# Utilitarian Projects



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

*Chris's table. An old student's table.*

I feel embarrassed to put some of my very practical projects, utilitarian things, into the projects category. Note that I have no projects, but have completed two woodworking projects for the shop and posted them…..here in a blog series. I am reserving the Projects category for my true woodworking hobby projects…............should I ever do them (-:

Here is a table I made for my son when he was 13 years old, about 28 years ago. It was used by him until he left for college. Since then it has had many functions, and a lot of heavy abuse, and withstood it all. After a remodel it got covered with…......stuff…......and is now becoming unencumbered, and will be used again. After seeing it, I realized it was somewhat unusual. So I thought the design might be of some use to someone. It has proven to be indestructible. The top is only screwed on, a 3/4" sheet of plywood, so it may be replaced. I made it from my own thoughts about engineering and design. It was meant to be abused, used, and to be tough.

Note the leg design, with a somewhat cantilevered approach.










A side view. Note the two 2×4 legs, the cross beam to the other side, and how they are fitted together.










Here is an underneath view. The table is very easy to upend, very light, in spite of considerable strength. The 2×4's are fir. The 3/4" pieces are all fir plywood. Construction is screws and glue. Note the glides nailed into the horizontal leg members.










Here is a detail of the legs, boxed in with plywood. The screws (they are easy to see) and the glue, with the boxed in construction, give this an unusual strength, considering the cantilevered design. Notice the horizontal piece. the top is screwed in with 3 screws on two of these horizontals, 6 screws in all. Easily replaceable.










Thought this might be a practical design for a study table or other. It is extremely strong, cheap to build, replaceable top, and very stable. It could be upgraded in many ways, including wood, finish, etc. The boxed double legs are the trick. They make it very tough indeed.


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## oldwoodman (Feb 4, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Chris's table. An old student's table.*
> 
> I feel embarrassed to put some of my very practical projects, utilitarian things, into the projects category. Note that I have no projects, but have completed two woodworking projects for the shop and posted them…..here in a blog series. I am reserving the Projects category for my true woodworking hobby projects…............should I ever do them (-:
> 
> ...


Thanks Jim. That is a well-designed table that can be used for many things, as you have attested. It has held up very well. I am sure you could "remodel" it to make it a solid woodshop table of some sort.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Chris's table. An old student's table.*
> 
> I feel embarrassed to put some of my very practical projects, utilitarian things, into the projects category. Note that I have no projects, but have completed two woodworking projects for the shop and posted them…..here in a blog series. I am reserving the Projects category for my true woodworking hobby projects…............should I ever do them (-:
> 
> ...


Good strong construction Jim. It's always nice to make something that lasts. I made a simple sofa set out of fir for my son's room when he was 15 and he just got rid of it a couple of years ago at age 40. Those sofas were made before I began actual woodworking. They were joined with wooden dowels and they stayed solid throughout their lifetime. I'm still amazed they lasted so long. They saw plenty of use too. It just goes to show that we don't always need mortise and tenon joints to get a good result. Please don't tell FWW I said this.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Chris's table. An old student's table.*
> 
> I feel embarrassed to put some of my very practical projects, utilitarian things, into the projects category. Note that I have no projects, but have completed two woodworking projects for the shop and posted them…..here in a blog series. I am reserving the Projects category for my true woodworking hobby projects…............should I ever do them (-:
> 
> ...


*oldwoodman:*
If it would fit in the shop, I would use it there. I suspect it is more likely to be used by my wife. However as I think, perhaps if I put some wheels on on side so it was very moveable, it might make a good project table. Have to replace one of my fold-em-up ones, but they have only been folded up once, when we did a major remodel and moved the kitchen temporarily down here. I will have to think on it.

*mike:*
You are absolutely right about construction: screws, glue, plywood, dowels, and durable design go a long way. I have made innumerable butt joint objects of plywood, joined with screws and glue. Not one of them has ever failed at a joint. In fact, and this is even stranger, I have made countless small shelves, boxes, and utilitarian things out of 1/4" plywood, nails, and glue. No reinforcement. Not one of the joints has failed. I drill partial depth holes before nailing with brads. Takes careful drilling, I use a very old flexible power take-off attachment on a wall mounted ancient small drill press that I cannabalized. It has a small chuck, and I leave a very small drill bit in it. So it is always ready to go. I just built one of these shelves 3 months ago to go on the wall behind my drill press, for storage of small drill press related, and miscellaneous objects. I wouldn't put my pipe wrenches in it, but I bet it never fails.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Chris's table. An old student's table.*
> 
> I feel embarrassed to put some of my very practical projects, utilitarian things, into the projects category. Note that I have no projects, but have completed two woodworking projects for the shop and posted them…..here in a blog series. I am reserving the Projects category for my true woodworking hobby projects…............should I ever do them (-:
> 
> ...


Looks like perfectly good use for plywood to me! That is the sort of furniture that I remember as a kid.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *Chris's table. An old student's table.*
> 
> I feel embarrassed to put some of my very practical projects, utilitarian things, into the projects category. Note that I have no projects, but have completed two woodworking projects for the shop and posted them…..here in a blog series. I am reserving the Projects category for my true woodworking hobby projects…............should I ever do them (-:
> 
> ...


Got er done should be a big asset in your work.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

*Apology*

For the first 13 viewers, the #1 entry got prematurely posted through some inadvertent keystroke shortcut…...I didn't realize there were such things. In any case, if you didn't see pictures, you didn't see the whole entry…..., so look at #1 again…......Thanks.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

*Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*

Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*

I looked at her suspiciously, and I am sure she batted her eyelids as she spoke, so I started trembling with the opportunity.

Cut up a couple of boards? Can I….........the neighborhood Lumberjock….........cut up a couple of boards?!?

Now those of you that are married realize that wives are much smarter than husbands. I am sure all you lady LJ's will verify that here, *right Now QUICK*......(-:

Wives know how to get things done. No demands or ultimatums, just give old gullible Archie the chance to put on a show, as they wheedle and woo the unsuspecting victim into the web. Let him think he has a better idea, and what's more he can make it, from scrap, for free!

She knows the hook is set *as you hunch closer to her over the table, stretching a little out of your chair, down tilted head, looking out from under your bushy old sawdust covered eyebrows, your voice rumbling, the table vibrating as the words emanate from the grotto of your manhood*, and you say…...

*'Just what did you need those little ol' sticks for, hon?'*

Now this interchange is much more than it seems. There is a lot at stake here. With her nonchalance, she hopes to minimize the importance, and maximize the output. You, on the other hand, would kill for any chance to show off the masculine power of those gleaming machines now quietly lurking in the dim man-cave….....while justifying the purchase of the next essential wood working monster megamachine.

*It's a dance…....but folks, it's really hard to tell who is leading…............*

'Well', says Sherie, 'I bought a couple of planters for tomatoes…..the greenhouse lady says buy black ones and put steer manure in the bottom, and the heat from the fermenting will make the tomatoes grow much better up here in Alaska, I just wanted the planters a little off the ground, you know, the thickness of a board would be just right.'

*....and she held her fingers about 1 1/2 inches apart in front of her face, smiling, tongue wetting her lips, as I gazed at the space…....between her fingers.*

Who's winning???

So the planters were in the back of her truck…..yes, 4 wheel drive Lexus Bubba truck, so I got them and placed them in my…......2 wheel drive, Honda Odessy van, soccer-mom car…......and off she went with her wallet in the pursuit of other indispensable purchases for the home…......

She's winning…...

So of course, I telling this in retrospect, after some analysis and embarrassing realization, unsuspecting, thought I was on the road to a new essential purchase for the shop, I was in control….......gotta have a dream…......

So I immediately head for home. Sherie had thought, wouldn't it be economical to use the boards lying there in back of the house, the boards that failed to maintain position to hold the gravel near the foundation, why…...wouldn't it be smart to use those under the planters.

*But I, thinking I had one up one her, pulled out one of the big guns…......SKETCHUP….....*

(later she noted, upon seeing my drawing with exact dimensions, in color, full plans….........*'Oh, you even made a picture!'* Believe it or not, that is a word for word quote!)

