Creeker Visit w/John (Sarge) Thompson

[Ed Sallee]

Good Morning, Creekers.... Yesterday I had an opportunity to visit with fellow creeker, John (Sarge) Thompson. Sarge had opened up his shop for me and helped me resaw some rather wide Spanish Cedar - 4/4 rough sawn lumber.

I needed to resaw it, but my Shopsmith bandsaw simply does not have the capacity to resaw anything more than 4 or 5 inches. I had some 11" boards and wanted to keep the width.

Needless to say - The beast from Steel City that Sarge has set up in the shop handled these pieces like sawing through butter... Thanks Sarge!

I have to say, Sarge has one of the best equipped shops I've ever had an opportunity to visit. I'm truly impressed... and Norm can't even compete with the tools Sarge has!

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/DSC07315.jpg

Also, laying over on Sarge's workbench were several legs for a new piece he's working on. QSWO meticulously matched up so the grain matches all the way around - quite a lot like the Stickley style.... very cool, Sarge! He used quite an ingenious method to clamp them together.... Rubber tubing like you would see in a hospital or something....

Sarge had given me permission to take a snapshot and post a sneak peak..

Thanks again Sarge for helping me out and saving me a whole lot of work with a hand saw....

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn88/evsallee/DSC07320.jpg

[ROY DICK]

Talk 'bout a GLOAT, that's what I love 'bout the Creeker always willin' to lend a hand.

Roy

[scott spencer]

Nice post Ed! It's not hard to tell that Sarge is a charismatic guy just from his posts. Sounds like a great shop and he's definitely one of the forum wwers I'd like meet some day.

[Jim Becker]

'Creeker visits are fun! And when they include actually playing with the tools...extra fun! It's nice that you had a great visit with Sarge.

[Ted Shrader]

'Creeker visits are fun! And when they include actually playing with the tools...extra fun! That's the truth right there!!! :cool:


Glad you a a chance to visit another Creeker.

Ted

[Greg Cole]

Very cool.
I have one of Sarge's tools in my shop. Oddly enough after a year and a half or so, I still refer to that Lee Valley #6 plane as "Sarge's #6".

[John Thompson]

You're quite welcome, Ed. That Spanish Cedar was a piece of cake as I have never re-sawn any before. As I stated that bi-metal has seen a ton of miles as I just did another 300 linear feet of oak so I'm guessing it has over 2000 linear feet on it already. The other blade was hanging ready but the Spanish Cedar didn't require it. The new blade will see the next project... maybe.

Can't comment on a comparison of Norm's tools to mine really.. strangely enough I have never seen his show though I did meet him at IWF last fall. Not much of a TV watcher as shop time leaves me little except late night for History Channel.. etc.

Anyone that want's to drop by... the "welcome mat" is always out and if necessary... I'll coin a phrase from Motel 6 and leave the porch lights on for ya. :)

Regards to all...

Sarge..

[Don Bullock]

Congratulations on the visit to Sarg's workshop. It would be very high on my lost of shops to visit. I'd love to see more pictures of his shop.


...
Also, laying over on Sarge's workbench were several legs for a new piece he's working on. QSWO meticulously matched up so the grain matches all the way around - quite a lot like the Stickley style.... very cool, Sarge! He used quite an ingenious method to clamp them together.... Rubber tubing like you would see in a hospital or something....

Sarge had given me permission to take a snapshot and post a sneak peak..

...

Perhaps Sarge would show us his clamping method. I'l love to see it because I have similar clamping needs on a project I'm making.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Sarge is one of the good ones. I've learned more then a few things from him over the years.

Sarge, really glad you take the time to participate on these forums.

[Dewey Torres]

Creeker visits are great~

[John Thompson]

Don.. what precisely are you clamping? Now.. I will describe what I did on those quadlinear legs of QSWO. As you notice in the picture I have glued re-sawn QS to a poplar substrate base to save QS. I learned this trick in a book I have about A & C as the Stickley Bros. came up with it years ago in their factory to save QS and get fleck on all sides instead of fleck two sides.. straight grain two when you simply laminate stock together.

Then the results were ripped on a 20 T rip blade with some strenous support on the fence (hold-downs) and spring-board left (basically the same as feather-boards) as you cannot allow any movement in the rip to avoid tearing out edges and ruining stock.

So.. we have 4 strips now with dead on 45* degree mitered sides. How to glue up to arrive at meshed corners where the 45* angles meet and avoid stock slippage after applying glue.. then keep it tight during the drying process?

Are you familiar with the old box-makers trick using clear packaging tape? If not what you do it turn those strips so the side to be glued is face down and in the order of how they will mesh with each other. Butt the edges side by side.. then use packaging tape strips across all four to keep them butted and the edges over-lapping.

Once that is done you can turn your taped assembly over and fold it up to check your work. The tape will keep it exactly where you had them positioned when you taped. You close the 4 sections to be sure you are on target. If so.. you are ready to apply glue. I use Titebond II in this case as I want some open time but not too much as Titebond III will give. The II meets this size glue spread which I do on those 2" wide legs with a 2" wide cheapo chip brush.

After glue is applied and spread evenly.. close your 4 sections and put a short piece of package tape in the center to hold all 4 together momentarily. At this point I am going to wrap the entire 4 meshed sides with good ole Surgical tubing as seen at the hospital. I prefer 3/8" OD as it will stretch and put a "death hold" on the four sides. Once tied off (or pinch clamped on both ends) you simply wait for dry. Nothing more.. nothing less.

