Now, in the shop. Finally found a decent source for hardwood here at the new location, that was a big relief. Then I decided to go some shop upgrades or improvements that have been bugging me. First, the upgrades.

I’ve been working with a PC 690 router, Wolfcraft router table and fence, and a collection of misc bits from Freud and Harbor Freight. The router is good, if a little underpowered for some work, the table is junk, really junk, and the fence a fitting fence for a junk table. Well, after a bonus from the day job I decided it was past time to fix this frustration. After searching and researching for a year of more Woodpecker won out and I invested. Here are some pictures of the new set up.

The top, pebble surface allows work to move nicely across, and metal slots should never wear out.

Lift , and my PC 7518 which wouldn’t fit in the old table is very happy in the new lift as well.

Fence, the super fence is very nice, good dust collection, easy smooth set up, very nice.

The overall set up, which I know looks odd, but I reused the stand, switch, and roller stand from the old unit. Modified to work with the new table, at least until I decide on how I want to design a new cabinet. Works well and moves around the shop easily which is one of my main requirements.

And, well, if you’re going to invest in this nice new table you should invest in a couple of new bits too, shouldn’t you? [GRIN]

This new set up works like a dream, one I’ve been dreaming of for a long time, especially when I was cursing the old junk set up.

Next, improvements to the shop itself. When I moved in last year I laid immediate claims on the basement space as mine, Mine, MINE, ALL MINE. Well, OK the washer and dryer could have a little space, “very little”. Anyway, the plan is to fix it up a little at a time as I decide what I want and how I want it. So, one corner at time and this particular corner was driving me crazy and I have boxes of stuff from the old house still in the back room I’m tired of tripping over. Fix the wall, paint, and new cabinet was the plan and finally done. Here are some pics.

Before, if you look in the back left corner, insulation, studs, and junk.

After, OSB, painted white, cabinet made in the same style as the torsion box bench to match, and a top made us two layers or 3/4in MDF, hardboard top and red oak edging. Houses my PC hotdog compressor (thus the cord up through the top) and lots of storage space. Uppers will come later as I have time.

Also, added a lathe given to me by my Dad. He bought it at an auction about five years ago and never used it. Gave it to me shortly after buying it, and I finally got the chance to bring it home. Just a China made model, but seems to work good, and after a good cleaning is good enough for a rookie like me.

So, yeah I’ve been in there off and on and now that winter is settling in I guess I’ll be spending more time in getting some projects turned out. Thanks for listening and look forward to seeing updates from you guys too.

Next, was something I’ve been dying for, for a long time. An assembly table, heck i would have taken any kind of table in the old shop. The space I have here is incredible and to have a work surface this big is a dream come true. I built it a little taller than Marc’s (The Wood Whisperer) so it was just slightly shorter than my table saw for infeed/outfeed use, and it works great. The cabinets are just like Marc’s minus a couple of small changes…and mistakes you can’t see in the picture…on purpose LOL. So, I guess I’ll post the table in projects with a quick note, but this is just to get those who care caught up. More to come as now I have the surface to work on….and Santa will be here before you know it!

The new assembly table

View from behind the Table saw

Well, the move process is moving along. Found a new place with a full basement….ALL FOR ME :>) We’ve been looking forward to this move for two years…that’s right it took two years to sell our house, but we found a beauty. Ranch style with full two car garage in the basement and full attic (for the wife’s junk). The 1500 square feet of basement are mine, mine, mine. Well, OK the stupid washer and dryer are there too, but space for those upstairs and someday that’s where they are going. I’ve dropped in a couple of pictures of the basement as it is now. Fireplace with heatilator with fan for all those odds and ends in the winter. two side rooms which I plan to make assembly and finishing rooms. Already plumbed for dust collection (last owner was a woodworker), although it may require some adjustment, and of course, a dust collector.

Fireplace in the basement….Sweet…new home for all those cutoffs :>)

Excuse the prior owner’s junk, working sink, and yeah washer & dryer but room for them upstairs so eventually that’s where they will go. You can see the dust collection system in the back left.

Air Handler’s which I will probably wall off later to reduce dust getting into the system.

Doesn’t look like much now, but it will be home and I can’t wait…feel like a little kid just before Christmas [GRIN].

I know you haven’t heard much from me since early in the year, but 2008 has turned out, so far, to be a busy and adventurous year for us. Things were going swimmingly until March when while performing an ultrasound for a totally unrelated problem they found a large tumor on my daughter’s liver. Being only 12yrs old this is significant in itself, but the tumor was about five inches in diameter and was pulling about half her blood volume from her body. They also told us it could be cancer and her Mom and I were just…stunned. That “deer in the headlights” reaction. Well, the sent us immediately to the children’s hospital for a CAT scan and thank God…it wasn’t cancerous. But, surgery was still required. To make a long story short 12 hours of surgery later and a few weeks of rest and she is recovering great. For a guy with crappy luck I felt awful lucky. So, now here we are in May and I began rummaging in the shop to get back to the knick-knack shelf I was working on. That didn’t go to well, a slip with the router and it was ruined. So, as all good woodworkers I don’t give up, but go back to the designing board and start again. Got some cherry jointed and planed and ready to start and…..bingo, my house just sold. 22 months on the market and finally it’s sold. Oh, and here’s the kicker…closing 29 May. So, now I get to do what all woodworkers fear greatest….packing up the shop. EEEeeeeee Gads!! Not looking forward to that at all. So, I guess it will be quite a while until you’ll see another project out of me, but I’ll be around the web site. Guess I’ll have to play golf instead [smile]. And if the year continues this way….well we’ll see. Keep in touch I’ll start getting more time on the site again soon…I hope.

The original was painted/milk paint maybe, but I’m going for African Mahogany. Not sure how everything is going to work yet, but most of the joints will be dadoes and mortise and tenon. I’ve began by building a sort-of prototype (out of scrap) just to get an idea for the dimensions i want and radius etc. Here is what I came up with thus far:

Now, like I was saying the curved front is the part that is giving me trouble. In the prototype I simply made kerf cuts in 3/4 plywood and bent it. I won’t be able to use that for the final because of the routing on the face for the finished product (see example). So, I figure my only other option is to laminate several 1/8” mahogany sheets on a form to get what I need. My worry there is again…how will the routing come out and will the bottom of the bent front look too much like plywood at the bottom? Experimentation may be the only way to tell. So, what challenges are there to sum up…well. The curved front as I already said and routing the front (all around the window panes) after assembly are going to be tricky. I think I’ve got the rest…I think.

Any advise or comments…good or bad are welcome by the way.

This is the first time I’ve done something simply from a photo, no plans or ideas to go on. A big challenge and the next hurdle in my education. We’ll see how it goes :>)

New here and looking forward to chattting with everyone. I’m putting in some of my past projects (some of the less ugly ones…lol), but currently designing, or maybe reverse designing, a knick-knack shelf for my Mom (got to take care of Mom). Bow front kind of, window looking thing I found a picture of on Google. Enjoy the past projects, looking forward to your words of wisdom.

Jim