The Craftsman

Merideth and Handy HubsHello, I am AJ, AKA Handy Hubs, Master craftsman for Rustic 307. My Lovely Bride, Merideth, has beautiful artistic vision. In 2018 she decided to start a business to embrace that vision thus Rustic 307 was born. That’s where I come in. Yep you guessed it, she dreams it up and I build it.  With full time jobs in IT and three boys outgrew the nest, we work hard to find time to build, create and refinish.  Living in the great plains of beautiful Wyoming with a dedicated craft/design shop on our property for anything she could imagine and a shop for me to build it in, there is never a dull moment.

Check out my builds, designs, plans, reviews, recommendations and just plain banter here at my Diaries of Craftsman blog. Drop me a line or even share your projects and stories! I look forward to hearing from you! Be sure to visit our store at Rustic 307!

Thanks for visiting

AJ (Handy Hubs)

 

What have I been up to?
March 5, 2021Farm Life Adventures / This Old HouseThis one is from my beautiful bride, You can check out her awesome works on the web at Twine and Tumbleweeds or on Facebook   HandyHubs is my knight in a flannel! This dog gate is going to keep our dogs healthy and breathing. Keeping them away from our beautiful glass windows and patio door because jumping and scratching is too much fun to stop doing apparently. And bonus, my work meetings weren’t disrupted all day. Thanks for the effort to get this done last night @handyhubswyo [...]
February 11, 2021Tips and Tricks!If you are anything like me, you make pencil marks on just about everything. On lumber for cutting, sketch pads, even walls when you’re trying to hang pictures or shelves and what not. Pictured in the photo was me hanging a shelf (JK ha)… Maybe? Anyway to the point, I am speak about walls here, Good ol Fashion tooth paste is the best way  to remove Pencil marks. I use a damp cloth and just put a little dab of TP on a corner and scrub the pencil right off. Then use another damp cloth, or the other end of the one you have and wipe it clean! In my Experience the Crest Pro has been the best so far, and it make the wife happy so she doesn’t have to repaint!   [...]
January 13, 2021Custom FurnitureOne last project before we close out 2020 delivered. Our friends at Elevate Insurance were in need of a conference table to match the other pieces we created for them. Using  2X6 and 1X6 premium pine, we created this 8′  X 35″  V-legged Table. We ripped 13 2X6 X8’s down to 5 inches, taking the rounded edges off the table, then ran them through the planer to clean up the main surfaces. Using our Handy Dandy KregJig, we then added a series of pocket holes. Putting Gorilla Wood Glue in between the boards, we then pocket screwed the boards together making sure we reversed the grains on each board to avoid warping. Then clamped them to keep them tight while the glue dried. We let them sit overnight in a nice 70 degrees. Meanwhile, I assembled the V-Legs and lined them up on the support boards. Once everything was dry we took a special touch and hand plained the excess glue off and did several passes with various grits of sandpaper for a nice smooth finish. Merideth stained them with Minwax, Dark Walnut penerating wood stain, which really brought out the design of the grain. the table was sealed with our favorite poly, Polycrylic Protective Finish. Delivered Just before New Year, the Crew at Elevate was ecstatic! Visit our Friends Markese and Cherise Green At Elevate Insurance Agency! Located at 1800 Capitol Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82001 Email: elevateinsurancewy@gmail.com Phone: 307-638-7770   #elevateinsurancewy #supportsmallbusiness #twineandtumbleweeds #customfurniture #farmhousetables #shanty2chicinspiredbuild Be sure to visit us on our social media Facebook: @twineandtumblweeds @Diariesofacraftsman Instagram: @twineandtumblweeds @Diariesofacraftsman [...]
January 13, 2021Farm Life AdventuresWelcome to the Farm! We are so Excited to Start our new adventures!. Kinda overwhelming at the moment but we will settle in. As we are Moving in, one of the first things we had to do was finish off the fence in the back yard for the Pups, Theo is a runner and needed to be contained. Merideth and I put up hog fencing to match the rest of the yard. It was so much fun pounding poles (NOT). The first pole we put in didn’t o so well LOL. A little crooked. But hey it’s our first time!. The Saturday that followed we went to pick up our new puppy, Jasper. He is oh so cute! So of course he can fit through the hog fence, I went out and braved the wind and cold, I know nothing new for most farm people but I’m a newb, and installed chicken wire all the way up the fence. Jasper hung out with me the whole time. Now the puppies are happy they have a larger yard than our old house to run around in.  Stay tuned for more adventures From the Farm! Also, New builds Coming from the new workshop of Twine and Tumbleweeds! [...]