I find the Surgical tubing on those 30" legs quick to use.. cheap to use(around $9-$10 for a 10" lenght from my source so $1 a foot) and very efficient as it grabs and holds just as surgical tubing can cut off blood flow when used as a turniquet. Banding straps are too expensive and several would be required to get even pressure. The ST can just be spiral wrapped from one end to the other. Keep it simple as possible is always my end goal.

So.. if you have any questions.. I can do a set-up and get some pictures to be clearer. I am glueing side panels for frame and panel at the moment but will be happy to do a pictorial of the method if you can wait a few days.

I might have a picture of the package tape set-up and will post.

Sarge..

[John Thompson]

That was a practice run using electrical ties.. picture Surgical tubing in it's place as actually used. I used red oak on this dry run piece so you see the striaght grain. Here's more pictures I wasn't even aware I had these as they were done to answer basically the same question elsewhere in the universe. :>)

Sarge..

[John Thompson]

Sarge is one of the good ones. I've learned more then a few things from him over the years.

Sarge, really glad you take the time to participate on these forums.

Thanks and you're welcome. It gives me something to do waiting for glue to dry and on coffee breaks. I wish I had access to the kind of info you can get on the internet back in the 70's- 80's- early 90's. I wouldn't be so dumb today if I had all that info available and sure would have saved some wood on trial and error. :)

Sarge..

[Don Bullock]

Sarge,
Thanks for the information. I think you answered my question very well. I have seen the tape used by others and totally forgot about it. That will really help me with my project. My project is part of a trophy I'm making for one of the basset hound clubs I belong to. My girl won the an award at their inaugural show last year so I get to supply the trophy for those who follow in her paw prints. I usually use a ratcheting band clamp, but this time the ones I have are too big for the piece I'm trying to glue. Your method should work out just fine, but now I have to figure out a local source for the surgical tubing or something similar.

BTW -- The legs look great. I'll hopefully be making some for a project in the near future.

[John Thompson]

Sarge,
Thanks for the information. I think you answered my question very well. I have seen the tape used by others and totally forgot about it. That will really help me with my project. My project is part of a trophy I'm making for one of the basset hound clubs I belong to. My girl won the an award at their inaugural show last year so I get to supply the trophy for those who follow in her paw prints. I usually use a ratcheting band clamp, but this time the ones I have are too big for the piece I'm trying to glue. Your method should work out just fine, but now I have to figure out a local source for the surgical tubing or something similar.

BTW -- The legs look great. I'll hopefully be making some for a project in the near future.

If it's pretty small as the small boxes I just finished.. the packaging tape should suffice. Surgical tubing is not on every shelf unless you visit the hospital late at night. :) But if anyone needs it I get mine from the following source in Virginia which sells it for air lines for scuba gear...
www.reefscuba.com (http://www.reefscuba.com) With you being on the West Coast try this site that sells it for making fishing lures. www.4fishin.com (http://www.4fishin.com)

And if you happen to have any old tire inner tubes laying around.. cut them in strips and that works like a charm also. Field expediency at it's finest. ha.. ha... ha..ha.ha..

Good luck with the trophy as I like Bassetts.. for that matter I like all dogs I suppose except for the little whiny ones and they really can't help that behavior I suppose. :D

Sarge..

[John Thompson]

And for all that commented with kind words.. thank you all very much as it is appreciated.

Regards to all...

Sarge..

[Dewey Torres]

Ed,
This visit should take your box making to a new level huh?

[Ed Sallee]

I learned more in 2 hours at Sarge's house than I learned from any TV show or magazine.... that's for sure.

[Randy Klein]

I just recently did a similar glue-up. I got my tubing from here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FMUSEG). 25 feet for about $10. There are an amazing clamp, especially for the price, and there is alot left over.

I had already flubbed up a previous glue-up using traditional clamps. This was a piece of cake.

112427

[John Thompson]

I just recently did a similar glue-up. I got my tubing from here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FMUSEG). 25 feet for about $10. There are an amazing clamp, especially for the price, and there is alot left over.

I had already flubbed up a previous glue-up using traditional clamps. This was a piece of cake.

112427

I use the 3/8" but.. that is an excellent price. I assume from that glue-up that the 5/16" is sufficeint. And you got 25' for $10.. I believe I payed around $8 for 10' of the 3/8". Again.. excellent price and on any consequent lenght piece.. it works better than anything I have ever seen and easy to use as you found out.

Sarge..

[Randy Klein]

I use the 3/8" but.. that is an excellent price. I assume from that glue-up that the 5/16" is sufficeint. And you got 25' for $10.. I believe I payed around $8 for 10' of the 3/8". Again.. excellent price and on any consequent lenght piece.. it works better than anything I have ever seen and easy to use as you found out.

Sarge..

It was the thickest I could find at the time. If I could have sourced 3/8" I would have gone for that. But after seeing the amount of glue squeeze out, the 5/16" is definitely strong enough.

[J. Z. Guest]

Oddly, I never thought of asking a fellow creeker to use or borrow a tool...

I may try it next time I think I just need the expensive tool once...

I hope the Chicago area guys are as friendly as the Georgians...

[Tom Henderson2]

Nice of you to help out a fellow 'creeker, and also nice of you to share the photos.

Very interesting techniques -- both using poplar as "secondary" wood on the inside of the legs, and also the surgical tubing as a clamp. Gotta remember that.

One question... about the gloves you are wearing at the bandsaw. Are those to keep your fingers warm, or is there a safety benefit?

Thanks...

-TH