Tag Archives: Brian Knight

A Gadget for Easy Syringe Filling

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

WEST SYSTEM® 807 Syringes are handy for injecting epoxy into hard-to-reach areas, but it’s difficult to load the syringe with thickened mixtures that won’t pour into the syringe body. With this gadget, loading non-sag mixtures is easy. It consists of a flat plastic disc with a short length of PVC pipe bonded over a hole cut in the center of the disc. Push the disc down in a container of thickened epoxy and epoxy is forced out through the hole in the disc, through the PVC tubing, and into the syringe. Continue reading →

A Build-It-Yourself Drill Guide

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

Bud Hauschild, from Hastings, Michigan, sent us this idea for a drill guide used to accurately drill holes through irregularly shaped surfaces. Additionally, you can use this guide to drill from both sides of a thick beam and have the holes line up. Orthopedic surgeons use a similar device to drill holes in bone for screws or pins. Continue reading →

Bonding PVC Plastic with Epoxy

Editor’s note: This article was originally written in 1994, long before we developed G/flex epoxies which offer vastly superior performance in bonding to plastics including PVC. A much more current article on this subject is Gluing Plastic with G/flex Epoxy by Tom Pawlak and Jeff Wright. If you’re interested in gluing PVC with epoxy, we suggest you start there. The following article is published at Epoxyworks.com for historical purposes only.

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Flat Washer Scribe

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

Most woodworkers, at one time or another, have to scribe a piece of wood to fit closely to an irregular surface. Here is an old boat builder’s method to scribe a line to a gently curved surface. The only equipment necessary is a collection of different size flat washers and a sharp pencil. Continue reading →

Depiction of the two positions this stand-up desk allows.

A Dual Level Computer Stand (Stand-Up Desk)

Editor’s note: We are nothing if not cutting edge at Gougeon Brothers, Inc. Technical Advisor Brian Knight (now retired) wrote this article in 1993 about how to build something that is now a fast-growing trend in the workplace: a stand-up desk. Brian’s “dual level computer stand” will still make a great stand-up option today, although we imagine yours will have a flat screen monitor rather than the cathode ray tubes Brian’s design accommodated.

by Brian Knight

Because I spend so much time working at a computer, I designed a computer cabinet that would allow me to stand or sit while I work. It takes less than 10 seconds to convert from one position to the other. As an added bonus, moving the computer to its own stand freed some workspace on my desk.

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Build Your Own Billiard Table

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

I thought a billiard table would be a nice addition to my basement rec room but began to rethink the possibility after talking price with the local pool table dealer. Since I had the necessary skills and tools, I decided to build my own. The result was a high-quality billiard table at a fraction of the price of a new one. Continue reading →

Building a Mini Hydroplane

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

Race boatbuilder Jon Staudacher suggested this mini hydroplane design for my 12-year-old son Paul several years ago. It is an 8′-long hydroplane, powered by a 5 to 15 HP outboard motor and can accommodate a driver up to 150 pounds. Paul and his friend built the boat in three or four days. Continue reading →