Jim MacLachlan

Biography

I grew up on the family farm with horses, sheep, cattle, fowl, dogs, cats, & a lot of other critters in north central Maryland. While the farm paid for itself, the family remodeling business was the steady income. I worked at that for about 15 years until an injury forced me to change my computer hobby into my career. It was tough at the time, but a great career move from an economic standpoint.

Now I'm the entire IT department for a small manufacturing company in Louisville, KY. My wife of 35+ years & I have a small hobby farm with horses, goats, dogs, & a cat. Taking care of the farm, woodworking, & various fiber arts take up my free time.

Books

Building A Shop: Preparing a Practical Workspace
Price: $1.95 USD. Words: 30,890. Language: English. Published: June 3, 2021 . Categories: Nonfiction » Engineering, trades, & technology » Construction / General, Nonfiction » Engineering, trades, & technology » Structural
Preparing a practical workspace requires a lot of planning; the need to balance what is needed against budgetary, space, & other constraints. I finally had the opportunity to build a shop from scratch & I'll describe the process; what worked, what didn't, & some things to watch out for. Maybe you won't make the same mistakes I did & you'll find some ideas to incorporate into your own.
Handyman Tools: A Primer For Remodeling & Woodwork
Price: $2.95 USD. Words: 72,520. Language: English. Published: October 13, 2020 . Categories: Nonfiction » Engineering, trades, & technology » Construction / Carpentry, Nonfiction » Science & Nature » Reference
From simple screwdrivers to fancy compound sliding miter saws with laser sights, there are a bewildering number of tools available. Which ones do you need? What are the differences between well-known brands other than their bright colors & price? I'll teach you how to evaluate hand, powered hand, & stationary tools needed for basic home repairs & woodworking.
Horses and Farms For Fiction Writers
Price: $2.95 USD. Words: 131,360. Language: American English. Published: June 1, 2018 . Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Equestrian » General
What is it like to own and ride a horse or live on a farm? How far can a horse be ridden in a day or a week? How do you pluck a chicken? Is milking a cow any different from milking a goat? Why are some fences made out of boards while others use rails or wire? These are all complicated subjects. Getting the details right can add depth and realism to a story.
Inkle Loom Design & Construction
Price: $4.95 USD. Words: 29,250. Language: English. Published: October 16, 2017 . Categories: Nonfiction » Engineering, trades, & technology » Construction / Carpentry, Nonfiction » Home & Garden » Crafts & Hobbies » Weaving
(5.00 from 1 review)
This is for anyone who wants to buy, design, &/or build an Inkle loom. They're great projects for woodworkers since they’re fairly simple & make great, unique gifts. I'll explain the basics, design considerations, & include plans/drawings for nine looms, from lap to floor size, along with ideas for others & possible modifications.
Carpenter Bee Traps
Price: Free! Words: 5,280. Language: English. Published: September 1, 2017 . Categories: Nonfiction » Engineering, trades, & technology » Construction / Carpentry
(5.00 from 1 review)
Plans for making carpenter bee traps out of 2x4 or tree branch scraps & a jar using minimal tools.
Oven Rack Tool
Price: Free! Words: 4,960. Language: English. Published: August 1, 2017 . Categories: Nonfiction » Engineering, trades, & technology » Construction / Carpentry
The oven tool is used for pushing & pulling the racks in a hot oven, a useful gift for the cook in the family & a simple project that teaches a lot of basic skills. An excellent project for student groups since only a drill, 1/2" drill bit, coping saw, & some sandpaper are needed once scrap wood of proper size is obtained. None of the measurements are critical, either.

Jim MacLachlan's tag cloud

bees    build    carpentry    construction    design    diy    farm    fiber    hand tools    handyman    hobby    horse    how to    inkle    lesson    loom    make    pests    planning    project    remodeling    riding    shop    tool belt    tool guide    tools    trap    weaving    wood    woodwork    woodworking    workshop    writing   

Smashwords book reviews by Jim MacLachlan

  • The Second Coming on March 19, 2010

    I've read a fair amount of fantasy, adventure & horror over the years - enough that I don't often find something really new that I like. I did this time - it was both unique & thrilling. An excellent dark fantasy or horror fantasy that sets the background in a post apocalyptic world based on our current one & the Christian myth, adds in some others, & stirs the mix into an intriguing mystery-adventure. It is not for the faint-hearted. All of the characters are flawed, most badly enough that they're not all that likable, but the reasons for this are revealed - slowly. Against my will, in many cases, I was drawn into sympathetic agreement with their plight & their actions. Revelations were logical, redemption plausible & plights were chilling. The action was well described & the scenery was awesome. Wow! What a trip! Usually, if I don't like or can't identify with one of the main characters, I put a book down. I couldn't this time. The writing was too good & the plot too intriguing. I was very surprised that a self-published novel (it is, isn't it?) read as if it were professionally edited. One of my biggest turn-offs is poor punctuation, logic flaws, rambling text & 'favorite lines'. (Pieces of text that don't quite fit, but are kept by the writer because they like them.) All of these are typical of self-published novels. I didn't find any here. The writing was tight - sometimes requiring close reading or I would miss an important point - Perfect! That's the way it should be, but often isn't, even in commercial publications. As I write this, the book is available only in electronic format for a couple of bucks on Amazon (or write the author). I hope to see it in paper format, someday because it is complex enough that I wanted to flip back & forth a few times to double check names, which I find hard to do in electronic format. If it does come out in paper, I will buy it & likely re-read it when the sequel is released & I read that (hurry up & write, David!). Definitely a keeper & a book I'd like to add to my collection.
  • The Boy In The Box on April 24, 2013

    The story was excellent, full of twists & turns in a great noir style. The hero is more of an 'everyman'. He's not brilliant nor do we get to see how tough he is in a fight, but he's honest & dogged. There were some excellent characters, although not all were fleshed out quite enough. That made some a bit more intriguing, but left me hanging on others. Hmmm... that pretty much sums up the novel. It's well on its way to being a 5 star book, but it wasn't quite consistent enough. It didn't start out well. The first chapter was one of the weakest, but I kept reading & I'm glad I did. The story got stronger all the way and the end - well, I'm not sure if that's good or not, but I'm still thinking about it. Any book of this sort that leaves me pondering has a lot going for it. Editors are expensive, but necessary. There were quite a few words that even a decent ARC reader would have picked up - 'to' instead of 'too' & such. The whole story felt as if it could have used a bit of evening out. Still, I enjoyed it & this is an author to watch. He has an excellent imagination.