Second Life Design

Second Life Design Call, text or email anytime! [email protected] (217)493-8877. [email protected] (217)493-8877. I can turn your dream into a reality!

If you have an idea for a craft project let me know!

I’m still hitting low and left but I’m working on it. It’s still fun either way.
05/10/2026

I’m still hitting low and left but I’m working on it. It’s still fun either way.

Moving some things around and wanted to take a moment to appreciate the wood species known as Cherry. I made this piece ...
04/25/2026

Moving some things around and wanted to take a moment to appreciate the wood species known as Cherry.
I made this piece years ago utilizing a stock Boos butcher block and it’s only gotten better with age. I don’t think enough people utilize Cherry for projects and it’s a shame. One of the few woods that darkens over time with UV exposure. Put your walnut table in front of a south facing window for a couple years and see if it ages as well as this beaut.

“Finally” got this big sycamore log milled. It’s been in the driveway for more than a few years…better late than never I...
04/19/2026

“Finally” got this big sycamore log milled. It’s been in the driveway for more than a few years…better late than never I suppose. .
This was an odd shaped log, had a low spot at one end, had some wide flares in different areas, etc. Right 100” long, about a 40” nominal width.
Given the odd shape, I thought boards were the better choice opposed to slabs. After the top cut, I cut two really thick slabs, 8” and 10”. The “slabs” will now go to a local bandsaw mill, set vertically and cut into 4/4 and 6/4 boards that are either 8” or 10” wide. This was so much simpler than what most people would try first-Free hand cutting the log in half, vertically. Then bandsawing those halves.
As always-The and First Cut System made this a seamless process. I was just under 4 hours from setting the first cut system to finishing cleanup. The setup for today was a MS881, 56” bar, 56” Alaskan Mill. Standard Granberg milling chain.
Last two pics are what was left after the two “slabs” were cut. A good pile of scraps for the local firewood community and 3 bags of sawdust. Not too bad.

This post is probably long overdue but I’m ready to share. My days of chainsaw milling have come to an end. It’s been fu...
04/01/2026

This post is probably long overdue but I’m ready to share. My days of chainsaw milling have come to an end. It’s been fun but I’ve finally got enough slabs for a lifetime of woodworking.
I’ll be giving away all of my saws, mills, first cut system, etc in the near future. Thanks for all the support over the years!

Since losing Finn in October, the house was far too quiet. This is Lucy, a 1 year old Cane Corso. We adopted her from a ...
12/13/2025

Since losing Finn in October, the house was far too quiet. This is Lucy, a 1 year old Cane Corso. We adopted her from a rescue group in the suburbs a week ago today. She is settling in very nicely. It’s hard to put into words how sweet she is. 100% non reactive, absolutely no signing aggression and very cuddly. We’re looking forward to further obedience training but she’s already showing great signs. Isn’t she the cutest?

I hadn’t shared it on here but we said goodbye to Finn boy just before Halloween. He developed a large mass on his splee...
12/10/2025

I hadn’t shared it on here but we said goodbye to Finn boy just before Halloween. He developed a large mass on his spleen that was causing him a lot of pain. It was very quick but didn’t want him to suffer anymore. We had him for almost 8 years and he gave us some great memories. We’ll miss you buddy!

Happy Thanksgiving!
11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving!

11/25/2025

Scenic overlook between South Point and Volcano on the Big Island. and I are enjoying our time here. It’s cliche but pictures really don’t do this place any justice. It’s magical.
Hilo tmw and Maui after that if you have any suggestions.

“Hold on, let me get the big saw….” MS881 with 74” bar. Very effective, no flex. Also not what I would consider light. ...
10/13/2025

“Hold on, let me get the big saw….”
MS881 with 74” bar. Very effective, no flex. Also not what I would consider light.

MS881 with a 74” bar from At the I got a ton of comments about how huge the mill setup was with the 54” bar and mill...
10/10/2025

MS881 with a 74” bar from
At the I got a ton of comments about how huge the mill setup was with the 54” bar and mill on it. I’d always follow up that I had left the big bar at home. I can net a 66” cut width with the 74” bar.
To give a sense of scale, I’m 6’2”, everyone knows that.
✨

Throwback to a GIANT oak log down in Southern Illinois. I don’t think I’ve seen anything larger since. I used to dream a...
10/08/2025

Throwback to a GIANT oak log down in Southern Illinois. I don’t think I’ve seen anything larger since.
I used to dream about getting a log this big. Knowing what I do now, I wouldn’t attempt to mill this log. At first glance it’s all solid but it’s actually multiple stems that have grown together as one. High likelihood of failure while drying. Of course that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong. .
Looks cool either way!!

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