

I had seen a really nice shop/production space in the US and they had used an old ladder as a clothes display, and I'm not sure whether they had come up with the idea or whether it came elsewhere, but I robbed it completely, but glad to give credit to No Matter What Apparel for the idea.

I actually have an old wooden ESB ladder but I only have one and it has been outside for a good few years, so I decided to make them. The build was pretty straightforward, shaping the pieces of the ladder, gluing and nailing them together and then a rough paint job. I started with a set of two, but I liked them so much, I built two more a few months later. You can see this jump in the video. The second set I painted black as the walls in my shop are grey and the other ladders, being grey, blended in with the wall.

These ladders were installed before Christmas, I just have been super slow in getting videos done. I was going to do a talking head vid, but I just am too busy with many different things at the moment. I'm also planning a redesign of the shop, and I want to do a video series on that, so I have this video from before Christmas, as well as another in the works, which I want to publish before the new shop layout.

Visit The Workwear Department website, as well as our online shop The Work Shop.

Trampoline Steps

Tue, 11 Dec 2018 00:35:00

Over the summer, I made some a platform and steps to keep my kids from falling out of the trampoline.

My youngest child was also fond of diving head first off the trampoline, so saved a hospital trip or two. I used chunky treated timber with half lap joints and decking for the platform.

I think I used one 4.8m (16ft) of treated 100x150mm (4"x6" inch) post, two 16ft decking lengths and some 2"x6" that I had lying around.

It's now December when I finally get around to editing and posting this and I think it should survive the winter no problem. I might add some 'feet' under the timber that is touching the ground as it will rot from the ground up in no time. I'm thinking some rubber or foam matting up on flat stones or pavers. Maybe.

I'll have another video up, sooner rather than later.

Customised Hultafors Axe Handle

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 22:53:00

I got this Hultafors axe at Christmas and, with its hand-forged head, it's a beaut. With that, I wanted to make it my own with some custom handle graphics.

Initially I had the idea of doing a 'Book of Kells'-type knotwork design, but I decided to go with a more appropriate Hickory leaf. Weeding the vinyl stencil was an absolute nightmare.

This video took far too long to produce- talking to a camera is pretty gack, so I think I might've procrastinated over finishing this one. Look out for my next video, sooner rather than later.

Kindling Box

Sun, 01 Apr 2018 18:03:00

I made a pair of wooden crates to store kindling in my home. Like most people in Ireland, burning wood is one of the main sources of heat in our house, and a continuous supply of kindling is needed, to get the fire going.

The process is detailed in the video, I did a narrated build as I lost some footage due to a hard disk crash, so it wouldn't have made sense without explanation. It's really uncomfortable having to edit footage of yourself talking to the camera. I spent more time trying to hide the cuts where I removed the 'Ummms' and pauses as I tried to think what happened next.

This should've been a simple project, but I went back and forth with how I was going to do certain aspects. I then rough cut the whole process, simplifying it, but then lost the rough cut in the crash. So I could not remember the order of processes or which parts were still relevant.

I never had a disk crash where I lost stuff, but it sucks. It was a Seagate disk and was so new when it crashed, that the back up hadn't been completed.

A couple of features I'm really happy with- the painted decals, they were a nightmare to do, due to a combination of dodgy vinyl and dodgy paint, but looked great when finished. The other feature is the handles, they're functional, look great and were relatively easy to do. I had seen this style of handle in another YouTube video somewhere but after I published the video, I found a photo on Instagram of some vintage crates (handle on Remington crate, top left)-

I'd love to know how those handles were cut in a production environment, they look a little rough, and not rough from years of use, they look as if they're rough-cut. I love old crates.

Anyway, I have another video in the works, should be out soon.

It was ten years ago today

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 22:59:00

On March 28th 2008, I started this website.

I started my life as a self-employed web designer January 1st, 2008, and I thought that my path was Ruby on Rails. So I set about learning Rails (it was the ultimate in cool tech at the time) by creating a blog. It didn't take long to do, and my first post was about my side-project, screenprinting, specifically my Robot print. I have a whole Flickr album (remember Flickr?) about it.

As far as I can remember, I set up the Rails project on a Rails-specific hosting account, and worked fine until the hosting company updated their Rails install and the website went kaput. I think it lasted two weeks, before the update. I then put together a Wordpress site, stuck it on johnrainsford.com and reposted the first few posts from the previous site.

