Progress on a couple of projects

         It's been a few days since our last post.  We had family in town all weekend, so that is the reason for our absence. However, we did close on our home last Friday, and yesterday the loan was funded. So, we are officially home owners!

We won't be heading to our home until Friday, but we have been making some progress here at home.

          The first project under way is the beginning of a home surveillance system.  It is an IP based system, so that means the cameras run off of CAT5 cable.  In our case we have our cameras feeding the video into a stand alone PC acting as a Network Video Recorder(NVR).  The camera receives its power through the CAT5 cable using a Power Over Ethernet switch.  Makes it substantially more simple to run cable.  The camera was a bit of a pain to get set up, however thankfully one of our host guests over the weekend was an IT guru.  The next step for this system will be to install it in the home, in our home the first camera will go over the front door to allow us to record anybody coming to the door as well as view real time who is at the door. The NVR will also get a Hard Disc upgrade in the future as the 120 GB is fine for now but as we add more cameras we will need more space. 

     All the information for the camera system was found here: How To use NVR for camera system
     I found almost all of the hardware either on EBAY or Amazon so the cost is actually very low if you do this yourself.


       The second project is a miter saw table.  This table will actually be the main base for a work bench in the garage.  One of our first plans is to install a three piece crown molding in the master bedroom.  This table will make it far more efficient and effortless to properly cut the crown.  Also although the saw I purchased is plenty capable for my DIY projects, the fence(back part what wood sits against) is very low and a taller one is necessary.  The pictures below show it about 90% complete.  It is not a full 8 foot sheet of plywood because I wanted to be able to put it in the back of my jeep, so it is a total of 68" long.  I may but an extension on the end on a hinge.   

The plans for this table can be found here:Miter Saw Table Plans
It was a breeze to make, but I can tell you my back is going to be happy when this thing has legs and I don't need to bend over to make cuts.

We are getting very anxious to get down there and get started.  Feel free to ask questions at any time.