Creeker's Weekend Accomplishments.....

[Dennis Peacock]

28 Sep 2009
Good Morning,

Well, as some would say, Christmas is getting closer and closer, which means that this is the queue for some woodworkers to start getting busy so they can be done on time.

Beautiful weather here in Conway with great temps...I really love the cooler weather. Been splitting and stacking firewood and this is when I'm so glad that I have help around the house to help with such a chore. One of these days, I have hopes for a wood splitter that is powered by something better than my own arms.

I've been teaching my kids about gun safety, handling of weapons, and stuff like that that I never got taught about when I was growing up and had to learn it own my own. Thankfully, I have some military training on safety that I've been able to pass along as well. I now have them signed up for Hunter's Education and Safety class on October 10th.

I'm trying to make the time to get some woodworking repair work under way, but I seem to be working a lot of hours at work and spending what little time I have left with the family. I do have some cutting boards that I need to get made as well as a couple of other things, but it sure looks like this year will be a "thin" year for holiday gifts. Overall, it's family and friends that really matter and not all the hoop-lah of how much to spend on each person. But, I'll stay away from that subject as it can make my blood pressure go up.

No other woodworking for me, just firewood work, yard work, and working on a suburban that has blown a couple of power steering hoses. I go oncall this week and I'm just hoping and praying that it will be an easy week of oncall.

So...what did YOU do this past woodworking weekend?

Best of weeks to you all.

[Rod Sheridan]

Well Dennis, I went to the Woodworking Machinery and Supply show in Toronto on Saturday.

Looked at sliding saws for home, and wandered past the really large stuff for serious commercial use.

Spray painting robots, CNC machining, material handling, multi head moulders etc.

Funny how many high end machine companies there are with German sounding names.

(Not to be-little SCM who had an impressive display of working machinery also).

Strangley there was also a Steel City display, looking kind of forlorn near the Altendorf booth.

Unfortunately there were several Euro hardware suppliers with beautiful kitchen displays to shocase their offerings. Diann spent a couple of hours looking at that stuff, doesn't bode well for my future finances.

Regards, Rod.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Saturday was cleanup day around the Fitzgerald residence. I had my old worn out tile saw setup outside our back door. Other construction "stuff" scattered around the interior of the house. All of this was from the bathroom remodel I've been doing since the 4th of July. So, the boss said it was time to straighten up a bit and I did. I decided to pitch the worn out HF tile saw so Saturday I loaded up the Pilot and made a dump run pitching some 4 gallons of old paint in the process.

My co-worker here was "batching" it as his wife had made a mad dash to Great Falls, MT where their daughter had gone into labor. Of course, she decided to wait to have the baby. Saturday night, the LOML fixed a great meal and my counterpart joined us for supper.

Sunday, the LOML and I both weren't feeling to perky so we to took it easy. I started a top that will include a drawer for the metal stand for my new mortiser. But, basically we just vegetated.

[Jon Stinson]

Saturday the wife and I went out to our new (about a month) 17 acres to walk around and see what 11 straight days of rain did to it, and what happens, even more rain dumps on us. So we ended up going to my parents out and I put some more finish on a box I made and she and my mom made chocolate pies and ate the "leftover" filling.

Sunday, my parents met us out there at the property and we mowed and worked on a rock flower garden that wasn't placed very well.

All in all, a decent weekend for us

[Matt Meiser]

Worked on the kitchen Friday night and Saturday most of the day. Saturday night LOMLjr spent the night and my parents and LOML and I went out to dinner and hit Woodcraft and Harbor Freight for supplies and a few other places looking for a costume for LOMLjr since we are going to an early Halloween event this coming weekend. Sunday more kitchen work with a break mid-day for a trip to Costco (started our Christmas shopping--before the holiday Wii shortages hit )

[Jim Becker]

I survived the weekend. Everything else is icing on the cake. Parenting a troubled teen can be quite challenging.

Good rides on Elvis and a fun time going to the movies to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs in 3D...great flick.

