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295K views 2K replies 173 participants last post by  robscastle 
#1 ·
The Beginning...

So I've lived in the same two bedroom apartment for ten years now. The second bedroom is my workshop and has a closet that's been my catch-all for anything that I don't immediately know what to do with. Needless to say, it's gotten to be a pretty scary place! A couple of weeks ago, I finally set myself a goal: to take out and sort one box a day until I could see the walls of the closet again…
As is usual with such things, the longest journey begins with the first step, and once I began I found myself sorting 3-5 boxes a day and the job was finished in a week or so. I found trash and treasure, meaningful and meaningless things. And this[IMG alt="My Grandparent's "Big 10" Sign"]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3865449913_daaff6f529_o.jpg[/IMG]
It came from my Grandparent's house but holds no real sentimental worth, no fond memories. It's a mass produced item, no real value. I hold the "Big 10" in my heart, and live by them daily, but don't care for a daily reminder on my wall…What do I do with such a thing?
Well, upon turning it around, I discovered why I hadn't tossed this old thing in the first placeA very wide board
Yes, it's "only" Pine, but it looks like it came from a venerable old tree! 5/8'" thick, about 12" wide. As I couldn't bring myself to throw away the Ten Commandments, and NEVER throw away any wood, Friday afternoon I decided to separate Church from Wood. I saved the Brass Plaque, which was of surprising quality, but now can be slid easily into an old book or something, and the Wood is now mine to have some fun with! Started out by giving it some rough sandingAfter some rough sanding
The next step was to plug the holes left from the nails. Set the depth stop of the drill press in my usual fashion, by hanging my 3 lb. Estwing off of one of the handles of the press to hold it in the down position, and raising the table. Setting the depth stop
When I want to really fine tune, I raise or lower the drill bit in the chuck a bit.
Glued some dowel into the resulting holes and filed and sanded flush.Plugging the holes
A decision had to be made at some point about what exactly I was planning on making here, so I asked myself "What does Mike make besides boxes?". The answer, of course, was "MORE BOXES!!"
At first I was thinking of squaring up the piece, but that's easier said than done, with the curves on this piece. Ahh, the curves…they intrigued me and since this is "just for fun" and I don't really know what I'm doing anyway, I thought "Why not leave them and see what happens?"
And so, not having any clue, I pressed forward and cut this piece in halfThe beginnings of the vision
Upon measuring, I noticed that the crests of the curves were equidistant, 5 1/2" apart. Looks like this one's going to be square…
After cutting the pieces as near as I could to the center of the crests, and all 5 1/2" long, I brought them to the "Marking Board". Marked the depths of the cuts by using the pieces themselvesMarking depth of finger joints
There's still the detail on the other side, and I can't extend finger joints into that region. Let's see…I'd like 3/8" fingers for this project, but the wood I have to work with isn't divisible by 3/8". But 4 1/2" is. I'll just tilt the ruler! Nobody's watching!Marking finger or box joints
After that, I'm on familiar ground again. Drill some "maneuvering" holesDrilling Manuevering Holes for the Scroll Saw
And off to the scroll sawSawing away the fingers
There's probably a bunch of people now who are saying "What a Nit-Wit!! Has he never heard of a box joint cutting jig?!" and they'd be right about the nitwit part! But I don't own a stacked dado head cutter and it only took 6-7 minutes per side, and this is JUST FOR FUN! It does take a few minutes to mate each joint, filing one side and then the other until they mesh snug, but not too snugTwo sides completed
And so, to make a long story even longer, after 4 hrs or so total,I went from the unwanted sign to thisA Poor Man's Box
I've begun to call it the "Poor Man's Box".
In the next installment I hope to finish whatever it is I think I'm doing…
 
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12
#1,491 ·
The Lid (Part Two)...

After the milling was done, it was time to rip the stock into narrow strips… But how many? And at what angle should they meet?
It was desirable to have a lighter color for the first and last slat, because they will contrast with the box sides as well as the other slats… So the number of them will have to be odd…
The ideas were taken to R & D, where elaborate plans were drawn up… Remember this?


The make-shift Compass was again used to re-draw the arc…
One of the cut-offs was again used to mark the width of the arc…


Lines were drawn to either end, and the angle measured… 40°…


Well, isn't that special! If this piece of pie is sliced ten times, it will give us eleven pieces… And because each skinny piece will have to share the difference, the angle of each cut will be 2°…
40° ÷ 10 = 4°, and 4° ÷ 2 = 2°…
That's easy, right? I figured my machines were probably off by that much any how!
Not really… When the Bandsaw was set-up at 2°, it looked a lot more skewed than one would think!
The Bandsaw was merely set up that way in order to cut an angled scrap to set the Scroll Saw and Joiner accurately and because, being bigger, it was easier to set…


The actual "Real World" width of each slat was simply determined by stepping off eleven sections of the arc with a set of dividers…


And then the "Saw Mill" went into production…


The Joiner worked well for fine tuning…


Rinse and repeat, until…



The final slat has yet to be cut… Like the first one, it receives a slightly different treatment, and the correct size won't be known until the slats have been pegged in position…

Which is what is going on now, and a story for another day… :)

28 September 2014
 
#1,492 ·
well done michael

was going to sugest the 'last one' idea
as how to resolve any mis-alignment
in practice
sometimes that needs to be done to the last 4-5 boards
a bit on each
so the last one isn't obviously narrower

looking real nice
 
#1,506 ·
The Lid (Part Three)...

