Changing Table Finished

[ken hatch]

This morning I picked up the needed drawer slides, and fitted the drawer, front piece, and a pull. I just finished that sucker with one coat of Danish oil. I expect a couple more coats and then I'll ship to Houston. The DIL went in labor this AM, so it is a good example of "just in time" supply. Who said woodworkers couldn't be modern.


The top and drawer face ended up being made from some Cherry shorts and one piece of Cherry scrap I had in the shop. Not my best work but then I expect it will be firewood in a year or so. BTW, did I tell you how much I hate painting.

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On to making a shop sized Moravian workbench and I expect some chairs to follow. I found some 12/4 Ash for a good price to make the bench base and I expect some chairs as well. I should have it in hand in a couple of weeks.

ken

[James Pallas]

Nice going Ken. Aren't you going to go with it and demonstrate the proper form when using it? Needs blaze orange guard rails too.
Jim

[Stew Denton]

Hi Ken,

Very Nice! I like the wood grain contrast with the paint. I think your DIL will love it!

I was wondering about some sort of guard rail too as a safety feature to though....don't know about blaze orange though. Not sure your DIL will be real fond of blaze orange for baby stuff....don't think that is a real popular baby color, but how would I know. Maybe pink or blue? (Kind of traditional colors for babies.)

You mentioned Danish Oil...are you going to put a moisture seal on the top like polyU?

By the way, there are a lot of us, I would guess, who are looking forward to the next bench build. 12/3 ash...it doesn't get much better! I will be really interested in how the shop size bench will turn out in actual use.

Don't bet on the changing table being firewood though, your DIL may really like it and find other uses for it in babies room. My wife would have found another use for such, I am sure. There may be some sort of emotional attachment to such an item for the mom.

Stew

[Ralph Boumenot]

I like how the grain on the drawer runs into the handle from both edges. I'm probably a minority on this, but I like the small streak of sapwood in the top too.

[ken hatch]

Nice going Ken. Aren't you going to go with it and demonstrate the proper form when using it? Needs blaze orange guard rails too.
Jim

Jim,

I was thinking of UK style yellow with blue stripes but sadly SWMBO nixed that one.:p

ken

[ken hatch]

Hi Ken,

Very Nice! I like the wood grain contrast with the paint. I think your DIL will love it!

I was wondering about some sort of guard rail too as a safety feature to though....don't know about blaze orange though. Not sure your DIL will be real fond of blaze orange for baby stuff....don't think that is a real popular baby color, but how would I know. Maybe pink or blue? (Kind of traditional colors for babies.)

You mentioned Danish Oil...are you going to put a moisture seal on the top like polyU?

By the way, there are a lot of us, I would guess, who are looking forward to the next bench build. 12/3 ash...it doesn't get much better! I will be really interested in how the shop size bench will turn out in actual use.

Don't bet on the changing table being firewood though, your DIL may really like it and find other uses for it in babies room. My wife would have found another use for such, I am sure. There may be some sort of emotional attachment to such an item for the mom.

Stew

Stew,

On advice of TLOML, no guard rails. Why, not a clue, but while I may be a dumb West Texas farm boy I've learned one thing in life....Just do what the boss says even if it is wrong. The smartest thing I've learned, and it took way too long to learn, is the phase "yes dear".

I'm not sure about the poly, maybe.

I'm interested in seeing how the bench scales to shop sized as well. While I like a Beech slab, if I can find a wide enough 12/4 something (Ash, Red Oak, Soft Maple, whatever) I will go with it. Otherwise the slab will be glued up Beech. The vise will be made with a Lake Erie Toolworks wood screw and the chop out of something, most likely scrap from either the base or slab. While I'm not a fan of vises in the 'tail" position, if I do a glue up slab I may install a Veritas sliding tail vise, a solid slab probably not.

ken

[ken hatch]

I like how the grain on the drawer runs into the handle from both edges. I'm probably a minority on this, but I like the small streak of sapwood in the top too.

Thanks Ralph,

I have no problem with Cherry sap wood in tops, I've used it often.