So I made the plans…....I would really wow her…..:

*SKETCHUP PLAN*










So I took the wood, some pressure treated fir, I suspect, good wood for the project, gathered it all up and brought it in the shop. I brushed off all the dirt with a wire brush, noted it was a warp-gods delight, but decided with small pieces I could make it go.

*Let's be honest, there are no one hour projects of any complexity.*

I even ripped that warped lumber to get some 2 inch pieces. I figure for two planter stands, it took me 3 1/2 hours. I spent another 1/2 hour painting them this morning with some old Olympic Oil Stain, water-proofing stuff at that. 4 hours total.

They are constructed from standard treated wood 3×1.5 inch stuff, Titebond III glue (waterproof), and BLO covered drywall screws. In our climate they will remain unchanged for 10 to 15 years at a minimum. Done this before, and that is a fact.

*THE PICTURES:*

*The Unpainted Stand:*










*The Planter on the Stand:*










*The Two Stands Painted and Drying:*

Now you should know, she said over and over again, 'Oh no, I don't need them to be painted.'

Right…......










*OK, doesn't that all seem wonderful, win-win situation, right…......?*

Well, let't think about it.

1. She has been trying to get me to clean up that old wood for a couple of years…...score one for Sherie, nah, that was a real sleeper, she gets 2 points for that.

2. She got me to make what she really wanted, we have been married for 26 years, and she knows exactly how I am going to rise to a challenge. Another point for Sherie.

3. I didn't even complain, because, now I get another point for the value of my shop. One point for me.

*But then, and this is the gospel truth….......*

The planter stands are out there drying in the sun on the stone steps leading to her planting shed. And I come out to gloat, get a little praise, and the following transpires…....

*We are standing there looking….......and she gives a little kick to another metal planter sitting there, and there are a bunch more around, puts her hand on her hip, with a little hip swivel turns to me, with a little giggle and says…..

'Got any more wood?'*

It's a dance, just gotta enjoy the rhythm, and the music…....................(-:

Alaska Jim


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Autumn*
Thanks for the view, truly was a simple straight forward project….....but there are a lot of planters out there needing stands….........(-:

......they are baking in the sunlight as we speak…....and Sherie is still out shopping….........(-:

Have a good summer….....

Jim


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## mtkate (Apr 18, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


This is a great post.

*Let's be honest, there are no one hour projects of any complexity* ... - so true, so true!

Those planter stands are great! Love the design.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*mtkate*
I always underestimate by at least double what it will take to do something. Even when I realize I underestimate!

I'll never learn. But I keep trying.

Thanks.

Jim


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## Timbo (Aug 21, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


Great story Jim, and several pearls of wisdom in there too! Hey! is this is this your first project?


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


Thanks for the comment Tim. Nah, this is still a blog item. I have to do something fancy to make it a project.

Really liked your hand resawing item, pretty darn interesting.

Hope all is well, have a good one…...

Your buddy,

Jim


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


Jim,

Sheri sounds like a real "keeper". I believe you wouldn't want it any other way, either.

Besides, by your own admission, she makes the best pizza in Alaska!

Lew


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Lew*
Yup, Sherie is a keeper. And the best pizza in Alaska. I used that rolling pin to help her last Tuesday (pizza night), haven't done that before. With my 'heft', it got even thinner, which is what we like. Best ever.

We just did a garden tour, as Sherie calls it, Kermit came along too. Flowers everywhere. Nice time in Alaska, temp is 60 deg. Sherie does an organic garden and lawn care, so we have all kinds of insects everywhere. A dragonfly landed on her as we were walking. Strange. No pesticides…..but we don't have pests. The predator insects and birds take care of everything. We have a Chickadee family in a bird house on the planting shed. You can hear the little ones chirping. Of course, all kinds of birds come to Alaska to nest. But the Chickadees are our year round pals.

Thanks for the reading…......hope all is well…

Your buddy,

Jim


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## ArcticTroy (Jan 5, 2010)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


You lost this one at "Could…" Well played though. Get it while you can, cause soon, she'll want much more with much less foreplay (i.e. make me awesome stuff by tomorrow please.)

You got a good thing going… enjoy it.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Troy*
Thanks for the comments. Love that door by the way, the figure in the wood was fabulous.

It's never a win, but it is still a success…........(-:
Yes, a never ending honey do list. But that's life, and would we want it any other way?

Has finally reached 61 degrees here today, good for drying the finish on those stands. Suspect it is warmer up there.
Dragging my family from Fairbanks down here later in the summer, looking forward to seeing them all.

Got another project nearing completion, so should have another blog item later this week or next…........
Take care…......

Later….......

Jim


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


I think you both make a win-win 
Sherie gets what she want and you get time in the mancave with what you want to do
even thow it´s still a gracefull wienervals there has to be performed with out audience 
isn´t it what we all hope for when we met the girlthat the dance will last a lifetime 
and not turn in to a thing were you just walk side by side

great story Jim tank´s for sharing
say hello to Sherie I do wish her the best luck with garden

Dennis


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


It's always a toss-up, which is more enjoyable-your projects or the stories that accompany them.

I'll have to think about it … again ;-)

It's elegant in its simplicity. Enjoy the 'maters !


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## donbee (Feb 7, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


Jim,
Congratulations on your wisdom in dealing with your partner.
Nice SketchUp model too. The finished items have a great resemblance to the model. ;-)
I giggled through your blog because it reminded me of my own experience.
Not that my Marge is coquettish, she has only to ask.
Then we have our own version of the dance.
"Sweetheart, is it time for us to re-prioritize the list? It's too long for me to known where I am!" 
Well, we usually get as far as the most important, most desired item.
Then when its finished, there's usually another item that mysteriously appears at the top of the list (?).
But we wouldn't have it any other wy, would we?

db


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


Always a good read Jim well done.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Another great story to go along with a neat project.

Now a they need are casters, for easy moving.

Plus adding to the cost. LOL*


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Dennis*
Ah yes, we have been dancing for over 25 years. No fair comparing us to Dick and Barb, they've been dancing together forever.

Well, she is playing with a few more vegetables and herbs every year. Anchorage is kinda tricky. It just doesn't get hot enough for a lot of crops. Strangely, you can go 40 miles north to Palmer, where my mother-in-law lives, and you can grow things just fine. And even in Fairbanks 350 miles north. I had a monster vegetable garden there. I assume you can relate to some of those issues in Aero.

Thanks for reading…...hope all is well.

Jim


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Neil*
This was a natural. Until I sat down and thought about a blog, I didn't realize how good a story it was. Especially with the final action out there on the stone steps. I may have added a little dramatic descriptive wordage in a couple of spots, but essentially all of this is verbatim quotes, and a true story.

Hope you and your eyes are getting somewhere…...........did you catch my email?

Jim


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Don*
That is very well put. There may be a list, but there always seems to be an immediate request appearing at the top. I am like you, the list is way too long. But Sherie lets me know about the immediate stuff as she did at the restaurant last Saturday.

The restaurant…......almost every Saturday, unless I am on call…........we go the fanciest place we can find….......
............rather the fanciest fast food place we can find. And right around the corner (that defines it as the fanciest) is the Qdoba Mexican Grill. It is a way above average Qdoba, compared to what we saw on a recent trip. Clean, nice murals, large, etc. We meet at 11:15 to avoid the crowds, and sit and talk about things like vacations, household projects and remodeling (most of which I leave to the pros), etc. And there the Honey-Do list is modified and reprioritized…..........(-:

Somehow, I am sure you understand all this….............(-:

Jim


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*a1Jim*
Thanks for the read, as always. You know, there is a problem to doing this creative type of blogging, people start to expect it, I suspect. I don't know that, though, but there is some evidence….....(-:

So when I sit down to do a project blog, (I know, these should probably be projects, not blogs) I look at things differently, and as I peruse the events, my thinking and planning, the people involved (there are always people involved, if nothing else the other LJ posts we get ideas from), I start to see it differently. And more accurately.

