850 days ago
by TheGravedigger |
12 comments »
Well, it’s finally done. The workbench base is done and has been mated to the top.
I gave the finished base three coats of finish. The first was equal parts turpentine, BLO, & spar urethane. The next two were just BLO & spar urethane 50:50. All were applied with a rag & then rubbed dry like all finishes of this type. This gave me a good seal for the wood, and gloss wasn’t really a consideration. Yes, I know lots of folk will go for a proper finish, but I’...
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189 days ago
by Gary Fixler |
5 comments »
Up early, I got a little done this morning before work. I tested 2 stains from my small stock pile on some scrap poplar, the same stuff I used in this rolling base.
That’s Minwax “Golden Pecan 245” on the left, and “Red Oak 215” on the right. The pecan is less saturated than the online sample. The red oak is much less red, and much more like chocolate, but I like how it makes the poplar sort of look like a hardwood. I’m tentatively going to use that ...
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198 days ago
by PurpLev |
27 comments »
I guess this is a tool gloat more than anything.
I like hand planing boards, but sometimes, and especially when trying to get a board to a certain thickness (while keeping it straight) I just want to be able to throw the board through an infeed and automate that process. especially since I’m coming up with some projects that require large/long boards to be planed down.
so, with a budget in mind, I keep an eye on craigslist from time to time. the only things I’ve seen in my p...
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320 days ago
by Tim & Candy Hicks |
0 comments »
Since early fall we have been swamped in the shop and still have not gotten caught up from Christmas. Our inventory is depeleted and we are trying to get items instock as well as work on a few custom orders.
Here is a rough form piece of juniper that we will make into a coffee table that will have a rock slab for a top. Once this is finished it will be shipped to Norway.
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923 days ago
by mot |
8 comments »
Yeehaw! I anticipated this step all day. I had originally planned to use Dowelmax to join these pieces because I was more comfy with the jig and this has to align perfect. I then though, phooey! I’ll use Domino and give it a good test drive.
The first picture shows the Festool Domino fitted with the Trim stop. This fitting allows you to “center or off-set the Domino joiner on narrow work pieces for perfect positioning.”
HA! If anyone can screw this up, I can! I d...
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909 days ago
by TheGravedigger |
9 comments »
As requested, here is my basic plan for the workbench base. This was my first (semi) successful drawing with Google SketchUp, so please pardon the crudeness. I plan on starting on this phase in the next week or two (after payday).
The wood will be southern yellow pine dimension lumber. With the exception of the 2x6 lower stretchers, the rest will be 2x4's. The upper stretchers will be single thickness, the outside legs and feet will be glue-lams of 2 studs, and the center legs and ...
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285 days ago
by Loogie |
10 comments »
Ok, All the parts have been trimmed and fit so it’s time to put the base together for the the first time. It will have to come apart multiple times after this for some finishing touches.
I can attest that I am unable to rack this base AT ALL – even though the top rails aren’t secure with their lag bolts yet. That sure will be nice. My old bench would shake and jiggle when I was planing on it. Next I will be drilling the holes in the two rails on this side of the bench...
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186 days ago
by Gary Fixler |
8 comments »
I didn’t like how the “Ebony 2718” Minwax stain looked in the last entry in this series, so I grabbed a can of flat black paint from a recently completed project for my friends’ wedding, and after a 24-hour drying period, painted right over the stain.
I went out to the shop several times yesterday to sand @ 220-grit, and apply another layer of Minwax’s water-based polyurethane. Water-based simply because I had it, and I also don’t love finishing ...
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112 days ago
by mreagleeyes |
18 comments »
I am working on yet another piece and thought I’d share me project so far with you guys.
The Magnolia ‘Salicifolia’ tree had stood in the grounds of the Inner Temple on London’s Thames for over 80 years but due to a fungus it had to come down.
My original plan was to use the timber as a practice piece that I could use my new Arbortech grinder on, however whilst the guys where cutting the tree down the girl in charge of the gardens asked what I would do with the t...
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192 days ago
by Gary Fixler |
8 comments »
I got the casters on yesterday, cutting some scrap wood board to fit along the edges inside the bottom, and joining them in with pocket hole screws from underneath. Extra sturdy now, and the wheels are all in plane with each other. I wasn’t sure how tall they were, and it was critical, as I was designing this to be as high as possible, while still fitting comfortably under my work table. I have Rockler’s digital height gauge, and it showed me they were all exactly 2.5” (actu...
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