Ironically, the first post is at a time when I was a full-time web designer and occasional screen printer. Ten years later I am a full-time screen printer (amongst other things) and an occasional web designer.

The robot print is still around, there is a framed printed in my boy's room, who was not even a gleam in my eye ten years ago.

Here's to another ten.

Pimp Your Shopping Basket

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 20:54:00

I has this old shopping basket lying around and decided to tidy it up with new paint and handle.

Notes on the project-

I used luminous paracord on the handle, it looks pink in the video
I used Gorilla Super Glue- it's great stuff, it has more viscous than most super glues which makes it much easier to work with.
I used some royalty-free YouTube music, I don't know if I like the format, but it was fun to edit.

Workshop First Aid Cabinet

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 20:22:00

I had a couple of 'nice' pallets lying around and I wanted to make something quick. I had a vision of a 'zombie apocalypse' style first aid cabinet so I set to work.

I ended up with a more traditional colour scheme but the inner graphics are an ode to a famous bearded graphic designer.

It's been a few months since I finished this and all I can really remember is; this project taking so long to complete. It wasn't one thing delaying it either, everything took longer than it should have. Looks and functions well though, so a success, I guess.

Hiatus

Sun, 27 Aug 2017 23:42:00

It has been a busy summer, and my YouTube experiment had to be put on hiatus. Ironically I'm working on a huge building project that I'm not documenting. I'm not a builder or tradesman so I make stuff in the evenings. I also have two kids. I'm also permanently tired.

Anyway, self-pity aside, I only realised tonight that I didn't post for the third and fourth video on this website, so I will do a quick couple of posts shortly.

I have all my tools at another secret location so I'm trying to get some work done in my workshop to improve it- insulation, electrical, internal walls etcetera. I might do a quick video showing the workshop as it is, as of today. I also got a new camera and I haven't had a chance to test it, so I might kill many birds with one stone.

Storage Box

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 23:33:00

As with all my projects at the moment, I'm making stuff that I need and posting it to YouTube. It's good motivation to finish the projects fully.

I have several items in my home office that have large footprints- for example I have a lightbox that is one about 20mm thick but is 400mm x 600mm. I had a gap under my desk, so I decided to make a storage box on wheels for longer-term storage.

Now I do like to paint-and-decal stuff and I had an idea for this box in mind, and I purchased yellow spray paint as a highlight colour, but I changed my mind last minute and decided to make it have a passing resemblance to the Plutonium storage case in Back to the Future. It always made me laugh, the flippancy of 'Plutonium Handle with Care'.

Notes on the project-

I made the mistake of skipping a second coat of the undercoat and this showed up really badly on the yellow. I made a notation in the video about one million coats later and that number isn't far off. I don't think the 'Painter's Touch' spray paint was too good either, but it's readily available locally. I think I need to have a look for alternative spray paints for future projects.
The Aluminium tape is real duct tape which I dulled down with some steel wool. It's not going to last particularly well with heavy use, but I don't foresee any heavy use with that box. I haven't gone near it since I filled it up.

Tool Tote

Tue, 07 Mar 2017 00:29:00

I had a need for a means to cart my tools and other stuff around my garden. I was using an orange B&Q bucket to lug my drill, driver, boxes of screws and anything else I needed, which was far from ideal. I have tool bags and tool boxes but I wanted a tool tote that would remain empty and ready to be filled, depending on the job.

One other feature, or necessity, was that there was a drawer or tray that would let me put shallow objects, like my screw boxes or small tools, separate from the larger tools. I didn't want latches or anything that wuld break or catch, so I turned to magnets.

The more I thought about the idea, the more I thought it would work and it would work well. Being a huge fan of maker videos on YouTube, I decided to record the whole process and make a short video of the making process. The side-effect of making a video is you put extra effort in to the process- my tool tote ended up with a paint job and then I went and stencilled it up. It's a slippery slope. Check out the video-

Notes on the project-

The tool tote works great but is a little bit heavy. I used 12mm plywood for strength and if I was to make another I'd use 12mm again but I'd try reduce the volume of the tote.
I used rare-earth magnets with .8kg pull but it actully wasn't enough. I cut this out of the video for the sake of brevity, but the first time I tried the magnets they didn't hold the empty tray in place. So I prised them out of the bottom plate and put two magnets (stuck together with epoxy) in instead. As I had one .8kg pull magnet per corner in the tray and two .8kg pull magnet in each corner of the bottom plate of the tool tote, I couldn't recommend a specific rate of pull for magnets without doing some testing. Next time.
I used whatever paint I had handy, I think the dark grey was a €1.50 can of primer. Covered pretty well. I used boiled linseed oil on the handle, which was screwed in to place so I can replace it when I break it.

