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hoodlessmads · 5 years

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Bloom Into You Dub

My thoughts under the cut (super long):

Yuu – pretty decent

I don’t dislike Tia Ballard’s actual voice for the character, and while at first I thought her delivery sounded kind of off, it’s growing on me. Tia’s version of Yuu feels like a slightly different interpretation of the character than the one in the manga and the one by the Japanese voice actress. She’s a little airier, a little more…emotional? Not my favorite version, but it’s interesting. And I’m okay with that.

Touko – really good

So I love Luci Christian, I think she’s a fabulous actress and I adore her performances as many of my favorite characters in other anime. When I heard she was the voice for Touko, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the actual casting itself? Like I don’t necessarily think her voice fits Touko. Not that it actively DOESN’T fit her, but I’m just really used to the Japanese voice actress. But at the very least I knew she would give a stellar performance, and I could be relieved about that! Especially for a character like Touko, her actress has to have such a wide emotional range to be able to pull off all the different scenes that she’s in, so on that level, there’s almost no better choice than Luci.

But WOW, I wasn’t expecting her to actually SOUND like Touko too. I don’t know how she did it, but she actually sounds like Touko. She pretty much nailed the character. ACTING, dude.

Sayaka – good

The more I listen to her, the more I’m starting to really like her. This actress has really been nailing a lot of her lines and I think her voice quite fits Sayaka after all. Okay, you’ve won me over, lady. Well done.

Maki – really good

Okay I like….REALLY like Maki’s English voice?? Like a lot. I’m genuinely surprised by how much I love this guy’s performance. Not only is the casting perfect, but some of his line deliveries are just spot on. The whole “sounds fake but okay” scene comes to mind. Well done, Sentai.

Doujima – love

I think this is the guy that plays Tanaka in the Haikyuu!! dub, which I hated (not because of him specifically). It’s funny because this guy’s voice is so distinct and it’s hard to get used to at first, but the more I hear it the more he actually hella grew on me. And you know what, his tenor and delivery really do suit Doujima once you get used to it. I enjoy him quite a bit. He’s one of my favorite English performances to be honest. Wait, there’s lesbians in this show?! FO SHO!

Koyomi – unfitting casting at first but she’s growing on me

At first I couldn’t even tell it was Koyomi speaking because the casting was THAT unexpected for me. Nothing against Brittany Karbowski, just like the choice of casting her as Koyomi, of all people, who should have a much softer voice. But the more I listen to her, the more I can get behind this interpretation I guess. She may not have the most Koyomi-sounding voice in the world, but her voice does have that slightly raspy quality that suits Koyomi nicely.

Akari – good

Riko – good

Miyako – good

Rei – she’s okay…sounds a little too old

Hiro - good

Extras – not great but fine

Is that everyone? Okay:

Script – NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Removing honorifics and changing how the characters refer to one another creates RELATIONSHIP-ALTERING DIFFERENCES that affect the story.

THE WHOLE GAG of an entire scene later is how Touko is embarrassed by Yuu calling her by her first name, which she never usually does. How are they going to adapt this? All the humor and emotion of the original scene will be lost!

The humor in Touko asking Yuu if it’s okay to call her by her first name in front of others and Yuu is like “I’m pretty sure you’ve already been saying it”, the angst when Sayaka hears it for the first time, the humor when Doujima is like, “My name is Suguru!” and Touko just brushes him off. All of it? Lost.

Yuu’s angst when she wants to call Touko, “Touko-senpai” but she can’t because she can’t cross that line into the greater intimacy that she longs for? LOST

It’s lost.

Having Yuu call her “Touko” left and right in the dub, for this character, at this point in the story, is WAY TOO INTIMATE. To the point that I’m like actually blushing every time it happens because it’s so embarrassing. Like can you imagine? Yuu? Calling her “Touko” like it’s nothing?? O///////////O. DOKI DOKI!!! WOW cultural context changes things y’all. And the thing is that there is NOT A SINGLE GOOD SUBSTITUTE FOR THIS that would make sense in English like they want it to. The script writers’ only real option is to keep the honorifics intact or it just won’t make sense.

What they actually ended up going with is this really unnecessarily complicated “nickname” thing that comes across as awkward.

Keeping honorifics intact in an English dub is not new or revolutionary. We have been using original honorifics in manga since the early 2000s with publishers like Del Rey and we have even been actually SAYING honorifics in English dubs since shows like Ouran High School Host Club, which pulled it off effortlessly back in like 2008. So I really do not understand why, in 2019, when anime fans are more familiar with Japanese culture than ever before, script writers still have this baffling and strange phobia of keeping these facets of Japanese culture intact for viewers. It’s funny because Luci Christian was even IN Ouran High School Host Club. She can be Honey-senpai but she can’t be Nanami-senpai? Like…why?