On advice of MsBubba there are no rails so no need to peg 'em. I'll post some photos of 'blind pegging" in a later post.

ken

[glenn bradley]

On advice of TLOML, no guard rails. Why, not a clue, but while I may be a dumb West Texas farm boy I've learned one thing in life....Just do what the boss says even if it is wrong.

I learned more about changing tables than I ever wanted to know when I built for my grandson. There are little mattress pads that are contoured, with straps or other mounting methods that will secure to almost any surface. Unless you know just what pad they will use, your guard rails can end up in the wrong place.

The customer is always right ;-) Great job on something that may prove to be used longer than you think. Some of our quick builds turn into heirlooms.

[steven c newman]

Usually..IF someone wants something I build painted....I hand them a brush...and then just walk away...

[Mel Fulks]

Nice lean modern piece ,and that contrast is real nice. I'm sure they will be delighted with it .

[ken hatch]

I learned more about changing tables than I ever wanted to know when I built for my grandson. There are little mattress pads that are contoured, with straps or other mounting methods that will secure to almost any surface. Unless you know just what pad they will use, your guard rails can end up in the wrong place.

The customer is always right ;-) Great job on something that may prove to be used longer than you think. Some of our quick builds turn into heirlooms.

Thanks Glenn,

Good info on the mattress pads, I hadn't a clue.

ken

[ken hatch]

Usually..IF someone wants something I build painted....I hand them a brush...and then just walk away...

Steven,

If I did that most likely it would never be painted or finished.

ken

[ken hatch]

Nice lean modern piece ,and that contrast is real nice. I'm sure they will be delighted with it .

Thanks Mel,

I'm leaning more and more to building vernacular furniture. It just pleases my eye.

ken

[Christopher Charles]

Hey Ken,

Looks great! And i'll echo what others have said about the pads--I am still using the dresser that we used as a changing station with a pad on top (though do need to get around to painting the dresser, it's still lavender...).

Anyway, I suspect the table will be repurposed for things other than firewood for years to come! Glad you're onto the next project(s).

Best,
C

[Richard Hutchings]

This is a very nice design.

[Stew Denton]

Ken,

I completely understand the reason for no guard rails now. Like you I am slowly learning how to say "yes dear" also, but my wife and I have only been married a bit over 40 years, so you can't expect me to learn everything in such a short time period.

One difficulty I have is to understand what she is telling me. What I take as a very long meandering confusing inconclusive discussion on her part (which I may eventually tune out), she takes as a quick to the point statement of how she wants something done or made. What I want to hear is more like "make it 12 inches wide and paint it white." Oh well.

When it comes to knowing all things "baby" the daughters and wives know an infinite amount compared to me, and that seems likely in the case of most fathers and grandfathers, I would guess.

I have thought about the same idea for a tail vise on a portable bench, that you mention above, so I bet there will be considerable interest in how that works out.

Stew

[Stew Denton]

Ken,

I too like the grain on the drawer, and I like the simple clean lines and design. I have a very old oak arts and craft design library table, about desk size, that needs restoring, and is in pieces in the garage attic. Hopefully I can restore it some day and use for a desk, and it has family history. Strange as it may seem, your changing table lines remind me a great deal of that old library table. I like arts and crafts designs.

Stew

[ken hatch]

Hey Ken,

Looks great! And i'll echo what others have said about the pads--I am still using the dresser that we used as a changing station with a pad on top (though do need to get around to painting the dresser, it's still lavender...).

Anyway, I suspect the table will be repurposed for things other than firewood for years to come! Glad you're onto the next project(s).

Best,
C

Chris,

Thinks. I shipped that sucker out via UPS yesterday. Amazon store bought would have been cheaper :o .

ken

[ken hatch]

This is a very nice design.

Thanks Richard,

It is kinda all porpoise but works well and is a easy build.

ken

[ken hatch]

Ken,

I completely understand the reason for no guard rails now. Like you I am slowly learning how to say "yes dear" also, but my wife and I have only been married a bit over 40 years, so you can't expect me to learn everything in such a short time period.

