Awesome Jimmy Diresta

Jimmy DiResta wanted to see if he could make ceramic tiles while incorporating CNC tech. He started by using a desktop milling machine to cut designs into Corian, then used those to create plaster casts for the clay. He used an Evenheat kiln to fire the tiles. The voiceover provides a great glimpse into his learning process.

We always enjoy seeing craftspeople turn one kind of object into another. Maker Jimmy Diresta shows off his blacksmithing skills by melting down a steel crowbar in his forge, hammering it into the shape of a bowie knife, and crafting a wood and brass handle. He only used about a third of the metal, so he could probably make another.

Most of the time when you see a leather bag, it’s stitched and maybe glued together. But builder Jimmy Diresta is used to working with more substantial hardware than that, so he set about handcrafting a rugged, squared-off bag using metal rivets to hold it together.

Back when we worked in an office, we always wanted a gavel so we could demand order in the conference room when people started talking on top of each other. Jimmy DiResta’s friend just became a federal judge, so he made him a beautiful brass gavel from scratch. We had no idea you could mill brass with a razor blade.

Inspired by old metal toys what were assembled using bent metal tabs, Jimmy Diresta designed and built himself an awesome looking industrial stool. His powerful CNC laser cutter made quick work of cutting 18 gauge cold-rolled steel sheets, then Jimmy worked his magic on the rest with hand tools.

Builder Jimmy Diresta wanted a new barbecue grill, but instead of running out to the nearest Costco to buy one, he decided to build his own. And Jimmy’s homebrew version has a really neat trick – scissor-style lifts, a crank, and a gear drive for adjusting its height from the flame.