It takes 40 chapters of the manga, 7 volumes, after getting to know Touko and bonding with her and falling in love with her over the course of 8 months, for Yuu to finally get to the point of running to meet her, break down crying, and tell her she loves her over and over again. And do you know? What she calls her? In this incredibly intimate moment after months of build-up in their relationship?

SHE CALLS HER NANAMI-SENPAI.

“TOUKO” LET’S NOT JUMP THE GUN HERE

I legitimately find it BAFFLING why some English script writers don’t seem to think this is as important as it is? Like there’s a reason why whole scenes are built around this facet of the culture.

And if they are really so afraid of alienating English-speaking viewers that may not understand what a “senpai” is, then there are about a MILLION ways they could slip in a simple explanation, either through context in the dialogue or through…like, an honorifics card at the front of an episode. There are options. It’s not that difficult to understand. I promise. We were ALL there at one point, and I promise that it took us all approximately two literal seconds to grasp the concept of senpai = upperclassman. And like, we collectively as an audience, are aware that this is taking place in Japan, that these are Japanese high schoolers, which means that hearing them speaking English is by definition an abstraction of what they’re actually saying. We suspend our disbelief in this way already, and so adding Japanese honorifics back into an English-adapted script really isn’t a stretch at all.

Stop patronizing English-speaking audiences. It’s 2019.

The actual script - Changing the wording of certain lines like having Touko say “Kiss me” when she’s actually supposed to be saying “I want to kiss you.” This isn’t just simple semantics. In the context of this particular character, IT’S A BIG DEAL. Her whole thing is that she doesn’t want Yuu to love her or show affection towards her. At this point in the story, “kiss me” is something she would just NOT SAY.

Because like

Later on, in the supply shed, that’s why Touko is like, “This time, I want you to kiss me.” Because she’s never said that before. That’s why it’s a big deal.

Guess it’s not a big deal anymore???

No.

NO.

Scenes and Specifics

“I’d rather die…than hear any of that again.” I actually really like this line in the dub!! Before it’s always been translated as something like, “I’d rather die than hear those words,” as in, she’d rather die than be told something like that in general. It’s powerful enough that way. But the dub version takes it a step farther: I’d rather die than hear that again. It’s not just a sentiment, it’s actually a warning. Don’t ever say that shit to me again, or else. LMAO it’s even darker this way. It makes it even more of a punch in the gut for Yuu to hear something like that. You’re gonna have a bad time, Yuu…

and of course Luci’s delivery is great.

“Dear/honey/darling/say my name but more sweetly” – Sigh…don’t even get me started.

This is just a nitpick, but I don’t really understand why they decided to have everyone call Hakozaki-sensei “Teach” instead of just “Riko.” It would make a lot more sense, even in the context of this awkward dub with all the name changes, for them to call her “Riko.” Calling your teacher by their first name in English is just as disrespectful as calling them “Teach,” and it’s a lot more natural-sounding. No one says “teach” in real life? No one. But students DO refer to their teachers by their first name behind their backs ALL the time. Since they’re going for such an English feel with this dub it would just make so much more sense to do the same with Riko. It’s just…another inexplicable script choice.

Update: Doujima later says, “I love you, Riko!” in a line that’s actually funny. Thank you!

I can only assume the reason for the lack of honorifics is because they wanted all the characters to refer to each other the way that people do in English-speaking countries, so Yuu calls Touko by her first name and so on. Because that’s how we talk here. But even then, the way they did this is completely inconsistent. Everyone calls Yuu by her first name instead of “Koito,” and Touko by her first name instead of “Nanami,” but everyone calls Maki and Doujima “Maki” and “Doujima” even though those are their last names. Why? Shouldn’t it be Seiji and Suguru, if you’re going for consistency here? Or flip it and go last names all the time, so it’s Koito and Nanami? It just doesn’t make any sense. What exactly determines the fact that everyone calls Maki and Doujima by their last names, but calls Yuu, Touko, and Sayaka by their first names? Isn’t it really just because those are the names the fandom knows them by, not because of any in-universe reason? You see how this script choice quickly falls apart at the seams?!!

Doujima about the play: “Oh wow, there are lesbians in this show?!” Lmao. How meta. I see what you did there, show…

The super intense scene where Touko rehearses her lines and everyone’s like “Woah.” – It was goooood.

So TL;DR: the voices themselves are great, or at least good. And worth watching. There’s some really enjoyable scenes in English. But all of it, for me, is outweighed by the problems I have with the adapted script. It’s so unfortunate because I genuinely like a lot of these English voices, and of course it’s fun to listen to this beloved show in my native language. But GOD, the whole “Touko” thing really kills it for me. Am I being overdramatic? I just think it drastically alters…the viewer’s interpretation of their relationship. Maybe for some people it’s not that big of a deal, like even without the honorifics and the intimate nature of referring to someone by their first name, even if we do away with all of that, some people can still make the adjustment and view their relationship the same way. But for me it’s hard to make that adjustment, especially when so many important scenes hinge upon the use of names. If I were going to show this to a friend, I’d probably steer them away from the dub just for that reason? I don’t know. R.I.P Nanami-senpai…

I’m Not Done Yet Actually

I just want to elaborate once again on why I think removing “senpai” is so bad.

