"Weekend Doin's"

[Karl Laustrup]

Friday April 4th, 2008

GOOD MORNING "CREEKERS"!

After a record snowfall and it snowing for around 90 of the 150 days since November '07, I do believe spring has sprung here in the upper midwest. Temps are inching their way into the 50's. The infamous "Ducks" have started their tours as have the boats. Nights are still at or below freezing, which is helping control what could've been some bad flooding. I might even be able to get out and get the Christmas lights down this coming week. This is the longest they've been up. No I haven't been turning them on. I'm usually able to get them down shortly after the new year. Had over a foot of snow on the ground by then and it never went away until now.

Hoping to get out to the shop this weekend and continue the cleanup in preperation for actually making some sawdust. I've got several projects in the works. Just need the time and some nice weather to get them going.

I hope all of you in the middle parts of the country, MO, AR, OK, etc. get some better weather soon. I just saw that some tornados hit Arkansas yesterday. Hope all of you down that way are OK.

So what's shaking for the weekend? Fun, games, work or a combination of each?

Whatever you're up to I hope it's enjoyable, productive and above all SAFE.

Karl

[Sam Yerardi]

Saturday I'm picking up another load of wood. This trip I'm getting some maple, more walnut, ash, and poplar.

Sunday I'm picking up an old industrial drafting table (4' x 5') I am buying ($45!!).

[Matt Meiser]

I have a few non-woodworking projects to tackle, which is probably good so that the lumber for the book shelf I'm working on can acclimate to the shop a little longer. Topping the list are installing some closet organizers I picked up this past week and installing a front wheel bearing assembly (and front brakes while I'm at it) on my wife's car, which doesn't look to be too hard, but there are more steps than I had hoped. We are also scheduled to go to see the Tigers probably get beat by the White Sox tomorrow night.

[Steven Shelby]

Morning, Karl!

Things are starting to thaw in New England... finally! I managed to avoid the need to take Christmas lights down in April by not putting them up in December! I have been in Karl's shoes in April before. But this year, it was way too cold to go out and put lights up by the time we got around to it.

I have 3 things of any note on the agenda this weekend:
I am going to take my 3rd... yes, 3rd run at raised panel doors for DW's dining room hutch/buffet/ thingee. Please don't ask for details beyond knowing that it has been a comedy of errors to get these doors to fit properly and look decent. Honest, I have made plenty of doors in my life. But this set has been a mess. If I finally succeed, I' probably go aheas and start the sand/finish process. If I fail, I will introduce the project to my Circ saw and add to my firewood pile for camping season.

Speaking of camping season, task #2 will be to pull the cover off the camper and start working on getting it cleaned up, aired-out, and ready for the season which will begin in just 2 short weeks from today! I need to charge the battery, hook up the electric, remove the mothballs and open all the windows. I think I'll wait another week before flushing the anti-freeze of of the system.

Finally, the finish (literally and figuratively) to a project. I can do this one while watching NASCAR or golf, or my beloved Red Sox because it'll take place in the family room in front of our 62" HD TV. About 2 years ago, I built a bar for our family room. It included a big mirror on the wall behind it with stemware hangers and the whole nine yards. I have had pics of it up here before... but I digress. When I built it, I cut out the back edge of the top (which is 2 sheets of oak plywood laminated together) and finished it with iron-on oak banding. I have never liked it and have cussed at it every time I go behind the bar. So I have removed the banding, cleaned up the edge with my router and installed 2x2" oak molding that I milled up and mitered. Looks a million times better. So this weekend I will apply the final coat of gloss poly, clean up and poly the service level (under the bar top) and put it back together.

Wow, no wonder weekends seem so short!

Have a great one, everybody!

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Hey Steven, good to see a fellow Mass-er here. I agree about the weather, it's nice to have things 'thaw' out, but this rain stinks.

As for the weekend - thanks for the reminder, I need to take down some of the Christmas lights from the shrubs/bushes. I keep telling myself that leaving them on actually helped the bushes by holding them 'up' under the weight of wet snow...but that excuse has run out. I'll probably also continue to work on organizing my workshop - still trying to find a good layout.

Steven - where do you go locally to get power tools? HD and Lowes have gotten most of my business, but I'd like to look elsewhere for a better selection.

[Dave Burris]

This weekend is going to be interesting for sure. I bought an old Delta Unisaw a couple of weeks ago and it is being delivered to me on Saturday. I think it was made around the late 50's. It needs some TLC but I am looking forward to the project.

