Independent workshop · est. 2025

A one-person workshop for software, publishing & the small web.

Nickel Works is where I build a handful of tools, run a small press, and tend a few quiet corners of the web. Part-time, slowly, and on their own terms.

Nickel Works engraved coin mark
In focus

Gemcities: publishing on the small web, free and friction-free.

Donation-supported Gemini capsule hosting that drops the barrier to near zero. No server to run, no command line to learn. Just sign up and start writing.

Communities · in progress Read more
Software

Tools for builders

01 / 03
Linux app

Waystone Browser

A multi-protocol GUI browser for Linux. HTTP, Gemini, Gopher, Spartan, and Titan, all in one window.

Desktop app

Waystone Helm

A local-first desktop app that keeps a solo builder's projects in view. Not a task manager, just a one-person portfolio at a glance.

OS kernel

DOS/9

A hobbyist 32-bit x86 kernel. A what-if: DOS left to evolve on its own terms, with a few ideas borrowed from Plan 9.

Publishing

Books & the tools behind them

04 / 06
Fiction press

Rune & Rook

A small independent press for fiction.

Publication

Independent Web Almanac

Documenting and evaluating human-guided, AI-assisted creative work.

Writing tool

System-Mark 5

A local, file-based interface for writing a novel one chapter at a time. Less workflow friction, not more automation.

Communities

Durable, owned places

07 / 08
Gemini hosting

Gemcities

Free, donation-supported Gemini capsule hosting. No server, no command line. Sign up and write.

A concept

Verja

A take on small, durable online communities built on ownership and real discussion.

The workbench

Projects & tinkering

Smaller experiments, restorations, and ongoing study. The things on the side that keep the rest honest.

Offgrid HoldoutResilient, self-reliant computing.
Gemini Text EditorWriting and shipping gemtext.
NOSGemA Gemini browser for DOS.
Self-hosting labRAG, Proxmox, a home rack.
Retro computingBBS revival & GameSrv.
Say hello

A quiet operation, but glad to hear from you.

If you're building something similar on the small web, or just want to compare notes, the door's open.