I said before that the difference is relationship-altering, and it really is, to the point where in a series like this that is so hyper-focused on the relationship between its two main characters, it almost changes the story.

Yuu calling Touko “Nanami-senpai” isn’t just some minor arbitrary nickname…it actually creates an extra layer of distance between them. The senpai-kouhai relationship is an institutional one based on respect. By its very nature, it lacks the intimacy of, say, two friends in the same year. In the dub, this aspect of their relationship is entirely removed. There are a couple of references to Touko being Yuu’s upperclassmen, but it’s hardly given the kind of attention that it is in the other versions. Instead, Yuu just calls her “Touko,” because, for all intents and purposes, in the English dub they’re just…friends. That’s what it feels like to me. It feels like there’s no real difference in the public face of their friendship than, say, Yuu’s friendship with Koyomi or Akari. Just two gals being platonic friends (but not at all). But this isn’t quite accurate! Yuu isn’t just Touko’s friend. She’s Touko’s kouhai, which means that on some level she feels an obligation to defer to Touko with the respect that she is owed as her upperclassman, even in like Chapter 40. You can even hear it in the way that Yuu speaks to her, quite naturally, with a greater level of respect than she does to her friends in the same year. Not just in the tone of her voice, but in using a more polite form of speech. (To be honest, I wasn’t listening too closely to what form of speech she uses with her same-year friends, so this isn’t necessarily just a senpai thing. It could just be because Yuu is a polite person. But let’s say for the sake of my argument that it is a senpai thing.)

When Sayaka says, “She’s my best friend, and your upperclassman. What else would she be?” she’s really giving a nod to an important aspect of how Yuu and Touko’s façade relationship is maintained.

On some level, Yuu is able to be so doting and so deferent to Touko’s wishes without Touko catching on to her feelings because she’s performing the role of kouhai. She’s not only a kind and selfless person, she’s a diligent kouhai assisting her troublesome senpai. Supposedly. You get the idea. Do you—?? This is important?? (I mean, don’t get me wrong, I still think Touko’s a dumbass for not knowing, when it’s obvious that Yuu develops feelings for her, but it’s much more believable when you have that extra layer in the relationship that could weakly explain why Yuu wants to help her so much.)

And again, having Yuu refer to Touko as “Nanami-senpai,” and viewing her as Nanami-senpai, creates that extra layer of distance that further separates Yuu from the kind of intimacy she desires to have with Touko. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a barrier, but it’s a layer. A layer that helps protect both of them, in fact, from things getting too intimate. This is delicate, subtle stuff that’s really hard to explain in words, but anyone who’s seen the Japanese version will know what I mean. That’s why there’s that scene in the donut shop where she wishes she could call her first name (still Touko-senpai, though). There is an important bridge between “Nanami-senpai,” Yuu’s upperclassman, and “Touko,” Yuu’s girlfriend/lover. The English dub version just makes the jump across that bridge without a thought.

Also, it’s kind of kinky? The upperclassman-underclassman thing in their relationship. It’s definitely a thing. Yuu knows it, you know she totally does. I don’t make the rules, okay.

TL;DR honorifics and names are really important, especially in this series. They shouldn’t have removed them. Watch the dub if you want, but also watch the sub and read the manga. Just to clarify, I really did enjoy the dub, even though the name changes are a deal-breaker for me. I don’t want it to seem like I’m just completely shitting on it because there’s a TON about it to like. A lot of the performances from the English voice actors were great and a lot of the lines in English were hilarious and/or awesome. The thing is that the Japanese voice track is ALSO incredible and has fabulous performances, but it doesn’t have that cultural barrier issue. So…while I’ll check out the dub for whatever comes next out of respect for the actors involved and their efforts, I’ll be mainly sticking with the sub for my own enjoyment. I tend to prefer Japanese voice tracks for anime that take place in Japan anyway, since that’s what the characters are actually speaking. It’s just a personal preference that helps me get immersed.

#bloom into you #yagate kimi ni naru #i dead ass watched the entire dub of this show #and i took notes #a lot of fucking notes

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symbianosgames · 7 years

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The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

[Video Game Deep Cuts is a weekly newsletter from curator/video game industry veteran Simon Carless, rounding up the best longread & standout articles & videos about games, every weekend. This week's highlights include the making of a Hearthstone card, a couple of neat Horizon: Zero Dawn video pieces, and behind the scenes on seminal 2D fighting game Samurai Shodown.

