Vintage Martin T75 restoration

[Patrick Walsh]

Darcy,

Sorry just seeing this now.

I have kinda been head down buried in my day to day.

Things are now slowing down for me. I have plans to drag this ,aching into my home shop next weekend. Well at least the base and sliding table. I’ll need to recruit man power to get the cast iron table in as it has to be lifted up on its side to get it through my shop door.

Anyhow just today I was actually going through all the parts I have at home and generally fully re assembled taking a tally of the short list of items I still need to tend to. Oddly enough the riving knife and nut or block that attach it to the arbor I do not have.

Honestly I never use a riving knife but I would like to get this saw fully back to its original condition.

Are you suggesting maybe you are also looking for one to use as a pattern to have one made. If so and you do find one put me on the list to have one made.

Significant “and really really good” changes are about to come to my life. More to be revealed in the next couple months. I hope to have this saw fully assembled and up and running by the first of the year.

I have much logistical work to do to make this happen. Assembly will probably be the easy part “not tuning” but general assembly.

First on the list will be making room in my crammed shop.

The fun begins best weekend when o bring her home.

Did this happen to come with a riving knife?

[Patrick Walsh]

Some perspective on the task I have ahead of me.

I’ll start with the yard the machine will have to navigate through on a pallet jack.

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Then around this off camber corner

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Then through this wee little door

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Could be worse but it sure makes a ground level shop and the use of a fork truck seem like a dream.

[Patrick Walsh]

Then there is the inside of my shop to tend to. I will have to do some major reorganizing to make this happen. Along with some demolition, maybe some structure steel. And a bit of electrical as I only have a 100amp service now running my shop and whole house with central air and a electric range. I’ll need a phase converter or maybe a vfd. I’ll be asking for help on that front in the weeks to come.

So I’ll share of shot of all four walls of my shop from all angles.

Coming into the shop..

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Further into the shop same wall and getting to where the new saw will most likely live. Yes I have a major lumber hoarding issue.

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Turning to face my now table saw that will relocate to back near the washer machine and dryer, at least for now. Long term it will be sold and a second shaper will go in its place. The new saw will go against the wall with the floor to ceiling woo of wood storage. Where all this wood goes I kinda have no idea.

The saw will now be operated from the opposite direction of my current table saw. Som of the wood will remain on the wall above table height.

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Turning to face the opposing wall, the half length wall with the clamp rack will come down and be left wide open.

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[Patrick Walsh]

Continuing on the same wall and back to the other side of my shop.

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I’m half considering ripping the whole wall of cabinets that are miter station completely out. It breaks may heart as I remember learning and building that setup fondly long before I had the skills I now do or the tools. My thought is it’s a much better place for the sliding saw. Plus I have grown to loath miter saws. If I have a slider sitting right there I have zero need for a miter saw the way I have come to build.

Looking back at the wall that will 100% come down.

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I also have the Martin jointer to consider bringing home that now lives at work but will no longer with my work arraignments changing. I’m kinda on the fence regarding doing so as it’s just so massive. I have no issue having such a large machine in my small shop. It’s more the prospect of getting it and and then someday out. I suppose not such a big deal as I have devised a plan using a hydrolic lift table with a 5K lift capacity. Non the less I’m possibly considering selling it. I can leave it permanently stored in my uncles shop in the same building I have worked the last few years. But you know I’m not excited about just leaving a $28k machine to deteriorate without use for 5-10 years.

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I also have to decide to sell or keep my snap on toolbox. Right now I plan to bring it home as I just love having all my tools organized like so. Who knows that may follow me to my next home with regard to vocation?

Anyhow I have lots to do. An much more exciting news to come and so much to be thankful for.

[Patrick Walsh]

And one piece I had the pleasure of putting the final polish on this morning.

Just had to remove some masking tape and clean some body filler out of the threads of the screws. I painted this piece I think three times as even using corks to fill the threaded holes the paint would chip when I tried to thread the screws.

This is gonna have to do. Shy there is a sag on the bottom edge..

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I can’t express how excited I am to get this saw finally up and running..

[Jim Becker]

Significant “and really really good” changes are about to come to my life. More to be revealed in the next couple months.

THAT bodes well, Patrick!!!!

[Patrick Walsh]

Yes,

I don’t mean to be so vague but you know I’m really good at wearing all my cards on my sleeve. As much as I ethically like to live in such a way I’m learning the hard way if that’s what i want to do I also best be prepared to suffer the repercussions of doing such as often people will use such a approach against you.

In this case it’s best I keep this close to my chest. The good news is things have a good chance of being much much better than what I was previously doing. And from where I stand they will at least be just fine.

And they there is this saw and getting back to wrapping up the CVGDF and CVGAYC master bedroom project using it to do so. I have not liked putting it to the side as I have done but you do what you have to do.

THAT bodes well, Patrick!!!!

[Jim Becker]

OH, I wasn't suggesting you divulge before the right time...I was just saying that I'm happy that opportunity is knocking.

[Patrick Walsh]

Part of my distraction “only part” as I worked like a dog again the 4-6 months building cabinets 50-60hrs a week. Atop that I did 8-15 hours days since early this past spring both Saturday and Sunday missing only two weekends till my pup got sick a couple moths ago.

I’m still not done outside but I’m so much closer. The porch just needs two stair cases. One off the left side to the driveway and one where the whole is. The walkway needs to be finished being removed and a large slab modernist thermal bluestone walkway needs to go in. I was going to go masonry stairs hence no building them yet. At this point though with the intention of selling the house in the 5-10 years I don’t see much use dropping 10-20K on a bunch of masonry work when I can build the stairs for $1500 max using Azek and mahogany.

