| Blog series by dbhost | updated 19 days ago | 25 parts | 7776 reads | 105 comments total |
Part 1: A journey into the workshop #1. Starting over, getting organized.
After spending the time, money, and effort to get the equipment I need to get moving in earnest in woodworking, I am doing so. But a little background might help you dear readers to understand where I am coming from… I hated junior high, and high school. Passionately hated that entire experience with 3 major exceptions. #1. The social interactions. Some of the best friends I have ever had, I made in Junior High, and High School. I try to maintain many of those friendships even tod...
Part 2: Benchop legs, and free mulch... Sort of.
After my screwup with the pine legs, and the fact that pine 4×4s are a royal pain in the butt to find in Houston, I opted for a trip to Lowes to grab a couple of Aromatic red cedar 4×4s. Their so called “select” which I guess is supposedly select grade, but knottier than I would expect. So I get home with the 4×4s and notice that they are, well actually 4×4, and my plans call for nominal size lumber (3.5×3.5), so it was off to the jointer, and planer to...
Part 3: More free mulch, broken planers, and burnt fingertips...
Well, I found 4 2×4x8s of cedar following me home in the bed of my truck tonight. Not a bad deal considering Lowes had them for a lower price than I am used to seeing them around here. ($5.16 each, I am used to seeing $6.89 each). So I came home with them, and decided to squeeze some planing time in before 9:00, and got the dressed boards down to at least thickness before I had to wrap it up. I have had my planer since Valentine’s day 2008, it was a gift from my wife. I love thi...
Part 4: Knocking down the project list one by one...
It happened so quickly I was actually kind of stunned when I was done. All of the materials were in one place, and just BEGGING to be used. The DC has been pretty much ignored since February as I have a bad habit of sucking nails and washers into my DC hose and hearing that awful noise when they hit the impeller… So a Thien Cyclone was in order. Honestly I was just being too lazy to get it done. I made a quick decision tonight that sped the process along. Instead of making a new l...
Part 5: Improvements, mistakes, and where did that blood come from?
I can’t say enough good about how well the Thien separator on my dust collector is working. I tried avoiding building a pre separator to keep from taking up precious shop space. I can honestly say I am glad I finally opted to do it. I tired quickly from constantly emptying the lower bag from my DC with the Thien Baffle, so although my filter was staying clean, I was every other day, and sometimes once an hour pulling the lower bag from this thing, which can be a real chore! I continu...
Part 6: The workbench is almost complete.
There it sits, proudly in nearing completion glory. And it is almost usable! The dog holes, lower shelf, sanding, and finishing are all that is left to complete this project. I wasn’t sure I should post this one. The twist you see is an optical illusion. I have checked it with straight edges, levels, you name it. This thing is dead flat… My Central Forge 9” quick release vise fitted with wooden faces, and bench dog holes. Yes the back face of the vise is un...
Part 7: The thought process so far on the bench. Veering away from the instruction video or sheet.
Considering the fact that this bench was designed by the guys at Fine Woodworking to be a skill builder, and I went off on my own tangent using the tools and resources I have to get to the same end. For example… The original plan called for 4×4 and 2×4 kiln dried construction grade lumber. I opted for rough cut 4×4 and 2×4 cedar lumber, planed, jointed, and then ripped it to nominal dimension. The grooves in the rails and spreaders are per the instructions cut ...
Part 8: A bit here, a bit there, and it adds up to progress...
More progress to report. Not a lot of progress, but still progress… I managed to completed destroy the bearings in my old B&D Edge Hog edger, which really wasn’t a heart breaker. I have been itching for a gasser for a long time anyway. My local Ace Hardware had an Echo on clearance on the cheap. So it followed me home… Now the problem I had was the hanger for the electric would not suffice for the much larger gas model. So a Closetmaid yard tool hanger gizmo also foll...
Part 9: Accidental finishing started...
Okay so the top WAS through final sanding and it indeed WAS ready for a finish, but the sides weren’t… But you know how these things go. Tight for space, and the workbench hasn’t been put in its final place. Fooling around on the lathe applying the finish to, well whatever it is. The product of my fooling around. (I am SERIOUSLY considering taking the suggestion to drill a counter bore in it and make a candlestick holder out of it…) I turned around to get more li...
Part 10: Some pics of the workbench top...
Not much today. Just snapped some pics of the workbench top to show y’all how it is looking… I don’t know about you folks, but I LOVE that color! I need to finish sanding the edges and get after them with some oil, then get after the base… And finally, wax it all down…
Part 11: Being a wrap artist...
No no… not rap like Urban Hip Hop make your ears bleed through 5000 watts coming out of a Gold plated and fake diamond encrustedHyundai sort of rap, but wrap as it wrapping the sisal rope for the kitty condo… The multi tiered kitty condo is coming together, and quickly at that! I was able to spend some quality time with the brad nailer, hot glue gun, and sisal rope yesterday, I am down to having about 3’ of 2×4s to wrap in rope left, and then upholster the top tier i...
Part 12: Moving the table saw, and sticking the bench top tools to the wall...
Just a short note about the progress on my shop made today… #1. The lumber for the fence got stacked more neatly to the side, in a much taller stack. This proved to be a less than brilliant idea, but it is what it is… #2. The table saw, and workbench got moved into their almost final positions in this workshop. Which means bench behind table saw to act as outfeed support, and both rotated 90 degrees so that oufeed from the bench can get picked up by the craft bench. #3.Th...
Part 13: Got the tool stacking system in place.
Simply put, I took sheathing grade ply, cut it into 18×24” panels, drilled holes and counterbores for mounting hardware for my bench top tools, and mounted that all up on Rubbermaid adjustable closet shelf hardware… The panels are sized so that I can simply clamp them down to my workbench and get to work, which is awfully handy since that is where the dust collector is plumbed near… Now to dismount the old mounting boards from the tool stands, and get ready to t...
