Creeker's Weekend Accomplishments

[Dennis Peacock]

6 Feb 2017

Good Morning Everyone,
Been a crazy weekend for me but none of it had to do with shop time. The local bowling alley called me and wants me to make more bowling ball racks for them as they have gotten many compliments on the ones I designed, built, and installed for them. This was supposed to be a project just to help them save money by reducing the actual cost of getting this stuff done. Oh well, I guess they like my work and the public seems to be enjoying the new racks.
The weather has been spring like here and flowers are starting to bloom. Odd. On a different note, I'm learning how to cook. The LOML has been teaching me a bit along the way and this past weekend I made Indian Curry Chicken and brown rice. It was good enough for me to mark it a "do again" and the LOML really like it as well. This is my 3rd dish to make in less than a month and the LOML is liking me cooking one day a week.

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

Best of weeks to you all.

[Michael Stockdale]

Finally... I have a functional workbench. Still have some planing and sanding to do. Then a couple coats of varnish/linseed oil mix. Then a toolbox for the bottom. But, at least it's functional as a bench now.

Workench.jpg

[Jim Becker]

Dennis, your cooking is coming along very nicely and I'm glad you are enjoying it!

Michael, that's a beautiful bench!! Bravo!

This weekend was a mixed bag for me. Aside from being a little distracted by my father being in the hospital for a few days due to heart failure issues and a "parenting challenge" with one daughter, I did get some shop time on Sunday working on finishing three picture frames that will replace the metal ones on some favorite art pieces in the house so they better match the rest. Saturday involved cleaning out a storage closet...it's such a pleasure working in a dusty environment when one already has a sneezy head cold. LOL

Next weekend, shop time will include some beekeeping wooden ware that will be needed in the spring.

[Chris Hachet]

Finally... I have a functional workbench. Still have some planing and sanding to do. Then a couple coats of varnish/linseed oil mix. Then a toolbox for the bottom. But, at least it's functional as a bench now.

Workench.jpg

Looks fantastic, in the middle of building a second bench for the shop at the moment...your work is inspirational!

Love the traditional tail vise and the I assume) Lie Nielsen front twin screw vise...also the dovetail on the tool tray is nicely done....

[Chris Hachet]

Dennis, your cooking is coming along very nicely and I'm glad you are enjoying it!

Michael, that's a beautiful bench!! Bravo!

This weekend was a mixed bag for me. Aside from being a little distracted by my father being in the hospital for a few days due to heart failure issues and a "parenting challenge" with one daughter, I did get some shop time on Sunday working on finishing three picture frames that will replace the metal ones on some favorite art pieces in the house so they better match the rest. Saturday involved cleaning out a storage closet...it's such a pleasure working in a dusty environment when one already has a sneezy head cold. LOL

Next weekend, shop time will include some beekeeping wooden ware that will be needed in the spring.

Very sorry to hear of your parenting issues and the issues with your father. Parenting issues will pass, my son was a handful as a teenage and he is a fantastic adult.

[Chris Hachet]

Got several cabinet doors built and installed on a project I am working on, some shop cleanup done, some other lumber milled, and looked at some used equipment.

Also did a side job to pay my savings account back for a router I bought, have an additional side job lined up to buy more tools. Brian, who shares my shop has one guitar almost ready to play and started on the neck and body for another.

Did some reading and thinking, going to build a new router table at some point also.

[Michael Koons]

In between projects which means I spent the weekend cleaning the shop, aligning some big tools and sharpening all my plane irons and chisels.

Most fulfilling accomplishment was calling Hearn Hardwoods and Groff and Groff to see if they had any mahogany crotch pieces that I could use for veneers for my next project. I have a good idea what they each have so I'll be making a trip this week to pick up the wood. Looking forward to putting the bandsaw to work.

Given the wood will have to acclimate in my shop for a while, I still won't be cutting for a little bit. The shop can only get so clean!

[Shawn Pixley]

Friday, LOML and I became empty nesters. We spent much of the rest of the weekend cleaning the debris from the move-out. I overdid it on Saturday and had to take it easy for a few hours. I hadsurgery earlier in the. Week, so am moving rather slowly but moving I am.

[Brian Henderson]

No woodworking this week, spent a lot of time doing oil changes, coolant and transmission flushes though.

[Chuck Skarsaune]

Visited the Klingspor's store in Asheville to take advantage of their 15% off sandpaper, stopped at Scrounger's Paradise - didn't buy any wood but did get a topo map that covers our farm, mocked up the writing table for my wife, dug out an oak beam to turn into legs for said table, made her a couple of boxes to keep seed packets in. Was a good weekend.

[Mike Ontko]

Dennis,

If you're at all a tool nut, then you're going to like finding out there are about as many different tools to acquire for the kitchen as there are for the shop. I doubt, however, that you'll be able to find a group as willing to help fuel your kitchen gear acquisition syndrome as the one you've got here.

Michael - nice bench you've got there! Did you christen it with a ceremonial hammer strike yet, or are you saving that for after the finish is on?

With daughter #2's birthday just a week away, I had to push to finish up the cat tree I've been building (pictured below). I won't be entering any contests with it, but I'm sure it'll make its new owners happy.

A copy of something I saw online, it's just two pieces of birch plywood with a Doug. fir veneer and exposed edges covered with solid ash banding, and five elliptical shelves wrapped with steam bent ash. The whole assembly is joined together with screws for easy breakdown and transport (the shelves fit into 3/8" deep dadoes for support), and it's been finished with a light Danish oil and acrylic enamel to match a bookcase I made earlier. All that's left before delivery is to fabricate some kind of carpeted or padded insert for each of the shelves.

CatTree.jpg

And now, maybe I can get back to the bookshelf project that's been...sitting on the shelf for the past year.

[Bill Adamsen]

Made several drawers for the new kitchen. I didn't have enough hard maple but what I had was a load of twisted boards with sections long enough to cut into the short pieces necessary for making the drawers. The wood had been given to me by the sawyer from whom I buy a fair amount of air dried local hardwood. The wood was marked "Ironwood" which around here (northern CT) likely means Hornbeam ... Carpinus caroliniana. I had never worked with it. I can say that it is the hardest local hardwood with which I have ever worked. One challenge was that I used box joints and the wood is so resistant to compression that the joints almost couldn't be assembled using my normal (usually for white pine) settings. It planes, scrapes and sands beautifully and has significant visual beauty when oiled. Wish I'd had a more inspired use for the wood.

[Chris Hachet]

In between projects which means I spent the weekend cleaning the shop, aligning some big tools and sharpening all my plane irons and chisels.

Most fulfilling accomplishment was calling Hearn Hardwoods and Groff and Groff to see if they had any mahogany crotch pieces that I could use for veneers for my next project. I have a good idea what they each have so I'll be making a trip this week to pick up the wood. Looking forward to putting the bandsaw to work.

Given the wood will have to acclimate in my shop for a while, I still won't be cutting for a little bit. The shop can only get so clean!

I find that sort of work very relaxing, glad everything is ready to go for your next project!

[Chris Hachet]

Visited the Klingspor's store in Asheville to take advantage of their 15% off sandpaper, stopped at Scrounger's Paradise - didn't buy any wood but did get a topo map that covers our farm, mocked up the writing table for my wife, dug out an oak beam to turn into legs for said table, made her a couple of boxes to keep seed packets in. Was a good weekend.

Sounds rather productive-Asheville seems like a nice city, my parents live in Hendersonville.

[Michael Stockdale]

Thanks...

You're correct... Lie-Nielsen tail vice and twin screw...