About Dan Peters Designs
Dan Peters Designs is an independent computing workshop built around Linux, repaired and secondhand hardware, self-hosting, practical software, design, and the belief that useful technology should remain understandable and owned by the people using it.
I also had a dream one night that some people liked me well enough to work with me, so here’s our entirely dependable team:
A Word from Our Patron:
O praeclaram beate vivendi et apertam et simplicem et directam viam! cum enim certe nihil homini possit melius esse quam vacare omni dolore et molestia perfruique maximis et animi et corporis voluptatibus, videtisne quam nihil praetermittatur quod vitam adiuvet, quo facilius id, quod propositum est, summum bonum consequamur? clamat Epicurus, is quem vos nimis voluptatibus esse deditum dicitis; non posse iucunde vivi, nisi sapienter, honeste iusteque vivatur, nec sapienter, honeste, iuste, nisi iucunde. Neque enim civitas in seditione beata esse potest nec in discordia dominorum domus; quo minus animus a se ipse dissidens secumque discordans gustare partem ullam liquidae voluptatis et liberae potest. atqui pugnantibus et contrariis studiis consiliisque semper utens nihil quieti videre, nihil tranquilli potest.
Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, Book I, section 18, presenting an Epicurean argument about living wisely, honorably, justly, and pleasantly.
Our Devoted Team
The following staff directory is fictional. Dan is real; the rest are doing their best under unusual circumstances.
Dan Peters – Founder
An insufferable ass.
Pecos Slim – CoFounder
Possibly a figment of that asshole’s imagination, quite possibly a pop culture icon from another universe.
Poly Ipswitch – Designer
I honestly think this woman may be a sock puppet. It concerns me….
Greg McAndrewory – Relationship
You may be good at your job, but this guy’s job is relationship. singular.
The Foundational 1/24 Precision — 1988–1995
The architecture of Dan Peters Designs wasn’t originally drawn in pixels; it was cast in resin and measured with micrometers.
Starting in 1988, DPd established itself as a dedicated miniatures production facility focused on pushing the absolute limits of 1/24 scale realism. This was an era defined by material limits and high-precision engineering, creating the intricate components that major kit manufacturers simply wouldn’t tool for.
The catalog was built on a foundation of specialized aftermarket parts and hyper-realistic detailing:
- Engine & Performance: Production included foundational conversion kits, such as the Boss 302 package, and pre-wired distributors. A major milestone was the 1989 release of the first marketed functional 2-piece oil dipstick—a piece of engineering that brought real-world mechanics to a 1/24th scale.
- Custom Casting: The facility specialized in high-detail resin casting for custom wheels and a vast array of garage and shop accessories. This ranged from mechanics’ tools to office and everyday items like briefcases, period-correct telephones, CB radios, and radar detectors.
- The “Mini Me” Branding: The commitment to the craft even extended to the company’s business cards, which featured a 1/24 scale model of Dan himself—briefcase in one hand, the other extended for a handshake.
While full-scale manufacturing and resin production ran at peak capacity through 1993, the following two years saw the business pivot into specialized design and technical consulting, concluding this chapter of the shop’s history in 1995. Every part produced during this era was a lesson in mastering material tolerances and the chemistry of resin—a period where precision was the only acceptable output.
Work Experience
I currently work in a warehouse handling dropship orders.
Student Teacher of Graphic Arts at Clay High School
There’s an interesting story behind that, but yes—I taught print shop in high school.
DPd: 1/24 Precision Foundry (1988–1995)
Pioneering hyper-realistic aftermarket engineering at 1/24 scale. Established a high-detail resin casting facility producing precision components major manufacturers couldn’t tool for. Notable for engineering the first functional 2-piece oil dipstick in its scale and a catalog of custom performance kits. This era was a masterclass in material tolerances and resin chemistry, where micrometer precision was the only acceptable output.
Letterpress Department Manager.
Ran a letterpress department producing a million dollars in product a year, using letterpress, die-cutting, bookbinding, thermography, and more.
Manager of a Canoe shack.
Managing up to 200 reservations and customers a day, teaching them to canoe, transporting them and boats, maintaining and retrieving the boats when the customer thinks they know better.
We also handled swift-water rescue before our county had an official team.
Support the Project
This website is a non-commercial venture. I don’t run ads, sell user data, or gatekeep information behind paywalls. The hardware, electricity, and maintenance are funded entirely out of pocket because I believe in an independent, open web.
If you find value in the technical builds, guides, or philosophy shared here and would like to help keep the servers humming, donations are gratefully accepted. Every contribution goes directly toward hardware upgrades and infrastructure costs.