And, happily, the last part!
You are probably as tired as I am of looking at this thing… Though very little has actually been produced here, 12 hours of Work and almost two weeks time have been consumed by this one detail!
Anyway, we left off with all but one of the slats cut at the appropriate angles…


The process of pegging these on with wooden doweling was a simple one, but care was needed!
Each Slat was first given a quick but thorough sanding…


Most of them had been passed over the Joiner already, but not all… So a couple quick, last passes were administered…


How about that Push Stick?!
Mine seem to grow (or shrink?) by osmosis, rather than by design… Any scrap is a candidate, but this one appealed because of the hole that was already cut in it…
Before I used it for this, it had to be refined… The "Piece Gripping" section had to made into an "innie" rather than an "Outie"...



Much, much better and Safer! It doesn't do, to have the thing rocking when work is being pushed into the Joiner…

Where was I?
Oh yeah, each slat had to next be cut to length… Measured by placing into position, marking and cutting…



As you can see, I'm a ways along here, and yet another little side job is revealed…
The slats didn't want to behave and stay straight, so a quick form was made to try to convince them…


Slipped inside, it helped a lot, and will help in the ensuing steps as well…

Next, the Peg Factory was given the order to go into production…


Cut to length on the Scroll Saw, I like to sand the corners of both ends… One side so that it fits the pre-drilled holes, and the other so that it hopefully doesn't split when being tapped in…
And then it's off to the "Pegging Station", Drill, Hammer, Awl, Slats and Pegs…


Work around until the last one, which had the same ubiquitous 2° on one side, but a different angle on the other to match the long box side…
Fit in place, marked, and then cut, it too was doweled into place… with a couple of extra dowels into the long sides for assurance…


And there you have it except, of course, for the additional steps of removing excess Dowels…



Phew, Glad that's done! Plenty more to be done on this Project, but that phase is over…
Next on the Agenda is the wooden hardware, a role in which the Cherry I bought will play the Lead… :)


29 September 2014
 
#1,518 ·
Get a Grip!

So the final details have begun on this Mystery Project…
As was said at the end of the last blog, the Cherry that was purchased will be the story here, it is to be used for all of the Hardware and Trim…
First it had to be squared and Planed…


Since this Box is kinda large, I thought it would be a good idea to give it handles on either end, the easier to lift it with… While the block of Cherry was still whole, I thought to try some things…
First, a mortice was marked and chiseled out…




Finally got a chance to try out those Chisels I bought last year… They are a pretty set, but a little small in the hand…
And the handles come a little too much to a point… It doesn't matter on my mallet (it has seen some abuse!) but on a decent mallet these, I'm sure, would make fine divots…
Moral of the Story: There is none… I'm happy and Proud to own them! But when there's work to be done, I'll reach for my old Mortising Chisel…

Anyway, a Mortise was made in the wood and then the Handle idea was drawn around it…



That section was cut away on the Band Saw to facilitate some Scroll Saw cutting, and then back to the Band Saw for the final cut…



Which gave me the World's Smallest Dug-out Canoe…


It won't do for the Water, but will do it's intended purposes…




Simple and easy, right?
And it only took four hours to get here… :)



1 October 2014
 
#1,530 ·
Details, details...

The Mystery Project continues…
After the Handles were attached, more details had to be attended to…
It needs to be said now, that one of the suggested and agreed upon features of this Project, is that it should have "Bands" around it… Think, Steamer Trunk, sort of…
To that end, the Lid's curve was transcribed on to the Cherry Slab…


While at the hardware store, and chosen out of thousands, one of their finest "Thickness Describers" was purchased…


The curved sections were then cut out…


And doweled into place…



No effort has been made to try not to "poke through", and the Mortising Chisel makes short work of shortening the extra doweling…



And after some sanding, the Lid strapping is secure…


Hating to waste wood, I was happy to find that the off-cuts from that procedure would easily be enough for the next step…


First, it's "Sole" had to be planed on the joiner… but the shape of the piece caused alarm bells, sirens, and red flags to ring, wail, and wave, respectively…


In order to keep littlecope a little less anxious, the two halves of the curved cut-off were rejoined temporarily… And the joining went without event…


And the Piece becomes a Hinge…



And that's all Folks, so far…
I have most of this week off from Work and hope to make more progress…


Hey, how about that off-cut from the hinge cutting?
Think Ferrari could do anything with that?
Or Lockheed-Martin perhaps? :)


11 October 2014
 
#1,550 ·
and more Details...

9 days ago, we left off with one of the hinges needing a replacement top half…
The off-cut was not as sleek as the originals, but the new half should work…



As was said, this "Strapping" is going completely around… So attention then turned to the front, where "The Plan" is, for there to be Latches…
They begin with holes, much like the hinges…
(To my Australian Friend Robert: this image is especially for you… My one and only Brad Point Bit saw a lot of use on this Project!)


Unlike the Hinges the Latches were worked together, both going through the procedures at the same time, beginning with the marking out…
A quick template was made to mark out for the lever, and that was the first cutting done…



Then the profiles were cut, some fierce Scrolling… Care had to be taken, while the blade traveled through the open lever area…




The Levers themselves will be made from Yellow Heart and were marked using these parts, cut, and then file fitted…


The holes were transferred to the levers by simply putting them in place, re-drilling partially, then finishing what was begun…



One of the holes was out-sized to turn freely and the rest of the shape was marked and cut…
At the same time, the first pieces were cut to make the two fixed halves of the latch…



3/8" dowel was inserted, carefully, and the levers were worked with a file…
Until they worked…







Anyway, 9 days and they're not even attached yet…
If I ever stopped fooling around (and having so much fun), maybe I could get something done…
Here's one last one for posterity, in case they disintegrate when I go to put them on… :)


20 October 2014
 
#1,566 ·
End in sight...