Part 14: Mail ordering shop projects...
Anyone that has tensioned and de-tensioned the blade on a Harbor Freight, or Ridgid 14” band saw has had the experience of trying to turn the tension knob while it is right next to the back side of the upper wheel guard. Not much of a problem for someone with dainty hands, but if you are built with beefy paws like some of us… getting the knob turned while trying to keep from trapping your fingers between the knob and the wheel guard. While there are aftermarket products, specif...
Part 15: More storage improvements.
I have had a reasonably busy weekend of restructuring my storage in the garage workshop. I am finally getting around to removing the mistakes I made a couple of years ago by purchasing some very LIGHT duty undersized storage shelves with a usable shelf size of 12” deep x 24” wide. These are being replaced slowly but surely by a heavy duty (as much as common plastic shelving can be) “24” deep x 36 wide shelving units from Lowes. While both units appear to be made of...
Part 16: Being there for one of my best friends... I NEED TO VENT. NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!!!
I sat in my shop, more or less leaning on the bench, kind of staring at the mess, and the equipment, not really getting anything done… I had just gotten off the phone with one of my best friends from high school. The guy that was the best man at my wedding, and has been there for me through thick and thin… And I’d like to think I have been likewise… But the news last night was a bit much to take. I am pretty sure I sounded like a fool on the phone, but what can you ...
Part 17: Coming clean sure is dirty work! or. A little pictoral evidence for Jim..
Jim from Anchorage, you asked for photographic evidence of the mess, and what the heck. I’m not too proud… So this is what a shop looks like when you tear it from end to end to reorganize it, and are only about a quarter of the way through the project… (And I needed something to lighten up my day a bit!) The current view from the entry door to the shop. Hey at least you can tell there is a workbench and a table saw in there, sort of… Oh, the big green thing immed...
Part 18: Quality time with the trash can...
I have an evening free! What to do with it? (Oh sure, like that was ever in question!)... The plan for tonight is to wheel the large things out that don’t belong, and start trash bagging up the junk. Thing like empty bottles of Armor All, and who knows what… Hazardous waste gose to the hazardous waste collection center, and junk lumber such as unusable cutoffs, like that piece of kiln dried pine that just splits every time I look at it… go into a bundle, and out to the cu...
Part 19: Getting nothing done at all... Frustrating night...
Between LOML calling and keeping me on the phone. (She was at the hospital with her brother, long story, nothing to panic about though…) and my work phone paging me all night long over stuff that didn’t have to do with me… I never got the chance to get out into the shop last night for more than 5 minutes. I did manage to dig out 4 boxes of tiles that don’t match anything in my house that were sitting on one of the shelves. And about 4 gallons of Ace Bone White paint...
Part 20: Still working on purging the shop of unneeded junk...
Last night wasn’t super productive, but I did get some clearing out done. The tally so far? 2.5 gallons of Ace Hardware Bone White interior semi gloss, 1.5 gallons of Walmart ColorPlace off white, 2 gallons of some god awful color the prior owner to my house had in the garage that must be at least 10 years old now… Nearly full bottles of DuPont Teflon car wash, car wax, and wheel cleaner (tried it, hated them…), almost empty bottle of Armor All Extreme Tire Shine, abou...
Part 21: Bye bye chicken legs!
Well they came! Sears item 22219 Wide Table Leg Kit for Craftsman model 22811 table saws. Now to refresh the memory of those that don’t recall, the 22811 was a Ryobi BT3000 table saw, with a Craftsman label on the front, and a different hand wheel. The leg kit is a functional match for the no longer available Ryobi accessory for my BT3100. I do say functional as the leg kit is NOT a cosmetic match, as the BT3100 stand legs splay instead of take a trip straight down, and the paint ...
Part 22: Not much shop time this week. But a little bit of progress...
My big plans for my week got tossed to the curb between dealing with an unexpected cardiac surgery on my BIL, and work running rather late, I just haven’t had much time in the shop. What evening I did have open to myself (tuesday) was hot and humid, (85 degrees 100% humidity, ICK!) so I did not WANT to be out there… I did get 3 reasonable things done since Sunday though… #1. Removed all the junk from on top of the table saw, and workbench and put it away. Considering t...
Part 23: Starting to be an air head...
Okay I know, cheesy title for saying. Woo Hoo I finally got a compressor! The piles, and piles of other stuff in the way are dwindling, and the dust collection is up and working quite nicely. This is actually my Wife’s fault. She wanted to go to Big Lots, and has been after me to replace the Arrow electric brad nailer for a while now. A little background before I confuse you to death… I have an Arrow ET200 electric brad nail gun, and it, well sort of drives brads. What ex...
Part 24: My head hurts for good reason...
So last night, I took one of my bowl blanks, I believe this stuff is Camphor due to the smell (it smells like Vicks), but I wouldn’t testify to that in court. The wood came from a tree that had been storm fall from Hurricane Ike last year. So anyway… Like I said I took one of my bowl blanks, about 6” in diameter, and mounted it to the face plate, roughed it out, and created the tenon on the bottom of the blank. Removed it from the face plate, and mounted it on my chuck...
Part 25: Tuning my Groz #4. You'd be amazed how sweaty you can get...
Like most new planes, heck, what am I saying, like most planes, period, new or new to you, my Groz #4 was in need of a tuning. First things first check the sole for flatness… Heel to toe dead flat. This is a good sign, Side to side it is concave, at 120 grit I get scratches all the way accross, but moving up the grits the ones in the very center don’t even hardly come out. Time to work this plane on the sharpening board. Now I am pretty sure this isn’t the RIGHT way to do...
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