The wife (ok, I've never typed this before, I guess I should just take the plunge and become wholly SMC-ized : LOML & SWMBO) wanted some bulletin boards to post my 4 & 5 year old's school work and pictures on, and she had some store-bought wooden letters for their names she wanted hung on the wall. Sounded like a good project for the boys and me!
Name Signs-- 3/4" MDF, cut to 45 degree mitered edges on the table saw. SO GLAD I did this, as it got me cursing at my angle-adjust wheel on PM66, and I ended up inside the saw with air hose, brass bruss, dental picks etc. for hours... now you can spin that angle-adjust with one finger! I had the boys set the angle and raise the blade--they love spinning those wheels!, then they got to work the DC remote on/off while we cut the signs. Everyone got their own safety glasses and ear plugs.
We painted the MDF first with some BullsEye dewaxed shellac (seal cote?), which idea I got on Friday from here to seal in MDF odor and keep MDF edges from sucking up the paint--great tip! The boys did a thorough and messy job. Two coats, then some semi gloss latex. Lastly, each boy hand-painted their own letters using my well-stocked "Thomas the Train" paint palette. We used the brad nailer to toe in the letters to the sign.
Cork Boards-- Wow, that stuff is expensive! Couldn't find pre-made boards of the size wife wanted (2.5x3.5 feet), so we had to buy some cork and make our own. Could only find the 1/4" cork tiles at Lowes, and of course none of the 10 folks there would admit they had it after I got there (based on the phone call to their customer service and computer inventory). Took 45 min to find it rat-holed next to deep-fryers.
We made the frame out of some oak I had. Boys again got to work the dust collector remote switch, and move the hose from machine to machine, as I jointed, planed, and ripped the stock. Hmmm.... that built-in piping and cyclone is looking less and less needed! Those boys love that super vacuum, and they only tried to suck up my screw and bolt collection with the DC three or four times! On the router table, I let the boys adjust the up/down knob on my DW625 underneath the table for the setup. Miters cut on the CMS, then frames held together by using metal press-in splines and a framing machine I had available at the Luke AFB crafts & frame shop... had to run to work anyways. Back sides of frames rabbeted. The cork was applied to some 1/8" MDF sheets I had using that spray on contact cement 77 stuff. Note to others--DO NOT let your boys do this part, and be sure you're out in the yard if you do, LOL!
All in all a good project with the boys and a nice chance to teach them some shop and spend time, and I even got a new hanger-slot router bit out of it!
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Actually, if I can get a few comments to help me finalize design (and build up the confidence in it to begin cutting!), we'll start building some shelving and future homework / computer stations for them!