November 29, 2020This Old HouseGood Ol Royal Remington Steele, Remi has been by my (our) side for 14 years now. So loyal and Happy. We have had many adventures together. Some not so good but, most were amazing. Today I had to say good by to my best shop dog. I am so very sad. it is also the 15th anniversary that my first dog, as an adult, passed away as well. Nov 29th will be sad day forever. We love you Remi! Cant wait to see you in Heaven. Say Hi to Eddie and Kiya When you get there! Sure wish you could have loved the Farm with us! [...]
October 2, 2020Custom FurnitureBig project in the books! This was a fun and exciting Build with Merideth’s creative designs and my tools. This project turned out beautifully. We started with the L shaped desks, to make the frames, we used pine 2X4s featuring a two-tire shelf on one side. For the Desktops, we used edge-glued tabletops that we purchased from Menards and cut them to fit. Assembly consists of hidden pocket screws and Straight brackets for the desktop connection. Merideth then designed a two-tier receptionist desk, using 2X4s and fine covered plywood for the “Walls” Covered with prefab tongue and groove shiplap on the outside. the desktops and customer standing edges made from Edge glued boards. Mer then put a coat of Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover Primer on and let cure for a day. Mer then painted them with Rust-Oleum Countertop Coating in a light Ash color to match the customer’s office paint tone. Delivery was made just in time for the grand opening party. Next on the docket for Elevate Insurance? Conference room table! Visit our Friends Markese and Cherise Green At Elevate! Located at 1800 Capitol Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82001 Email: elevateinsurancewy@gmail.com Phone: 307-638-7770 [...]
October 1, 2020Tools and ThingsMy oldest boy is quite the creative person, we have built some cool things over the years, and he comes up with some awesome Ideas for Art, tie-dying, painting, melting, burning setting stuff on fire. Any way he has great Ideas. He spent some time with his mother this week exploring a new kind of painting. A swinging Solo Cup! Suspended with Twine, they took a drilled 3 holes in the bottom of the cup. Added their mixture of Elmer’s glue, water and, acrylic paint then swung it over the pre-made Canvas ( Walmart special). Mom, Son, and Girlfriend Each did there own, and hey turned out pretty awesome. What a great evening or daytime project to do with family or friends. Maybe even a wine night! My Fav is the one on the left. it reminds me of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream! [...]
August 10, 2020Tools and ThingsWell, it finally happened and was much needed, My Beautiful bride,  Merideth ( #twineandtumbleweeds ), went and bought me good ol Pickup Truck. I am so excited! I love it and got a screaming deal on it! We have been needing one for so long to carry not only the wood for projects but the finished Items themselves without using the trailer. To be fair, It was kinda owed to me Cause I bout Her a new car the week before. So now we have His and Hers! Hope you all Have a great week! New stuff Coming from Twine And Tumbleweeds  Featuring Handy Hubs! [...]
July 8, 2020Tools and ThingsMy Beautiful Bride, Merideth, and I celebrate 18 years of marriage this year,  June 22nd to be exact (almost 25 together). For our anniversary I made this  LOVE Knick-Knack shelf to accompany her Cow painting and display her Willow Tree Figurines. The Build was quite easy. Here is the cut list using 1X4s: 6  @  10″ 2  @ 10.5″ with the ends cut parallel at 22.5 degrees 1 @ 16.5″ 1 @ 12″ 1 @ 6″ Put together with 1 5/8″ 6-Lobe Drive Steel Pro Trim Wood Screws filled the wholes with Elmer’s wood putty and then sanded it a little ruff for a more rustic look. Stained with Verithane Premium wood stain in a Golden Oak color. it really pops against our light gray walls. Happy Anniversary My Love!!! [...]
April 8, 2020Tools and ThingsQuick little project during or COVID Quaranteen, Not only do I love old wood but finding love in old wood is cool. This piece came from a very special (To Mer and I) tree that we had cut at a friends home. We searched all day for a tree that had passed but was big enough and tall enough to cut a beam for our home. I saw a pattern online that o really like and thought this leftover board would be perfect. It is Beetle kill pine from Southeast Wyoming just north of the Colorado border. I love the two-color tones in the piece. Shaped with a bandsaw and cut out tool,  we decided t leave the natural color and just cover with Polly. Stay Healthy my friends Enjoy the slowness it won’t last forever! ~ AJ [...]

 

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