One difficulty I have is to understand what she is telling me. What I take as a very long meandering confusing inconclusive discussion on her part (which I may eventually tune out), she takes as a quick to the point statement of how she wants something done or made. What I want to hear is more like "make it 12 inches wide and paint it white." Oh well.

When it comes to knowing all things "baby" the daughters and wives know an infinite amount compared to me, and that seems likely in the case of most fathers and grandfathers, I would guess.

I have thought about the same idea for a tail vise on a portable bench, that you mention above, so I bet there will be considerable interest in how that works out.

Stew


Ken,

I too like the grain on the drawer, and I like the simple clean lines and design. I have a very old oak arts and craft design library table, about desk size, that needs restoring, and is in pieces in the garage attic. Hopefully I can restore it some day and use for a desk, and it has family history. Strange as it may seem, your changing table lines remind me a great deal of that old library table. I like arts and crafts designs.

Stew

Stew,

I guess we are alike on the baby stuff, at least MsBubba tells me I haven't a clue.

I love to see the works of Derek and Mike and doubt I could ever match the skill they have so the next might be sour grapes but what I enjoy building and what I like in my house is pretty primitive. Solid joints and clean lines work for me.

I'll only consider putting a tail vise on if the slab is a glue up. I don't use one enough to justify any real effort to install. That said, I'm trying to find a solid slab but will glue up some Beech if unable to find one.

ken

[Stew Denton]

Ken,

My goof. When you mentioned the Veritas Sliding Tail Vise, I was thinking of Veritas Wonder Dogs. I had thought about such for a small simple tail vise for a portable bench.

I had remembered that you previously had mentioned that you very seldom used a tai vise, and that you would not put one on your first Moravia bench.

Anyway, my goof.

Stew

[ken hatch]

Ken,

My goof. When you mentioned the Veritas Sliding Tail Vise, I was thinking of Veritas Wonder Dogs. I had thought about such for a small simple tail vise for a portable bench.

I had remembered that you previously had mentioned that you very seldom used a tai vise, and that you would not put one on your first Moravia bench.

Anyway, my goof.

Stew

Stew,

No problem. If you look at the first photo of the "Tool Tray" thread you will see a wonder Dog installed. I don't use it often, most of the time it lives in one of the tool cabinets but it is there if needed.

ken

[Stew Denton]

Ken,

How well does the Wonder Dog work for things like holding lumber to face plane, or other tail vise tasks? Would you recommend it as a good low weight option for a tail vise on a portable bench? (I realize that on a portable bench you give up a bit compared to a full size bench, to gain portability.)

Stew

[ken hatch]

Ken,

How well does the Wonder Dog work for things like holding lumber to face plane, or other tail vise tasks? Would you recommend it as a good low weight option for a tail vise on a portable bench? (I realize that on a portable bench you give up a bit compared to a full size bench, to gain portability.)

Stew

Stew,

It holds ok , but 90% of the time there are better or easier ways to hold the work. The same applies to any vise in the tail position. Stops, battens, doe's feet, and holdfasts usually work better and faster. I haven't worked on the portable bench long enough for it to have its full complement of dog holes but in time it will.

ken

[John C Cox]

That's a nice looking changing table.

I predict it won't see the firewood pile.

[Jeff Ranck]

I don't know about firewood. I think it looks great. It is funny how often things we make hang around. My very first project was a set of painted bookcases and curio cabinets made out of painted MDF. Miserable stuff. But darn if we didn't drag those things around with us for 20 years before we got rid of them.

[ken hatch]

That's a nice looking changing table.

I predict it won't see the firewood pile.

Thanks John,

I hope you are correct.

ken

[ken hatch]

I don't know about firewood. I think it looks great. It is funny how often things we make hang around. My very first project was a set of painted bookcases and curio cabinets made out of painted MDF. Miserable stuff. But darn if we didn't drag those things around with us for 20 years before we got rid of them.

Jeff,

Now that's funny but I've BTDT as well. One of my projects while waiting for the work bench Ash so I can start that build is going through our stored "junk". Damn there is a lot of it, most of which will/would never be used. The good news, pile it on the driveway with a "free" sign and it doesn't stay long.

ken