Minicel Yoga Block Beverage Holder

[Guest]

Keep on putting the weird into weird.

As you wish.

I use a circle of thick scrap minicel glued to a wood block as a beverage stabilizing, insulating beverage holder. Sized to fit a coozie, coffee cup or canteen. I use one in the canoe, and in camp when I set my beer or coffee on uneven ground to prevent spillage of my vital fluids.

PC230196 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Nothing says those drink stabilizers have to be round. I have a couple of new Walmart Yoga Blocks, and some half inch thick Home Depot oak left over from the Live Aboard motor mount. Hey, that oak scrap is exactly the width of the yoga blocks. That got me thinking.

PC230200 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I could cut the yoga blocks and wood into circles as usual, or easier into squares, but I have a cozzie stabilizer accessory in mind, and cut the wood bases to full yoga block length.

That was a lot faster and easier than band saw cutting circles of minicel and a circular wood base. Rectangular yoga blocks, matching rectangular bases, straight cuts and done in seconds.

I needed to remove a coozie sized cylinder from the minicel. A three and a half inch hole saw fits a standard coozie diameter perfectly. Choose wisely and a canteen or coffee cup does as well.

PC230204 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

That cylinder removal part was quick and easy too, if minicel dust messy.

PC230205 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

What is next while the little drill press is still on the Bench? Scott, what do you think?

I needed to drill a drain hole in the wood base centered below the drain hole in the coozie bottom. Sharpie dot and drill. Then a little Dragonskin work to smooth out the minicel inside the hole and the foam part was done.

Or was it? I have a large blank area on one side of the extended yoga block, just begging for something. A slot for a lighter maybe, or even a full on ash tray recess for a smoker, with hidden stash void underneath.

PC230207 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Hmmm, I am also a fan of bungee cord on thwarts to secure miscellaneous items at easy reach. Trapping loose stuff under a bungee is as convenient as it gets.

PC180140 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Maybe next time with the hidden stash compartment. Keep it simple stupid. A length of bungee, stopper knotted and run through recessed fender washers on the bottom of the minicel blocks.

PC230209 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

That simple bungee will hold a lighter, sunglasses, spray can of Sexy Thang perfume, whatever accessory the paddler desires to have held accessible near at hand.

That bungee use is also a Scotsman approved waste not want not for short lengths of leftover bungee cord. Ten inches of bungee, including the stopper knot on each end, provided a firm but not too taut bungee run atop the now multifunctional minicel beverage holders.

PC230210 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Looks good, but nope, I did not like it. The semi taut bungee was already starting to cut sideways into the top of the minicel. Bungee off for design attempt number 2. I have fender washers with neoprene gaskets on one side. Those are not stainless, so I spray painted them black for rust prevention.

A little shallow countersink on top of the minicel holes, a little contact cement on the fender washer gaskets and minicel countersink, some heat gun action and presto, the bungee cord slicing into minicel issue was resolved with a hardtop.

PC230217 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Time for a few coats of spar urethane on the oak bases. While I have the urethane out I might as well make some additional mini mast steps for Joels faux bimini umbrella use.

PC230215 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I did not want the slick urethane bottomed beverage stabilizers sliding around on the bottom of the canoe. A rectangle of neoprene cut to size and contact cemented on the bases will do the trick.

PC230218 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Contact cement on neoprene, or even on thin pieces of minicel, can pose a problem. The neoprene or minicel will curl up as the contact cement dries. Did not want that. The simple solution is to use a push pin at each corner to hold the material flat while the contact cement dries, and especially while hitting it with a heat gun.

PC230220 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The disposable chip brush I used a couple days ago was wrapped tightly in wax paper to preserve it and is still good to go for another round of contact cement work.

PC230222 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The usual contact cement methodology, three dried between coats on the neoprene or minicel, two on any impermeable surface, wait, heat gun both surfaces, aim well and truly, press and clamp together.

PC230224 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Once that nonskid neoprene base was firmly adhered it needed a drain hole to match the one in the wood. Hot nail and propane torch again, this time using the head a 20 penny nail for a edge sealed neoprene drain hole.

