I wanted to make some metal boxes and trays. I have plenty of scrap sheet metal from things like old PC cases and microwave ovens. I already built a sheet metal bending brake. Now I just need a way to fasten parts together. Something easier than drilling a bunch of holes and screwing or pop-riveting. Something less messy than soldering or glueing. Something where I can just magically zap the parts and have them stick together instantly. Eureka! Spot welding. Time to dig through Google. And the trash can.

I received a Baldor metal grinder with 10-inch wheels, on its own pedestal floor stand, discarded from a school metal shop program. Several owners before me did not know what to do with it, mainly because the motor is wired for three-phase industrial power which is not found in U.S. residential homes. My job was to fix it up and get it working.

There were two major tasks to the restoration: cleaning/repainting, and making the three-phase motor work.

I received a Baldor metal grinder with 10-inch wheels, with a motor wired for three-phase industrial power. Three-phase power is not provided in U.S. residential homes, so I needed to power it from normal single-phase power. My solution was to build a balanced static phase converter, requiring only a few relatively inexpensive capacitors. (Much less expensive than the nuclear reactor I was considering.)

My new grinder needed some task lighting for the grinding wheels. I decided to build a dedicated lamp for each side, controlled by the grinder power switch. This worked in perfectly with my latest obsession, I mean interest, which is LED lighting.

In my quest for high-efficiency lighting, I came across a new idea for small household lights.

In our bathroom, there are two sconce lights (one on each side of the mirror) in addition to the main lights over the top of the mirror. The side sconce lights are not really necessary for adequate lighting, but they look nice and add some visual charm to the mirror. Therefore I saw them as good candidates for lower-energy substitutes.

Many people have light-up Christmas decorations in their yard. A popular one is the white-wire reindeer, covered with mini lights. Having another yard with another reindeer sounded boring. What really sounded good would be to have what almost nobody else has: a moose.

When working with electricity, it is important to ensure you have electrical wires large enough to carry the load. The diameter of the wire is referred to as the wire gauge. A smaller number is a larger wire.

If your wires are too small for the current, they can overheat and start a fire. Of course, for any questions, consult a licensed electrician.

Wire size requirements are based on amperage, not voltage. There are tables available to tell you what wire gauge you need for a given amperage.

My used tablesaw needed a new power cord and switch. The cord was clearly in bad shape. The on-off switch was spliced in with a mess of wire nuts and electrical tape. It was time for some basic electrical repair.

I acquired an older Connect-Tek KVM (PC keyboard/video/mouse) switch. I got it for free because it was missing the power supply. I decided to make one.