Creeker's Weekend Accomplishments

[Dennis Peacock]

2 Jan 2017

Good Morning Everyone and welcome to 2017!!

Rain and thunderstorms here today and I'm off work today in celebration of New Years Day. We did nothing for New Years Eve except for rest and relax from the day job and other pressures of life. So it was a good evening to snack on decent food, watch some Netflix, and enjoy doing precious little for a change. No woodworking projects going on, so the shop is quiet and needs a cleaning once again. :)

Today is a little work around the house, get a couple of things done for the MIL, and go eat dinner tonight with the Son-In-Law, the LOML Jr and our grand baby. Tomorrow is back to the daily grind as well as work preparation of the "change freeze" coming off all systems at work, so I anticipate that next week will start the season of being a very busy time at the day job.

I've been thinking about setting up an LLC for my woodworking stuff in a way of preparing for retirement in a few years and since I know nothing about running a business (because I like making stuff out of wood but don't do well with running the business side of things) I have a lot of reading and understanding to do. So...if you have expertise in this area, I'd love to hear from you before I spend way too much time reading and trying to understand what will be required of me. :)

That's it from me, so what did YOU do this past New Years weekend?

Best of weeks to you all!!!

[Dave Stuve]

Made and installed a closet storage rack for my parents out of ripped 2x4s and 1/4" baltic birch. I had to make it in two parts to fit it into my Subaru wagon - I used 3" metal straps to attach the top and bottom sections. I liked the simple construction - two identical frames connected with shelves (thanks Family Handyman magazine!)

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And I finally got around to applying the first coat of finish to a figured cherry coffee table I built (Watco Danish Wood Oil.) Sorry for the horrible photo, I was trying to make a time-lapse movie for fun.

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Happy 2017 everyone! May you and yours have a happy and prosperous year.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

This weekend I did manage to finish and hang the two raised panel doors for our linen closet. I was impressed with how easy Blum Euro hidden hinges installed. I made a story stick and transferred the measurements from the doors to the door openings to position the 2nd half of the hinges. Then the doors just snapped in place.

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[Fred Falgiano]

Finished up and presented a late Christmas gift to my brother-in-law and his family. It's an advent calendar made from firewood (white and red oak).

Five pieces with with five slots each (an extra for Christmas Day since advent ends on the 24th).

To build each section, I jointed two sides, resawed on the bandsaw, planed to final thickness, made an initial hogging of the hole with a forstner bit in the drill press, routed the sides flat halfway through the hole using a shop-made template, finished the routing from the other side using a flush trim bit, squared the holes by hand with chisel and mallet, then glued a back piece on. I flush trimmed the back piece, eased the corners, sanded and passed it off to my wife for stenciling and decorating. Then I coated it with BLO and it was good to go.

The cups were much easier. Just s4s the wood into a long piece, drill the holes and cut into final cube. Sand, stencil and blo.

This was my first project in the recently built shop.


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[John K Jordan]

I rebuilt a scratched up scratching post for my scratchy cats. Quality time in the shop.

JKJ

[Rod Sheridan]

Gee Ken, next you're going to tell us you've gone to the dark side and now work in metric ....LOL.

They are nice hinges, easy to use and adjust...............Happy New Year, hope you have lots of shop time this year..........Regards, Rod.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Rod,

Before retirement, I worked in metric everyday for 34 years. It wouldn't be a new thing. The difficulties were encountered because the mechanical hardware involved was often both metric and Imperial.

[Jim Becker]

I spent a bit of time in the shop this weekend (and all week, for that matter) working on a small commission...which is complete excepting installation of some felt material that is on the way from a supplier. While waiting for coats of finish to dry, I also made some adjustments/changes to shelving in the shop and got about half of the upstairs cleaned up with a nice pile of dreck to gradually be introduced into the weekly trash pickup. :) I'll be posting a project thread on the commission at first opportunity in Woodworking Projects.

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Ken, I keep saying that my next project will be in metric since all of my tools have metric scales, but I keep forgetting out of habit. LOL

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Dennis, in addition to your personal study of the LLC thing, you'll also want to consult with your insurance agent to understand what that might entail as you convert your heretofore hobby into a business.

[Don Bullock]

I spent much of my weekend researching cabinet ideas for my shop so that I can get it cleaned up and organized. After a warm fall this year my wife agreed to adding AC to the shop so I have been researching that as well.

[mark mcfarlane]

Put in a new garbage disposer. 1HP. Says you can grind beef bones with it... Might be the first plumbing I've ever done that didn't require a second trip to the store.
Pulled out some warped 6" baseboard next to an exterior door that was a added after the initial construction. Turns out it was made of MDF which was a dissappointment. Still need to find and fix the water problem, then replace it.
Bought a new Husky 60"*24" rolling workbench (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-60-in-10-Drawer-Mobile-Workbench-Textured-Black-Matte-HOLC6010BB1M/206842305) and filled it up. It's a pretty decent box for the money, although the single 58" top drawer only has 3 slides and needs 4 or 5 if you load it fully. I'm thinking of picking up another one or two...
Had one margarita for New Years Eve, then got a headache. As I age my tolerance for alcohol has diminished, so I guess it's a good thing I drank enough in my 20s.