Until I started writing this blog, and thinking, I didn't see the whole story….....let's face it…...how well I had been manipulated….....(-:

It's an education writing these blogs. A lot of insights about myself…........and I am not sure I always like what I see…..(-:

You know, I can be duped pretty easy, especially by the fairer sex….........(-:

Seriously, glad to always see you here…......appreciate it….......

Jim


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Dick*
Actually, I could have put casters on them, but they are going to be perched on stone steps, perhaps in the grass, etc. So they wouldn't move well. And as you realistically noted, would have contributed to the cost. The only real cost to this project was the screws and glue. The oil stain was slowly getting ready to be pitched.

I know what you are thinking, those pedestals for your washer and dryer (envy, envy).

This was an off the wall design, structured to use warped wood, already available. But it actually worked out pretty good.

........and Sherie really likes them….......and that makes it all special.

Bet it will be getting pretty darn warm there soon, swimming weather. Noted not much better than Anchorage as of now. As I write 63 degrees here, that is pretty good. Of course, I remember getting snowed on in the Quetico-Superior canoe country there in Northern Minnesota at almost precisely this date…............hmmmmmmmmm…....nearly 50 years ago.

So glad…........all is well….....give my best to Barb.

Jim


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## Gregn (Mar 26, 2010)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


Jim, That was not a dance. She caught you hook line and sinker and you bit hard and swallowed the whole thing. Wives are better at fishing as they know what bait to dangle in front of you. I bet the party line is really buzzing how she got those planter stands. Glad things worked out great for the both of you.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


Jim,

I always enjoy reading your writing style. Very entertaining, but this post is probably one of your best. I just LOVE your description of the dance all us married guys do with our wives… Absolutely perfect!

I've been hammering out the stack of honey-do projects for a while now, and of course I have a TON more to do…

I am curious though, how do you do the drafting notation for scale in sketchup?


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Greg*
It is amazing after all these years, that I didn't realize until after we were outside looking at finished product drying, that I realized I had been totally had. The point count 3 for her, 1 for me, proves it…....................(-:

Somehow, though, I never feel like I have been taken when this happens with Sherie…..........

I now I gotta figure out what new tools I am going to buy?

Jim


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*dbHost David*
Thanks for the view and comments. I realized after I sat down to write the blog that it epitomized the 'dance'. So I was careful to capture the mood. It was also a very straight forward project that could be presented easily without distracting from the 'dance'.

I am not sure what you are asking, so I will go from the start:

1) Under View, Toobars, be sure Large Tool Set, and Measurements are both selected.

2) The Dimension tool is then used to make the dimensions. Bring up the Window, Instructor to help use it if you don't normally have the instructor Window visible.

3) Under Window, Model Info, click Dimensions to modify the dimension attributes. I find I have to use a heavier font to make them show on screen shots, I use Arial Black Bold, 16 point. I use the default values until I am ready to capture the image then set the font, push the Select All Dimensions, and the Update All Dimensions. The default font is less distracting while I am working.

4) Under Window, Model Info, click Units to select fractions versus decimals, etc

Some of this I learned on my own, but I think DaveR pointed out the place to find this stuff….....
Watching DaveR work in a GoToMeeting Session increased my speed considerably. I think this drawing took about 20 to 30 minutes, including calculating the dimensions to fit the planters Sherie had purchased. I included this time in the project time. Nowadays I always do a SU drawing before I start, although a may modify a project as I go. Sometimes I update the SU drawing if it is complex.

Hope that helps.

48 degrees, overcast, at 0720hrs here in Anchorage…......

Jim


----------



## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


Great blog and wonderful lady. My beautiful lady keeps telling people, me included, that she does not have
a honey do list. Yet the crocked concrete walk and concrete porch that tilted towards the house when we
bought it, came apart real easy with a rented compressor and 50 lb jackhammer. And the footings for the 
12×24 trek deck went in real easy. One keg of special screws for the treated foundation and another keg of
stainless screws for the deck and with two weeks of the vacation left, I was sitting on the deck enjoying the
sunshine. The chimney on the old cast iron fireplace was leaking and is now replaced and a new built in gas 
fireplace needs a special wood floor around it. I love her and she puts up with me. Our night out is Wed
and we seem to rotate through 8 or so favorite restaurants. Do not know how she does it, but we are 
happy. You mentioned 48 degree weather, and I am watching the snow slowly build up on the ground
outside my office, time to go play in my man cave.


----------



## alba (Jul 31, 2010)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


Jim,
wonderful and well told.

jamie


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Jonathan*
Thanks for stopping by. You are truly a neighbor….........hope to hear more from you.

Jim


----------



## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


thanks for PM'ing me this link Jim! You basically summed up my whole interaction/inner monolog of my conversation with my wife over her desk! Any excuse to justify my WW to her…


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Dirty Dancing, and Quick as well- Garden Honey Do*
> 
> Innocently Sherie asked me, while I was in a good mood, yesterday out eating lunch, and this is a for real quote…...*'Could you cut up a couple of boards for me?'*
> 
> ...


*Rob*
Thought you might enjoy it…......(-:


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

*The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*

Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....

.........first the planter stands, with planters, one with tomatoes, the other with brussels sprouts…........










And a close up…........










........a little overview…....










......just flowers…...from the land of the igloo…......(-:










The front yard…........










The garden is Sherie's. It starts blooming before the snow is off the ground,
and blooms in waves throughout the summer…....perennials, something always in bloom.

And then it blooms some more, even after the first snows fall. Hardy plants adapted…....
to the land of the igloo…...........(-:

I will try to get more pics when the garden is in full bloom….....late June and beyond.

It's a little wimpy now…....just you wait and see…...........(-:

Alaska Jim


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


Nice work Jim and beautiful garden.


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


I see my that my past impressions, of Alaska, are totally incorrect! All that green!! What beautiful flowers, veggies and foliage. Looks like Sherie is not just a master of pizza!

Thanks for the tour around the garden, Jim.

Lew


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*Jim*
Thanks Jim. The planters worked out well. Sherie gets credit for the garden. She spends a huge number of hours out there every summer. We had it professionally planted, but it has mutated tremendously. She has been out there about 30 hrs in the last 5 days. She loves it and cares for it. Fortunately it is brief, because our summer is brief.

She would love to live down there in Oregon, but there are family issues that don't allow it. We will probably never leave here. Mostly because of her handicapped daughter.

Thanks as always for the comments and the viewing. I note that it's about 72 deg there in Riddle, 68 deg here. Probably pretty nice there as well as here.

Have a good one….....

Jim


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*Lew*
Mother nature takes off with a vengence here in the spring and early summer. Sherie was lamenting that she didn't see the chickadees fledge that nested in a bird house that is attached up there in the garden shed in the pictures, it is just out of view. Just before they left, they were chirping very loudly. The chickadees are year round residents. We feed them in the winter, they don't need anything in the summer. Great friends.

The garden in the back is really always in full bloom from early June. We have a side garden with peonies and lillies. Pictures of those in a couple of weeks. And the back garden will have a new wave of flowers…....different colors.

Don't have your exact location down, but I suspect it is in the high 80's there. Not interested in that….......

Thanks again…........

Jim


----------



## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


well Jim since you are the one responsible for this drool l have running down my face…i think you should be the one who does the gland removal …lol…ah man…i know that since you are a Alaskan, you know how deep my love for that place is…....i could just cry seeing the glimpses of what use to be my home…great garden and great looking home area…it bespeaks Alaska all the way…..enjoy that midnight sun…...how about the marathon run…or down to Seward to run up that hill…..or do the crow pass and catch a chill….iditarod music will then be heard….slipping and sliding all over those moose turds…but then there's the garden with flowers delight…with hours and hours of Alaskan light…fireweed will bloom on the hill…..oh i can remember my Alaskan thrill..


----------



## Woodwrecker (Aug 11, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


Great project Jim, and Man O Man, that is some garden !!!


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*Grizz*
I enjoyed my fathers day (since I was on call over the weekend, today was father's day). Just hung out here on Lj's, lot of calls last night, that's my excuse.

