This is fascinating. On the one hand, this shows what you can make out of just wood, without nails, glue, wire, or anything else. On the other hand, it features such a great collection of mechanisms all powered from a single crank. It’s amazing the amount of movement you can get from a single rotational movement.
Set Decorators Society of America
I haven’t done any film or television prop work, so I was unaware of them, but the Set Decorators Society of America has quite a handy website. First off, they show off the decor in films which their members have worked on. These are extensive photo-essays showing the sets from these films, often without actors in the way. You can also read interviews with their various members.
They publish many of this in their quarterly magazine. Luckily for you, you can download their back issues in PDF form… for free!
They also have a list of resources for shopping, as well as a healthy list of books to check out. Also, the comic above is by my twin brother; click on it and you can check the rest out!
Carpentry quick links
My computer is still broke, so I’m having trouble keeping up with this blog. Until then, enjoy some websites on carpentry from elsewhere around the web!
- The American Woods by Romeyn B. Hough, contains photographs of some 350 North American lumber types. You can browse by common or scientific name as well.
- Lumberjocks has a number of great resources. In addition to projects and a blog, they also review woodworking tools and feature a heavily-visited forum.
- I’ve been following the weekly tips at Woodsmith for awhile. They feature some good tricks for your shop and tools.
- New Woodworker, like Lumberjocks, also has articles, reviews, tips and tricks. Their tips and tricks are organized by topic, making it easy to browse.
- How to draw a hexagon with just a compass. Also, draw a pentagon with just a compass and a ruler.
Props in the last century
I just wanted to share some great old prop photographs I’ve come across on the Life photo archive hosted on Google. Remember, it’s also a great place to find primary photographic research since the invention of photography.
Look at the amazing craftsmanship it took to create these miniature human figures.
Retro Decorating
In honor of the Mad Men season finale (and since my computer broke and I didn’t have time to write anything lengthy), I thought I’d point out some great mid-century vintage sites I’ve found lately. Of course, Mad Men takes place in the early sixties, and most of what I’ve found is from the 40s and 50s, but it still inspires that period. Additionally, the objects people had in the 50s would still be around in the 60s. With that in mind, here we go:
- The Retro Planet Museum has a great collection of vending machines, soda coolers, gas pumps, and other items of that ilk with photographs online. They also run the Vintage Vending blog, which has continually updated content about the same.
- Atomic Addiction is about a couple trying to decorate their house in a completely mid-century fashion. Though somewhat focused on replicas, it also has great resources for researching this era.
- Retro Renovation is similar in that it is more concerned with using retro inspiration for modern decorating. Still, it points to historical information, and it has great ideas on which vendors offer vintage or vintage-inspired items.