Wood Choppers Weekend Accomplishments...

[Dennis Peacock]

Well....another weekend has come and gone.......Now I know many of you had plans for what you were going to get done over the weekend......so tell us all about it... :)

Here is what I did:

On Friday afternoon I traveled North to Terry Hatfield's house, only a 2.5 hours drive....Terry and I were invited to visit with Bob Lasley (Mr. Router Teacher) and his SWMBO for the weekend. Terry and I headed out to Tulsa, OK Friday afternoon and arrived at Bob's place around 6 PM....I did learn that I have to drive with one hand on the steering wheel and the other full of money to toss out the window for those "cotton-pickin' " toll booths......Nope....we ain't got nern in these parts...so I wasn't used to just tossing money into some funny lookin' hole that turned a light on that said "Thank You" each time you fed it enough money. Yup, Terry warned me about just driving through without feeding those money hungry machines....said instead of paying a few bucks....I would get a visit from the law and have to pay a $90 fine....so I kept tossing money until each toll money eater was satisfied to let me go. :)

We visited with Bob and SWMBO Friday night and crashed a few hours before we got up on Saturday to head out to the Woodcraft Store in Tulsa.....BOY.....was "that" ever a treat for me!!! I had never seen nor visited a Woodcraft store before and I was like a kid in a new toy store...!!! :) Too many things and not enough money or space in the car to bring it all back.

The rest of the day was spent working with Bob in his shop learing about routers, inlay and we got to try our hands at through dovetails with the Akeida Dovetail Jig. I was impressed with the simple setup of the jig, but was not real happy with how hard it was to "see" where to guide the router so as to NOT cut between the fingers of the jig. After a little practice with the jig, it got a little bit easier...but not as easy as my PC OmniJig. The Akeida was a very nice jig and easy to work and setup.

Bob and a project for each of us to make out of some Ambrosia Maple...we made the box frame for a CD box with through dovetails on all 4 corners and while we were setting all that up Jeff (can't remember his last name) who lives on a few miles from Bob and Jeff....it was a great pleasure to meet you and spend a little time with you. We got the boxes dovetailed and the sides fitted together and we ran out of time and had to head back to Terry's place for Saturday night.

Bob Lasley had a "gift" for each of us when we arrived. He made us a sanding block with Maple and Wawabima with a brass scew and wing nut. Very Very nice Bob and LOML said that I can't use it in the shop for sanding.....it's too purddy to get dirty so I guess she is going to keep it here in the house like a trophy!!!!!

Many THANKS to Bob and Barbra Lasley for the wonderful time I had while there and for the grand hospitality during our visit.

I spent the night at Terry's place and we talked over DC stuff and worked on his web site a little more. I got home late Sunday afternoon and I am beat.......I need to get to bed now and get some sleep.!!! :-)

Now.....get out there and visit other X-Ponders, Creek Waders, Centralians and Woodchippers......I have never met a woodworker from any of these sites that I didn't like.

WHEW!!!! enough for now....I will post a few picks of our trip and the sanding block Bob gave me later this week.

Best of Weeks,

[GEDunton]

Mentioned my "honey do list" item (a page from the "honey do encylopedia" ), the eight blue bird houses. Well, my buddy Jim showed up a little after 1pm on Saturday, figured we'd get at em. Discussed dinner out at the local Bistro, agreed, made reservations for seven. Those who must be obeyed had added a new feature to their wants, flip-up sides, with a plexiglass window inside to veiw the baby birdies without disturbing them or exposing them to fall out.

I scratched me head a bit, chewed on my pipe and decided we'd better get underway. Kind of assembly lined the whole operation, one house per eight foot cedar board. Ran em all thru the chop saw, 22 1/2* cuts for edge drainage and roof angle. Cut off 45s off the floor in each corner for drainage. Dado one side for the window ( it must slide up for cleaning ). Figure out the best pivot point for the veiwing side, heck simple screw mounts will do for hinges. Need a pin to secure it though. First one to assembly proved that the screws needed predrilled wholes, vey splintery cedar.

Jim left with his four at 4:30, SWMBO's were lined up on the shop bench, time for a nap before dinner.

Sunday was without that level of pressure. LOML had several cuuting boards from a couple years back. She sets them on the stove to dry after washing. Well if you leave a maple cutting board on the stove and don't turn the gas all the way off, there is still a small flame, actually a lot more flame than maple likes. So needed a replacement for that one.