I know you will be interested….......we had baked potatoes…....first I microwave them awhile, then I put them in the toaster oven at 450 deg, for an hour on convection,,,hot, hot, hot…....the potatoe skins are very crusty, always done, and I put butter, salt and pepper, and sour cream on them, and eat the skins as well. Then we had salad of course, Sherie did her usual spectacular job with that.

I bought a rib steak about 1 1/2 inches thick, about $7.99 a pound. I said, someone underpriced this and I was right. Put in on the grill at the highest temperature we could muster, meaning eyebrow burning hot, and cooked it perfectly to medium rare. Best steak I have had in a moose age, wow. Almost ate the bone. Wish I could buy that one again.

Beautiful Alaska day…....66 degrees at 2030hrs. Ready to hit the sack in bright daylight. Wish you were here. My last delinquent child, up in Fairbanks, called this evening. Since Anthea will be here next month with Marcus, her husband, great guy, and three delightful grandchildren, including my namesake, I have extracted 3 backrubs….....Anthea gives the best backrubs in the world…...as punishment for the late call. Terrible punishment for her, great retribution for me.

Thanks for the words and the visit as always….....have a good one….....

Jim


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*Eric*
Thanks for stopping by. In the summer that's where you find Sherie, keeping those flowers coming. It is all organic. No pesticides. Bugs all over the place, spiders, dragon flies, you name it. Birds everywhere. No plant diseases. The lawn (she digs out those dandelions) free of most weeds. I had my reservations, but I can see it now. The ecosystem is in balance.

Of course, I have to gently carry each daddy long-legs outside that wanders in the shop, spiders are scooped up on paper and relocated, birds are fed, hornets, wasps, bees, worms, you name it….....are local royalty. Nothing except mosquitoes and house flies are swatted.

Live and let live…......

Have a good one…...

Jim


----------



## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


are you sure it ain´t greenland you and Sherie lieve in…....it´s a beautyfull garden Jim
she can be proud of that….........it´s looking a lot better than ours …..even my kitschen garden
wont grow right this year …........as usual :-(........well still fun to work in there

thanks for letting me want a BBQ steak in the mittle of the day ….....were shuold I get that…mmh

how does it go with the supersledge it´s a while since we last heart anything from the shop…...
you have to go in there and stress of a little more 

best thoughts from Ærø
Dennis


----------



## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*What a beautiful flower garden, Sherie does a wonderful job with it.

I commend her for it.

I used to take care of a doctors yard when I was 12, or 13 years old.

I spent a lot of time weeding, & to this day I can never keep the weeds out of our perennials.

By the way, my wages were 20 cents an hour. I thought it was great to have a job that paid.

Your flowers are ahead of ours. I guess it's because of the longer days.*


----------



## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


Now THAT is a gorgeous garden you and your wife have there… Excellent work. The planter stands look great there to boot!


----------



## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


N….......................
i…................................
c…........................
e…............................

G…................
a….............
r…...........
d…...................
e…....................
n…................
!.......................
.............................
.................................
.....................................
.........................................
..........................................
..........................................
........................................


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


Beautiful garden Jim and very nice planter feet. I think you or Sherie or maybe both of you should consider joining garden tenders. I have and it's kind of fun. Lots of inspiration and nice folks there too. It takes away some LJ time, but a little variation helps to remain sane. One deals with living wood on the one hand and dead wood on the other (not talking about the members here). The full cycle so to speak. I only know how to mow the lawn, but I do enjoy rubbing elbows with the real gardeners.


----------



## ArcticTroy (Jan 5, 2010)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


Those planter stands are just right Jim. I'm waiting for the wife to ask for 'em and I'll be happy to do so caue I know just what to do now.

It's fun to grow things with over 21 hours of sunlight a day late spring and early summer.


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*Dennis*
Thanks for the view. The shop has been a little slow of late. I was on call last weekend, and sometimes I just don't get anything done when I am on call. I have one wierd project table top very close to done, and it was kinda complex. But to finish it I needed a giant panel sled, which I working on now. It is very simple, and only needs a couple hours of work. Then the project table top can be squared off properly. So all of a sudden I will have two projects to blab about…...(-:


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*Dick*
Sherie puts a lot of work in that garden every year. She has the people who initially actually helped her plant it come in the spring to get it cleaned up, and they come in the fall and put it sleep. Sherie always works with them. But is out there nearly every day weeding, pulling up volunteers…...she has a number of plants that like to spread everywhere, etc. You can't have a garden like that unless you really work it. Think I have mentioned it before, it is all organic. No chemicals or chemical fertilizer used at all.

I am surprised we are ahead of you. Of course, most of those plants were selected by a professional garden designer, and they specifically like this climate. Sherie says many of the plants in the large back garden like it cool. Having a designer come in was a good idea, because it made the garden take off the very first year. Then having professional gardeners come in twice a year helps. They suggest different plants to substitute for those not doing so well.

Jim


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*David*
Like I said, It is all Sherie's doing. I water it if she is out of town, and that is my only input. How is your potting table working out? I think that was the final repository for your reclaimed treated wood. The garden shed you see there has a good potting table built in right under some windows. The stands do look good and work good in that setting. That was so easy, I am going to have to dream up some other garden projects. For odd reasons I have a whole bunch of old Olympic stain that should work well, different colors.

Jim


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*Randy*
You have a way with words, they cut a fine figure…...................(-:

Thanks for stopping by. Peroidically Sherie will grab on a weekend and drag me out saying 'Time for a garden tour'. Then she uses all the names of the plants and decribes how they are doing, and what changes she has made. It is always a fun deal.

Our chickadees fledged and were gone very quickly one day when we weren't looking….....miss the chirping from the bird house on the potting shed.

Jim


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*Troy*
Don't let on you are copying someone elses design, you get more points that way….(-:

You know I was looking at the picture, and realized I didn't take out the pan head screws I put in the feet for them to stand on while I painted them and while they dried. I think I will leave them in there. This fall when the garden is cleaned up I will either take them out, or weather proof them with some BLO or some such. They are probably a good idea for sitting on concrete or rock, keeps the feet out of any pooling water. Or I could trade them out for some stainless steel ones. Hmmmmmmm.

Those stands would lend themselves to mass production of the same or various sizes. Next spring I will volunteer to build some more…......

You have a better growing climate than we do, we have to use very cool weather plants. Fairbanks has higher degree days than we do by some margin. Palmer is a lot like Fairbanks, even better. The influence of the ocean here is considerable.

Jim


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*Mike*
Again, really enjoyed those pictures from your day trip. Bring us more.

I keep offering to get Sherie involved with the Garden Forum, but she is not into that stuff much. Most of her computer time is spent shopping….......(-:

I got her one of the latest and greatest sewing machines for our wedding anniversary. It is very intuitive, so she is down loading all kinds of designs and embroidering them on T-shirts for the grand kids, etc. I was thinking the machine was overkill, since she had another good embroidery machine, but the technology is making things much easier. That machine threads itself, and has a good sized built in computer touch screen. Very nice, and fun for her. She has done more embroidery with that machine in just a couple of weeks than she did with the other in a couple of years. Nice technology.

I am into another computer purchase cycle. Every 3 to 5 years. This computer is nearly 5 years old, and it is starting to show its age, relative to the stuff I do with it. I keep it well maintained, meaning software and the hardware, but they inevitably aren't quite what I need for my tasks. So think I will buy instead of build. Between the shop, LJ's, work, etc, I don't have enough energy to build a machine at this time.

Had two weekends on call close together this month, and Memorial Day weekend was long and very busy. No call weekends from now until August, so I should regroup.

Jim


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


I can relate to your wife's lack of interest Jim. My wife isn't much for having fun with the computer either. she isn't as good a sitter as me.

I can only imagine how your full schedule sucks the energy out of you. I jumped at the chance of early retirement since I had worked since I was 17 and I wanted to enjoy a few years of freedom to smell the flowers and have time for some hobbies. I don't regret this for a minute. Of course we are all different and enjoying life isn't necessarily about having a lot of spare time to spend. So everyone has to cater to their own needs. there are up and downsides to every choice. I do hope you will be able to enjoy your rather short summer there in Anchorage and your very nice garden too.


