Inside

The notebook open on the bench

The photos that follow show the kind of record this notebook keeps: worn tools seen from above, work surfaces marked by use, and notes written by hand in blue ink. These are reference images, not proof of a finished job. What matters is the gesture: looking at the mess of the workshop and writing down what happened before it is forgotten.

How each notebook entry is put together

There is no fixed template. Every note is born from a messy workbench, a tool that failed, and a notebook with blue ink stains. What follows is the logging method I use so that the step-by-step process is useful to someone just starting out.

Kraft paper background and blue ink

The aesthetic is not decoration: it comes from the physical notebook itself. The pages are kraft paper, technical notes are set in monospaced type, and corrections are made by hand with a blue pen. When I move an entry to the site, I try to preserve that texture: warm background, simple lines, no ornaments that distract from what matters, which is the procedure.

Top-down photos of worn tools

Almost all the images are taken from above, on the workbench, with whatever light is available. I do not aim for the tools to look new: a chisel with a marked handle or a wrench with chipped paint tells better where the craft comes from. The top-down photo also forces me to tidy the surface before shooting, and that order then carries over into the work.

List of materials before any step

Each entry opens with what is needed: measurements, quantity, type of wood, wire gauge, pipe diameter. If something can be replaced with what is already in the workshop, I say so. The idea is for the reader to know in advance whether they need to buy something or whether they can start today with what they have on hand.

Mistakes are written down, not hidden

When a cut comes out crooked, when the solder does not flow, or when the chair starts wobbling again after two months, that gets noted. An entry that only shows the pretty result is no good. The mistake is the most useful part of the record, because it is what keeps someone else from repeating the same path and wasting material or time.

How much it cost, no beating around the bush

The tone is direct: it tells what worked, what went wrong, and how much it cost in materials and hours. There are no grand promises or inflated results. If a repair took three attempts, all three are included. If replacing is better than fixing, that is said too, even if it stings.

A record in progress, not a closed manual

This notebook is not meant to be a finished treatise. It is a logbook that gets corrected as it goes: old entries are updated when I find a better way, and new ones inherit what has been learned. It is intended for hobbyists, trade students, and people who prefer to repair rather than replace. If you like getting your hands dirty, here you will find the workshop just as it is, with its successes and its failures.

How each entry in this notebook is built

There is no secret method or template that repeats the same way twice. Each page starts with a concrete idea — fixing something, testing a tool, understanding why a job failed — and takes shape as the project moves forward. What you see here is the record just as it comes from the workbench: with successes, with mistakes noted in the margin, and with the real cost of every decision.

Kraft paper background and handwritten notes

The aesthetic is not decorative: it helps you read

The warm background mimics the paper of a workshop notebook and lowers screen glare when you check it from the bench. Technical notes are set in monospaced type because measurements, gauges, and screw numbers are easier to read when every character takes up the same width. Notes in blue ink mark what was corrected along the way, just like in a paper notebook.

Top-down photos of the step by step

What you can see, you can repeat

Each entry combines overhead shots of the worn tools, the already cut materials, and the joints before gluing. The idea is for the reader to compare their own bench with the one in the notebook and catch in time if something is out of square. The moments when the piece went wrong are also documented, because that is where the most learning happens.

Material lists and mistakes made

No grand promises

Each project carries its own supply list with the measurements used and a note on what can be replaced without ruining the result. Next to it, a section on mistakes: rushed cuts, weak glue-ups, poorly labeled wires. This is not a finished manual, but a record in progress that keeps growing with each new job.

For those who prefer to fix rather than replace

Hobbyists, trade students, curious minds

The notebook is meant for people who are just starting out and want to understand the why behind each step, not just copy a recipe. It also serves those who already have experience and want to compare approaches: when it is worth reinforcing, when to accept that the repair is not worth it, and when it is better to buy the new part. The tone is direct, without frills.

A record in progress, not a closed file

What worked, what went wrong, and how much it cost

Entries get corrected when a better way to do the same thing appears or when a tool fails sooner than expected. That is the most honest part of the format: showing the workshop as it is, with its successes and its failures, without retroactively editing what has already been published. If something is learned later, it is noted in the margin.

Who I share a workbench with and what that means here

There are no seals, no sponsor logos, no brands paying to appear. If something is mentioned on this page, it is because it came from a tool, a supply, or a material that passed through my hands and withstood real use. The idea behind this section is simple: to make clear what backs the content of this notebook and what does not.

Hand tools I still use

Hand saws, chisels, files, and fixed wrenches appear in almost every entry because they are the ones I have hanging on the panel and the ones that handle 80% of the jobs. When a tool breaks or disappoints me, I write about it anyway. There is no commercial agreement behind it: it is what is on the workbench.

Supplies from the neighborhood hardware store

Screws, wall plugs, wood glue, solder, flux, and electrical tape come from the nearest hardware store. I do not work with exclusive brands or recommend one over another without having tested it on a specific project. If a supply failed, the note says so by name.

Materials that keep coming back

2x4 lumber, copper pipe, cables of known gauge, and bicycle inner tubes are the materials I use most across carpentry, electrical work, soft soldering, and bike maintenance. I name them with their measurement and use because that's how the step-by-step makes sense, not because anyone sponsors them.

Readers who contribute corrections

Several entries were adjusted after someone wrote in pointing out a measurement error, a risky procedure, or a simpler alternative. That back-and-forth is the only kind of collaboration that appears in this notebook, and I find it the most useful of all.

If a formal collaboration ever appears, it will be stated with full name in the corresponding entry. In the meantime, what sustains this notebook is the workshop, the neighborhood hardware store, and the people who take the time to write in to correct or ask questions. You can write to info@mischiealexandru.com or call +54 11 5533-5754 if you want to contribute something concrete about any note.