Whilst needing to upgrade my work area in the garage, I decided to bring my idea of having the interior of a spaceship for a garage into reality. Just for fun. And to get better organized, I was able to build some custom storage areas for all my blade supplies and lightsaber building supplies, plus a locker with drawers to separate and organize my customer's lightsabers and lightsaber parts. After seeing what Madcow did with his work area (he turned his work space into a space ship area first), I got inspired to stop just thinking about doing it and just do it.
Putting a strain on some deadlines and busting past others, I did have my friend Mike to help me build out some of the wacky things I wanted to do. After explaining to him once or twice the crazy idea for what I wanted for a part of the area, he was then able to run with what I said and complete some things for me while I completed other parts. And for the heavy lifting of some of the build-outs it was nice to have a buddy there.
I started with the idea for a Space Window like Palpatine would stare out of on the Death Star or maybe like the view port of the Millenium Falcon. Not to outright copy those windows, but to make something like it. I began this part by planning out the airbrush painting Mike was going to do as the back drop:
Then, Mike painted a space scene for me on the cut out. It is cut the way you see because I wanted this circular design to be six feet across, and that wasn't going to happen with a 4x8 board. So I had to get creative and cut it in this pattern,... which was done this way so that I could later hide the seams with my window bars.
Just in hindsight, and for anyone planning on doing something like this first part of the project,... if I were to do it again I would maybe drill holes in the painting and illuminate from behind certain stars... and have them twinkle. That might be nice to do on the next one
As for other parts of the work space... I wanted more lights! Of course... who do you think I am??? We need the most LEDs we can fit!!
Those are the back of one of the panels I made with 500 LEDs... pretty boring work but it actually looks cool even on the back side...
Video:
IMG 8918 - YouTubeHere's another couple panels made before they go up on the wall:
A small panel of 100 LEDs I set up in a pattern I think looks 'Star Wars':
IMG 8956 - YouTubeAn absolutely huge mess was created!
Half of the two-car garage area needed to also work as a gym and martial arts training area so my teacher can give me lessons there, hence the mirrors and the Bruce Lee poster up top:
My work area needed updating and one of the main reasons I did this project in the first place was to get MORE LIGHT!! Because working on these small things inside a lightsaber or for a blade is easier with more light:
My stereo and other cubbie areas and bins would be included in my arch inspired by the arch on the Millenium Falcon:
Now for viewing monitors so I can pretend I'm watching Aldaraan blow up like Tarkin or I can pull up schematics for the Crystal Focus while I wire a board: