Creekers Weekend Accomplishments....

[Dennis Peacock]

27 May 2008
Memorial Day Edition

Good Morning.
Short time this morning. Have to leave out for my semi-annual cardio check up. Spent this weekend working for the day job as well as working in the yard and garden. Strawberries are getting picked as well as radishes. Corn is coming up and the rabits have found they like our squash.

Just spent the time with the family this weekend and no shop time as it seems that life just speeds right on by me any more.

So what did YOU do this weekend?

Best of weeks to you all.

[Keith Starosta]

Hey Dennis! It was a good weekend, spent with the kids in the pool, mostly. We finally got the water up to above 70 degrees, which is the minimum that SWMBO lets the kids swim. :rolleyes:

I spent some time yesterday wrapping up my first breadboard ends, which went on the top of the blanket chest I'm making for my brother-in-law and his fiance, for their wedding. It was pretty fun, with no major issues encountered. Beyond that, it was just some light cleanup.

Have a great week!!

- Keith

[Matt Halfmann]

Spent the weekend working hard. Finished putting the captains bed together, except have to finish the drawers in it. Also painted my bedroom and installed hardwood flooring in the bedroom also. Basically woke up this morning stiff and sore from the honey do weekend.
Pic ain't the greatest taken with phone Will try to get better pics posted soon

http://a375.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/26/l_c9e9606ef64ab33d852876065ba0955e.jpg

[Matt Meiser]

Friday night we moved lava rock we put down three years ago from about 1/3 of the area. It is breaking down and we could either buy several hundred dollars more or use what's left from one area to fill in the other and go back to standard shredded mulch for a lot less money so we did that. Plus I don't care about he bits that get sucked up by the mower or blown onto the lawn.

Saturday I put down about 6 yards of mulch in the area where we moved the rock and around a couple dozen trees in our yard. Then we went out shopping for garden seeds and plants.

Sunday we cleaned the garage (it gets a little dirty after a winter living on a dirt road,) planted a small garden and LOML planted a couple flats of perenials in the island in the middle of the driveway. We then went to my parents' for dinner and LOML jr and the dog stayed the night.

Monday we took it easy--hit a few garage sales (I found an old Workmate in good shape with the cast frame for $15) and had lunch out. Then I spent a few hours working on my workbench before heading back to my parents'.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Baby sat our great-grandddaughter Friday and most of Saturday. Hard for me to get anything done while playin..er.....watching little Riley. Managed to get to the lumber yard and get enough material to make another wall cabinet and a lumber rack. Sunday, I did get my cabinet adjustable shelf cut and the holes for the pins drilled. Late Sunday evening hung my first shop wall cabinet using french cleats. Monday, yard work with a small amount of shop time.

[J. Z. Guest]

Woodworking-wise, I built the drawer, attached the corbels, and finished my nightstand. I'm going to trade my wife for hers that I finished a few weeks ago, as this drawer's dovetails are better than the first one I did. ;)

On other fronts, I had a couple of nice 300+ mile motorcycle rides on twisty Wisconsin backroads. I had just changed the synthetic oil, (so I'm not reliant on Middle East oil supply) changed the coolant, and sparkplugs. The FJR runs like a top; just cracked 17,000 miles. The only problem is keeping it under 80 mph.

[Matt Meiser]

I'm going to trade my wife for hers that I finished a few weeks ago, as this drawer's dovetails are better than the first one I did.

She'll probably tell you she doesn't see a difference. ;)

[Jim O'Dell]

I filled holes and sanded Fri evening on both torsion boxes from last weekend. Sat started out tracing down the electrical problem that was popping a fuse in the house. I was about to give up when I noticed a blank plate on the wall behind the freezer. It was a junction where 2 wires were joined coming up out of 2 conduits. I broke that connection and everything worked., By 11:00, I was back in the shop cutting laminate. Got the TS extension table done by evening except for trimming the top's edges. Did that Sun am, got a coat of paint on the bottom of both boxes. Put the outfeed table on the roll around frame the previous owner left for me, and found he had 2 different size wheels under it, and it made it not level. So now I need to find 4 locking 2" casters to put on it.
Cut a limb off that was riding on the power wire coming to the house, then rested all afternoon. Had to work yeterday, but did get a coat of poly on the top of the outfeed table after I got home. Need to get some 220 grit to work between coats and get 2 more on it. Hope everyone that got the holiday had a great day off! Jim.