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *The Planter Stands......Dancing in the Sun*
> 
> Thought those of you who read the last blog item might enjoy a couple of pics from the garden….....
> 
> ...


*Mike*
By the time the summer is over, I think Sherie is ready for the garden to be over. The cycle of the seasons works pretty good for her.

It is amazing how energy levels become more and more dependent on recent schedules and events as one ages. I know I worked the last weekend on Thursday, 4 days later. It affects my outlook and reserves. In my non-working hours, I have learned to just do what I feel like, not push myself, as the years have passed by. It was a difficult lesson, learned almost too late. There is no slacking in my job, there is no way to cut corners. So my leisure hours have to be just that.

Jim


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

*Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*

*MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*

This project was previewed as a Mini-Bench, but that was apparently confusing. So I gave it the more appropriate Multi-Function name.

This bench is where I sand, assemble, and glue-up projects. It holds a compressor, nail guns and the nails.

I am also filing this as a project today, but in much abbreviated form.

*CONSTRUCTION:*

From the front left….










From the back left…..










From the back right….










The construction is stud grade 2×4's and cheap plywood (last time I do that), and the top is 1" MDF composed of two 1/2" pieces. The end vertical piers are a lattice of 2×4's including the legs, sandwiched with sheets of 3/4" birch ply, with everything glued and nailed. the lower and upper horizontal frames are 2×4's with only one side covered with 3/4" ply.

Most of the 3/4" ply edges are trimmed out with 1/8" thick pine. Excess amounts of 2×4 are used in the piers and the two horizontal frames to increase the mass, and maximize rigidity. 3/4" plywood is used for the same reason. Actually I made it a little too heavy, but it is a rock solid bench and work surface.

*PROJECT TOP:*

The usual top is shown in the above pictures, but it is reversible. On the other side is the cut through top shown here. I just turned the over the top.










Detail of the cut through top….










The top is reversible, with one side having pedestals for cut through and rout through. The slots accomodate 5/16" T-bolts. Because the top fits into a basin enclosed on 5 sides, and because the top has a number of slots, it works well as a downdraft table as well. The top is held by the basin sides, two pegs, and by its considerable weight.

Here it is without the top so you can see the basin….










Here is a peg….










Both pegs….










I plan to put in a vise on the left end. I have numerous hold downs, fixtures, and surface vises for it. It works great for assembling boxes and objects with nails, screws, and glue.

*STORAGE:*

*Compressor*
Underneath is an enclosed compartment for my 6 gallon compressor.

Compressor….










There is a hole for air access underneath it, and a shielded exit for wires and hoses. This results in considerable dampening of the noise level when the compressor cycles. There are 5 air hose ports, with 4 in use for 3 nail guns, and a blower. It has a large front door complete with automatic door prop….










...and a small back access door for the tank drain….










The doors use bullet catches for a latch. The doors are opened by grasping the edges.

*Shelves*
The shelves, which are adjustable, are on the right holding the hoses and guns. There are 3 guns connected ready to go and a blower….

Here they are stowed away….










Here they are pulled out so you can see them….










The top shelf has a box with adjustable and removeable dividers, that holds the nails for the guns, and beside it is my goto sander, the low profile PC random orbit. The back side of the top shelf has a semi-enclosed compartment for the bulk coils of hose.

The lower shelves hold about 10 to 12 feet of hose in a loose coil for each tool, and it is easily coiled and stuffed back into the appropriate compartment.

Here is the back side of the shelf area….










*ACCESSORIES:*

*Downdraft Capability*
On the right side is a removable dust collector manifold where a 4" hose connects. It accesses the basin through a rectangular port, situated to maintain the structural integrity of the basin. It port opening has the same number of square inches as the hose.

The manifold on with hose, note the blast gate….










The manifold off, it just slides on and off the bolts….










*Electrical*
The back of the bench has a cord keep system. The electrical cord is 14 gauge, very heavy duty, water proof, and self supporting. It will stand the abuse of lying on the floor or being plugged in overhead, if I choose to do that.

Note the cord keep, just two elevated disks, and note one of the handles for tilting….










Each end has 4 receptacles. The left side has a switch with a pilot light that turns on the power for the compressor.

Left side receptacles and compressor power switch….










There is a worklight inside the compressor compartment.










*Feet and Wheels*
The feet are adjustable carriage bolts. There are wheels at the front and one side positioned so that tilting the bench engages them. There are handles on the opposite side and back to assist with the tilting. The handles can be seen on the cord keep picture and the left sided power switch picture.










The bench is now so heavy (the MDF top, compressor, tools, nails) that it is hard to tilt. I will make a wheeled dolly to help. I am not sure what it weighs, but over 300 pounds and maybe close to 400 pounds.

*USE:*

The top has been in use on a flimsy old project table. Once the multi-function bench was far enough along to use, I moved the top to it, and I have been using it to make its shelves and other pieces.

*CONCLUSION*

Okay…this is way too serious a presentation for me, this was the dark side. So I will try to make a more humorous blog as well…the light side…given some time.

Whew!


----------



## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


Hi Jim!

Looks real good!

I understand how your top works now… as a sanding table as well as using hold-down clamps, etc.

You've got it packed with goodies…

Thank you…


----------



## degoose (Mar 20, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


This is what has kept you so quiet lately…


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


*Joe*
Overpacked Joe, I have been on a mission to finish this. Next is my dust collection system for the table saw….or not. I may move onto a project for the entrance from the garage into the house. Has to hold shoes, have a bench, etc.


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


*Larry*

Yup, this has been a never ending thing…a tarball. But it is done. More importantly, it is very useful and will increase my efficiency. I have been using the top, with some rickety legs, for some time. Thats why I built the bench, the top was too valuable to have the legs give way and drop it.

With any luck I will make the humorous blog to go along with this…..I mean this was crazy-like. Never again with crappy lumber. I did learn a bunch of stuff. Fortunately, I am not foolish enough to make another one…......(-:


----------



## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


Now, that bench is a great example of "Multi-function!
My ShopSmith would be green with envy.


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


*Gene*
My introduction to a Shopsmith was in the early '50s. Yup, pretty classy machines.

This started out as a sturdy support for the top…...and ended up holding a compressor, nail guns, became a down draft table, etc.

I am very happy to be done////1


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


Now that's my idea of a multi-function bench, Jim!!

My favorites are the way you incorporated down draft functionality, the almost infinite clamping arrangements and those really cool cord wrap keepers!

Lew


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


*Lew*
The down draft thing was a last minute Eureka thing….....it was a no brainer. The clamping arrrangements are as good as they look.

I thought about all kinds of stuff for the cord keepers, you know, bandsawed things, fancy stuff.

And then I realized what I really needed. Big keepers you hardly need to glance at, and the cord can never escape because they are so big. They are offset from the surface with some large…..hmmmm…about 1.5 inch dowel stock. I carefully calculated the offset to match the cord and provide a little friction, so you can really stick the cord behind them and the cord doesn't move. The devil is in the details.

Have a good one…......got to go look at your latest post…......(-:


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


I have GOT to buy stock in Watco…. Nice job….


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


*David*

Yup, a lot of Watco on that. Hopefully it will live up to its promise. So far it is working well. But you never know….......we'll see how it goes. Fortnately it has some flexibility, so I can change things as necessary.

Always like to use a shop built item…........


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


Jim. I didn't know you could fit my entire workshop in a workbench 

looks very utilitarian bench.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


*Purplev*
Well, I admit it does eliminate a lot of clutter. I didn't like the nail guns, hoses, and compressor under feet. It also solves further where to plug in the sander, router, etc.

Now if I build one more and…..................

Not to worry, never again.


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


It's nice to have all those AC outlets easy at hand…


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


*Joe*
I tend to install outlet strips everywhere, and especially on benches. This way I have one cord on the floor, and the compressor, sander, router, etc just plug into the bench.