Last Friday came and went, and with it my sixth year anniversary on LJ's…
It has been quite a six years… While some tools and machines have found their home here, changing some of the methods, enjoyment and fun have not changed… The happiest time, is still found in the Shop…
But it has also been Good Fun to have found some Great Folks, willing to follow along with my ramblings about the adventures, and for that I'd like to offer my heartfelt appreciation…

Anyway, with the Latches made for the current "Mystery Project", it was only left to attach them…


Two different sizes of dowel pins were needed and the deed was accomplished with relatively little fanfare…


A good deal of Rasp and File fitting was required after that, including the bottom of the Latch and Hinge lengths, which had to be brought down flush…


The off-cuts from the various parts have proved invaluable on this project, enabling the piece to be held at least semi-securely for the different procedures…
To complete the wrap-around banding or strapping, a couple more strips were sawn and planed…


This was literally straight-forward stuff…
One of the bands was planed down to just proud of the lip around the bottom… That way, these bands/feet will be carrying the whole weight of the box to the bottom (which was 1/2" Ply)... The Chest will essentially "float" on it's bottom…
The two Strips were cut to the two different lengths and then pinned in place, completing the Cherry's circuits around the Chest… Here, the very last dowel pin is about to be set…


When these were being pinned in place, notice was made of just how much dowel had been used!
Four 4' lengths of 1/8" dowel had been purchased at the beginning, and what's left is most of one, so nearly 13' of it…

In the same vein, The Yellowheart shrank some, but the Cherry very nearly vanished…



There is a little more clean-up yet to do (and a personalized detail) but the Chest should be in the Finishing Department within the next few days…
Though two pages have been removed from the Calendar since it was started, the actual work time has only been in the neighborhood of 40 hours…


Thanks for coming along for the ride… :)

26 October 2014
 
#1,585 ·
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes... (Part II)

The end of October, 2011, was a turning point in my Life… Those who read my Blogs will remember, that there was a small fire in the basement of our Apartment building in Manchester… While the building was certainly not destroyed, the lack of Electricity and Heat, along with the pervasive smell of Smoke, made living there untenable for Debbie and I…
We moved, spending our first Winter in the hills of Henniker, NH at my Aunt's house, who was Gracious enough to let us occupy her empty house while she Wintered in Florida…
When Spring came, we moved all of our things once again, to a large Apartment in Concord, NH… It was meant to be a temporary thing, but two years passed quickly with little change… Last Summer, we resolved to start looking for "a place of our own" during the winter, with our eyes on a Spring move…

In November of last year, I went on-line looking at available Homes in the Concord area… Most were out of our Price range, or didn't meet our criteria… But there was one that caught my eye…
I put in a request to go see the building with the Realtor, and went to view it a couple of days later… We loved it from the start, it was just "US"! Now we just had to make it happen…
I won't bore you with the details, those of you who have gone through the home buying process are well aware of the difficulties and obstacles along that Road! But we had our own Great Real Estate Agent who fought for us relentlessly, ironing out the wrinkles, and finding paths around the stickier problems…

So on Friday, February 13th, I became the New Owner of a Home here in Concord, NH…
The Challenge since then, has been moving all of our accumulated "Stuff" here, during some of the coldest and snowiest Weather on record!




That was why, I had wanted to wait until Spring! But when the Door of Opportunity opens, it is seldom open for very long, so the Winter move had to be… I was not without help, Debbie's Brother John helped throughout the ordeal, and my own Brother Scott lent a hand as well… Though it seemed to take interminably long, the move was concluded yesterday, only 15 days after the Closing…

Of interest to my Lumberjock Friends, there is a fine Space in the Basement for what will be the Shop… Going by the old 'Farmer's Logic', the heaviest piece of equipment I have was moved first… Here is the Band Saw, lonely in its New Home, and another image showing the New Space…




The Band Saw was not lonely for long! Here are roughly the same views, taken this Morning…




It's a shambles of course, like the rest of our house after the move… Incredibly though, everything is actually plugged in and operable (or can be made to work very quickly)...

So anyway, my Apologies to my Friends here on LJ's for not commenting on their Projects and Blogs for the last "little while"... My Computer/Free time has been scarce! I hope to catch up soon… But there is unpacking to be done, renovations to be begun…

I am a Happy and Contented Man… :)


1 March 2015
 
#1,611 ·
Company...

The Lumberjocks that were here about 70 or 80 thousand LJ's ago, probably still remember the Patron's ill-fated trip...
It was to be a follow-up to his trip up the West Coast the previous year, stopping and meeting Lj's along the way…
This time, David would head up through the Heartland of America, over to the East Coast, then down into the South, ultimately through Texas and back to his Home in New Mexico, at least saying "Hi" to all of the LJ's along the way that he could manage to fit into his time frame and itinerary… That Plan of course was scrapped, when his Vehicle broke down near Indianapolis…
Though it was a misadventure, it brought out some of the best in Lumberjocks, when many rallied to help him get where he needed to be…

Two Years ago next week, I had an opportunity to go out to see him, giving him a hand raising the first wall of his shop… We had some Good Fun doing that, and became Friends…

In December of last Year, he told me of another excursion East that he would be making in April… His Brother Star (who lives in the D.C. area) had some work for him, and was going to fly him there to do it…


Since Washington is relatively close to New Hampshire, we made plans for him to visit us in Concord…
The long and short of it is, I picked David up at South Station in Boston on April 24th and brought him to our Home, where our Guest Bedroom was waiting for him…