I also comment on this below, but the rise of 'creators making interesting content about their own games, especially in video form' is something I'm really starting to note and enjoy. (This week - Hearthstone, Runescape, Horizon: Zero Dawn, & more.) This makes sense, especially since some of these games make a lot of money and third-party options for making money covering those titles are way trickier.

Obviously, there's mixed feelings about this - is the only way you can cover games in-depth in the future as part of an embedded team funded by the game's creators? But there are also counter-examples like the excellent Spelunky making-of video posted by Danny O'Dwyer's Noclip below. So maybe a mix of sources will be just fine, absolutists out there! Until next week...

Simon, curator.]

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With Scorpio rising, Phil Spencer looks to the future of Xbox (Alex Wawro / Gamasutra) "Here then is a rundown (edited for clarity) of our conversation with Spencer about everything from Microsoft's VR plans to the future of the game console business, and how Project Scorpio represents an attempt at "learning from some of our PC heritage.""

The Runescape Documentary - 15 Years Of Runescape (Jagex / Runescape / YouTube) "[SIMON'S NOTE: good to see companies documenting their own history, even with the inherent rose-tinted glasses that might bring in - we still get SOME good historical context.]"

Tim Schafer Talks Shyness, Comebacks and Being Asked Not to Touch George Lucas (Chris Suellentrop / Glixel) "During an hourlong conversation, Schafer talked to Glixel about his reputation as a project manager at LucasArts, his career-long fight for creative independence, and the troubled development of Psychonauts, followed by the game's remarkable staying power."

A Chat With a Live Streamer is Yours, For A Price (Laura Parker / New York Times) "Andre Rebelo, a 24-year-old YouTube streamer from Vancouver, British Columbia, live-streamed himself playing the game Grand Theft Auto V on his YouTube channel, Typical Gamer, in mid-January. This time, he added something different for his audience."

Building Non-Linear Narratives in Horizon: Zero Dawn (Leszek Szczepanski / GDC / YouTube) "In this 2017 session, Guerrilla Games' Leszek Szczepanski explains how Guerrilla Games tackled sidequests and open-world activities in Horizon: Zero Dawn, by creating a quest system which has non-linearity at its base."

From GoldenEye To Yooka-Laylee: Grant Kirkhope Reflects On His Career (Zak Wojnar / Game Informer) "If you’ve been a gamer for any length of time, Grant Kirkhope’s tunes have probably been stuck in your head at some point. His music defined some of the Nintendo 64’s greatest games, such as GoldenEye and Banjo-Kazooie – the latter being the direct inspiration for his latest project, Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee."

The Making of Samurai Shodown (James Mielke / Polygon) "With SNK in a bit of a revival at the moment, we went on a quest to track down some of the original Samurai gumi team members and learn more about the origins of the Samurai Shodown series. A chance conversation at Tokyo Game Show 2016 put us in touch with Yasushi Adachi, the original series creator."

Ironsights: A Big Buck Hunter Mini-Documentary (Twitch Creative / Twitch) "The 22-minute story follows Sara Erlandson, Wisconsin bar owner turned Big Buck phenom and Twitch streamer, as she travels from her hometown of Beldenville to the World Championship in Austin, Texas."

The Socialist Surrealist Oikospiel Has a Wild Vision for the Future of Videogame Labor (Daniel Fries / Paste) "Oikospiel, the new experimental game from David Kanaga and Ferdinand Ramallo, wants to make sure you’re paying attention. It doesn’t want you to get wrapped up in its story or relax and have fun playing a game. It’s constantly trying to jar you out of any trance or flow state."

Everything I Said Was Wrong: Why Indie Is Different Now (Liz England, Lisa Brown, Rami Ismail / GDC / YouTube) "In this 2017 GDC session, Ubisoft's Liz England, indie designer Lisa Brown, and Vlambeer co-founder Rami Ismail break down why some of their older advice for starting indie developers hasn't held up, how they'd update that advice, and how developers can better think about giving advice to each other and interpret advice."

Snake Pass and the unexplored territory of the game controller (Philippa Warr / RockPaperShotgun) "The way the input feels is intended to be a part of the whole experience – to the point where Liese was lobbying to ship without a mouse and keyboard option at one point because they hadn’t found one which adequately expressed the same physical elements of playing."

Clark Tank plays: Northgard! (Brace Yourself Games / YouTube) "I'm veteran indie game developer Ryan Clark, and this is the Clark Tank! Every second Friday at 1pm Pacific time we stay on top of the latest game industry trends by examining the Steam top 50, scrutinizing the latest Kickstarted games, and by playing the most prominent recent releases. [SIMON'S NOTE: Love Ryan's Twitch stream, and this is an experimental edited-down version of a recent stream, xposted to YouTube.]"

Doom (2016): To Hell and Back (David Craddock / Shacknews) "Marty Stratton knew a good sound when he heard it. He had studied commercial music composition at University of Denver and, with bachelor degree in hand, had headed out west in 1995 determined to land a job in the entertainment industry. [SIMON'S NOTE: this is a GIGANTIC, almost book-length piece, and very well done.]"

