Project Information
I'm starting to find my way around this awsome website, enjoying the great projects and comments posted by the contributors. In particular "first projects" touch a place in my heart.
I remember the sense of accomplishment as this little keepsake urn came alive in my hands, turning some scrap wood into something tangible and meaningful.
In 1988 after almost a decade of slugging furniture from one end of North America to the other, through extreme circumstances, unruly weather, back injuries, loneliness, and even an attempt on my life while sleeping in the bunk, I was able to get off the road for awhile. I've been off and on the road a few times over the years. More on than off it seems.
I accepted a position in the furniture storage facility, handling thousnads of pounds of household goods during the day, and driving on office moves into the wee hours, but, getting home every night. The renovations on our house improved with what free time was available, my artwork matured and a real desire to create in wood came about. Much of my previous woodwork had been related to renovating, carpentry and making picture frames from old windows for my drawings and stained glass work.
One day an ad appeared in the company lunchroom offering a used Sears radial arm saw for sale. A salesman had won some money and purchased a new saw for his woodworking hobby. I professed interest in the sale but not at the $250 required. He took me to his home and showed me his projects, and inferred that he really wanted the saw to go to a committed woodworker, someone who appreciated the value of such a piece of equipment. I bought it and tried to learn all there was to know about accessorizing the machine and how to maximize its functionality, which I did through the many books written on the subject. Jon Eakes book on how to tune radial arm saws was indispensable.
Not having a router at the time and being gloriously in love with my new saw, I purchased the Sears molding head cutter. Should have bought a router. The first piece through the gate got smashed and literally ripped from my hands. I conquered the beast and successfully molded the profile on the lid of the urn. The raised panels were accomplished by setting the blade at a compound angle and making multiple passes. Smoothing the coves was accomplished with sandpaper wrapped around a piece of PVC pipe. I didn't dare run the sunburst wedges through the molder, fearing the loss of my fingers. I hand sanded the roundovers and was discouraged at the outcome, and that the layout of the wedges wasn't symetrical. I finished the piece with polyurethane, one of the few pieces I haven't stained.
I took it into work to show the guys what I'd made from some scrap 1×4 spruce and masonite discarded from a damaged furiture storage pallet. I immediately received two orders for hope chests from my peers which were both given as presents to their spouses, one as a wedding present. I'll post these as another project. I did purchase a router to profile the sunburst adorning one of the chests.
I remember the sense of accomplishment as this little keepsake urn came alive in my hands, turning some scrap wood into something tangible and meaningful.
In 1988 after almost a decade of slugging furniture from one end of North America to the other, through extreme circumstances, unruly weather, back injuries, loneliness, and even an attempt on my life while sleeping in the bunk, I was able to get off the road for awhile. I've been off and on the road a few times over the years. More on than off it seems.
I accepted a position in the furniture storage facility, handling thousnads of pounds of household goods during the day, and driving on office moves into the wee hours, but, getting home every night. The renovations on our house improved with what free time was available, my artwork matured and a real desire to create in wood came about. Much of my previous woodwork had been related to renovating, carpentry and making picture frames from old windows for my drawings and stained glass work.
One day an ad appeared in the company lunchroom offering a used Sears radial arm saw for sale. A salesman had won some money and purchased a new saw for his woodworking hobby. I professed interest in the sale but not at the $250 required. He took me to his home and showed me his projects, and inferred that he really wanted the saw to go to a committed woodworker, someone who appreciated the value of such a piece of equipment. I bought it and tried to learn all there was to know about accessorizing the machine and how to maximize its functionality, which I did through the many books written on the subject. Jon Eakes book on how to tune radial arm saws was indispensable.
Not having a router at the time and being gloriously in love with my new saw, I purchased the Sears molding head cutter. Should have bought a router. The first piece through the gate got smashed and literally ripped from my hands. I conquered the beast and successfully molded the profile on the lid of the urn. The raised panels were accomplished by setting the blade at a compound angle and making multiple passes. Smoothing the coves was accomplished with sandpaper wrapped around a piece of PVC pipe. I didn't dare run the sunburst wedges through the molder, fearing the loss of my fingers. I hand sanded the roundovers and was discouraged at the outcome, and that the layout of the wedges wasn't symetrical. I finished the piece with polyurethane, one of the few pieces I haven't stained.
I took it into work to show the guys what I'd made from some scrap 1×4 spruce and masonite discarded from a damaged furiture storage pallet. I immediately received two orders for hope chests from my peers which were both given as presents to their spouses, one as a wedding present. I'll post these as another project. I did purchase a router to profile the sunburst adorning one of the chests.