Project for the month of April..

[steven c newman]

There is a plant stand in the front window on the house....just a cheapy, made from a pile of square sticks....Fur-balls during "Kitty Hour" have has a bad habit of doing U-turns on it...and always knocking the stand and any plants on it,,,over...then, they try to play in the dirt.....Decided something a bit better would be in order...something the cats can't knock over...

Still have 4 planks of Ash..
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Took 2 trips to get them down to the shop...
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And average 6' 5" long, by 5-1/2" wide, and 7/8" thick...My 5' 10-1/2" body has enough trouble getting down those steps...let alone carrying more than 2 of these planks...not light, either..


Sorted through the 4 planks, was looking for the best 2, that were at least close in grain and colour...Needed to cut those 2 down into 4 blanks to make a top for a table...there was a problem..way too long for my mitre boxes to cut, and the tablesaw had a crowd on it, which left the bench..
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Bench is 5' long, on a good day...didn't feel like messing with a circular saw...corded or not (have both) which left..
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A Disston D-100, 26" long, 7 ppi cross cut saw....just a D-8 with a fancy handle....cut a bad end off, then the first 33" long blank..after turning the plank around a bit..
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To be able to clamp the board to the vise...not IN the vise..ON the vise...just mark a cut line and saw..
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And check if the cut was square....depending on who is doing the sawing..
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And, wind up with 4 blanks to make into a top..
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Will need to sort through for best grain match/pattern...

It is a start..stay tuned:D

[steven c newman]

Stacked the blanks for the top together, with a few clamps so they stay that way...
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And turn to the next plank in my way..
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As I'll need to rip some stock for legs...had to remove the bad ends...
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Hand saw still doing it's job..
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Even the saw operator....went through both planks...since legs will be glue ups...needed 4 blanks...and only got 3 from the first board...the other board had issues at one end..
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Basically...trash. MIGHT be able to salvage enough for an End Apron?

Second saw workout...might have enough parts for the legs and aprons..
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So, I can hang that 100 year old saw back up...might have to sweep the floor, though..
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Made a bunch of this stuff...just from this one saw....

Blanks are tapered, with wavy edges thrown in...next step?
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To get the edges under control, and glue ready....Tablesaw is now clear, I can set and reset that fence...can hand plane the edges later...when I glue the top together...might have to get out the pipe clamps for that, and some cauls...

Legs will be 2 slabs face glued up into a square blank....intend to taper the 2 "inside" faces...Mortise & Tenon work to connect the aprons to the legs....

There MIGHT be enough 1 x 1 strips...to add a bottom shelf....would have to allow for the tapered legs, though..

So far...a pencil, a tape measure, a Carpenter's Square, and a hand saw....for the tools used...unless you also count me in the totals..

Maybe Monday before any more items get done..we'll see...any Shoptime today will be after Supper...

I might just get the hang of sawing by hand..someday?

Stay tuned..

[steven c newman]

Laundry Detail, tonight...was also time to rip a few edges...trying to straighten them out a bit...less work for the Stanley No. 8c to do..
477032
takes 3 set-ups of the rip fence...5-1/2"..then 5" using the freshly ripped edge against the fence...then at 4-3/4" wide...along the first ripped edge..
477033
Set the 4 blanks for the table's top aside, for now...and rip leg blanks..at 1-3/4" wide by 20" long..
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had 4 boards, about the right length...3 passes gave me 2 blanks for each leg, and a narrower one to be used later ( best 2 for Bread Board ends?) and even got one glued up..
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laid out the 4 blanks for a top...trying to see how the grain MIGHT line up...
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One end is a tad "busy", though...
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Will think on it, a bit...can always re-shuffle a bit...

haven't figured out the width of the aprons..yet...until then...I can put the tablesaw away...until it is time to glue the panel for the top up....

Stay tuned...

[steven c newman]

Late night, last night..Laundry Detail....Dryer is done. All 4 legs are IN the clamps...waiting on glue to cure...

Stanley No.8c has been taken out of the til, and given a quick freshening up....Chipbreaker issues. All set, for when I start on jointing the edges of the boards for the table's top....