While the glue was drying, I noticed the pieces of lacewood and king wood she'd picked out for a box lying on the bar. Yup, a good shop has a bar with under counter frig. So resawed the king wood for a book match top, resawed the lace wood for matching side thickness, except the hinge end. Jim stopped in to see what I was up to, so I did a box building demo. And them a cutting board finishing demo. Cutting board in the kitchen before dinner, box still needs some sanding and then finish.

Might have gotten something done this weekend, but had to spend 5 hours each Saturday and Sunday on office paper work before I could get to hte shop.

Later

[Rob Russell]

I started and completed something for a change. I fit, cut and mounted the 2"x2" 1/4" wall tube stock as the rails for sliding machinery into my basement. I couldn't just slide stuff down the stairs even with 2x4's laying flat (too heavy for the stairs). I drilled 3/4" holes in the foundation, sunk lead lag shields (for 1/2" lag bolts) and bolted a 2x12 at the top of the stairs. Cut and chisled out angled notches for the tube stock to sit in (did that by hand - heresy, I know). Made the angled cuts on the tube stock (used the little horizontal metal cutting badsaw I picked up used for that - can't imagine doing it any other way) and cut off pieces of drilled angle iron for the floor brackets.

Now, when it's time - in 5-10 minutes I can bolt on the wood piece, brackets to the floor, drop the tube stock in place and I'm ready to slide.

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

Wood Choppers?
I thought we were "Creek Waders". Personally I am a Creek Loafer. I never spent more than 20 minutes at a time in the shop.
<center> Do You Guys Do This? </center>
Go out to the shop for 20 minutes. Sand 2 Boards. Apply a little stain and head back inside to the Barco Lounger. Go back in about 3 hours, repeat the scenario, return to the Barco Lounger.

Anyway, I did go visit Bobby Hatfield (see thread below) and went to Helena (South East Arkansas) to visit family. Minor Gloat : My brother showed me @ 10 Pecan Boards @ 10' long in my Uncle's Basement. They are Kiln Dried, S2S ( planed to 3/4", 6-10" wide) and have been stickered since 1975. They would not fit in my PT Cruiser but he promised to fetch them to me.

[Terry Hatfield]

Dennis and I have a wonderful weekend. Thanks to Bob and Barbara Lasley for their hospitality. As usual thanks to Dennis for all his hard work on my web site.

Terry

[Ted Shrader]

Put the top on the buffet and did some more trim work on the hutch that goes on top of it.

Was so nice on Sunday (1^st day for shorts) that I spent it outside doing yard work. The new will wear off that REAL quick.

Ted

[Bob Lasley]

I was invaded by Arkies Friday night. Haven't enjoyed an invasion that much in a long time. It was a real pleasure to have Terry and Dennis visit, however we spent alot more time jacking our jaws about sawdust than making sawdust. Enjoyable just the same.

Had the pleasure of my seven year old granddaughter's company Sunday afternoon while SWMBO and DIL were out shopping.

Have a great week all,
Bob

[Greg Wandless]

Let's see....

Saturday morning the weather was finally warm enough so I could finally take the Xmas lights down, and I put up the anemometer for my weather station that was returned after being repaired about two months ago. My wife and I took my mother-in-law to lunch at Clyde's of Reston for her birthday, then we went and shopped for carpeting. That evening I did a little exploratory wall board cutting to replace the shower faucet.

Sunday, while the wife was off at a volleyball tournment, I installed said shower faucet. What a 4 hour ordeal, but its in and a big improvement over the one installed by the builder. The afternoon and evening was spent in shop (finally) replacing the PVC of my dust collection system with larger metal piping. Need a few more pieces then its done. Boy are my shoulders tired this moring.

Cheers,
Greg

[Dennis Peacock]

Originally posted by Ted Shrader
<B>Fertilized</B>
Put the top on the buffet and did some more trim work on the hutch that goes on top of it.

Was so nice on Sunday (1^st day for shorts) that I spent it outside doing yard work. The new will wear off that REAL quick.

Ted

Hmm-m-m-m-m....
I ain't never tried putting fertilizer on top of a buffet to make it grow.......
Do you have to water it?
What is the finish you used?
Does the water and fertilizer leave water marks on the finish and the wood?

:D ----- :D ----- :D ----- :D ----- :D
Just kiddin'.........but I AM having a little fun playing on words.