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


OK, as long as the circuit breaker can handle it…

And, if it's controlled by a wall master switch, *do not plug a battery charger into the bench, leave it to charge, and then, when you leave the shop, turn off the Master switch! * Real FUN… when battery is still really DEAD… LOL


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


*Joe*
Fortunately, the only devices that run at the same time in my shop are the dust collector, and some other tool. The dust collector is on its own 220 circuit. The compressor cycles infrequently, and doesn't draw much current. I have a zillion things plugged in all the time, but only a few actually draw any current unless turned on. My big saws are on another 220 dedicated circuit. I don't have any large routers, but they would be plugged into my pillar circuit, which is separate from the wall circuit. I have run two extra circuits for 110 into the shop, and two 220 as noted above. Fortuanately, I am in good electrical shape.

All my chargers are in one place, and I wouldn't put them on a bench.

But you are right, you have to think about these things. I am always amazed when someone is running his whole shop on one 110 circuit.


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## FreddyS (Oct 21, 2010)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


Hi Jim, your bench is full of good ideas for the small workshops, good work!

I think I'll take apart my wannabe workbench table and rebuilt it with a couple of things from your bench, thanks for sharing!


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## Timbo (Aug 21, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


Hey Jim, 
After reading about your new vise I just had to come back here to have another look. This is one well thought out bench, looks well built too. I have an assembly (3ft by 3ft) bench that doubles as an out feed table for two table saws and a drum sander, it will be getting some new functions as well thanks to you posting this. Incorporating a down draft capability seem like an easy improvement..


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Multi-Function Bench.......the interminable project from hell, is finished.*
> 
> *MULTI-FUNCTION BENCH*
> 
> ...


*Tim*
Hey, thanks Tim. That bench is a real workhorse. The construction and equipment make it very heavy and stable.

About to go down to the shop and put some plywood sheathing on top of the solid door that is my bench here, sitting on plastic saw horses. Then I will edge it with pine. It will get a woodworkers vise, and and removable machinist's vise as well after there is a little more wood on it. That door may be solid, and it may be flat, but the stuff in the middle is not wood, but probably some variant on MDF. And the surface is soft. But it is doing its job.

Have a good afternoon. If you need anyone to play stuff off of, give me a shout…......

Jim


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

*Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*

These are a few shop projects from scrap.

*First a Tall-Thin Storage gizmo that is mobile.*

*For my dowel collection, aluminum extrusions, continuous hinge, etc…*

Had a problem with these things falling all over the place, and had to get that space clear for more stuff.

Here is the gizmo sitting in its assigned space:










Took four swiveling ball casters, scavenged from throw aways….....two of one type, two of another, but they were exactly the same height. Bet they were gathering dust for 20 years. A few pieces, cut offs, of 3/4 inch ply…got a lot of that stuff left over from other projects…birch veneer…Chinese…poor quality. And some pine cut offs. And for weight, I took the old mailbox cover made of heavy iron…..really…..the outside cover for the mailbox that is actually in the garage, and attached it to the bottom diagonally, to make it stable.

OK…......the screws and the screw guards were new. I confess.

But then….....the ultimate scavenge….

*cardboard tubes from a Rockler shipment of T-track*

...to protect some plastic tubes…that actually have the T-track in them. I have used the plastic tubes before…and later you will see it in use again. But this is the outer cardboard tube. Yup, cut up those suckers and enclosed them in a plywood frame, screwed to the base, not glued, so I could change things in the future.

*So you see it, pulled out, so I can swivel it around and find what I need…...*










....and a little detail…..Slim wanted some close up coverage…....










*Now ain't that sweet. Except for the screws and the finish…WATCO of course…all scrap…*

But there's more…..

*Ten minute projects…really!*

I don't know about you, but…

*.... the top of my glue bottle, that I refill from a jug, gets stuck no matter how well I clean it. *

I kept a needle nose pliers in my glueup tray, because it worked well to lever the top up. But that was silly. Displaced a multipurpose tool into a specialized setup for an oddball use. So, I built this gizmo from a scrap of 3/16 inch ply…......

*...next to the glue bottle that causes the problem…*










*....and in its place on the glueup tray…*










Cut that out with my toy bandsaw in a flash….......

And then the next one in a row, a storage for my frequently used props for finishing things. You know those plastic yellow pyramids to support projects you are finishing with whatever…with the pointy tops. Yup, got a bunch of those. But this is about storing some things I made myself.

Most of the time I revert to this collection of…

*... really strange objects I built a couple of years ago. They are quicker, things balance better, and they are perfect for WATCO, which I use a lot in the shop.*

They are strips of MDF, with a shallow groove cut in the top with the radial arm saw. And in those grooves are some nails, with the heads and points cut off, glued into the grooves with CA glue. So the object you are finishing rides on the nails, which are lying flat. Not as good as a point, but for oil finish more than adequate and markedly more stable and quick.

*Here they are in a piece of one of the plastic tubes that Rockler ships its T-track in…*










Cut it to size with the bandsaw. For the bottom, a disc of 3/4 inch ply, and two screw to hold it in place. The disc finished with….what else…WATCO. This was quick…bandsaw work, a little sanding on my disc sander, finished quickly, and then a couple of screws.

*...and a detail of the gizmos…heavily used, nearly every week for a couple of years…*










Well, I got a few more items in the wings, probably will blog them next weekend…......

Thanks for viewing…..


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


Good idea and good use of materials. I would rather build one of these than a dozen gizmos that I have abosolutely no need for. Is it pretty stable….not top heavy.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


*Grandpa*
Yes, the wheel base is wide, and the heavy iron fixed to the bottom helps. It is really easy to find things there now…it was a solution long overdue…........

There is no tendency to tip, and I move it around grabbing the high stuff.

Thanks for viewing….......


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


Cool, Jim!!

I really like the glue bottle pry bar. I'll have to borrow that-getting a little tired of the taste of glue and the Polident doesn't hold all that well.

Lew


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


*Lew*
The needle nose pliers worked, but I had to keep it right there. This is a much better solution, and I bet you can make one in 5 minutes….......

Have a good one, mostly in the shop this weekend, still more stuff to blog on…......


----------



## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


Looks GOOD!

Very good use of plastic sewer pipe! LOL

Very good work!


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


Hi Jim, Thanks for these good tips. I was amused by the glue bottle pry bar. The Titebond glue bottlel cap is the worst designed, most impractical cap I've ever encountered. Mine has been glued so tight that I had to break it off because even pliers couldn't get it loose. I think I will drop the folks at Titebond a message about this with a link to your post. Very frustrating considering the price of this very excellent glue.


----------



## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


gr8 ways to recycle Jim, plus, a good place to store that sort of stock


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


*Joe*
Actually that is not plastic, that is the heavy duty cardboard that the Rockler T-track ships in, cut to size, with a disc of MDF in the bottom of each tube, fixed with a pin nailer.

I have a small bench top storage item that uses cut pieces of various lengths of PVC black pipe to store cable ties. If the cardboard wears out, then I will replace it with plastic. The top wood retaining rectangle is made to be replace with a different size if necessary.

So I have used sewer pipe in a similar situation, and any repairs necessary will use it. In fact, I am going to make a larger version for other items that are a lot heavier, and I will use plastic pipe for that. The things in this one are not very heavy. The cardboard should last many years.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


*Mike*
I think that is just a generic bottle they are using. Some craft stores carry empty bottles apparently, but I haven't seen one. I pry the top totally off and clean up the inside periodically, but that lasts only a couple of days, then back to prying it off. This gizmo can be used to pull the top up for normal use, or can then be situated beneath the top, and pop the whole thing off.

There has got to be a better glue bottle out there…........(-:


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


*Roger*
I think my brain started thinking this way when I saw your clamp cart, which of course is a much more robust sort of deal. I still plan to build one of those. Its on my list.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


well done jim

any shop help tricks are good

seems we waste more time
getting ready to work
than actually working
(finding things and getting them ready)

like the strip cart
will do one too

thanks


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


Very good Jim!

Hey, I have some of those tubes!!

... I'd pickem on Sale & free shipping… nice stuff…


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


*Patron*
Thanks, hope you are now settled back at home.