May need a bit of help..when it comes to gluing the panel up...

Normally, the shop is closed on Mondays...we'll see how it goes....

[steven c newman]

Was JUST going to get a couple photos, wasn't planning to do any work ( paying the price, now..)
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4 leg blanks, sitting in a forest of clamps...

Hauled the 4' level to the shop...to test it out..
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Showed the board was high on both ends...we have ways...
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Old Heff & Hubris, himself....had a choice between it or..
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Old No. 81.....
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The No. 8c seemed to work just fine...stack check..
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Second one is just sitting there...top board has a slight bow to it....there IS a slight (spring joint?) gap in the middle...trying to close it up a bit....

Hmmm..don't sneeze..
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Only thing holding these 4 in place...gravity...no glue, no clamps, no braces round in back.....this MIGHT take a while...

This pile was just from doing 2 edges...
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Decided THAT was enough, for a Monday...
Stay tuned...the cussing is about to begin....

[steven c newman]

Bought new lights for the shop...now I and the camera can see a bit better..

3 edges have been jointed...will work on the rest, later.

"FUN" part will begin when I go to glue the panel up....clamps and cauls...should be entertaining to watch.....just 2 hands...might not be enough?

Thoughts on a bread board end........square profile? Just a radius on the corners? Maybe a gentle curve the full width?


Having trouble getting to sleep...may try the shop in a little bit...Not using any power tools, anyway....might be ok...

[steven c newman]

Board #4...
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Both edges jointed...Board #5 only needed one edge jointed..
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And when I get one shaving like this from along the entire 33" length...we done with the plane..however..
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Glue, glue roller, cauls, and clamps..
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Let this sit a day...then decide which will be the show side....then square the ends...and get them ready for the Bread Boards...

No longer a dark, dimly lit Dungeon...
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It is now a well lit Dungeon Shop...

Stay tuned

[steven c newman]

Start and stops all day long....and a couple naps....

Blanks for the legs are out of the clamps...cleaned up, square all around...including length...
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Second 2...the first 2?
477191
Already tapered on 2 sides. Figured out which end was a "Top"...measured down 5"...marked. At the other end "Foot", measured in from the show corner 1"
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Connect those 2 points with a good straight edge...then over to the bandsaw...
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Cut the line. Beltsand most of the saw marks off....will hand plane smooth when the bench is cleared off...

Mark the tops with 2 "T"s....to show where the tapers are....and where the mortises will be....helps to keep track of where the next tapers will be..
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A slat to help keep things lined up....4 legs tapered (roughly) on 2 sides....have plans for the outside "show" corner...tapers go to the inside.

Going by what is left of the lumber supply...aprons will be 2-3/4" wide....will set up the saw later for those.

new light fixture is a Braun from Harbor Freight...2 LED bulbs, 4' long...hangs from a pair of chains...plugs into the 120v outlet. BRIGHT at 5500 lums...has a pull chain to turn it on/off..

Stay tuned....might be chopping mortises by the weekend?

[steven c newman]

Will try to move the table top....and it's clamps OFF of my bench today....have need of my bench..

Tapers need to be planed smooth....outside corner on each leg gets a bead milled....need to rip and cross cut aprons....and set about milling tenons on the ends...might even set up to chop a few mortises...

Some of the clamps on the table top can come off...will leave the cauls on out on the ends....for now...

Need to reset the Stanley 45 into a beading plane...and decide what size bead cutter to use, so I can get it sharpened up....


All depends on how long this right leg allows me to work.....lately it has been an hour or two....rest about 4 hours..then try again

Film at 2300hrs...I hope....

Stay tuned ( am I boring to you all?)

[steven c newman]

Ok...first, needed the tablesaw...need to rip 4 apron blanks for width..
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Clamped together, to get them to straighten out a bit....

Then remove most of the clamps from the table top..
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Keeping just the cauls on the ends, for now....set aside...
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Since I am done with the tablesaw , for a while...