[Wayne Lomman]

Dennis, are you sure you want to incorporate? Research your tax laws for the definition of a hobby and apply your creativity to how to benefit. Insurance is much cheaper. There is no paperwork for your IRS. You can work for cash. It's how I plan to retire.

Apart from that, I'm back on finishing my wife's soap kitchen. Tiling is next then skirting and architraves and painting. Not much to go. Should get out of the full room reno for about $450 including sink, tiles, lining, paint, plumbing and electrical. Return on investment will take about 3 days taking it easy. Cheers

[Rod Sheridan]

Rod,

Before retirement, I worked in metric everyday for 34 years. It wouldn't be a new thing. The difficulties were encountered because the mechanical hardware involved was often both metric and Imperial.

Ken, I remember you mentioning that about your career, that's why I was teasing you about it.

That's the only thing I find as well, most screws are Imperial unless I'm using Euro hardware.

Plywood is easy as it's metric in thickness..........Regards, Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Dennis, the only thing I accomplished over the weekend was to make another 20 of these oven sticks.
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I made 18 before Christmas to give away to visitors over the Christmas holiday.

Unfortunately my neighbours and friends seem to talk to each other and soon I was getting the good natured teasing about where their sticks were.

I made another 20, glad I made a jig for the shaper as then I didn't have to saw accurately or sand, the wood is some cherry shorts that had been hanging around for years, finished with paste wax.

regards, Rod.

[John K Jordan]

Ok, I've never heard of this but My Lovely Bride the gourmet chef has. After showing her your photo she wants one. Knowing her, it will need to be hand carved from Cocobolo or Olive. (No, she just specified a turned handle!.)

How long (and how thick on the working end) should I make it? Unless it is a company trade secret. :-)

JKJ

[Bill Adamsen]

Milled an astragal out of poplar to match the Interstate (Lakeland Lumber) window casing (shown with clamp attached) on my kitchen renovation. I am pleased enough with how it came out. With just a little futzing I was able to cope the pieces to mate using the same Amana 56116 bit. Got everything milled, primed, painted and installed. The only downside was that the milled edges were so sharp my hands are suffering what feels like dozens of little slices. Treated myself to another set of Hartford Clamps (gift to me) which should speed up the casing install here there and everywhere.

I only needed about 60' of astragal and weighed heavily just buying 2X that amount in casing and ripping and gluing the section I needed. Both from a cost and labor perspective it was probably a toss up. Neither significantly cheaper nor easier.

[Shawn Pixley]

No woodworking here only a little guitar repair (see musical instruments for contentious discussion). I had been hoping to be better health wise to return to work today. However, for the last month or so, this looked doubtful. Last week, I got a call to see the doctor right after one test. He immediately referred me to a specialist who performed a very uncomfortable procedure that is prepatory to an exploratory procedure scheduled for next week. All are thinking is that this will lead to an operation later in January. Needless to say, I am not happy about this and I have not yet decided on a course of action. The basic upshot of this is I hurt and can't move around much. Hence, any woodworking is limited to what I can do while sitting quietly.

So, LOML and I spent a quiet weekend avoiding the rain and wind (winter weather by SoCal standards). Some good movies were watched however. (Bundesliga is on their winter hiatus).

[Rod Sheridan]

Ok, I've never heard of this but My Lovely Bride the gourmet chef has. After showing her your photo she wants one. Knowing her, it will need to be hand carved from Cocobolo or Olive. (No, she just specified a turned handle!.)

How long (and how thick on the working end) should I make it? Unless it is a company trade secret. :-)

JKJ

The wood is about 5/8" thick, I've included a tracing of it on an 11 X 17 piece of paper, with the 17" dimension the same direction as the stick.

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Hope that helps..........Rod,

[Chris Hachet]

Shop is completely cleaned and organized, Temporary second work bench set up with a vise on it, 9 of the 19 Cabinet doors for the kitchen remodel I am doing are finished and installed, Started acquiring lumber for second hand tool bench, acquired installed and used a new Bosch 1617 EVS Variable speed router in my router table, spent quality time with my woodworking neighbor doing some scroll saw stuff, also hung out while my neighbor built an entertainment center for his daughter.

Tuned up my vintage Stanley #7 and edge jointed lumber for the remaining cabinet doors....

Organized my flooring tools so when the cabinets are complete I can start getting hardwood on the stairs.

Helped my friend Brian plane a couple of guitar tops smooth with my trusty Stanley #6.....nice curly maple...should make a fantastic guitar.

Organized my scrap wood pile and got rid of the junk, got the good stuff sorted.

Figured out how to repair my band saw.

That's the past week or so but I have been very, very busy. Getting ready to laminate a table top and build more cabinet doors.