This thing works very well. Note I put some weight under it in the form of a sheet of steel. I don't know if that is essential or not. If the stuff you put in it isn't too heavy, might not need it. Could also increase the wheel base for stability if necessary. Plastic pipe would be more durable, but this stuff is so light, that cardboard is probably sufficient.

I made a floor standing lamp many years ago, and to make it stable, I encased some patio blocks in wood for the base …........that did the trick…..(-:


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## ShopTinker (Oct 27, 2010)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


Great ideas Jim. I like that little cart, that's a right clever idea. I've got my pieces of pipe, bars, and ready rod in a 5 Gallon bucket and they are always leaning over the side and getting in the way. I've got some of those tubes stuck somewhere, I'll have to put them to use. Thanks for sharing.


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


*Dan*
I haven't had it in use for very long, just a few weeks, but it is being used regularly. It is working better than I could have hoped, and gets a fair amount of use. Items like this is another reason to strip the wheels off of anything you throw out. My small shop needs mobility for things, so I am slowly getting everything on wheels.


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


Very nice, as usual.

At the risk of asking silly questions, do you have difficulty wearing those (albeit, rather low) heels, around the shop ?

[second picture]


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


... and I don't think they're Snow shoes… LOL


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


*Neil*
Unfortunately, the entrance from the shop into the house is technically in the shop, and I am going to build a shoe bench, raised entry, some shoe shelves, and reframe the door.

Then Kermit will not have any excuse for leaving his shoes on the floor…......for those of you that don't know, Kermit is my 21 year old mitered conure…he has a thing about shoes with heels…......makes him feel taller…............(-:


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## NBeener (Sep 16, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


Now that we're having this "getting to know my bird" session …. our (way back when) male cockatiel … had …. um … a fetish for athletic shoes.

It was rather pathetic.

Ditto, rubber gloves. I had a pair on, to strip some paint, and he went nuts. I didn't think I'd ever need help in defending myself against Sebastian, but … MY honor, the honor of my Nikes, and the honor of my nitrile gloves were ALL at stake.

Birds. Gotta' love 'em.

Mitered conure. Why didn't I ever pick up on the woodworking pun part of that, before ;-)


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *Scrap Projects - Tall-Thin-Mobile Storage...and Ten Minute Projects*
> 
> These are a few shop projects from scrap.
> 
> ...


*Joe*
Fortunately, not much snow gets blown into the shop, but the cars do bring in some of the white stuff, and my wood storage is in the garage…........melting snow is definitely a hazard to the wood.

*Neil*
Who got to go to the therapist, you or Sebastian…..........(-:


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

*My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*

*My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*

Mine begged for a new home, so I started this cart about 8 months ago, then had about 6 months out of the shop due to some work related computer projects, and then today, I finished it. This is the detailed blog, later I'll post a brief report as a project.










My cutoffs are now finally content……perhaps reborn, set for inclusion into new and exciting projects. Exciting is still an IN word, isn't it? Feeling old and marginalized……..

Each shop has a unique assortment of cutoffs. They differ by size, type of product, and a personal view as to what should be tossed, and what should be retained. And I am sure, we all have used cardboard boxes either in the past or currently for their storage.

*Having used cardboard box cutoff storage for awhile…….hmmmmmm…..like about 43 years, I have a real world understanding of the cost, utility, and frustrations of the boxes.*

I know, you can see it coming, it is the Alaska Jim of old…..out comes the hidden engineer, and a warped sense of humor…….we are off and running………..(-:

OK, that is the last smiley, my LJ missives are always about smiles……..

So, you must sit back now, and reflect upon what really happens in the shop.

Cut a board, precise and smooth, hold it up to the light, no warp, no splintering…..Yes, just right.

Next board.

Damn, cutoff in the way!

*Glance to the left, glance to the right, down at the feet……..wang!.... there goes the cutoff in its fateful last journey…..destined for the garbage, for the fire……..poor cutoff……..or got lucky and into the cutoff bin.*

The cutoff bin has got to be *purgatory for cutoffs*. Would you like to be a cutoff?

Will I be a part of a wonderful new project? Will I work my way to the bottom, kind of quiet, dusty, but still in contention? Will I be culled, off to land fill, or the crematorium……..?

OK, OK, OK….

To the practical side of things.

One, gotta save some to the cutoffs box. We all reach for cutoffs in nearly every project. If nothing else for a glue block, temporary jig, story stick, hidden structural member, etc.

*But they take up space, and you can't use, and don't know what is at the bottom of, the box. Most of those bottom dwellers should be culled and discarded, but they are covered up by more recent stuff.*

And then when you get old and lazy, you can't bend down long enough to sort through the stuff in any case. So *the bin gets progressively bigger, and at least percentage wise, progressively less useful.*

So, not having unlimited space, I got serious about this cutoff stuff a while back, and analyzed the situation.

That's me, pretending to be logical, and I is gonna ENGINEER a great new solution. I know, the ENGINEER moniker is over utilized, but it still makes me puff up a bit, and try to do my best.

Here are the issues:

*Boxes of cutoffs are not easily searchable or moveable.

Boxes of cutoffs are on the floor, not good for old backs and feeble vision.

Boxes of cutoffs are not easily culled.*

So……..now to solutions:

*Moveable means wheels.*

Searchable means organization and that means categorization, and in real terms that means compartments.….and with old backs, compartments means moveable sections.

*MODULES. The SOLUTION.*

A cutoff cart with modules to organize and transport the cutoffs to the worksite for adding new cutoffs, selection, and culling.

Now, this is just a cutoff cart, not some fine piece of furniture, so we used salvaged and second rate lumber.










This cart could have quite a load, so it needs to be strong…….*torsion box base.*









.
.








.
.
Make a center section for taller items, and attach it to the box. Here we are upside down, drying from a Watco finish.
.








.
And with the wheels and rubberbabybuggybumpers attached………
.








.
Modules, size them to the projects I make, kinda small…. and make the modules moveable, *with a handle that tilts them as you pick them up so the cutoffs don't fall out……..*
.








.

*All the shelves, removable except for the bottom one (a structural member) canted to 10 degrees to keep the cutoffs in the module.*
.








.
That's pretty much the whole story. You can see how easy it is to move a module to the workbench or any convenient spot to accept new cutoffs, allow you to search for the right one, or to cull them out to make room for new ones.

My cart has a home underneath the extension for the table saw. Out of the way, but handy to the table saw and the radial arm saw.
.








.
I am going to set up a camera to record what happens at night in the shop. See if they really do breed and multiply……..I will report the results…….but we LJ's already know…….

*Fertile little suckers, aren't they…………….*

Alaska Jim


----------



## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


now Jim , i will have to say that is one hell of a good cut off box, and you have it filled with some mighty fine cut offs, butt, let me say here just in case, now if those wooden bars on the top are removable, then i might say this wonderful box you have made could be converted into the fastest toilet paper rig ever rigged…three rolls on each side, while one is in use, the other three remain, and when the first three go, we can have some fully trained lumber jocks doing the quickest reload you have ever seen…....butt, until that day comes, may it quietly serve as the best cut off box ever. amen…....


----------



## Timbo (Aug 21, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


HA! Love it! I'll go out on a limb here and bet some of the cut offs are from your cut off cart… oh the irony.

Good to see you've made it back out in the shop Jim.


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


Well, *Grizz*, hadn't thought much about…....HOW utilitarian this thing should be *BUTT*, you have made a helpful *swipe at it, or two*. Was not much in the plumber mode for this, but lets *ROLL* the rods and see what …......goes…......*DOWN*.

Thanks for viewing, good buddy, I love your projects, and you have developed a great style. Me…....I think I am still *out of plumb*, or not *deep enuf* into the *GROOVE*, or whatever.

Thinkin' about being *GROOVY*..........

Your, way too close buddy,

Alaska Jim


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


Hey *TIM*, you are way too smart!! Yup, these cutoffs are not only breeding they are incestuous.

I cut up about 5 cardboard boxes for recycling, and loaded up the cart. Still a lot of room.

I sure did like your new tools…....

