The Crafty Catsman.Traditional craft. Digital fabrication.
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Choose the route that matches what you want to make.
Whether you came for a signature build, a machine review, a planning tool, or the latest maker movement, these are the strongest entry points into the site.
Projects and Guides to Start With
Build something, inspect a tool, or work through a buying decision
DIY Hidden Bookcase Door
Build a secret room for ~$300
Virtual Pinball Guide
Build vs. Buy — everything you need to know
Bambu Lab P2S Review
What ownership adds to the specs and Combo decision
xTool O1 Omni
Compare editions, costs, and what still needs testing
Start with the build that defined the shop, then branch into the tools around it.
If you want the clearest snapshot of how the site thinks, begin with the signature build, then move into the reviews and calculators that support the same workshop mindset.
Secret Speakeasy Arcade Bar
Create your own hidden basement speakeasy with a bookcase secret door
Projects, tools, and guides.
Hands-On Projects That Still Anchor the Workshop
The secret doors, shelves, basement rooms, and practical builds are the foundation beneath the newer laser, UV, CNC, and hybrid-shop work.
Machine Reviews and Comparisons That Match Real Shop Decisions
Move through the laser, CNC, and digital-fabrication routes the way a buyer actually researches them: by capability, tradeoff, and workflow fit.
Technique, Material, and Tool Guides That Hold Up Over Time
These are the quieter pages that help the flashy projects go better: process notes, tool context, and material fundamentals worth revisiting.
Interactive Tools That Answer Expensive Questions Before You Buy or Cut
These are the planning pages people use when the next decision affects budget, layout, or machine choice.
Laser Project Profit Calculator
Estimate pricing and margins for laser products.
DTF Printing Cost Calculator
Break down consumables and margin for apparel runs.
Hybrid Workshop Calculator
Compare tools and workflow tradeoffs across shop setups.
Evergreen References for the Builders Who Like to Keep Learning
When you need terminology, tool context, or a technique refresher, this shelf should feel close at hand instead of buried in archives.
Woodworking Basics
Terminology + Materials
Real projects, real tools, and real tradeoffs shape what gets shared here.
This site started with rough balcony planters, stray cats hanging around the workspace, and a habit of learning by building instead of pretending to be an expert first.
That same habit now extends into laser cutters, UV printers, CNC machines, and maker software. The point is not to chase hype. The point is to test what actually belongs in a hybrid workshop.
Read the full workshop story
The inspiration for this site, and the name The Crafty Catsman, came from two stray cats that would hang around while I worked on early projects. That motivation grew even stronger once I could create alongside my daughter. Many of the projects here were made for her or with her.
The act of creating something from nothing has been a passion of mine for decades. Now that creation is changing shape again through fabrication tech and automation, I plan to lean in and document what works and what does not.
Trust starts with being clear about the experience behind a page: which tools I bought, which were supplied, what I have used, and what still needs testing. A product relationship never answers the question of whether the tool is useful.
Clear testing status
Look for the experience behind a verdict: owned equipment, a supplied unit, a planned test or information from a named source.
Start with the job
Every review and calculator should answer what the machine changes inside an actual build workflow.
Tools for planning
Work through costs, dimensions and repeatable setups before committing materials or buying another machine.
Maker + craft crossover
The site exists in the overlap between lumber, fixtures, jigs, lasers, printers, CNC, and practical shop math.
Ready to start the route that made the site matter?
The hidden bookcase door remains the strongest first project for understanding the Crafty Catsman style: practical build logic, real tradeoffs, and a result worth showing off.