Notes on the video-

I shot it on my iPhone because that's what I have. I think the quality is ok, I used 1920 x 1080p. My workshop has about ten 100w incandescent bulbs which is why there is a yellow hue to everything.
I was going to do a voice over explaining the process but I don't have a decent mic or the time to do a script and record it. I really just wanted to get the video out, so it is what it is.

A year in the life

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 00:04:00

I have been meaning to post here for a while, but when I saw that my last post was almost a year ago, I held off until today, so it's exactly a year since my last post.

It's been a busy year, I will have more to share soon. In the meantime, we've been in our new house over a year, so these are a few representative photos of the seasons.

Rush 12

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:51:00

After much debating, I purchased a 5.11 Rush 12 bag in June, 2014. It's been 10 months and I've used it through all the seasons, as my Every Day Carry bag.

On an average day, I carry-

My 11" Macbook Air, in a sleeve
MBA charger and odd cables
An A5 folio case with my notebooks and work papers
A Maxpedition case with all the little odds and ends (pens, pencils, USB keys)
Leatherman Wave
Box of business cards

I store my laptop in the hydration pouch, which is located closest to my back, underneath the straps. It makes it easier to pull it in and out- while I take my charger out when I get to my office and plug it in, I tend to pull my laptop out at home and at external meetings, and it's easier to have it readily accessible in it's own section.

The bag looks deliciously black and tactical, and the quality is fantastic- sturdily built with tough zips and buckles. With the heavier nylon, it has some serious heft, which is a drawback, but I'll touch on that in a minute.

There is plenty of space in the bag, but in use, it definitely is more suited to carrying a full load of gear, not just a laptop and accoutrements. I took it to the Inis Oirr for a few days and it held enough clothes for four days (albeit t-shirts and shorts).

The main section of the bag opens up fully, allowing easy access to all of the gear within, while the admin pouch on the front makes it easy to get at all the little bits and pieces. I haven't used any MOLLE attachments yet, but with the summer looming, I might get some for additional gear or water bottles, handy to have the expandability.

The bag is heavy, even when empty. This is more a testament to the materials more than anything else, but I found, in use day-to-day, that the bag weighs more than the contents it held. I guess this is the price of water resistant nylon.

I am happy with the bag, if you need a good backpack, then I would recommend it wholeheartedly. The thing is, I'm not sure whether I need it for my day-to-day anymore. I've just finished moving house, further away from my office, so cycling isn't really an option- I'll be driving to and from work. This immediately negates the need for both a very-waterproof bag and a back pack. I could easily get away with a messenger-style bag.

Maybe I need to start looking around again...

Getting a brand new bag

Sun, 01 Jun 2014 21:54:00

I'm on the market for a new backpack. My commute to work, whether it's to my office locally or when I'm working in Dublin, is punctuated by frequent saturations from the lovely Irish weather. My current backpack leaks like a sieve, and although my Macbook Air is in a, supposedly, rain proof sleeve, the rest of my stuff (or my Every Day Carry, as it seems to be called) has water stains.

While I can get backpacks in every configuration and price range, it seems that the waterproof angle is the expensive one. I've compiled a few backpacks that I have come across, which I really like, plus a few cheaper alternatives if you don't plan on being out in the rain.

I have tended to gravitate toward military style packs, simply because the colours are more muted and they all have the MOLLE expansion system (those horizontal straps) which allows you to attach more storage to your bag. The storage capacity is about 18-22 litres, which is about what my current pack has.

Mystery Ranch

If money wasn't an option, and I could get one of these imported from the US, I'd have a Mystery Ranch ASAP pack. The design, with a three zip opening, is really clever, allowing you access from the top, but also allow you to access the entire contents of the bag. The lack of smaller compartments, is a slight con, but I love the design of this. At $245 (180 euros as of today) it's expensive.

Triple Aught Design

Although currently unavailable, the FAST Pack Litespeed is a nice pack. At about 21litres, it is a more tall and narrow bag. I like the flap on the front (aka a beaver tail), allowing you to strap rain coats and other clothing to the back of the pack. At $239 (175 euros as of today) it's a decent price.