PC230226 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I have recipients in mind for these two utility beverage stabilizers, and wanted to personalize them with their names stamped into the side of the base. Easier to do that step now, with just the wood base held in the vice.

https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-6610-...514119256&sr=8-4&keywords=metal+letter+stamps

Run the bungee cord and fender washers again, clamp taut, tie the stopper knot, and it is time for last bit of contact cement work, minicel block to oak base.

PC230229 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

Three coats on the minicel, two on the wood, wait, heat gun, clamp. I will probably use that same contact cement brush again soon on another project, so it got wrapped in fresh wax paper before I put it aside.

PC230230 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I like the them. Not exactly portage friendly, but then neither is beer. Or me.

 

[memaquay]

So much awesomeness in one post! In this day of neo-hippy-facist-vegan-yoga acolytes, I especially like the fact that you turned a yoga thing into a smoking and drinking device. I am constantly spilling my beer while in my canoe, especially when I do yoga. Downward Dog Pose always knocks the Bud over, and then my pack of smokes gets wet too. How is one supposed to pull off the Bhujangasana in a tippy Chestnut Chum when you are worrying about your beer spilling. Being a LNT practitioner, I always worry about those cigarette butts too.

Thank you Mr. McCrea for fighting the good fight, and keeping those hippy social justice warriors in their place!

PS, I got a letter in the mail from you the other day. I was afraid to open it in front of my wife, so I smuggled it into the bathroom and locked the door. Lo and behold, there was a brand new Get Out of Jail Free card, and what looked to me like a membership sticker into Menacing Duckhead Society.

I wasn't sure if I was having an LSD flashback, or if I actually got a fabled GOOJF card.

Thanks Mike!

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Fastidiously creative, as usual.

When you said you had space left on the block, three things flashed into my mind for use on land or in tent.

First, a cylindrical hole for a mini flashlight or flashlight-shaped LED lamp. Mild illumination for the tent or under the stars.

Second, an even narrower cylindrical hole for a pen, for those who keep journals or still write love letters to their former stern paddler. This hole could also be used for a touchscreen stylus, which are often just pens with rubber tips.

Third, a narrow rectangular slot to hold a notepad for 19th century paddlers or a smartphone for 21st century paddlers. The flexible rubber sides of the slot would accept various phone/pad thickness. It could also hold a pocket knife.

These are all small but key items that often get lost in the jumble. You may have room for all three perforations.

With all these options, I'd call it the Paddler's Night Table and sell it to NRS for $60.

 

[Guest]

So much awesomeness in one post! In this day of neo-hippy-facist-vegan-yoga acolytes, I especially like the fact that you turned a yoga thing into a smoking and drinking device.

It took me longer to write that and select photos than to make the danged things. There were substance fumes involved. Contact cement fumes, spar urethane, melted neoprene. That last one is gawd awful stinky and I should have put the exhaust fan in the window. WOO WEE!

I am constantly spilling my beer while in my canoe, especially when I do yoga. Downward Dog Pose always knocks the Bud over, and then my pack of smokes gets wet too. How is one supposed to pull off the Bhujangasana in a tippy Chestnut Chum when you are worrying about your beer spilling. Being a LNT practitioner, I always worry about those cigarette butts too.

It is Happy Baby that gets me, although I sometimes inadvertently assume that pose late at night after the bourbon has made the rounds.

About ciggie butts, no joke. It is a disgusting habit, made more disgusting when I do not have an ash tray and put the stubs out in the river, laying the soggy butts atop the thwart. From where they fall off, and rolls around in the bilge. Eeecchhh! Now my dry bags are disgusting.

I got a letter in the mail from you the other day. I was afraid to open it in front of my wife, so I smuggled it into the bathroom and locked the door. Lo and behold, there was a brand new Get Out of Jail Free card, and what looked to me like a membership sticker into Menacing Duckhead Society.

That Monopoly card is from a battered board probably 40 years old. I have used the Monopoly money for a few tricks, stuck WTF inside friends wallets, left as a fake tip for my favorite diner waitresses, etc.