The stray dogs of The Silver Case (Gareth Damian Martin / Eurogamer) "For Goichi Suda, those murders would begin a fascination with grotesque crimes that would reappear throughout his career. He was still at developer Human Entertainment at the time, but only a year later, Suda, eager to pursue new ideas, set up his own studio: Grasshopper Manufacture."

Behind the Card | Amara: Warden of Hope (Blizzard / YouTube) "Peek behind the curtains to see what went into creating the cards Awaken the Makers and Amara, Warden of Hope. [SIMON'S NOTE: more deep dive content created by the team making the game - in this case Hearthstone!]"

The first decade of augmented reality (Ben Evans / Ben-Evans.com) "In February 2006, Jeff Han gave a demo of an experimental 'multitouch' interface, as a 'TED' talk. I've embedded the video below. Watching this today, the things he shows seems pretty banal - every $50 Android phone does this! - and yet the audience, mostly relatively sophisticated and tech-focused people, gasps and applauds."

How emergent AI encounters can be beautiful in The Signal from Tolva (Bryant Francis / Gamasutra) "The Signal from Tolva, which comes from the creators of Sir, You Are Being Hunted, is yet another game about science-fiction robots from UK developer Big Robot. And while creative director Jim Rossignol told us yesterday on the Gamasutra Twitch Channel that’s partly because it’s easier to animate beings that don’t have facial animations, he also said it’s because there’s something beautiful about what happens when you program groups of A.I to have their own missions. [SIMON'S NOTE: we're doing a lot more live Twitch chats with devs recently on Gamasutra - here's a good example!]

From hacker to Valve and back again (Brian Crecente / Polygon) "Before co-founding her own augmented reality headset company, Jeri Ellsworth was a technology chameleon, finding niches in electronics and mechanics, mastering them and helping redefine how they worked."

Horizon Zero Dawn - Neil Druckmann Interviews Hermen Hulst (PlayStation / YouTube) "Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann sat down with Guerrilla Games managing director Hermen Hulst to discuss the studio's shift away from Killzone, and the long process of bringing Horizon Zero Dawn to life."

Gaming under socialism (Paolo Pedercini / Molleindustria) "But the question of what gaming would look like in a socialist world has haunted me for days. Not only because I’m a leftist and I care about games, but because of how it relates to many crucial issues of 21st century radicalism. [SIMON'S NOTE: so Ivory Tower it hurts, but thought-provoking, fo sho.]"

How Steam brought shmups out of arcades and into a new PC renaissance (Matt Paprocki / PC Gamer) "How Steam and passionate fans pulled shoot-em-ups out of exile in Japanese arcades and back into the limelight."

How Ninja Theory's Canceled Co-op Game Led To Hellblade's Bold Future (Ben Hanson / Game Informer) "With our new cover story on Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, we've shown off plenty of gameplay footage from Ninja Theory's game. Today, the game's creative director Tameem Antoniades explains more about how the talented studio arrived where they are today. [SIMON'S NOTE: good honest video interview with Antoniades here on 'the space between AAA and indie'.]"

Searching for the truth of a fake world at EVE Fanfest (Adam Smith / RockPaperShotgun) "Like many EVE players, he’d come to Fanfest, a gathering of hundreds of players, devs and press in Iceland, to represent his in-game character. People wear the insignia of their corporations and alliances, and chant those same names at presentations and pubs. As a spectacle, it’s fascinating, but it’s also confusing."

Spelunky - Noclip Documentary (Danny O'Dwyer / Noclip / YouTube) "For almost a decade players have gleefully explored Spelunky's refined brand of player discovery and emergent gameplay. In this documentary, we talk to the game's creators about building the rules of its procedurally generated worlds."

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[REMINDER: you can sign up to receive this newsletter every weekend at http://ift.tt/2dUXrva we crosspost to Gamasutra later on Sunday, but get it first via newsletter! Story tips and comments can be emailed to [email protected]. MINI-DISCLOSURE: Simon is one of the organizers of GDC and Gamasutra, so you may sometimes see links from those entities in his picks. Or not!]

#IFTTT #Blogger

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additionallysad · 7 years

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Four Ways We Added Storage & Function To My Beloved Shed http://ift.tt/2n5wF8H

Last summer we bought a shed to alleviate some of our garage storage woes/messes (more on that here). It was love at first sight, but alas – it remained empty for months as I sat paralyzed, unable to pinpoint the “perfect” way to organize it. I didn’t want to let my baby down by not letting her live up to her full potential. Listeners of our podcast have heard me mention it time and time again (me saying the word “shed” might as well be a drinking game at this point). But once I let go of the idea of getting it perfect and just steered myself towards solving my storage problems one-by-one, we were finally able to help our empty shed fulfill its destiny become the storage workhorse I always knew it could be.