Cleaning up the tapers on 4 legs..took a bit of teamwork..
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With the Jack working mainly on the tapers..
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leveling out saw marks and sander marks...flat work?
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Was more the realm of a Stanley No.3, Type 11...legs done.:D


Was trying to set up the Stanley No.45 with a #23 beading cutter..
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One too many quirks.:mad:..on the test piece....reset things..
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By hiding the outside quirk with the lowered fence...might just work...


Resting up the right leg....and cooling me down...had worked up a sweat :eek:

Maybe later today, I can try again? Stay tuned..:D

[Stew Denton]

Hi Steven,

Looks like the woodworking is going well, but resting the legs is important too. (DAMHIKT....I think you and I are about the same vintage.) Thanks for the information on the new light, I was wondering about that, and it looks like the light is doing a good job. Lord willing, the time that I will finally have a shop is getting closer, very slowly though, and it will need lights.

Thanks and regards,

Stew

[steven c newman]

They are able to be strung in a line of up to 8 units.

Fixed the problem with the 45...
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The first leg didn't look too good...the other 3 are more like what I wanted..
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Then had to reset the plane back for a "normal" bead...that goes along the bottom edges of the aprons..got both short aprons beaded..
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Will wait until tomorrow for the long aprons,,,
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While I reset a jig...
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The 2 circled screws are in their new locations...had the leg clamped up..
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Jig will get secured to the bench right over the bench's leg. Insert a part, and a clamp is used to close up the jig, so I can then chop out a mortise...
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And a mallet to hit with...maybe this weekend? Have tenons to cut, too...

[steven c newman]

Long aprons needed beads...
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Then the edges got jointed...
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Almost done. Set these 2 aside...work on a tenon, or 2 on a short apron...

First..aprons were a bit long, and one end was way out of whack...what better way to fix both problems...
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Figured out how long the tenons should be...and the thickness of the tenons...and make the shoulder cuts..
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Saw to the layout lines....wide chisel to pop most of the waste off....then pare to the lines...clip the ends a bit..
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Will clean this up...next time in the shop....goal will be all the tenons get done, THEN chop out the matching mortises..

At least 1/2 of the mortises will be right on a glue line in the legs....should be "fun"

Stay tuned...:D

[steven c newman]

2 hours in the shop, today...tenons are all milled..
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Tools laid out to chop a mortise or 4....
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Jig holds a leg, while I do the chopping..
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And the test fitting the mortise to the tenons...
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Managed to get 2 of the 4 legs mortised ...
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Will work on the other 2 legs next time...that stick? It will be dovetailed into the middle of the long aprons...1/2 blind, single "tail" into a socket.

Seemed I kept sharpening that Narex after each mortise was done...oh well...only 4 more mortises to do..

Not too bad, for just 2 hours in the shop, today?

[steven c newman]

Work from over the weekend..

Last 2 legs have been mortised up. Ends of the table have been glued up..
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2 clamps each..
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A stretcher between the front and back long aprons...
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Then the sockets..
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Note, these are at the top of the aprons...and then glued up...
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C clamps to help out..
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Letting all these "sub-assemblies sit a day or two...

Trip to Lowes for a 1 x 2 pine....mitre the ends to make corner glue blocks...
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need 4 of these..

[steven c newman]

Monday......uuummm....shop is closed for today..

Besides the "normal" being closed on Mondays...this is also the day AFTER a bad Migraine Headache....the kind where almost everything goes numb, eyes no longer work right...THEN the headache hits..HARD..

The day afters are almost the same as a "morning after" of a Pub Crawl


I did have to haul the Boss around, today.....as she doesn't drive. Stopped in at Menard's, for a change......picked up 2 counter-sinking Pilot bits by Bosch...and a 4pc set of pads for the bottoms of this table's feet


They had the bits that were "All-in-one" like the ones Norm Abram used...$$....got the 2 Bosch bits for the price of a single "Norm" bit...


Head still hurts...hands are still about half numb...sense of balance is still off.....was either a Migraine, or. a TIA (have had both, just been over a year) Unsure what the "trigger" was.


Will see how things go on Tuesday....stay tuned..

[Richard Hutchings]

I don't know what you are talking about, "They had the bits that were "All-in-one" like the ones Norm Abram used". I just googled it and could not find other than the machinist counter sinks, is that what you mean?