Our New House is (as you can see) an old one, and David hit the ground running the very next day… Our Front and Back doors needed a real shove to close (and a healthy pull to open!), so David showed how to loosen them up by shimming the Hinges, this way or that, to loosen or tighten their closing… They can now be closed with a single finger…
This place was built in 1900, so due to house settling, this will be useful on all the doors as we work our way through improvements…

Next day we cut down three Arborvitaes from in front of the house…


I've never liked that type of shrub and they had reached the stage where they were becoming "Tree-ish" anyway, when they can't be trimmed without exposing branches… They made a fair pile of brush, that I'll have to haul off next week…


We took a trip to Lowes to purchase supplies for our first Room redo, our Bedroom… Debbie and I selected the paints, while David grabbed a second cart… Well aware of our Plans, he grabbed numerous things that would prove extremely useful for them… Indeed, almost all of the new tools were used immediately in our work!
Somehow while shopping, he managed to conceal a gift for me in there too… Apparently tired of using my old Stanley "Yankee Screwdriver", David bought me a Hitachi Screw Gun… It is much appreciated, as I was tired of using the old "Yankee too!


For the next few days, he demonstrated all of the fine points of spackling, mudding, taping, sanding, painting… Lessons that will serve me well for the all of the Work ahead…

The Bedroom (still unfinished) this morning looked like this…


The Ceiling is freshly painted, along with the walls… My plan next (and throughout the House), is to Paint all of the Trim a Light Gray and any "Details" a Darker Gray… Since Gray is neutral, it works with any color, and should work well for tying together all of the different colored rooms…

With David's help, somewhere in the last week we also managed to flip the Baseboard heater from one wall to the next…


And also to change the door of the shed from inside-opening to out… He pointed out that the door sweeping inside of the small 8' X 8' was using up half the space!


Of course through all of this, there was plenty of time to tell stories, share and discuss deep thoughts, smokes and coffees, Eats and Treats… My Frugality (Cheapness) and height were a good source for some good-natured kidding around too, along with his Age (think: Methuselah) and Shyness…
He even managed to re-connect with an old Friend of his that now lives in Concord!

Anyway, I brought David to the Airport in Manchester this Morning, he should be home in New Mexico by now…
It was a Joy and a Pleasure to have him under our Roof, and I hope that he enjoyed himself half as much as we enjoyed having him as our Guest… I can't Thank him enough for all the work and instruction he provided us…
Debbie said it better than I can… She said, "Your Friend is a Nice Man"...

I still owe you a Pencil Buddy… :)


1 May 2015
 
#1,612 ·
David appears to be a very busy house guest! He can do/fix anything! I need to line up a bunch of jobs and invite him to come "vacation" in Oklahoma.

Your new home is looking GOOD! And doors that work effortlessly are a joy. We cut our Arbor Vidaes down as well. They are wasp/yellowjacket magnets where we live.
 
#1,629 ·
Can You Guess What it Is?

Took a little break from the Re-Painting scene and squeezed in some Shop Time… Can You guess what I made?
Began with a scrap 2 X 4 appropriately long enough for the task at hand and shaped the first profile with the Band Saw…


Since the 2 X 4 didn't have a very flat bottom, it was clamped between two scraps of Poplar that are flat… The Clamps were Leapfrogged down the length of the big 'Sandwich' as it was cut…
Which gave this…


More Profile cuts were plotted, using a penny and a convenient bucket lid for the marking…


All Band Saw work on this little Project…


Some holes had been drilled already, and after some filing and sanding, small dowels were added…


Done deal! Nothing left to do but hang it up…


Any guesses what it's for??? :)

14 May 2015
 
#1,655 ·
Another "Quick Fix", and a Question...

So, a couple weeks ago, driving down the road, I caught sight of something on the curb that nobody had any use for anymore… I tossed it in the back of the "Yota, and brought it home for closer inspection… This, is what was found…


Verily, a Rocking Chair…
After a rough sanding (the White Paint was flaking off something awful), closer examination revealed a tag on the bottom proclaiming it to be a product of the Boling Chair Company of Siler City, North Carolina… A fine Chair, I'm sure, when it was purchased back in the late "50's, but this one looks like it has spent more than a few Seasons on someone's porch…
Still, the parts were all there, and amazingly most of the glue held up too (Except the Seat, which separated some at the joints)... It was decided that it was worth at least an attempt at saving…
The Seat doesn't worry me, and can be fixed at any time… The real Problem was that two of the Spindles, that our backs will rest against, had been sheared off from heavy use…
With no Lathe, new spindles can't be reproduced (and there is a slight, original bend in them as well)... I'd be loathe to try to take it apart for a fancy repair anyway as this is now, at best, an "Old Farmer's Chair"...
After some thought, I reasoned that: #1) Since the spindles only receive stress when someone is seated, and #2) That stress is only applied "backwards", then #3) If a way could be developed to hold them from moving backwards, all would be well…
This morning, a "cradle" of sorts was fashioned out of some Birch, to hold them in place and then screwed to the headrest of the Chair…. For Balance (and to try to eliminate the need to do this again), it holds all three middle spindles…




The Chair has been personally tested, and can now be comfortably used and operated…

The question is this: Is anybody aware of a good way to prep weather-beaten wood such as this for Painting?
It is as dry as an old Fence and I've never had much luck painting over wood in that condition… Any Pointers??? :)

30 August 2015
 
#1,656 ·
Creative repair job, Mike!
Actually your chair is in style, distressed like that. I think a good quality spray primer followed by a good quality spray paint, would do a reasonably good job on your chair. On second thought, the seat looks as it it might tend to bleed through so I would do a coat of shellac first, it stops bleed through, then the paint.
 