511 Tactical

Of all the packs I looked at, the Rush 12 seems to tick all the boxes. It's the right size, about 22 litres. I can get it from Amazon (another shameless AA link), or eBay shops. It's about £72 (88 euros as of today). I've read a lot of reviews on forums and blog posts, and everyone who has one, is very positive about them. And, it's rainproof! I considered the larger, 34 litre Rush 24, but when I saw photos of it, I realised that it was too big for my needs.

The Rush 12 has a nice 'admin' pocket on the front, which will be useful for all my cables and junk that sits in the bottom of my bag. I've also seen people use the 'hydration' pocket for storing their laptops. Ironic, seeing as I want to keep water off the machine. All in all, a nifty little backpack.

GORUCK

I like the simplicity of these packs- there is some external MOLLE straps but on the lower part of the bag. The one feature I really like is the MOLLE straps on the inside, allowing more customisation inside. At $295 plus shipping (about 216 euros) it's probably beyond my budget.

Cheaper alternatives

I found these on eBay shops, and they seem like fun packs to have. One thing I must stress, is that lack of water proofing seems to a reoccurring negative for these bags. While the nylon will prevent a certain amount of water getting through, a good downpour will totally wreck your stuff, and your day.

US Military Utility Tactical Survival Camping Gear 3 Day Assault MOLLE Backpack

Probably too big for my needs, but I nearly bought it, as I liked the cut of it's jib. I could yet buy it, $37 plus free shipping worldwide, it'd be worth a chance.

MOLLE US Assault Pack Military Patrol Rucksack 20L Black by Mil-Tec

Not a particularly pretty pack, but it's only £17 plus shipping. The Amazon reviews seem to mention the poor build quality quite regularly. I guess that's to be expected.

I'll be sure to post a full review of whatever pack I get, once I've used it for a few weeks.

Every Day Carry

Mon, 26 May 2014 12:58:00

A few years ago, I partook in the Flickr group The Items We Carry, a fun group where you display the generally mundane items you carry on your person. You can see what I was carrying on the 10th August 2011 below.

Check out that Nokia!

Since then, it seems that the focus on those mundane items has become a thing in itself. At some point the phrase 'Every Day Carry' [sic] (or 'EDC', as the initialism-loving people would say) became widespread, and essentially is used to describe all the crap that we lug around every day.

While I wouldn't get too obsessive with my 'EDC', it is fun to peruse the various different groups on Flickr. I still only carry my wallet, phone and keys on my person, but I also carry a bag of stuff, to and from my work (I am a web designer) every day, including a laptop, associated cables, notebooks, pens, pencils, books, and anything else I have to have with me.

For me, the appeal of the EDC groups is seeing how best to organise a bag full of stuff. My favourite so far has been these Maxpedition pouches- like a hard wearing pencil case, as seen below. I may need to pick one up and get myself organised.

Photo from Flickr by Cole Ewert

So, have you asked yourself- what is your Every Day Carry?

BigTree

Fri, 09 May 2014 17:22:00

Last year, my brother, Will came to me with the idea of printing tshirts. He works in our family business, which is a design and print company. He had happened upon a new digital technology that produces full colour, screenprint quality tshirt prints, without the setup or the large print quantities associated with screen printing. He thought this could be a great service to offer people- promotional tshirts, high quality, low quantities.

Since 2010, I had done a few rounds of promotional merchandise on supportwebstandards.com, I really enjoyed it, especially producing the actual goods. It was fun. I had toyed with the idea of setting up a site to produce promo merchandise for people, but I didn't have the time or resources to do it. It is more work than one person can handle.

So, Will comes to me and we thought about a site for tshirts, hoodies and other miscellaneous garments. We started with that, but then decided to add Vinyl Stickers to the mix (I had lots of sticker experience with SWS). Then we decided to add some other items and it spiralled from there. We chose BigTree as our company name- it leaves us open to branch into other areas of promotional merchandise.

I worked on the site in any spare time I had, which delayed the launch until a few weeks ago. We've been slowly, but surely, building up our customer base and we're really excited with what is on the horizon. We have more products to introduce, a whole new range of packaging and accessories to add to the site as well as keeping our own merchandise shelves stocked with new products.

Speaking of which, we have sticker sample packs for sale in the shop. If you use the coupon code johnsentme you will only pay postage for the pack (or alternatively, get 1 euro off the total of your order of any of the shop items).