[Dale Osowski]

This last weekend I was able to complete the work on the second table I will be exhibiting at the Fine Furnishings Show this coming weekend. Now it's time to start planning the pieces I'll exhibit at the 2010 show. I'll reserve a larger space next time around and include a couple of cabinets and shoji. After this current show I want to give the studio a bit of a makeover with new paint, lighting and flooring.

[Rob Young]

After four months of weekends and evenings I got to this stage.

78" tall, 18" deep, 27" wide. Based on article by Mike Dunbar published in Fine Woodworking a while back. His piece was based on some period Shaker pieces.

Poplar (can't easily get good white pine around here) painted with milk paint followed by BLO and paste wax.

No plywood!

Last task is to turn a knob at the lathe.

[Marty Paulus]

I survived the weekend. Everything else is icing on the cake. Parenting a troubled teen can be quite challenging.

Good rides on Elvis and a fun time going to the movies to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs in 3D...great flick.

I can only say I survived as well. I too am having difficulty with a teen. It seems my wonderful state has passed laws that take away some/most of the options for discipline. Made some saw dust but that was about all I made. At least I was able to grab a broom and sweep up the mess to occupy some time.

[scott vroom]

Rob, beautiful work! I'm new at this and have a basic cutting question. What tool did you use to cross-cut the side and back panels?

Thanks-

[Art Mulder]

and a fun time going to the movies to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs in 3D...great flick.

Hey, us too! Took all six of us out for the Saturday matinee. Not in 3D though, . (with 4 kids, we stick to the discount non-3D theater -- half price is nothing to sneer at!)

It was a surprisingly funny movie. Lots for the kids, and plenty for the adults also, I thought. I recommend it also.

mid-day for a trip to Costco (started our Christmas shopping--before the holiday Wii shortages hit )

Aaaack! No No No. Christmas Shopping in September is just wrong.

Of course, it is not quite as bad as Christmas Store displays in September. That goes way way across the line.

So aside from the matinee, I also managed some shop time bashing out some Baltic Birch drawers for a fishtank stand that I'm working on. Which reminds me that I need to pick up some shellac tonight.

[James Manning]

After four months of weekends and evenings I got to this stage.

78" tall, 18" deep, 27" wide. Based on article by Mike Dunbar published in Fine Woodworking a while back. His piece was based on some period Shaker pieces.

Poplar (can't easily get good white pine around here) painted with milk paint followed by BLO and paste wax.

No plywood!

Last task is to turn a knob at the lathe.

Rob,

Nice looking stepback cupboard, I love the dimensions. I am about to start on a very similar project. Where did you get the milk paint from? Also you have any more details how you constructed the case and sides?faceframe? etc......

[Rob Young]

Rob, beautiful work! I'm new at this and have a basic cutting question. What tool did you use to cross-cut the side and back panels?

Thanks-

With the left and right side panel blanks rough sized, I clamped them back-edge to back-edge. Then used a cutting guide and my circular saw to trim the top and bottom close. I don't have a great blade on the circular saw so I leave about 1/8"-ish over the line. Then go back and use my trimming guide again but this time to guide a router with a flush trim bit. Leaves a nice clean edge.

The back boards are individual pieces between 4" and 6" wide. Those I did cross cut at the table saw. To support the length of the board, I turned my table saw sideways to my outfeed table. I built that table about 3/32" shorter than the top of the saw. With an extra long board attached to the miter fence I could guide the boards across. And I could clamp a stop block out on the outfeed table to set the length. However I would NOT feel safe using this method on a big heavy wide board, too likely it would hang up and twist into the blade.

[Mike Wilkins]

No sawdust making last weekend. The wife and I stayed in a plush hotel in celebration of our 31st wedding anniversary. Then on Sunday met the 2 daughters who live in the Raleigh/Durham area for a big breakfast, some light shopping(wife at the mall while I went to Woodcraft for a Pinnacle 24" precision ruler). At least I thought about woodworking while at WC.

[Rob Young]

Rob,

Nice looking stepback cupboard, I love the dimensions. I am about to start on a very similar project. Where did you get the milk paint from? Also you have any more details how you constructed the case and sides?faceframe? etc......

Milk paint from www.milkpaint.com (bet you guess that one already )