#1,664 ·
For a Change...

A little break in the House Renovation Action, so there was an opportunity to Work on something I've been building in my head for the last six months or so…
I've had a designated 'Work Box' for a number of years, a box for storing personal things in at Work…
My first one, I out-grew, and so I simply grabbed one that was 'kicking around…
Furniture Table Wood Rectangle Wood stain


This one is the right size for the Job, but has drawbacks… #1) It barely fits through my Locker Door (unless it's turned sideways), #2) It takes two hands to carry (which means that I'm left trying to juggle the thing when I punch in or out)... Also, this one wasn't made with the idea of it being a work box, it is a little on the 'delicate' side…

So with those things in mind, Action was finally put to thought last week when I began simply by measuring the Locker Door opening and space inside…
When the limits were ascertained, a box was made, only more of in a "Tote" style…
Wood Rectangle Art Tints and shades Flooring


A double-door swinging outward design made out of Bubinga was approved, and some material was removed to make the requisite Handle…
(The Tape is there strictly for illustration purposes)
Wood Brick Flooring Floor Wall


And thus ended last weekend…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After working all week, this Morning I finally had a chance to begin the Hinge Work for the Doors…
Some Maple was selected, and Planed, then cut into strips…
Wheel Tire Automotive tire Motor vehicle Vehicle


Wood Rectangle Composite material Gas Flooring


A Fence and Stop were set-up on the Drill Press to drill the Pivot Holes…
Hand Finger Gesture Wood Handheld power drill


After the first one was laid out, it became the template for the rest
Ruler Office ruler Wood Tool Automotive exterior


Rinse and repeat as, one by one, the Parts were cut out
Hood Automotive design Gas Bumper Tints and shades


Since these Hinges will be 'full-length', these were cut until there was enough to cover the length of one side…
Ruler Office ruler Wood Rectangle Flooring


The other half of the hinges will be made from Bubinga like the Lids/handle(s) ...
Here I'm using a horrendous example of how not to re-saw, a mistake piece from the trial and error period of the new Band Saw a few years back…
Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Gas Composite material


Hating to waste Wood, it warms my Heart to be able to use that! It won't be "perfectly uniform", but my stuff never is anyway…
With the change of species came a change in Drill size as well but the other 'rinse and repeat' steps were the same…
Wood Tableware Wood stain Floor Hardwood


I've begun gluing the first Hinge to the Box (which is a bit dicey) but tonight the hinges are both cut out…
My Friend, the Patron, thought they look 'over bearing', and there's no denying that… But the lids for this box are also the handles, and will have to bear the load of the Box and its contents…
There is no question they will stand out… :)

Wood Gas Flooring Rectangle Tints and shades


18 September 2016
 

Attachments

#1,665 ·
For a Change...

A little break in the House Renovation Action, so there was an opportunity to Work on something I've been building in my head for the last six months or so…
I've had a designated 'Work Box' for a number of years, a box for storing personal things in at Work…
My first one, I out-grew, and so I simply grabbed one that was 'kicking around…
Furniture Table Wood Rectangle Wood stain


This one is the right size for the Job, but has drawbacks… #1) It barely fits through my Locker Door (unless it's turned sideways), #2) It takes two hands to carry (which means that I'm left trying to juggle the thing when I punch in or out)... Also, this one wasn't made with the idea of it being a work box, it is a little on the 'delicate' side…

So with those things in mind, Action was finally put to thought last week when I began simply by measuring the Locker Door opening and space inside…
When the limits were ascertained, a box was made, only more of in a "Tote" style…
Wood Rectangle Art Tints and shades Flooring


A double-door swinging outward design made out of Bubinga was approved, and some material was removed to make the requisite Handle…
(The Tape is there strictly for illustration purposes)
Wood Brick Flooring Floor Wall


And thus ended last weekend…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After working all week, this Morning I finally had a chance to begin the Hinge Work for the Doors…
Some Maple was selected, and Planed, then cut into strips…
Wheel Tire Automotive tire Motor vehicle Vehicle


Wood Rectangle Composite material Gas Flooring


A Fence and Stop were set-up on the Drill Press to drill the Pivot Holes…
Hand Finger Gesture Wood Handheld power drill


After the first one was laid out, it became the template for the rest
Ruler Office ruler Wood Tool Automotive exterior


Rinse and repeat as, one by one, the Parts were cut out
Hood Automotive design Gas Bumper Tints and shades


Since these Hinges will be 'full-length', these were cut until there was enough to cover the length of one side…
Ruler Office ruler Wood Rectangle Flooring


The other half of the hinges will be made from Bubinga like the Lids/handle(s) ...
Here I'm using a horrendous example of how not to re-saw, a mistake piece from the trial and error period of the new Band Saw a few years back…
Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Gas Composite material


Hating to waste Wood, it warms my Heart to be able to use that! It won't be "perfectly uniform", but my stuff never is anyway…
With the change of species came a change in Drill size as well but the other 'rinse and repeat' steps were the same…
Wood Tableware Wood stain Floor Hardwood


I've begun gluing the first Hinge to the Box (which is a bit dicey) but tonight the hinges are both cut out…
My Friend, the Patron, thought they look 'over bearing', and there's no denying that… But the lids for this box are also the handles, and will have to bear the load of the Box and its contents…
There is no question they will stand out… :)

Wood Gas Flooring Rectangle Tints and shades


18 September 2016
Mike, good luck on your continuing remodel…that always takes a lot of time and work, especially if it is a one man project.