[Jim Broestler]

Made the drawer fronts for sixteen little drawers (for spice boxes).

Built two sets of boards for playing Cornhole (yeah, I know. Terrible name. I didn't pick it. Basically a bean bag toss thing). Really easy to build, usually sell for about $75. Just plywood and a few 2x4's.

Profiled (roundover) all the pieces for some gumball machines, the kind that use mason jars for the candy globe.

Cleaned the shop too. Always nice to work without the clutter.

[Steve Knowlton]

Great weekend. Torn out driveway approach on Sat. & Sun. afternoon. Went a Vetrans Parade sat. also. Thanks to all VETERANS for all our freedom.
Mon. took family out to shoot guns, then went to the shop and turned a couple of pens, 1 bowl and a top for a plant table for work.

[Randal Cobb]

My weekend wasn't good like most. I did get some shop-time, but not the kind I liked. My mom passed away quite suddenly on Friday morning. She had a massive stroke. The worst part was, we had a falling out about a year ago about my teenage daughter going to live with her mother because she didn't like daddy's rules (I got custody of my two oldest girls in my divorce). This is a pain I'll carry to my grave... life's too short to hold grudges, so go hug someone you've recently had an argument with and say you're sorry.

Well, mom and my step-father were in Chicago for a wedding, and since her wishes were to be cremated, so her cremains are being shipped home and should be in So. Fla sometime tomorrow. My two sisters have given me the honor of making cremation urns so we each can take some of mom's ashes and put them beside our real father's ashes. So, I made these below. Two are mahogany (one stained a "red mahogany" and the other is natural with a tung-oil finish), the third is padauk with a tung-oil finish. All three are finished off with a few coats of paste wax. I wish I had a little more time, I would have done some nicer details on the lids. I would have preferred to do an inlayed ebony for the crosses instead of just routing them out and "ebonizing" it with black stain and india-ink. Also, I would like to have added some more decorative legs.

Overall, I think it helped with my mourning process, especially with the guilt I have for not trying to make up with her sooner.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Friday night - sanded the railings & stiles on the front & back decks of the rental.

Saturday - put two coats of solid color stain on the railings and stiles.

Sunday - final touchup @ the rental in the A.M. The stopped at Lowes to use up the $10 off coupon to pick up a bath vanity & top for another rental.

Sunday afternoon - cook out at the in laws. I put a real hurt on a 30 pack & a package of Brat's :)

Memorial Day - slept in until ~ 5:30am. Got up, scanned the Creek, read the Sunday paper & then spent the rest of the day putting together & adjusting the Ridgid 3660 TS. Fired up the gas grill ~ 5:00pm and had some steaks.

[Guy Roland]

I spent Sat & Sun cleaning the yard and backfilling my foundation with crushed concrete to replace the sand that keeps running out. Monday I decided I wanted to play, this is what came out of it. Now you guys can laugh, and that's OK. but for a city boy I like it. ( yeah! it could br straighter)

[John Keeton]

Randal

My heart and prayers go out to you on the loss of your mother, and for the guilt you carry. But, I would encourage you to work through this. It can not be changed, and in the end, the only thing that matters is your salvation. So, the good that came from this is the fact that you are now an inspiration to others to heal their wounds - that is your mother's legacy for you. And, I am sure you will put that legacy to good use in the years the good Lord gives you. Consider it a blessing instead of a curse. God be with you.

[Jim Becker]

The weekend. Well....I got the girls' study room set up and started to move my office. I also helped 'Creeker Joanne Adler start to install her Gorilla Sunday morning along with 'Creeker Robert Tarr and Joanne's friend Rich. Hopefully, she'll post in the Woodshops Forum about that event!

We also had a very nice (and filling) barbecue on the new back patio with our friends Seth and George and their son (adopted from Russia as were our girls) and Seth's brother and mother. The food was great and the conversation very interesting! The weather was stupendous, too...

[J. Z. Guest]

Built two sets of boards for playing Cornhole (yeah, I know. Terrible name. I didn't pick it. Basically a bean bag toss thing). Really easy to build, usually sell for about $75. Just plywood and a few 2x4's.

In my neck of the woods, that game is called "Baggo." I played it for the first time this weekend with a neighbor on his Chicago White Sox set. It got more fun after a couple beers, but also more difficult. My neighbor's set has the two board latch together, with storage inside for beanbags, and an attached rope to make sure the 20' between the boards is right.

This is the latest craze in the city; (Chicago) all the suits come out at lunch time and play for money.