Jim


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


GRIZZMAN….how deep is your love…..bruhaha….......good one jim…


----------



## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


Hi Jim,

That's a good way to solve the problem…
... what happens when it gets full? LOL

Right now, I just have a few 5 gal buckets… rel small goes in one… Long stuff into another… etc…

Thank you for your ideas.


----------



## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


*Joe*
Well, when they get full, it is time to cull, and this design makes that easy. Pick up a module, put it on the bench and sort it out. Threw out a bunch of stuff from the bottom of the boxes as I loaded it. One man's cutoffs is another man's lumber. I am into small projects, and have a few on the drawing boards.

Little over three weeks and I will be at the tulip festival in our vacation home. Looking forward to getting down there in the lower forty-eight.

Hope you and your lovely bride are well…....

Jim


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## jap (Oct 10, 2012)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


Can i order three of those from you?


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


Rubberbabybuggybumpers- easy for you to say!

I need one of these so badly but if I do, something else will have to go. There just isn't any more room. I have even gone so far as to paste those Arthur Murray dancing feet onto the floor to figure out the best route from here to there.

Hope you and Sherie are in good health and will enjoy the relative warmth of the summer home!


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


*Jap*
Wish I could send you a duplicate, but you would have to wait many years. That's a problem with a lot of my projects, they take a while.

Thanks for viewing. This is a great solution for me, and I had the room under the TS extension. I see you made a sandpaper storage area….......this is that type of project.

I grew up in northern Minnesota, somewhat north of you. Now I live a long ways north of you.
Hope spring is on its way there, we are getting close…....

Jim


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


*Lew*
Ah hah. You spotted the ancient tongue twister. Yes, this project hinged on having room. Actually it doesn't take any more room than the bloated boxes, so it is a winner.

We are looking forward to vacation again. Vacation calls stronger as I get older….........bet you understand…....

It will be the Tulip Festival in La Conner, so it should be very pretty.
My youngest daughter, and her husband will join us for six days. It should be a lot of fun.

Have a good spring, hope the weather is dry, I suspect you don't need a lot of water in the spring…...

Jim


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


*Jim*, fresh cut offs have to be kept separated, at least overnight, otherwise they get board and, when they get board, they get into trouble!


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


*oldnovice*

Ahhhh, thanks for the warning…......I shall segregate them forthwith.

Had a quiet weekend, which I needed. It has been pretty hectic at work lately….........


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


Congratulations on completing this fine and smart cutoff cart Jim. I have to admit that I am seeing this project with cynical eyes and pondering future negative outcomes, just like any longterm cutoff victim would. Don't let that cart fool you. Those cutoffs will get you in the end! This advice is based on long experience. A woodworker would rather lose his right arm than his cutoffs because he knows that the minute he throws one away, he will need it 10 minutes later. On the other hand, if he keeps it, he will never need it! This is known as the '*Contradictory Cutoff Law'*.


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## donbee (Feb 7, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


Jim,
I am as amused as anyone over the responses to this blog entry, but I fear my fellow lumberjocks have missed an important point.
It jumped out at me with alarming force.
I don't know how it got passed over.

YOU PUT A FINISH ON A CUTOFF BIN?

I'm worried about you, Jim. You are obviously in need of professional help.

;-)

Don


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


*Mike*
It is definitely a problem, Mike. I made my foldup project tables, three of them, at least 20 years ago, probably 25 or more. I used some low density fiberboard on the tops, which has actually worked out pretty well. I found scraps in my cutoff boxes from that project. I know that is how old they are, because I never bought any more of that material. Don't use that for much of anything anymore.

Of course, as I loaded up the new cutoff cart, I still didn't throw away all the scraps of LDF, never know when I might need it for something…......(-:

Have a good one Mike, hope old man winter is losing his grip on you. We are having a cold spell, but at least it is not snowing…......


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


*Don*
I have to admit, I wondered about whether to finish this project. But I have found that unfinished shop projects look very dirty in a hurry in my shop, probably because of the adjoining garage. The Watco at least keeps it looking cleaner.

Also, the reclaimed wood I used for much of the project really needed to be spruced up a bit….....didn't it? Also, I tend to view stuff I make as having a longer life span than average, because we don't move around. So I don't go through cycles of throwing things out prior to moving. Hence, I end up living with it for a longer than average period of time.

Did I do all right, Don? Perhaps we could schedule another session, if your fees aren't too high….........(-:


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## donbee (Feb 7, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


OK Jim, you're free to go on.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


gr8 idea/s for those many different size cutoffs. Simple organization. Nice one, Jim


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


Thanks *Roger*

This seems to be working well, and will still hold a bunch of cutoffs. I will more severely cull them as time goes on, to make room for more useful stuff. Technically, I have long and thin cutoffs as well, but many of them have a home in another mobile gizmo I made for that stuff some time ago. I have a couple of real projects on the drawing boards, not shop projects, and hope to get to those in the next few months.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


*Hi Jim!!!

Nice set up !

Sometimes I wish my scrap wood would be like Lemmings & jump off my bench, that would be really convenient…<(;0}&*


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


*Dick*
Thanks Dick. And yes, self sort and self destructing cutoffs would be appreciated.

Hope all is well with you and Barb in Hibbing. Still below freezing here. We will probably get a sudden hot spell and there will be water everywhere. At least in March the snow melts just from the sun beating on it.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


lucky are the wood that get to have the cut of dance lesson in your shop Jim 

nice one ….. do you consider to make one that can take 15/16 sheet cut offs 
to have fun with in your hollyday cabine on the eastcoast 

take care
Dennis


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


*Dennis*
I will have to make something for my vacation house as well, but it will probably be a different design to fit the much smaller space. Everything has to be on wheels or be collapsible in the vacation house shop. I always move a car out to work there. This weekend I will prepare some electrical stuff to move the freezer out of my shop and into the garage. Then I can get a decent band saw here….......

Hope Aero is defrosting and the roads are clear, have a good spring time…........


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


no defrosting liquid avable at the moment …... LOL
there most be somehing wrng with the calender …. I think :-(
its blowing a frezing cold wind from north-northeast coming down from murmansk ….. brrrrrrrr

at the moment we have a coaster sitting on the ground just a few hundred yards 
out from the coast ... they desided to run it up there ysterday 
today there was two tugboats that try´d to get it of ground 
that ended with one tugboat get the haevy wire in to the propeller and now it sit 
on the ground as well …..  
does the old sailers have something to talk about on the island …... you bett they have …. LOL
I talk with one of the people coming in from one of the boats after 36 hours with out sleep and food 
he told me what happened with the tugboat ... he said it proppebly will be another three days before 
they can get it of ground all do to they missed a turn in the sailling channel

take care
Dennis


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


well i have a very prolific stack of wood that is in my shop, and my wood cup runneth over, i'm now making things from all the scraps i have, and am trying not to use any new wood, im surrounded by so much wood…is it a complaint, i say nay…im grateful for all the wood i have, in fact i'm working on several projects that came from the scrap pile…otherwise i would say i need a new shed for all of my wood…..i would make a scrap cart but i have no room for it to roll around…but..i do have plenty of wood to make such a cart…...


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## jbertelson (Sep 26, 2009)

jbertelson said:


> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night..........what's an LJ to do?*
> 
> *My cutoffs breed and multiply at night……..do yours?*
> 
> ...


But Griz, just make something that fits. Your cutoffs are already taking up room, in the scrap pile….....this should eliminate the scrap pile. Or maybe not…....depends on the size of your scrap pile…........(-:

Today, Sherie is at a retreat, and I am home alone. Thought it would be quiet, but then there was some unexpected hospital work, not that I had to do it, but it was someone I was paying special attention to for a variety of reasons. Then I realized I did something stupid and got a virus on my computer….....not causing trouble, but hard to remove, and it had to be removed to feel comfortable for the future. After about 4 hours of work, it is off the computer…...a tough problem.

OK, so TOMORROW I will get some design work and down to the shop….....still two days in the weekend.

Saw your note on Mikes project, very impressive.

You have a good weekend.

For me, tomorrow has got to be better…..........

.........remember the vets…........


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