I like the design here. The hinges are strong and it looks like the process will work. Will the box stay shut as you carry it, or is the plan to let it do what it will? I am eager to see the finished product. Thanks for taking us through the process as you made it. Those hinges will certainly do the job. What if there were a rope handle that was fastened to one side and fitted through a slot on the other side? There is a lot to think about in this unique and clever design. Keep boxing and keep posting.
 

Attachments

#1,676 ·
Might I Miter?

So there we were, walking through Sears, looking for some clothing…
As is usual with a Sears visit, I ended up wandering to the tool department; specifically, their Miter Saw line up…
From small to large, it's always been fun for me to imagine getting one of those, and to imagine making Mitered box corners…
Debbie came up behind me and asked if I liked any of them, and then further fueled the desire for one by asking if I needed one, adding that "Christmas is coming" and the final "Michael, you never buy yourself anything!"
Who can refuse such Logic???

The upshot is, one of them came home with me that night, a fine machine that has served to (at least a little)
re-awaken the Wood working urge here in Sunny New Hampshire…
Automotive tire Motor vehicle Automotive design Gas Luggage and bags


Set-up was simple and intuitive, the stand provided is adequate for its current use (though later on an entire 'station' for it will likely be constructed…)
No better test I could think of for the machine, other than to try building a box with it…
To that end, some scrap Curly Maple was located, cut to length (which is a first fruit of this new toy; repeatable, accurate length cuts have always been impossible!), then squared length-wise, and end mitered…
Brown Tableware Drinkware Wood Serveware


A Dado was plowed out for the Box panels as well…
Wood Tool Hardwood Lumber Flooring


I tried to be cute, and cut them one-time in 'sort of' the way of Martyn's old E-Z Mitre fashion… But I am as yet not familiar with the Saw enough and couldn't get the Saw Kerf to work my way… I ended up with four sides sure enough, just not quite as long as planned!
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Hardwood


Panels of Bubinga, top and bottom, were then added, and since this is going to be a Lift-off type lid, a small Handle was contrived out of Yellow Birch…
Wood Rectangle Flooring Hardwood Plant


After the glue up, a new Bandsaw Blade was installed and the sawing off of the Lid went without event…
Table Wood Bottle Fluid Gas


Wood Rectangle Flooring Automotive exterior Gas


Wood Gas Flooring Composite material Machine


This box has indicated that it wishes to be of the jewelry containing ilk, and to facilitate that, two small trays are being made now…
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain Flooring


The sides of these trays are made from slats removed from an old louvered door, very brash stuff…
It is well that I allowed for extra materials for this step, because there was a good deal of splitting and cracking…

Anyway, that's where I find myself right now… Yesterday some time was taken to make some patterns like the old days, to try to fit as bottoms for the trays…
Table Wood Flooring Floor Luggage and bags


Had a heck of a time cutting the small dados in those tiny tray sides, but that is a story for another day… :)

28 November 2017
 

Attachments

#1,677 ·
Might I Miter?

So there we were, walking through Sears, looking for some clothing…
As is usual with a Sears visit, I ended up wandering to the tool department; specifically, their Miter Saw line up…
From small to large, it's always been fun for me to imagine getting one of those, and to imagine making Mitered box corners…
Debbie came up behind me and asked if I liked any of them, and then further fueled the desire for one by asking if I needed one, adding that "Christmas is coming" and the final "Michael, you never buy yourself anything!"
Who can refuse such Logic???

The upshot is, one of them came home with me that night, a fine machine that has served to (at least a little)
re-awaken the Wood working urge here in Sunny New Hampshire…
Automotive tire Motor vehicle Automotive design Gas Luggage and bags


Set-up was simple and intuitive, the stand provided is adequate for its current use (though later on an entire 'station' for it will likely be constructed…)
No better test I could think of for the machine, other than to try building a box with it…
To that end, some scrap Curly Maple was located, cut to length (which is a first fruit of this new toy; repeatable, accurate length cuts have always been impossible!), then squared length-wise, and end mitered…
Brown Tableware Drinkware Wood Serveware


A Dado was plowed out for the Box panels as well…
Wood Tool Hardwood Lumber Flooring


I tried to be cute, and cut them one-time in 'sort of' the way of Martyn's old E-Z Mitre fashion… But I am as yet not familiar with the Saw enough and couldn't get the Saw Kerf to work my way… I ended up with four sides sure enough, just not quite as long as planned!
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Hardwood


Panels of Bubinga, top and bottom, were then added, and since this is going to be a Lift-off type lid, a small Handle was contrived out of Yellow Birch…
Wood Rectangle Flooring Hardwood Plant


After the glue up, a new Bandsaw Blade was installed and the sawing off of the Lid went without event…
Table Wood Bottle Fluid Gas


Wood Rectangle Flooring Automotive exterior Gas


Wood Gas Flooring Composite material Machine


This box has indicated that it wishes to be of the jewelry containing ilk, and to facilitate that, two small trays are being made now…
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain Flooring


The sides of these trays are made from slats removed from an old louvered door, very brash stuff…
It is well that I allowed for extra materials for this step, because there was a good deal of splitting and cracking…

Anyway, that's where I find myself right now… Yesterday some time was taken to make some patterns like the old days, to try to fit as bottoms for the trays…
Table Wood Flooring Floor Luggage and bags


Had a heck of a time cutting the small dados in those tiny tray sides, but that is a story for another day… :)

28 November 2017
OK Mike , all looks good except for a couple of concerns.
1. I hope you gave Deb a nice slobbery kiss! no mention of this for of rcognition in the story.
2. Did she spring for a nice new bottle of TBIII too?
3. Whats with opening presents before the due date?
4. I noticed you have committed the worst mistake a woodworker can possibly do, you have posted an empty coffee cup!!