I doubt you will need the Get Out of Jail Free card here on Canoetripping. You might carry it next to your license or permit, and hand both to the opossum cop, just in case he has a sense of humor.

The Duckhead sticker rule used to be that you had to paddle with at least one Duckhead to earn one. I made an executive decision that you have gone above and beyond the Duckhead call. Sport it proudly. Or something.

 

[Guest]

Fastidiously creative

When you said you had space left on the block, three things flashed into my mind

First, a cylindrical hole for a mini flashlight or flashlight-shaped LED lamp.
Second, an even narrower cylindrical hole for a pen
Third, a narrow rectangular slot to hold a notepad for 19th century paddlers or a smartphone for 21st century paddlers. The flexible rubber sides of the slot would accept various phone/pad thickness. It could also hold a pocket knife.

Fastidiously creative eh? I have been called worse things.

Some of those items came to mind for custom slots in the minicel. I even got my little cigar sized LED pocket light out, but most of my paddling is during daytime. And I despise artificial light at night unless absolutely necessary.

Not a pen. And not a waterproof Space Pen that writes upside down underwater either. A simple quarter inch diameter hole will accommodate the fabled Russian Cosmonaut Writing Implement.

As in a pencil, or a pencil stub that fits almost fully seated in the yoga block. My notes while afloat tend to be done in pencil on a small pocket notepad.

I already have knives everywhere. Not as many as some people, but one on my PFD lash tab, and a couple in my handy essentials bag. And, ya know, a couple more along if you count the multi tool and Swiss Army Mechanic.

That yoga block could easily accommodate slots for Smartphones, Ipods or a waterproof Siri Where the heck am I devices? Not my thing. But there is half an uncylindered length of yoga block left on one side to play with for custom electronica slots if that was desirable.

I plan to make more of those. It was too easy, and I have a lot of scrap wood in the Scotsmans shop, including some inch thick ash, walnut and cherry board ends, all from a historic source. Short end pieces that I saved but never found a use for, not much longer than the yoga blocks.

I have a use now.

I have plenty of bungee cord in stock, and I painted all of the gasketed washers black while I was at it.

I just checked, that coozie sized hole saw will perfectly accommodate a tapered plastic Walmart ashtray, leaving a 2 inch deep stash void below the ashtray. The next run of utility beverage stabilizers will incorporate the recessed ashtray feature, which beyond ash use makes a nice little catch all basin.

With a hidden void underneath, and maybe a run of bungee across the top of that.

I have smoky friends who might appreciate that design. Some in Canada, who will have to win one if DougD holds a fundraising raffle. Bwahahahaha.

And a quarter inch hole for a Number 2 pencil. Thanks for that idea.

Glenn, I will happily make one for you with an untouched minicel side. You might have to buy some spade bits, a drill, sandpaper and make some dust on the dining room table, but you could slot accessorize it to your hearts content.

 

[Will Derness]

Here is a Yoga Block project of mine, inspired by McCrea's creative energies with this product.

Sitting around my shop was a scrap piece of Yoga block, a scrap piece of oak, contact cement, and a travel cup that can't reliably stand up without a cup holder. Designed for the automobile this travel mug now has a chance of coming along in the canoe. I trimmed the Yoga block to fit the piece of oak.

Next up is to adhere something rubbery on the bottom of the cup holder to keep it from sliding around on the canoe floor.

Thanks for all the ideas everyone!!

 

[latremorej]

Looks like you have the markings for a cell phone holder there!

 

[Guest]

Have you no sense of Dragonskin sir, at long last. Have you no sense decency to smooth rough minicel?

80 grit or rougher sandpaper will smooth out the edges of the cup cylinder. Next time you are in the shop I could spare a bit of Dragonskin for you to take home.

I am curious about the purpose of the smile Sharpie shaped on the side. And about the apparent makings for a side slot. Camera? Cell Phone? A five pack of Virginia Slims?

Would a GPS work if poking up from there?