[steven c newman]

The bit: Has a sleeve, that holds a 2 in 1 bit....flip the bit one way, it is a pilot hole drill/countersink bit...that you buy according to the size screws you wish to use..in my case it would have been a #6....turn the bit end for end...and it houses a driver tip. They run about $10 per size screw....

Norm would drill and countersink for a screw...and without grabbing a second drill/driver, just flip the bits around, and drive the screw.

They are MEANT for woodworking. Menard's sells the full line of them. Next time I am in Menard's, I'll go past and write down the brand name...

[Richard Hutchings]

That sounds handy.

[steven c newman]

What I wound up with...
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For the price of one of the "Handy" bits..
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I bought 2 of these.

Corner blocks are now in place...
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Glue and screws.

Worked on the top for a bit....found a high spot..
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Ends needed trimmed a bit, too...
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Wanted nice square ends, for the next task..
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Cutting a tongue on each end...
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To install the bread board ends....

Letting both assemblies sit a while....have more work to do on the top..

Stay tuned..

[steven c newman]

late night Laundry Detail...while waiting on the Clothes Dryer..
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hmmm...
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Hmmm...
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Will have to go back to the shop,later...and see what happened

[steven c newman]

Half of today's work was in putting tools away...bench was getting a bit crowded...
477537
This needed to go back upstairs, and the battery placed on the charger...
477540
This one needed set back up on the shelf, and a different one set up.

First off, needed a high tech circle jig..
477541
Then take a saw down from a shelf, clean a year's worth of cob webs off of it,,,set up the blade,,
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Hey, IF a tool is older than I am, it has got to be a Vintage tool, right?
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Was very quiet running, blade could have been sharper...Once the cuts were done..

477544
A beltsander smoothed them out. The "other" Router?
477545
Still had a champfer bit on-board...was working on the underside of the top, so
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A little too slow around that one curve...will sand that out...

Stay tuned..more to come..busy day, today..

[steven c newman]

Flip the tabletop over, change router bits...
477547
And run a small cove all the way around....then flip the top over, as the base is almost ready to arrive...

477548
These brackets...not only pull things into square, they are also how I attach a base to a top...I drill a slotted hole, that runs front to back...
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Drill straight down, then rock the drill back and forth to make the slot. Stretcher gets a single screw hole, no slot..
477550
Need 5 screws. Had to counter sink the one in the stretcher...slots allow the top to expand and contract...screws will slide a bit as needed.

1st coat of Amber Shellac...more of a seal coat..
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And foot pads installed...
477552


Will flip the table over tomorrow, and work on the top...once that is dry, I can repeat for the underside, again...then see how it looks...

Stay tuned, almost done....I think I just might have earned that ICE COLD Lager, today...:D

[steven c newman]

Table has been flipped over, and a coat of shellac brushed onto the top....letting that sit a spell...Boss has errands she wants run...

Stay tuned..

[Richard Hutchings]

Man that brings the wood to life!

[steven c newman]

A view of the top of this simple table..
477616
Trying to decide on a top coat...
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May do a test on the underside, first....

[steven c newman]

Flipped this back over...decided to try a coat of Clear gloss poly.....once I found a can that wasn't dried out.....2 quart cans, both were solid....might have been a bit too long since the last time I used them...

Had a pint, still in good shape....just bought new brushes....so...
477631
Brushed on a coat....


Will let this sit overnight..and see how it looks in the morning...before I commit to doing the top...

Stay tuned...

[steven c newman]

Top is done..
.477713
Side view...
477714
Another side view, trying to show off the grain matches...
477715
End view shows it off a little better.

Has been moved upstairs...will try later for "Project" worthy photo shoot...

Stay tuned...may have to go out next week to re-supply the lumber bin...it's empty, now...

[steven c newman]

Has been moved upstairs..
477739
Just a simple, little table...nothing real fancy..
477740
Just made from 4 planks of Ash. and a bit of Pine...

Thanks for looking in!

[Thomas Wilson]

Nice work. Placement of flip-flop is bien fait.