Creeker's Weekend Accomplishments

[Dennis Peacock]

26 Oct 2015

Good Morning Everyone,
Been a busy vacation week & weekend for me. I spent a good bit of time "in the shop" working on the LOML Jr's blanket chest that I started about a year ago. Figured out that I needed to remake several parts to make things go as they should. I'm hoping to have it close to done this week.
The guitar project is moving slowly. The guitar body has now been painted and clear coated. Now it's the waiting game for the finish to dry/cure some before I start putting it all together so I can finally play an instrument that I built.

Back at the "salt mine" today and I'm glad to report that nothing has changed and that things are just as busy as ever!!!

That's it for me, so what did YOU do this past weekend?

Best of weeks to you all.

[Garth Almgren]

I went and picked up some tools from a friend who was helping a friend of theirs clear out their father's storage units after he passed away. The guy had been a general contractor before retiring about 20 years ago, and unbeknownst to his children had multiple large storage units full of tools, hardware, and other assorted junk. As payment for helping them clean out the storage units my friend got several pickup truck loads of tools, and I got first pick before he put them up on Craigslist.

Most of the tools (especially the power tools) are quite out of date from the 50s and 60s - I've never seen so many old, HEAVY worn out worm drive Skilsaws in one place!

I did pick up a few hand tools and an old Black & Decker (back when they were still good) reciprocating saw with some life left in the brushes.

A big Wilton 10x4 woodworking vise with about 12" of travel:
IMG_2956.jpg
Needs a lot of cleaning and a good coat of paint, but it's really solid. Now I need a decent bench to hang it from!

A Craftsman #7C equivalent from the 50s (?), possibly made by Sargent. This one is probably in the worst shape in terms of rust, and I may not keep it:
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Three block planes (two 60½ and one 9½) in decent usable condition, though the black 60½ will need a new iron soon since it's almost worn out:
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And finally a couple more #4 and #5 Stanleys, both type 16 as far as I can tell:
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I almost forgot, those planes are sitting on top of a box set of Irwin augers from 1961, identical to this one (including the instruction booklet, but missing the 7/8" bit):
Irwin Augers.jpg

I also got a couple 36" Jorgy F clamps and a big Eastwing framing hammer. All in all, not a bad haul plus I get to name my price once I figure out what its all worth.



Other than that, I did get some time in the shop this weekend, starting and nearly finishing a rustic cooler stand made out of western red cedar fence pickets that I've been meaning to make since June. Love the smell of cedar!

[Shawn Pixley]

LOML and I went up to San Francisco (actually Oakland) for my Cousin Mia's wedding. I built a Sushi Sake box a couple years back that she admired so that was a surprise wedding gift.

Sushi Sake Box 2.jpgSushi Sake Box 1.jpgInside Without Tray.jpgServing Tray.jpgInside Showing paper bottom.jpgSushi Sake Box Top.jpg

The balance of the family all flew in as well so we had a family reunion the day after the wedding great fun but a bit exhausting. they all flew out this morning back to the various homes around the world. We drove back today getting home about 6:00 PM.

Mia had to fly back to NY as she is an Off-Broadway Play despite just finishing her PhD (not so stealth gloat).

Oh, and by the way Bayern won!

[Patrick McCarthy]

Shawn, very intriguing box. I may have to flatter you by copying it!

Best regards, Patrick

[Aaron Conway]

I purchased and mounted the Rockler 9" bench vise to my workbench to aid in my learning to hand cut dovetails. Was previously clamping the board to my table saw.

Cheers,

Aaron

[Peter Kelly]

Greetings from Oracle Open World 2015. We wrapped up install of the Samsung exhibit on Sunday night. Was a long weekend of getting this thing together but the show has been pretty successful so far.

10.26.15 Samsung-088.jpgSamsung Selects-003.jpg

[Jak Kelly]

I got a late start, Sunday evening, and attempted to finally install my reversing switch on my lathe. Ran into a minor complication, could not get the crimp on spades to seat/crimp properly. So I had to finish my project last night. But I got it done and it works great. Just cannot wait until I try it now!!!!!

[Mike Ontko]

Shawn - the sushi/sake box is awesome, especially like the inlays! And congrats to the new doctor in the house! Reminds me of a friend/coworker of the LOML that dressed in her cap and robe (PhD in nursing) for Halloween one year as what she claimed was a Harry Potter character

I was supposed to have moved my coffee table into finishing this weekend, but had a tough time getting a perfect miter on the molding that I'm wrapping around the plywood (beech veneer) top. The second set of molding pieces that I cut from a section of 8/4 beech (that's been sitting in my shop for nearly 6 months now) bent/curled as much as 1/8" once I cut them on the tablesaw. And, what I thought I had been getting as a pretty tight miter for past molding work that I've done on my DW705 CMS doesn't come close enough for what I need on this table. So, I spent the remainder of time researching and then building a shooting board, based on plans and a video in FWW. Now, I just need to toss my cheapie Buck Bros jack plane and invest in something a little more reliable (and square). I've got a Stanley #5 on back order from Rockler, but don't know if that will end up being a whole lot better than the Buck. I've got the samolies for a LN #5, but that's a such a huge leap to make. A Wood River 4-1/2 is my best plane so far.

[John Sanford]

Continued with progress on my bench build. Even with 4, yes 4 errors, I've finished the machining of the leg vise, on both the leg and the chop.

1. Exploded drawings are your friend. Without them, it's easy to miss placing a washer. DAMHIKT.
2. It doesn't matter how many times you measure (thrice), if you READ the Vernier caliper wrong. I should've simply taken a direct measurement instead of numeric.
3. When switching back and forth between 1 1/2" and 1 3/4" Forstner bits, insure that the one you're using is the one you're supposed to be using.
4. When excavating mortises, insure that you're excavating in the correct component.

None of the errors was critical, all were time wasters. The washer was potentially the worst, but actually the simplest to recover from. Knock out pin, disassemble, insert washer, reassemble, knock pin back in.

I really want to get this build finished. Having to work around the monstrous slabs in the shop is a PITA. Hopefully, this coming Sunday I'll be able to cut the tenons on all the stretchers, and see if the base will go together as anticipated. If so, I'll be in the home stretch, with only the mortises in the top for the legs, the sliding deadman, and the dogholes (round) remaining. That, and conforming the chop to a shape that is pleasing to the eye.