[Todd Burch]

I started dressing lumber for a tool-chest style coffee table. Figured since I was making one, why not make two? Grabbed a bunch of cedar from storage that I bought cheap for the second, and learned that the quality was too low to be used for furniture, so cut it all up into chimenia (sp?) fodder. Should smell good.

I did get four walnut panels glued up though. I think I dressed enough walnut for two chests (75 gallons of dust and chips), so may make a bathroom storage cabinet out of the rest (with possibly more).

Yard work - edged and mowed. Allergy season for me right now. KER-CHOO!

Todd.

[Von Bickley]

Too much going on this week-end. Didn't have much shop time. Was able to stain and get a coat of poly on a small antique table that I'm refinishing.

[Ron Taylor]

Got up early on Saturday to work on the fixer-upper. Everyone else was busy this weekend, so I had to work alone. Two bedrooms to go in the demolishing phase. I managed to get the carpet and pad removed, cheap wall paneling tore off, and another 400 square feet, more or less, of the 50-year-old 3/4 " Knotty Popular reclaimed from one of the rooms.

One more bedroom to go before starting the redo phase! Looking forward to putting up drywall and refinishing the beautiful Red Oak flooring I found under the carpet.

The total of the reclaimed Poplar is now approximately 2500 square feet and climbing. Expect to have about 4000 sq ft by the time I'm finished.

Sunday, SWMBO and I drove up to the Big City (Columbus, Ga) for some browsing at HD and Lowes. (Minor tool gloat coming) Picked up a new Delta 22-580 13" planer at Lowes. Gotta get started on some of that Poplar for replacement trimwork in the fixer-upper.

Back home, set up the planer and ran a few test boards on the planer. Whew, gald I've got a metal detector. Found a few tiny paneling nails that my eyes had missed. The painted side of the Poplar planed out beautifully and I think it will make wonderful trim pieces for the old house, plus have a bunch left over for WW projects. I'm convinced that reclaiming the Poplar rather than just drywalling over it was a good idea.

Still had some time to spend with SWMBO and the kids. Not a bad weekend at all.

[Lee Schierer]

Went up to Syracuse to help with a house inspection. The inspections was a disaster (see my post on the support forum).

After lunch, I called up Dale Sherman and we stopped by to spend a few minutes with him. He gave a shop tour. When he gets it done, it will be a large place. He's got a lot of work done, but still has lots to do.

[Jim Izat]

I cleaned out (read: shoveled) my shop. I've got the week off so I am hoping to actually make some visible progress on my current projects.

Jim Izat

[Matthew Curley]

Well, one of my plans got derailed, but others went swimmingly...

Saturday: Shower surround was put on hold by SWMBO, in order to have me clean up the office, hmmmm...? sorting paper work vs greenboard/drywall, now that is a toss-up.

Sunday had a lovely walk around local flea-market, saw plenty of planes, none at the right price or acceptable condition. LOML found a few items to keep her happy. Then off to the my parent's house, to hand LOML and LOML jr off to Grandma while Papa and I got to play in the shop... First good shop time for me in 3+ weeks. Got the framework for the Tennis club utility cabinet done, will cut and attach the shell this comming weekend, and then start in on the doors.

[John Sanford]

mitersaw. I have an inexpensive miter saw stand that, while portable, is not MOBILE. So, I determined to make it mobile over the weekend.

I have, thus far, identified two methods of mobilizing the stand that DON'T work. Because of the small size and "compound" angle of the legs, attaching small casters directly to the sides of the legs doesn't work.

Attaching a board between two legs with L-brackets, and then attaching the casters to the board, doesn't work.

Tonite, I'll try Method #3.

:eek:

[Randy Miller]

Tried posting this last night, but got a server error:

My weekend was busy, but not nearly as busy as Dennis :-)

Driving Jr. SWMBO to horseback riding and then dropping off at drama - run to Home Depot for materials.
Drive back for daughter, start working in shop

Saturday Night: Mounted the Heavy Duty shelf brackets from Home Depot with about 35 anchor bolts into foundation wall -- they look great and I don't think they're going anywhere. :)
Finish trim around new door to shop.

Lots of cleaning!

Sunday:
Jr. SWMBO birthday party with ten 13 year old girls invading the house (can you say LOUD!) Then run to HD and Costco again for stuff I forgot the first time :-(

Sunday Night: Assemble metal shelving unit, clean up scrap wood .

Lots of running around, was hoping I would have time to get my shop back in working order but looks like I'll be working nights for a while.

Anyway, hope this posts!