This is my workbench, opened up. The store sells the finished work. This page shows how it got built — the projects, the code, the thinking, and the mistakes. If you've ever thought "I could never build that," start here. You can.
I share the projects, code, and what I learn along the way. I also want the problems here: what failed, what I tried, and what I still haven’t figured out. I’m still learning. So can you.
Not able to yet. Don’t know yet. Yet is the key word.
Workshop notes & lessons · Custom builds & machine retrofits · Shop my work
Pick a build, grab the code, and open START-HERE.md. These are workshop snapshots, with the missing pieces called out on each project page.
The Beacon
Open project: code, photos, and build notes →
An off-grid emergency info portal that runs on a USB power bank. Four ESP32 boards working together: a P4 hub serving a captive portal with readable ZIM archives, an S3 media server streaming audio, a status board with a BMP280 sensor doing Zambretti weather forecasting on a little OLED, and a LoRa mesh board for off-grid messaging.
Tech: ESP32-P4, ESP32-S3, LoRa, BMP280, Zambretti algorithm, captive portal, HTTP Range audio.
Status: In progress — working through inter-board comms. Code is now available on the project page, with a start-here guide.
PartsCrib
Open project: code and build notes →
Inventory software for maintenance shops — shelf labels by area, bin, row, and column, a checkout flow, and low-stock flags. Built as a paid job for a real shop, then open-sourced so any small shop can run it.
Tech: Offline-first, runs on ESP32 or as a Windows app.
Status: Live and open-source — github.com/webbdrew20-cmd/PartsCrib
JetFlix / ESP32-Cinema
Open project: code, photos, and build notes →
An offline media server on the ESP32-S3 — your own little streaming box with no internet required. Born from wanting a media setup that doesn't phone home to anyone.
Tech: ESP32-S3, HTTP streaming.
Status: In progress — firmware in testing.
Zook / Little Stories
I built this little robot for my kids to read them bedtime stories at night. Little Stories and Zook are the same project.
Meet Zook: source code and build notes →
Tech: ESP32-P4, local AI (Kokoro TTS), offline-first.
Status: Early build.
Custom Traffic Light Controller
Project notes below. No code download has been added for this build yet.
A full retrofit of a real traffic light into a working controller — relays, timing logic, the works. One of my first paid builds.
Tech: Relay logic, timing circuits, mains wiring.
Status: Built and delivered.
Talking Coffee Pot Retrofit
Open project: code, photos, and build notes →
Took a regular coffee pot and gave it a voice — another early paid build, and proof that "smart home" doesn't have to mean buying new.
Tech: ESP32, audio playback, relay control.
Status: Built and delivered.
Photo Relief Carving Process
The workflow behind the reliefs in the shop: customer photo goes in, software maps it into 3D depth, the CNC mill carves it into solid oak, then hand sanding, staining, and clearcoat. The same pipeline scales from a 4-inch keepsake to bigger pieces.
Tech: Depth-map generation, CNC toolpaths, Makera mill.
Status: In production — order one here.
More from the bench
Weather Sensor Experiment — pressure, temperature, humidity, and OLED source.
Got a question about any of these? Ask. Seriously — the whole point of this page is that you don't have to figure it out alone. And if you build something inspired by one of these, I want to see it.
Stop waiting for permission. Grab a tool, make mistakes, and build something.