The reason I was having trouble getting started was because I couldn’t figure out how many functions I wanted to cram in there. Is it mostly workspace and tool storage? Do I put garden and outdoor tools in there too? And if so, how much space is all of that stuff gonna take up? I didn’t want to move so much in there that we couldn’t comfortably work, and I was getting nowhere trying to floor plan it. Ultimately I told myself: prioritize the functions you want it to serve & the problems you want it to solve – then just work down the list until it’s full enough. Whatever didn’t make it could just stay in the garage. Sounds simple, and it was. And it was actionable, so I was finally doing something.

Solution #1: Workbench & Pegboard

If nothing else, I wanted to add a work table. We had one in our last workshop, but for the last 3.5 years here we’ve just been working on the garage floor (#glamorous). Also, by shifting most of our woodworking to the shed, we’d no longer deal with having sawdust coating every last surface in the garage every time we cut something in there (the bikes, the kids’ scooters, the car, etc). So the very first thing I did was buy this workbench from Home Depot.

The price was right ($77!) and it is easily movable/collapsible, in case I want to arrange things differently down the line. That was another key to unlock my indecision: creating flexibility. It makes you worry a lot less if you know you can change or undo something down the line. But so far: no regrets. It’s been great and we like where we set it up: centered on the longest wall, right across from the doors. Consider it a focal point of sorts.

You can also see I bought some clear 12-gallon storage bins that fit nicely underneath it (like these), and discovered some pegboard panels leftover from our second book that would fit perfectly behind the bench once they were cut down and hung (see below). Booyah, free storage. My garage hoarding does pay off sometimes!

I loved having tools on pegboards in my old workshop. Call it cliché, but they really are a visually appealing and (more importantly) very functional way to store this kind of stuff. Plus, it’s a huuuuge improvement over where we’d been grabbing many of our tools lately: random drawers here and there, not to mention several “who-knows-what’s-in-the-bottom-of-that” bins that were never unpacked since we moved to this house back in 2013. We just sort of stirred them with our arms to find stuff. Like nail and screw soup.

By reusing my old pegboard hooks and clips (as well as referencing some of the old pics) I was able to get most of our small-to-medium sized tools organized there. I even used some of the space above the pegboards to stash sanding blocks, tubs of wood filler, and other un-hangables.

Most of what’s out here is stuff that we will primarily use in the shed (and we still have some duplicate screwdrivers and such in our kitchen for quick access). We also made a small picture-hanging box (sort of like a small tackle box that we filled with nails, ook hooks, screws, and anchors) which makes more sense to keep inside than out in the shed.

The clear storage bins underneath are sorted by project – tiling supplies in one, lawn irrigation stuff another, and painting stuff in a third. The fourth is still empty (room to grow!). And, although the clear bins aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as solid colored ones might be, I like that we can quickly see what’s inside without having to rely on labels (which I’ve found I rarely keep updated). Function over form in here, fo sho.

Solution #2: Scrap Wood Storage

One of the main contributors to our garage looking disgusting (besides the thin layer of sawdust on everything) was all the scrap wood strewn around. I refuse to show you a wide shot of our former garage grossness, but here are a couple of corners to give you a taste. There were plenty of contributors to the chaos, but the scrap wood was getting to the point where it was too hard to access or sift through, so I was rarely checking it thoroughly before starting a new project. It had officially become more refuse than resource.

So with my workspace set – I turned my attention to making sensible scrap wood storage in the shed. I started by hauling all of it OUT of the garage and INTO the shed (I also set a general rule for myself – once anything came into the shed, it didn’t get to go back to the garage). You can see here that I had amassed quite the diverse collection.

I turned to Pinterest for ideas for scrap wood storage or organizers, but most of what I saw was either very elaborate (it spins! it folds out! it makes coffee! – okay, maybe not that last one) or alarmingly tidy. Am I the only one with wood that doesn’t nicely match? So I decided to just improvise a bit. After all, my main goal was to put it all in one place, in a way that I could sort through it all without everything falling on me or my pocket sized wife (we might never find her). Oh, and I also wanted to use as much scrap wood as possible to actually build it. I had to grab a few new 2×4″s for enough stability, but I really resisted the urge to buy more lumber to corral my existing lumber.

Here’s where I ended up, and then I’ll show you how I got there. I realize all the wood-on-wood tones don’t make this super easy to decipher, but in person it’s gloriously simple.

To create the flat storage area at the base, I cut some 2 x 4″s into two matching boxes. My sizes were determined by the space where I was putting it (the corner beyond the side window), but you can adjust the lengths based on your needs.

I used my pocket hole jig to attach the pieces and form the two flat rectangles, and then broke out my nailer to secure some thin plywood scraps over the top to create the bottom platform.

