Anodized Aluminum Settlers of Catan Pieces:

Update:
These available to buy on kickstarter for the next 30 days.

Settlers of Catan is a popular German board game that has won many

accolades and is adored by thousands of fans around the world. It is
an addictive game that combines elements of Risk and Monopoly into
something that doesn't take a lifetime to complete. As a favor to a friend I made 3 sets of game pieces from aluminum and had them anodized to create something more "permanent" and "special" feeling. The gold colored set is a retirement gift for his uncle.

I wasn't totally convinced at first that all the work needed to create the custom set would be worth it, but after I saw them with their anodized finishes I was very pleased with the results and excited to get them to him.

Hit the jump for more pics.

Arcade cabinet

A good friend of mine programs internet (flash) video games and for the promotion of his most recent project he asked me to design an arcade cabinet that he could take to different events to showcase the game with. 
The reason he needed a custom design and didn't just retrofit an old cabinet was portability; the cabinet needed to sometimes fit in a small convention center booth and other times stand by itself on the floor, and the whole thing needed to break down and fit in the trunk of his car.

The project turned out really great and makes the game even more fun to play.  Click the "read more" link to see more pics & a link to the game website.

Piano Bench

I felt like I hadn't made any cool projects in a while, Christmas even came & went & all I did was install a ceiling fan for my sister in a room that didn't have any ceiling lights at all before. While crawling thru the attic with electrical wire was rewarding & all, it still doesn't compare to conceptualizing something in your mind and then holding it in your hands. - Or in this case sitting on it:

I decided to make this custom piano bench with my free time. Click the link to see the pictures of the build.