Next spring I have to re pour the far right footing and regrade the yard. I payed someone to do the framing of the deck as I have no patients for framing. The part financially made more sense to hire out, well kinda and kinda not!

He did make a huge mess including the dam footing being left bellow grade. Add to that doing miserable squaring the deck to the house and existing roof. How one can not get 345 right even with all that had to be considered when working with a old home I just don’t know. It’s not that hard it’s just having a lazy mentality. The whole deck ended up being out of square a 1.5” side to side as a result. If that was not enough the joist were installed with the joist hangers not snugged tight to the floor joist thus the floor joist did not sit flush with the rim or field joist at all juncture. I had to pretty much go back and reframe much of that work before laying the decking and getting to the real trim work.

Happy to have it mostly behind me. I’m pretty sure as much as I’m never happy with anyone else’s work I’m just gonna pay someone to paint the place next spring. Looks like a real dump and I’m tired of both looking at it and working on it. It’s time to go to the beach again..

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[Patrick Walsh]

I understand I didn’t feel like you were. Just having a guilty conscious enough for being vague

OH, I wasn't suggesting you divulge before the right time...I was just saying that I'm happy that opportunity is knocking.

[Jim Becker]

I really like how you're keeping the character of that home together as you make your improvements. Everything seems to belong. That porch looks awesome!!

[Patrick Walsh]

Thanks Jim I appreciate that.

The house is a old sears kit home built in 1926 by the original owner who the house was purchased fromthat was also a carpenter by trade. I always identified it as a bungalow as inside it clearly is. It was a cottage style bungalow prior with a knee wall around the porch.

It had a real old lady plain Jane kinda feel to it. Previous to the last few years building cabinets I was building fairly nice custom homes frame to finish. Not McMansion custom homes but architect designed custom home. Some nicer than others but all nice for a working man. It always left me wanting for a much smaller version of my own or at least a home with as much attention payed to detail craftsmanship and design. I’m lost in the middle but happy.

Honestly I was so nervous I had such a hard time deciding on a final design. I almost brought a architect in to do it but in the eleventh hour I decided I can’t have everything and the cost of a architect was not in the budget. As is three years ago this house had only one barn dormer off the right side. I crane took the chimney off planting a large tree in my side yard and I needed a roof bad.

As a result I added the second dormer fully gutting the second floor. I then proceeded to do a rubber roof on the low pitch portion along with new architectural shingles complete with lead coated copper valleys and drip edge throughout. The chimney the same “lead coated copper” with a true through pan. I did all the windows with top of the line Marvin’s and replaced every last piece of trim baring the window sills as I did replacement windows and that’s a pain in the you know what’s.

All said I have spent about 100K on the project. Being a hourly cabinet maker it’s had been brutally painful and huge commitment. So to hear others think it looks nice helps the blow.

On the other hand I was very very nervous being I drew up like three options all I liked. My fear was that built and in the flesh what looked good on paper might not look so good standing in front of it. So far I’m pretty happy. I’d like to have re sided the whole house, and I’d like my fancy pants masonry stairs built by a another artisan. But you know you can’t have everything and I loath my neighborhood and generally the place on this earth the home sits.

Nothing is forever so it’s time to stop investing in his house I think. But you know all this work leaves me even more attached to it.

Oops.......

I really like how you're keeping the character of that home together as you make your improvements. Everything seems to belong. That porch looks awesome!!

[Phil Mueller]

Patrick, congrats on all the home improvements...it really looks nice. I must say the garden area is spectacular...you must enjoy being in that space when you have the time to just sit and relax. Everything is always relative, but your shop is much larger than what I had imagined from your previous posts. Yes, a few new machines are going to challenge the layout, but I suspect when all is in, you’ll be able to do some nice work in there.

And I am so glad to hear there are good things for you on the horizon. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving person.

[Mark Hennebury]

Hey Patrick, nice to hear from you again. Loads of space in your basement shop, you should be able to sort it out just fine. Love what you are doing to the house, i have to get a L-shaped deck and porch and all new windows made in my place; i need to get some courage and inspiration to get at it. seeing what you have done will help. Great job! and a beautiful garden. Nice looking pooch on the porch.

[Patrick Walsh]

Mark,

Your clearly not a lazy guy, get cracking on that house

I’m kidding of course, more than cleaning a clogged drain or raking the leaves working on your own house can be a real drag. At least for me and I’m sure similar for you it takes me away from building something I really want to build.

I’m glad your happy to hear from me, it will be nice to have some time again.

FYI, wish I had $8500 burning a hole in pocket as I got a major lump in my drawers for that specked robins egg blue Maka. Wish it was a different time for me but sadly it is not.

You did a sweet job on that one. I just couldn’t sell it had I done the work, It’s just perfection.

Oh and that’s the pup that just got a septic blood infection. Took two full months of antibiotics and round the clock care to get him better but he is doing great now. Still walks with a limp and I think will always now. We came as close as it gets to loosing him though. A dog a shop and some shop time and I’m a happy guy..

Hey Patrick, nice to hear from you again. Loads of space in your basement shop, you should be able to sort it out just fine. Love what you are doing to the house, i have to get a L-shaped deck and porch and all new windows made in my place; i need to get some courage and inspiration to get at it. seeing what you have done will help. Great job! and a beautiful garden. Nice looking pooch on the porch.