New work bench's first project

This past winter I worked on a new work bench and wall mounted tool cabinet for my new townhouse garage. I have collected all of the necessary tools, made most of the mobile bases and should be ready to go. The work bench is a general purpose bench at about 40" high - but the best part is the four drawer lateral file saved from my pre-retirement office that I put on a Vaga mobile base and nested beneath the work bench - I just pull it out and have a nice assembly table. I have located some used maple for a top and expected to complete it and then start on cabinets for the laundry room, trim-out and book cases for my wife's office then to the family room for more bookcases and base cabinets.

I completed the workbench wall cabinet right after the Swap Meet but decided to start the other projects after Memorial Day. I went to my home in Maine the week before Memorial Day to work on my boat and get the house ready for summer - but it rained everyday, in fact the lake level rose 2" during the week I was there - so I did little on the boat - On Sunday of Memorial Day weekend I awoke with a bunch of pain in the left shoulder and neck - and it was still raining. We left for home on Tuesday, in the rain - I made a six mile detour to North Hampton Beach in NH to pick up a beautiful used Delta 55-260 planer - just what I needed to finish the maple top for the assembly table. The shoulder pain was terrible all the way back home and a rash began on my left arm. None-the-less, I did not see a doctor until Thursday afternoon - "shingles", he said - and it had taken a good hold on the left shoulder and arm.

Ever since then, I have been heavily medicated and still can't get rid of the pain - so I only get a few pain free hours a day - on some days - and "pain free" is a stretch. My only social contact over the past three weeks has been the SMC forum - great place but................... if you know what I mean.

I felt pretty good last Friday so I went to get a hair cut (I was looking like Howard Hughes) and then to see my daughter and grandkids - "Pop Pop, my bike is broken, the chain keeps coming off." was the greeting I got from Nick, the five year old. Right up my alley. I was an expert bike fixer upper as a kid. So I brought the bike home and on Saturday I took the thing all apart - got all the grease and crud off the chrome, especially the wheel spokes, and polished the painted frame, cleaned the seat, scrubbed the white walls and put Jet Black on the tires - and, oh yes, I added a star washer and tightened the rear wheel so the chain won't come off again.

Saturday was my birthday - 61st, how did I get here? But even with the pain, fixing that bike brought back memories of my childhood when I would get two old bikes and make one good one out of them - I smiled all day - and while working on the bike I was just itching to see the face of my grandchild when he took back possession - what a simple pleasure and good feeling - now I will have memories of my first project on my new workbench.

I have not been able to get out to deliver the bike just yet - hope to do that today, but I have attached pictures of my first project and my work bench and wall cabinet - it is not what I had expected my first project to be, but it was memorable indeed. Too bad you can't see the smile on my face.

Sounds like a great way to initiate the bench. It brought a smile to my face just reading about it. Now, if you could just get rid of that pain in the neck...all would be perfect!:)

Ray, sorry to hear about your pain, boy it sucks getting old, right?
Glad the shop is working out good and great story about the bike. That kind of is what it's all about.
He'll always remember the time pop pop fixed his bike.

Get well soon.

Richard

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Originally Posted by John Hart

Now, if you could just get rid of that pain in the neck...all would be perfect!:)

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I tried, but she vowed to stick with me - go figure.

Richard - Thanks, this too shall pass and I am a lot better off than so many others - but getting old sucks, indeed.

Ray,

That is a First Class set up for sure. Job well done! I hope recovery speeds your way. I enjoyed your heart warming story.

Very nice, Ray!

Ray - great story and post.....!!

Bench looks great and the setup very efficient!! Drink your milk and you'll be okay in a jiffy:)

Great story Ray, and a nice bench. It's not the difficulty of a project, but how it's received and remembered that counts. I'm sure the fixed-up bike was well-received and will indeed be remembered. I also like the cabinet. I'd not seen the "pegboard inside and out" approach before. I might have to steal that idea for one of the cabinets in my shop that needs re-doing.

- Vaughn

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Originally Posted by Roy Wall

Ray Drink your milk and you'll be okay in a jiffy:)

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MILK?? If I knew milk would solve the problem I'd be a new man about now - all's the doctors want to do is drug you up - and at that they have succeed - I'll add milk to the list. (Why not, I have added just about everything else folks have recommended.)

Thanks to all for the kind words.

Vaughn, go ahead and copy that cabinet - Obviously it was an adaptation of several cabinets published in WW magazines. I was concerned that by using pegboard things would fly off or otherwise get misaligned during the openeing and closing of the cabinet but that does not happen - and it holds a boat load of stuff.
Ray

Very cool Ray, the bench and the gift!

Corey

Nice bench, and a better story. Hope you feel better soon.

Don't forget to mix cod liver oil with the milk and you will be good to go in no time.
The organization looks great, the bench sturdy, and the lower assembly bench idea is pure adaptation at it's best. Good job.

Ray that is a great story! Really brought back memories of fixing bikes as a kid. Seemed like there was always something to tinker with!