I went to check out Martin's work at the link but the images have been held to ramsome by Photobucket ... Rats.

Standing by for your post on the small dados.

Oh, ... And just in case you thought I missed the box ... coming along nicely!!
 

Attachments

#1,688 ·
The Art of making Complexity out of Simplicity...

The current box was/is scheduled to have two trays made for it…
For the sides of the trays, some old slats were appropriated from a louvered door,
and cut down to size (Height-wise) on the Scroll Saw…
Milling Machine tool Gas Wood Jig grinder


The plan is to use very thin Pine for the bottom of these trays, thus a dado is required to hold the Pine in Place…

Firstly, a very small (1/8"?) router bit was attempted, with extremely dubious results!
Wood Office ruler Hand tool Flooring Tool


If I ever need "Faux Wormholes" at least I'll know how to proceed…

Plan B was next, using the inverted circular saw with a "Simulated Zero Clearance" board attached… This way is NOT recommended!! It is extremely dangerous!!
But it worked, sort of…
Wood Musical instrument accessory Office equipment Audio equipment Tool


The Problem with this method, aside from the obvious peril, is that the blade has seen some use (okay,a lot of use)
It no longer cuts a nice, square bottom…
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Plank


The challenge to making the thin, small tray bottoms fit will be three-fold;
#1) Firstly, Cutting the pine that thin to begin with!
#2) They then will have to be cut to the right size to fit inside the trays exactly
#3) The edges will have to be shaped to fit the contour of the bottoms of the Dadoes

To get thin stock, first the old "Log Holder" contraption was attempted…
Wood Hardwood Gas Composite material Plank


That worked fine, except the piece I chanced to cut into had splitting issues…
I was disillusioned, and took a different tack entirely…
Wood Flooring Automotive tire Floor Road surface


I simply freehand cut into a separate piece
like I was making a featherboard
and then clipped the feathers off…
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle Composite material


Using the patterns I made, Packets were made up and sawn
of several thicknesses of the thin materials
It is so thin, the additional pieces will protect it through the cutting
and also give me some extras in case I needs 'em…
Wood Automotive lighting Tints and shades Space Flooring


Time is a scarce commodity to spend on Woodworking lately (as per usual),
but at a snail's pace, whatever it is I think I'm doing is proceeding…
Brown Wood Tints and shades Gas Hardwood


One tray almost finished, another yet to go…
Wood Wood stain Plank Hardwood Tool


I would like to take a moment to Thank You all
for the Interest and Friendship many of you have shown me
and towards these (100 now,can you believe it?!) wayward, point-less, and direction-less ramblings…
You are who makes them Fun!

Merry Christmas from Concord, N. H. as well, and Best Wishes to One and All for the Happiest and Healthiest of New Years!!
Christmas tree Plant Light World Christmas ornament


10 December 2017
 

Attachments

#1,689 ·
The Art of making Complexity out of Simplicity...

The current box was/is scheduled to have two trays made for it…
For the sides of the trays, some old slats were appropriated from a louvered door,
and cut down to size (Height-wise) on the Scroll Saw…


The plan is to use very thin Pine for the bottom of these trays, thus a dado is required to hold the Pine in Place…

Firstly, a very small (1/8"?) router bit was attempted, with extremely dubious results!


If I ever need "Faux Wormholes" at least I'll know how to proceed…

Plan B was next, using the inverted circular saw with a "Simulated Zero Clearance" board attached… This way is NOT recommended!! It is extremely dangerous!!
But it worked, sort of…


The Problem with this method, aside from the obvious peril, is that the blade has seen some use (okay,a lot of use)
It no longer cuts a nice, square bottom…
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Plank


The challenge to making the thin, small tray bottoms fit will be three-fold;
#1) Firstly, Cutting the pine that thin to begin with!
#2) They then will have to be cut to the right size to fit inside the trays exactly
#3) The edges will have to be shaped to fit the contour of the bottoms of the Dadoes

To get thin stock, first the old "Log Holder" contraption was attempted…
Wood Hardwood Gas Composite material Plank


That worked fine, except the piece I chanced to cut into had splitting issues…
I was disillusioned, and took a different tack entirely…
Wood Flooring Automotive tire Floor Road surface


I simply freehand cut into a separate piece
like I was making a featherboard
and then clipped the feathers off…
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle Composite material


Using the patterns I made, Packets were made up and sawn
of several thicknesses of the thin materials
It is so thin, the additional pieces will protect it through the cutting
and also give me some extras in case I needs 'em…
Wood Automotive lighting Tints and shades Space Flooring


Time is a scarce commodity to spend on Woodworking lately (as per usual),
but at a snail's pace, whatever it is I think I'm doing is proceeding…
Brown Wood Tints and shades Gas Hardwood


One tray almost finished, another yet to go…
Wood Wood stain Plank Hardwood Tool


I would like to take a moment to Thank You all
for the Interest and Friendship many of you have shown me
and towards these (100 now,can you believe it?!) wayward, point-less, and direction-less ramblings…
You are who makes them Fun!

Merry Christmas from Concord, N. H. as well, and Best Wishes to One and All for the Happiest and Healthiest of New Years!!
Christmas tree Plant Light World Christmas ornament


10 December 2017
Awesome job, Mike!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and Debbie!
 

Attachments

#1,694 ·
Memories...

