Weekend Accomplishments....

[Dennis Peacock]

Well....another weekend has come and gone and Christmas day will be here _very_ soon.....My kids are all excited, tree is up and decorated, lights are a blinking and presents are getting wrapped a little each day. My folks will be here on the 24th so what shop time I get during the week this week....will have to be before they arrive or after they leave.

I made a playing card box for a lady at work who wanted one to hold 5 decks of cards, pen, pad of paper and such. It was my first to make like this and it will be a while before I try another one. ;)

Worked in the shop most of the weekend working on that card box and working on my oldest son's chest-of-drawers. The base cabinet is done, the top is mounted and on and all 5 of the drawer boxes are made and I am trying something new on this one.....Watco Danish Oil Natural.....Man, what a difference that stuff makes....really great stuff and it's back to the BB store tomorrow to buy some more!!!!! I hope to have his chest-of-drawers done this week and I don't think I will have it done by Christmas day......maybe by this weekend I can have it done and in his room....then it will be on to my last and final chest-of-drawers for my middle son. The youngest son already has his and is very pleased with it. LOML is already making me a list of things to make next. She came home from today telling me that a friend of hers wants me to make her a 48" Clear Pine Round Pedestal Table for her kitchen. I thought I was done with commission work....guess not......Oh well....

I have to raise more money some how so I can try to catch up to Terry Hatfield and all his tools.....but I need to build me a bench first..!!!!

Best of Weeks......

[Mike Evertsen]

Christmas is coming quick and I'm not ready,,the recipe box is not done,,the cookie baking is not done,,the rest of the decorations are not up,,I need to come up with snacks and deserts for christmas eve,,and I have to fill in for santa at my mom's,,,my shopping is done,, my time to celabrate is new years day the holidays are over,,,I don't need the stress,,,,,;) I guess next year I'll start in october,,,,

[Ace Karner]

I spent the week end finishing these crosses and making the bases to deliver to my customers for christmas. Put last coat of finish on the bases this morning.

[Jeff Ward]

Finished adirondack for daughter and her new house.

http://wardmail.com/adchair.jpg

[Jim Becker]

It was a good in-the-shop weekend and it isn't "over" yet! :D

Aside from finishing up the Shaker clock mentioned in another thread, I got a finish coat of shellac on the natural edge walnut table/bench and it's ready for "finishing the finish" before migrating to our great room. I also built a bunch of picture frames to get a number of "chicken" prints we bought in Key West after out wedding finally up on the wall. I should have them "finished" today sometime and hung when we return from visiting the 'rents for the holiday. The frames are relatively simple since I needed to make them on the table saw...the PC 7518 is "in the shop" due to an erratic speed control circuit.

LOML and I also did our holiday gift exchange on Sunday since we're not about to take heavy things on an airplane...I got a nice, big, heavy fire safe that I've been meaning to buy for some time. Disasters happen and having a safe place [sic] for important papers and computer backups is really important these days. Ali got a power tool for the holidays..."hers", albeit we both will be using it in the kitchen.

Happy holidays to everyone and here's a pic of LOML's new power tool...

[Bob Lasley]

Mornin' Dennis,

I pretty much lived in the shop this weekend. Completed all the "woodworking" Saturday afternoon and started finishing. Jewelry boxes are finished except for flocking and installing hinges, glass and music movements. Got several coats of shellac on the tool chest. I started out brushing shellac and was doing fine until I got to the smaller drawers. Ended up padding the shellac on. First time I had tried that. May throw the brush away! With a little luck, I will be done by Christmas Eve.

Have a great week and a very merry Christmas,
Bob

[Lee Schierer]

I figured I would get to put a couple of coats of finish on the dresser on Saturday, but the tool gremlins weren't going to allow that. When I got home Friday night I found 8+ inches of new snow in the driveway and LOML informed me that in 10 minutes our best friends would be picking us up and we were going out to dinner. Well, I guess I better fire up the smow blower and blow out the drive so they don't get stuck, figuring this to be a 5 minute job.

The old snow blower started right up and promptly died.....no amount of coaxing, persuasion or even a couple of swear words could get it to start. I pulled the plug and there was plenty of spark and lots of gas. Hmmm, this is more serious. Running our of time I shoveled the drive by hand just enough to let our friends get in and out without getting stuck.

Saturday, I decided to tackle the snow blower, so the first thing I wanted to check was the valve clearance. To do that you have to remove the heat shields and the muffler. The first bolt on the muffler, snapped off in the side of the engine block. It hadn't been off in 20 years, so I wasn't surprised. I discovered tha valve clearance was zero instead of the .010 and .015 it should have been for the intake and exhaust respectively. Okay it's not getting enough compression to fire and run. Removing the valves and getting them shorthened and reinstalled took all day. Do you know how many places don't carry small engine valve spring compression tools. I finally remembered there is one at my mothers, 35 miles away.Once I retrieved it and got back tot work, I discovered that this model engine requires a slightly different tool. I did manage to get the spring and keepers back in place more by luck than design. When I tried to remove the broken exhaust bolt, I snapped off the easy out in the hole, so I had to go to plan "B", which was to use the threaded exhaust port and install a threaded muffler instead of the bolt on kind.

When everything was back togerher, and the muffler was installed, using plan "B" it started on the first pull. You sure know now that you are starting 8Hp of engine when you pull on it.

I did get some finishing done on Sunday and even got in some shop time Sunday afternoon.

[Scott Coffelt]

My son got the flu on Tursday night, the wife got hit with it Saturday night. I started feeling crudym but I may have just passed by with a cold. (I am the only one with out a flu shot).

I turned small bowl, started another (but it is stuck on the lathe and I can not get the plate loose). I have a cheap Ridgid and thak goodness I do not use it much or it would be in the trash. Today, I hope to get the plate loose. It seems to tighten as I turn and the gear lock busted. My have to have the wife come help me as it is a bear to hold the belt with one hand and try and twist with the other. After xmas, looks like I have some repair work to do.

I need to finish sanding the EC so i can begin to prime and paint this week.

Finally, I finished up a small walnut shelf that has been sitting half assembled for about a year. It got a final sanding and several coats of clear lacquer yesterday.

[John Miliunas]

Got some rough Oak jointed/planed and edge glued some "extensions" on them to get the width I needed. Hung some cafe-style doors between the kitchen and laundry room for LOML. Finally got around to replacing the screen with the solid window on laundryroom storm door. Got the last of my Christmas shopping done Sunday morning. Now lots of wrapping to do! Burned the last of my kindling and logs for the shop wood burner, which Mr. Insurance Guy recommends I retire. To that end, finally got the Hot Dawg up and running, including the setback thermostat. Did a bit of cleaning in the shop and made a list of "needs" for upcoming Christmas break projects. Everyone have yourselves a GREAT week! :cool:

[Dean Baumgartner]

Didn't get much shop time but I am making progress on getting the shop set up. Finished wood rack #2. This one is 4 shelves and is esentially self supporting but is attached to the wall to prevent any tipping. The first shelf is a little over 4' above the floor. The lower section is the storage position for the joiner, compressor and workmates. I also built the enclosure around the back of the SCMS. Hooked the DC to the area pickup and the pickup on the blade guard. Works pretty well but I think I'll need to add some hinged doors on the front as I think the pick up area is too large to really suck up the dust.

Lots more time in the shop over the next 2 weeks. Other than the holidays, I'm off until the 5th.


Dean