Using more 2 x 4″s, I cut and screwed several short “posts” along the side and back edges of the bottom platform (again using pocket holes). The front stayed open so I could slide my pieces in that way.

Then I secured the other platform on top of the posts by screwing directly through it into each post.

Next I nailed a thicker 1/2″ piece of scrap plywood on top. The heftier top shelf not only added support to the structure, it also would better withstand the weight of all of the wood that would be resting on it eventually.

Then I cut 8 three-foot pieces of 2 x 4″ and used pocket holes to secure them to the base. I steadied each post and gave the whole structure more stability by nailing a frame around the top and bottom perimeter, leaving the top front open so I could easily lean pieces inside each open cubby. But the bottom front piece is important to keep the leaned wood from slipping out, so don’t leave that out.

You can also see from this angle that I added extra back & side pieces to the far right compartment (which would store the smallest pieces of wood) to keep things from falling through the sides. I also left a gap on the right side of the organizer where I could slide in large flat pieces against the wall.

Here’s that after again. It’s a bit fuller than I wish it was, but now that I can find pieces more easily than before (it’s all in one spot! it’s organized by length!) I’ve already found myself making fewer runs to the store and relying more on leftover scraps.

The only thing I might still add is a small basket or bucket mounted to the wall so I can toss in small leftover blocks of wood. I find those handy to have around for things like propping up an item that we’re painting or spray painting so it doesn’t get stuck to the tarp or cardboard underneath. Also, I clearly have a problem not throwing any wood away. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

Solution #3: Heavy Duty Shelving

Not only did I want to get some of our bigger tools (table saw, tile saw, wet vac, etc) out of the way in the garage – we also wanted to move those into the shed because that’s where many of them will actually get used! So next up on the to-do list was some heavy duty shelving. You know, something that would stand up to the weight of bigger tools (more than your typical plastic or wire garage shelf). Here’s where I ended up.

This is just on the left side of the same window that is to the left of the scrap wood holder, so this whole side of the shed is now maximized with storage. I was able to build the entire thing out of leftover plywood and new 2 x 4″ boards. I started by cutting 4 pairs of matching 2 x 4″s, measured to fill the wall between the corner and the window.

Using a level and a tape measure, I used long screws (into studs!) to hang one board from each pair against the wall. Your shelves are ultimately going to rest on top of these boards. You can see the spacing I chose below, but it’s really up to you – I would just warn against not leaving yourself enough TALL shelf space (the two lower shelves are so helpful for larger items).

Next – and this is going to sound weird – you loosely attach the other half of the each pair directly over the boards already in the wall, making sure to line everything up perfectly.

I used two screws per board, and you don’t have to drive your screws all the way in, just enough to hold everything together for the next few minutes. The attaching thing is just temporary.

Next, you’re going to add vertical 2 x 4″ supports that rest on the floor and are cut to go no higher than your top board. I started with three, but as you saw in the final photo – I ended up removing the middle post. You’ll want to screw these posts tightly into the outer horizontal pieces (make sure your screws aren’t so crazy long that they go into the back pieces too). And again, use your level to keep them straight.

Now you can remove those “temporary” screws and the whole front portion of your shelving system will pull away from the wall in one glorious piece. Sorry I don’t have a photo of this but it was like MAGIC. You’re basically cloning the back frame exactly so that when you pull it off the front frame, the horizontal shelf supports will be perfectly lined up. So then you just have to add some side pieces that will create the depth you need for the shelves and it all gets attached again.

When you’re done with that part – it should look a little something like this.

Next, I added some leftover 1/2″ plywood pieces to the top with nails. That’s when I realized it was feeling EXTREMELY steady and I could remove that middle post (which would ultimately make it easier to slide large objects onto the shelves).

I’ll admit I didn’t really “plan” what was going to fit on there when I built it, but it turned out to be great for lots of our boxed tools, random painting supplies, various saws, etc. This thing is so dang sturdy you could invite a few dozen kids to climb all over it. Or fill it with tons of heavy tools, which is what I did. Sorry, kids.

Ana White, who gave us the idea for this project, actually has a great video that shows this process in action (and on a much bigger scale!) in case you were wondering how to implement it for a space like a garage.

Solution #4: Small Part Organization

With most of my large and medium sized tools out of the garage and into the shed, I turned my attention to the tiny stuff: screws, nails, etc. The mason jars I had used on a shelf in my last workshop had been much less efficient in the drawers where they lived in this house’s garage. We couldn’t see what was in anything from above, so we were constantly lifting up jar after jar to find the right anchors or screws.

I brought all of the drawers into the shed so I could see my stash all in one place. Not knowing exactly how I’d divvy everything up, I bought three styles of small part organizers from the store (slide-out, tip-out, portable). They were each less than $20 (they’re just plastic) and offered slightly different size and configuration options (spoiler alert: I ended up returning the one laying on the floor because I just didn’t need it).