Work at this old house took a different turn a few weeks ago…
Looking forward, there is another bedroom yet to be done on the second floor of our Home… The Room, is currently being used for storage…
Wood Building Plant Machine Curtain


Forgive the mess, but you're looking at half of a room full of my lifetime…
I have been diligent, and tried to find time to go through everything (and to find out what is junk, or yard sale, or keepsake, or gift)
have reduced the amount considerably, shredded mountains of paper
Found "forever homes" for many things, simply by putting them where they belong!
but there is always going to be a "Core" of things that are not going anywhere…
and I'm getting tired of leap-frogging it all from place to place
The Good News is, I've reduced the accumulation to one room… without any more rooms to transfer these things into, and no space for a new garage or storage outside, and no attic, the only available space is in the basement/cellar…
With this in mind, a corner in the cellar was cleared out, and the wooden braces I put in when we first moved in were converted into a rough wall…
Gas Fixture Wood Composite material Metal


What I had wanted to build here, was a sort of "Clean Room/Area" to store the remaining things I'm too sentimental to part with… but this "Bay" turned out to be a poor location…
Nonetheless, I'll clean out the "Bay" next to it and already have the first wall begun…

The corner clearing was not entirely without redemption… A pre-Lj's project that I had made emerged from the rubble…
Wood Road surface Gas Sledgehammer Hand tool


It is a Windchime I made from various useless items about 20 years ago…
It was hung on the porch of the Apartment in Manchester for a little while until I gave it to my Mom, where it hung on their porch until she passed in 2012… It hasn't been hung out or rung since…
Decided to have a little fun, brighten the old thing up a little, restring it and honor Her Memory and our own memories!

Wirebrushed and sanded the pipes and clapper, made some quick wire hangers to hold while spraying…
Grass Outdoor furniture Recreation Wood Street furniture


The chimes became Red, the clapper White…
Azure Textile Interior design Paint Building


The thick Mahogany used for the plate to string this contraption, was a leftover from the Ark Project, one of my very earliest on these pages…
Wood Waffle iron Natural material Hardwood Folk instrument


When I strung this the first time, I remember being at a loss on how to hold it in the proper perspective to do it!
The thing is relatively heavy and the work takes a few minutes…
What worked then still worked!
Wood Paint Interior design Line Wall


A small vise, attached over a door 'sideways', was just the ticket for the task…

And there you have it, fun extracted from the dusts of time…
Plant Building Property Window Wood


An old Scroll Sawn Apple completes the piece… The Wind pushes the Apple, which sways the clapper, which strikes the chimes…
Currently, waiting for a breeze and remembering… Memories… :)
Gas Fashion accessory Metal Font Personal protective equipment


15 August 2022
 

Attachments

#1,695 ·
Memories...

Work at this old house took a different turn a few weeks ago…
Looking forward, there is another bedroom yet to be done on the second floor of our Home… The Room, is currently being used for storage…
Wood Building Plant Machine Curtain


Forgive the mess, but you're looking at half of a room full of my lifetime…
I have been diligent, and tried to find time to go through everything (and to find out what is junk, or yard sale, or keepsake, or gift)
have reduced the amount considerably, shredded mountains of paper
Found "forever homes" for many things, simply by putting them where they belong!
but there is always going to be a "Core" of things that are not going anywhere…
and I'm getting tired of leap-frogging it all from place to place
The Good News is, I've reduced the accumulation to one room… without any more rooms to transfer these things into, and no space for a new garage or storage outside, and no attic, the only available space is in the basement/cellar…
With this in mind, a corner in the cellar was cleared out, and the wooden braces I put in when we first moved in were converted into a rough wall…
Gas Fixture Wood Composite material Metal


What I had wanted to build here, was a sort of "Clean Room/Area" to store the remaining things I'm too sentimental to part with… but this "Bay" turned out to be a poor location…
Nonetheless, I'll clean out the "Bay" next to it and already have the first wall begun…

The corner clearing was not entirely without redemption… A pre-Lj's project that I had made emerged from the rubble…
Wood Road surface Gas Sledgehammer Hand tool


It is a Windchime I made from various useless items about 20 years ago…
It was hung on the porch of the Apartment in Manchester for a little while until I gave it to my Mom, where it hung on their porch until she passed in 2012… It hasn't been hung out or rung since…
Decided to have a little fun, brighten the old thing up a little, restring it and honor Her Memory and our own memories!

Wirebrushed and sanded the pipes and clapper, made some quick wire hangers to hold while spraying…
Grass Outdoor furniture Recreation Wood Street furniture


The chimes became Red, the clapper White…
Azure Textile Interior design Paint Building


The thick Mahogany used for the plate to string this contraption, was a leftover from the Ark Project, one of my very earliest on these pages…
Wood Waffle iron Natural material Hardwood Folk instrument


When I strung this the first time, I remember being at a loss on how to hold it in the proper perspective to do it!
The thing is relatively heavy and the work takes a few minutes…
What worked then still worked!
Wood Paint Interior design Line Wall


A small vise, attached over a door 'sideways', was just the ticket for the task…

And there you have it, fun extracted from the dusts of time…
Plant Building Property Window Wood


An old Scroll Sawn Apple completes the piece… The Wind pushes the Apple, which sways the clapper, which strikes the chimes…
Currently, waiting for a breeze and remembering… Memories… :)
Gas Fashion accessory Metal Font Personal protective equipment


15 August 2022
Lots of memories, Mike! Love that last picture
 

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