Open source
LocalTokens
An open-source Windows widget that shows token stats for your local LM Studio models.
View on GitHub →Local AI · Self-hosting · Maker bench
I run AI on my own hardware and host my own stuff. This is the logbook.
Tested write-ups from a Windows-first tinkerer just north of Cincinnati. Local LLMs, a homemade hosting panel, and a 3D printer coming back to the bench. What worked, what broke, and the scripts you can copy.
PS E:\workbench> .\status.ps1
[live] hostpanel — sites moved to the new VPS
[live] backups pulling nightly to the ThinkCentre
[live] localtokens — public on GitHub
[wip ] project bootstrap for local LLMs
[next] printer shortlist for Black Friday
Last updated Nov 1, 2026
Three tracks
Everything here fits one of these.
Local AI on Windows
Running models in LM Studio, wiring up agents, tracking tokens, and turning prompts into repeatable project systems. No cloud bill required.
LM Studio · Hermes · PowerShell
New: the daily AI briefing, compiled by Hermes →
1 log →
Self-hosting
One VPS, a container per site, and a private hosting panel I built myself. Plus the home server that backs it all up.
Docker · Caddy · Tailscale · Gitea
1 log →
Maker benchPaused until Black Friday
3D printing, CAD, and useful prints for around the house. The printer's gone for now; the shortlist for the next one is not.
FDM · CAD · filament notes
First log coming soon
Currently building
Projects you can follow along with
In production
HostPanel
A private, cPanel-style dashboard for Docker sites: deploys, HTTPS, backups, logs. Built for one admin: me.
Read the build series →
In progress
Project Bootstrap
Templates and context loading that keep long-running local-LLM projects on track between sessions.
Follow the build →I also build websites for local groups. Those live on joshcombs.com.
Latest build logs
Fresh off the bench
The new CincyGeek: a logbook, not a channel
Why I dropped the moto-vlog plan and turned this site into a set of build logs.
Self-hosting
Counting every token: reading LM Studio's server logs
Where the logs hide, why there can be two folders, and how LocalTokens turns them into live token stats.
Local AI on Windows
Browse the full log →
Who's behind this
Hi, I'm Joshua.
An engineer by day and a tinkerer the rest of the time. I'd rather own the box than rent the service, so I write down everything I figure out, mostly so future me doesn't have to figure it out twice. If it helps you too, even better.
More about me →