[Chris Hachet]

Made and installed a closet storage rack for my parents out of ripped 2x4s and 1/4" baltic birch. I had to make it in two parts to fit it into my Subaru wagon - I used 3" metal straps to attach the top and bottom sections. I liked the simple construction - two identical frames connected with shelves (thanks Family Handyman magazine!)

350607

And I finally got around to applying the first coat of finish to a figured cherry coffee table I built (Watco Danish Wood Oil.) Sorry for the horrible photo, I was trying to make a time-lapse movie for fun.

350608

Happy 2017 everyone! May you and yours have a happy and prosperous year.

Both look fantastic!

[Chris Hachet]

No woodworking here only a little guitar repair (see musical instruments for contentious discussion). I had been hoping to be better health wise to return to work today. However, for the last month or so, this looked doubtful. Last week, I got a call to see the doctor right after one test. He immediately referred me to a specialist who performed a very uncomfortable procedure that is prepatory to an exploratory procedure scheduled for next week. All are thinking is that this will lead to an operation later in January. Needless to say, I am not happy about this and I have not yet decided on a course of action. The basic upshot of this is I hurt and can't move around much. Hence, any woodworking is limited to what I can do while sitting quietly.

So, LOML and I spent a quiet weekend avoiding the rain and wind (winter weather by SoCal standards). Some good movies were watched however. (Bundesliga is on their winter hiatus). At least you got some quality family time, I spent time with my daughter before she went back to College and put my youngest son on a train so he could go back to college.

All my best with your medical issues, you will be in my thoughts bro!

[Chris Hachet]

I rebuilt a scratched up scratching post for my scratchy cats. Quality time in the shop.

JKJ Small projects are sometimes really fun! I built a rack behind my workbench for my chisels and screwdrivers.

[Chris Hachet]

I spent much of my weekend researching cabinet ideas for my shop so that I can get it cleaned up and organized. After a warm fall this year my wife agreed to adding AC to the shop so I have been researching that as well.


Awesome, having just cleaned my shop I can tell you this should make a huge difference in your efficiency.

[Chris Hachet]

Put in a new garbage disposer. 1HP. Says you can grind beef bones with it... Might be the first plumbing I've ever done that didn't require a second trip to the store.
Pulled out some warped 6" baseboard next to an exterior door that was a added after the initial construction. Turns out it was made of MDF which was a dissappointment. Still need to find and fix the water problem, then replace it.
Bought a new Husky 60"*24" rolling workbench (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-60-in-10-Drawer-Mobile-Workbench-Textured-Black-Matte-HOLC6010BB1M/206842305) and filled it up. It's a pretty decent box for the money, although the single 58" top drawer only has 3 slides and needs 4 or 5 if you load it fully. I'm thinking of picking up another one or two...
Had one margarita for New Years Eve, then got a headache. As I age my tolerance for alcohol has diminished, so I guess it's a good thing I drank enough in my 20s.

If that thing can grind bone then no more bodies in your back yard...

I figure that I worried enough in my teens and twenties, I no longer give in to worry.

[John K Jordan]

The wood is about 5/8" thick, I've included a tracing of it on an 11 X 17 piece of paper, with the 17" dimension the same direction as the stick.

350697

Hope that helps..........Rod,

Wow! Thanks for the drawing! It will help a lot. I had a few minutes and started on a prototype on the lathe but I could already see that it's going to be too short. Now I can tell her I consulted with a world expert in oven stick design. :-)

JKJ

[Garth Almgren]

Max width is whatever will fit between the rungs of your oven rack (when you hook the rack to pull it out). Max length is whatever feels comfortable. Nothing but precision guestimation here! ;)

[Rod Sheridan]

Max width is whatever will fit between the rungs of your oven rack (when you hook the rack to pull it out). Max length is whatever feels comfortable. Nothing but precision guestimation here! ;)
It was measured with a micrometer, drawn in chalk and cut with an axe...............True precision............Rod.

[Mike Ontko]

I'm a little late getting my "what I did during the holiday break" to the board this week. I think I've fully recovered from my last large project (the twin over full size bunk beds) and have been spending time over the last three weeks working on a cat tree for #2 daughter's upcoming birthday. The tree will be similar to the one shown in the picture below, but will be made to match the bookcase design (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/album.php?albumid=865) that I borrowed last year from IKEA--birch ply construction with a Doug fir veneer. To help me with the veneers, I picked up a 3/4" thin kerf (.025) 3TPI Timbewolf blade for my 17" bandsaw (G0153X2BF). With minimal set up (still haven't dressed or lubricated it) that blade cuts like buttah through CVG Doug fir (test cut pics below). I also received a new Earlex steaming kit in the mail today (thank you Amazon) that I'll be using for bending 1/4" x 1-1/2" rims for each of the platforms that I made using an ellipse jig for my router (also pictured). Looks like I'll be busy for the next week or two (or more, if this project goes like all the rest before it).

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