I'm also in the middle of getting a new media center built for the living room. We got a new 61" HDTV and the current "stand" just does not work. So for the last two weekends I have been trying to get that monster out of the way. It's hogging up waaay too much work room. I hope to have it finished Sunday before the race starts. That's why I got the TV anyway ... right?

[J. Z. Guest]

Tomorrow, I'm going to pick up my great aunt's mahogany desk. It may need some minor mechanical repair, but it is just beautiful.

I'm a little disappointed because this means I probably won't get to build one of my own. But that is a good reason; heirlooms have sentimental value.

Sunday, hopefully, I'll spend some quality shop time, though Kate may reserve some quality time with me too.

[Bobby McCarley]

Good morning Creekers. I hope everyone has a good safe and productive weekend. I will be working the night shift all weekend so no shop time for me
The day job is really starting to wear on me. After 30+ years of shift work, its getting harder and harder to be motivated.

The weather is really starting to get nice here in Louisiana and the shop is crying out to be used. Well, maybe later.

Bobby
Louisiana

[Jim Becker]

Ya, know, I actually don't have a clear handle on what I'll accomplish this weekend as I have the karate run to the YMCA on Saturday (my turn this week...) and we have an event to attend on Sunday afternoon to watch a friend's son perform in 101 Dalmations. And by the time I get home from San Diego tonight, there will be no time to do anything, either. But I suspect I'll get started on the master closet in the addition so we have a place to move our clothes when we are actually able to move in in the next couple weeks. I should probably get to assembling cabinets for my new office, too...I'm way behind on that project.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Well....My weekend depends on the weather. I've been on vacation this week and have spent the better part of the week recovering from the flu. Nasty stuff.....Yesterday SWMBO wanted the lawn power raked. I got the mower out.....got a parts list. After running around I came home, drained and replaced the oil, replaced the air filter, installed a new spark plug and removed, sharpened and reinstalled the blade. I went to a local hardware store and purchased a "power raking" blade. I went to assemble it...some hardware missing. Returned it and got another...assembled it .......won't fit my mower...close....but no banana! So...

I guess it's rent a power rake time.....but....it's supposed to rain this afternoon......snow tonight....snow tomorrow am.........and be in the mid-50s....

Then there's this little matter of fertilizing and soil sterilant for the 3 driveways....

In between times....I've got some turning to do.

[David Sallee]

Welp, our town is having a citywide rummage sale tomorrow and I'm gonna be out at 5am trying to find a good drill press... floor model preferably. Then in the afternoon, I'm gonna mow our yard for the first time this year. Sunday we are going to my parents for a bit and I'm also going to order my first pen sets and some blanks to get my supplies ready for my new lathe coming soon .

[David Duke]

I hope to get a lot done on the current kitchen I've "suppose" to have been working on. As with Ken I've been fighting off sickness, instead of the flu I've had severe allergies, something thankfully that has never been much of a problem so I"ve stayed out of the shop pretty much all week but now I'm gonna have to pull some long hours to make up for lost time.

[Bill Wyko]

Hey Karl, sorry to hear about your weather. It's in the 80's here in Tucson. This weekend I'll be finishing a small Humidor for the regional rep for WMH Tool Group. Then I'll be trying to make progress on a jewery box for SWMBO.

[Dave Verstraete]

I just received my book "Basic Box Making" by Doug Stowe. I'm gonna make me some boxes.

[Ben Cadotte]

After breaking down about 200#'s of cardboard for about an hour (today was recycle pickup day). I decided to put off working on one of the Jeeps and clean shop some. Went to the Borg and bought some of the double shelf bracket stantions and 18" and 14" brackets. Picked a spot on a long wall and installed them. Now have wood storage on top half on one wall. Bought the 48" stantions so if I do put in some lower cabinets on that wall will not have to move them. Put in 10 stantions so is a nice 20' long run. Think I will get 1 more tomorrow. Use the entire lenght of wall between 2 windows. Also need quite a few more shelf brackets. Bought 10 of each 18" and 14" and used them all for 3 levels on just half of the wall. Stuff was a little pricey for me but worth it to help organize the shop some.

Sat wife wants me to go to flower show with her. So not sure how much time I will get in the shop tomorrow. Sun I will probably get all day in there. More cleaning and organizing is in order. I might get 2 more sheets of pegboard. My last shop all the walls were covered in peg board. Kinda got used to it. So think I am going to add a couple more (5 total).