There’s not really any magic to how I sorted things, so I’ll spare you that part. I just kept screws near screws, nails near nails, etc. I didn’t label anything because, again, I’ve found that I don’t keep up with labels (or as I once heard someone say: “I’m a Millennial, I don’t like labels.“). The real magic here was taking the time to mount these on the wall.

They come with keyhole cut-outs on the back that make them ready-to-hang, so I found an otherwise pretty useless skinny section of the wall and hung them on top of one another. I’ll warn you that the plastic covers on the bottom one are a little janky. You can see I already chipped off the top corner of one, but it doesn’t really affect my day-to-day use of them.

I also like the small gray compartments because they can be removed all the way, so we can take the appropriate container of screws over to our workspace if need be.

What’s Next?

I wouldn’t call the shed “done” yet because the entire other wall across from my shelving & scrap storage is still basically empty – well, except for our miter saw, the stand for our wet saw, and some sawhorses. But I’m actually planning to keep it pretty empty for a little while. It’s not because our garage is suddenly perfect (it’s still far from presentable thanks to the future beach house furniture that’s slowly taking up residence there). No, it’s just that I’m finding it’s nice to have flexible work space in the shed, rather than cramming every corner with storage.

I probably will add a few other areas/functions sooner or later since there’s room, but I’m not in a rush. This has already solved a lot of our top priority problems in the garage (no more sawdust covering everything!), so the shed is definitely earning its keep. Especially considering I’ve basically only had to buy a workbench, some plastic containers, and a few 2 x 4″ boards to make it functional.

And the moral of the story? Doing something is better than doing nothing, even if it means you have to let go of making everything picture perfect and just focus on making it function – especially when it comes to hardworking spaces like a shed, garage, or even a mudroom. You don’t have to solve everything all at once, but even just by starting with something that’s flexible and not too expensive will help you find your momentum. In other words: carpe shed diem!

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The post Four Ways We Added Storage & Function To My Beloved Shed appeared first on Young House Love.

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vincentbnaughton · 7 years

Text

Four Ways We Added Storage & Function To My Beloved Shed

Solution #1: Workbench & Pegboard

Solution #2: Scrap Wood Storage

Here’s where I ended up, and then I’ll show you how I got there. I realize all the wood-on-wood tones don’t make this super easy to decipher, but in person it’s gloriously simple.

I used my pocket hole jig to attach the pieces and form the two flat rectangles, and then broke out my nailer to secure some thin plywood scraps over the top to create the bottom platform.

Then I secured the other platform on top of the posts by screwing directly through it into each post.

Solution #3: Heavy Duty Shelving

Next – and this is going to sound weird – you loosely attach the other half of the each pair directly over the boards already in the wall, making sure to line everything up perfectly.

I used two screws per board, and you don’t have to drive your screws all the way in, just enough to hold everything together for the next few minutes. The attaching thing is just temporary.

When you’re done with that part – it should look a little something like this.

Solution #4: Small Part Organization

I also like the small gray compartments because they can be removed all the way, so we can take the appropriate container of screws over to our workspace if need be.

What’s Next?

**This post contains affiliates**

The post Four Ways We Added Storage & Function To My Beloved Shed appeared first on Young House Love.

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symbianosgames · 7 years

Link

Simon, curator.]

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#IFTTT #Blogger

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symbianosgames · 7 years

Link

Simon, curator.]

-------------------

#IFTTT #Blogger

0 notes

symbianosgames · 7 years

Link

Simon, curator.]

-------------------

#IFTTT #Blogger

0 notes

symbianosgames · 7 years

Link

Simon, curator.]

-------------------

#IFTTT #Blogger

0 notes

vincentbnaughton · 7 years

Text

Four Ways We Added Storage & Function To My Beloved Shed

Solution #1: Workbench & Pegboard

Solution #2: Scrap Wood Storage

Here’s where I ended up, and then I’ll show you how I got there. I realize all the wood-on-wood tones don’t make this super easy to decipher, but in person it’s gloriously simple.

I used my pocket hole jig to attach the pieces and form the two flat rectangles, and then broke out my nailer to secure some thin plywood scraps over the top to create the bottom platform.

Then I secured the other platform on top of the posts by screwing directly through it into each post.

Solution #3: Heavy Duty Shelving

Next – and this is going to sound weird – you loosely attach the other half of the each pair directly over the boards already in the wall, making sure to line everything up perfectly.

I used two screws per board, and you don’t have to drive your screws all the way in, just enough to hold everything together for the next few minutes. The attaching thing is just temporary.

When you’re done with that part – it should look a little something like this.

Solution #4: Small Part Organization

I also like the small gray compartments because they can be removed all the way, so we can take the appropriate container of screws over to our workspace if need be.

What’s Next?

**This post contains affiliates**

The post Four Ways We Added Storage & Function To My Beloved Shed appeared first on Young House Love.

0 notes