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313K views 676 replies 100 participants last post by  retired_guru 
#1 ·
Aches, pains and pallet wood, oh my!

Following its recent successful creation, I opted to give Franken-Rack free rein to terrorize the domain. It was my hope that it would bring home the finest lumber in all the land. Instead, it brought me pallet and crate wood. Several times I have berated the misbegotten creation, but to no avail. It is obvious to me now that the creature enjoys domination over the rough, mistreated wood that will require hours of hacking and mutilation on my part to make use of its offerings. Franken-Rack will be the death of me. I'm sure of it. Mark my words…

~~~

I spend about 6 hours between yesterday and today breaking up pallets and crate wood, prying nails from both the good and bad pieces. I'm certain I have developed tennis elbow from all the hammering and prying. That's okay, because I have still have the left one. There is something to be said for having a spare. All in all, I can't complain. Since working on the Franken-Rack-and all the work I have been doing to disassemble pallets, clear out space for the a shop in the dungeon-I have been feeling…satisfied. Content. Fulfilled. What a feeling. I had forgotten.

And speaking of how I feel, time to take a pain-killer. Then I better check on Franken-Rack: I caught it the other day trying to grab a street cat attempting to mark my tires.
 
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#574 ·
Hibernation

Going beardless didn't last long. I need to do a selfie sometime soon, as my glasses are different and I'm a bit grayer, too. For now, I'll bless you all with an old picture of my grizzled mug.

I've spent very little time this month in the Dungeon Workshop. It shows. What a mess I've left from the last time I tried to organize and clean up from the previous mess made making Christmas gifts. It's normal for me to take the winters off from building anything outside of the workshop's needs. The average temperature has been 54 F, with a couple of days at 52 F. In February, our coldest month, I'm sure it will get below 50 F-too cold for most finishes and borderline for glue-ups. Even with those finishes I can apply at this temperature level, I haven't any venting options that wouldn't compromise the rest of the house. It's a good time to organize.

The other reason for not being in the workshop is due to illness. I finish with the amoxicillin Thursday and will shoot for getting back to work this weekend. This will be the year I get to major construction and arrangement in the dungeon. Assuming, of course, I don't break something else or catch another 'bug'. Oh, and speaking of bugs…the arachnids have been building up their forces in my down time. War is inevitable.
 
#575 ·
Hey, Paul,
Yep, shops and messes go hand in hand.
And spiders…yuck…I hate em'. Always leaving sticky spider-gunk hanging around that gets loaded with sawdust and other debris and attaches itself to everything in the shop.
Recently when I moved stuff around in another part of the basement, I found a massive black widow nest, complete with a couple of egg sacks. Good thing I caught this before the little beasties hatched!
Had to break out the spider spray and hit all the basement corners and window wells. That seemed to have helped somewhat.
That sucks about the cold shop. That is why I am forever grateful to the missus for letting me commandeer one end of the unfinished basement.
Take care and keep posting.
-Ed
 
#577 ·
The Future in the Fast Lane

It's been a while since I last logged in. I've been busy dealing with a life running on its own mindset-no batteries needed, and definitely with no input or a 'by your leave' from me. Not all that unusual, I guess. Still, not what I signed on for. I'll highlight the important bits.

Recently, my father passed on. He had been predeceased by Mom six years earlier. No longer needed to manage his health care and needs, the wife and I made the decision to move across the state to be close to our kids. The decision kicked up our daily living metabolism to get this house in shape, to finish loose ends, and to find a new place near to our kids by no later than summer of 2020.

For the sake of easing the move, I'm in the process of thinning out tools and equipment, stuff I really don't need anymore or never got around to seeing a use for. I'm also culling stored lumber and sheet goods. Some haven't fared well in The Dungeon Workshop's humid environment.

The first tool to be fired is my Hitachi C10FL hybrid contractor saw. Too big. Too heavy to want to disassemble, haul a couple of hours, and then assemble again. And that is assuming the new place will have a workshop or something close enough to put it in right off. 'Best to let her go. The new owner will be by this Saturday to pick her up. Afterward, I'm off to Lowe's to pickup a DeWalt DWE7491RS, which will better handle current and future construction tasks, as well as have a portable footprint in The Dungeon.

This is but a micro-recap of the changes I've experienced in the past year or so. More to come, I've been assured. The positive takeaway is that I will be, in the near future, in a better place (to woodwork, not death) and that's an encouraging motivator toward getting through the hard work ahead. Moving forward is preferable to whining in a rocker about old dreams and accomplishments that are quickly fading into the past. The only real challenge is in getting the ol' body to keep up with the fading mind.
 
#578 ·
Making Progress: Breathe...

A couple of weeks ago I said good-bye to my Hitachi C10FL hybrid contractor saw. It had served me well, but a move in the near future makes it opportune to sell it now, replacing it with a lighter, portable jobsite saw. I've had the DeWalt DWE7491RS for a couple of weeks . Just a little more tweaking before I will fire it up for the first time. Touch and feel has me impressed, and I'm enjoying the portability, being able to move it out of the way and park it wherever the latest free bit of space comes to be.

The large outfeed/workbench has been broken down. I salvaged what I added and discarded the commercial crap that was its base unit. The Harbor Freight bench has taken its place, giving me full access to the two vices and a minimum of three of the four sides. It's narrow width allows for more room around it than the previous table. I had been contemplating this relocation for years. It will make traditional woodworking much easier.

Every workbench that can be moved has been relocated within the dungeon. While not perfect yet, the difference has been uplifting. I feel as if I am taking deep breaths for the first time since the Hitachi came in. So much free space.

Some small tabletop equipment hasn't found a home yet. I can see some 'musical benches' yet needs to be played before I'm happy with the relocations. I will be thinning out tools and equipment that hasn't been needed or useful, which will make it more efficient, easier to find what I need.

Knowing a move is imminent parks a fire under one's butt. Things to be made before we can leave this home. Purpose. Focus. And just getting rid of sh*t. Downsizing has shown to have perks, even for a pack rat like me.
 
#579 ·
The Ultimate Space-Saving Dust Cyclone Separator Cart

The Dungeon Workshop continues to be a war zone, but progress is being had, albeit s-l-o-w-l-y. This evening I finished one of two identical dust control builds, based on this YouTube video:

The Ultimate Space-Saving Dust Cyclone Separator Cart | Dustopper & Ridgid Vac Cart


I liked the space-saving design of John's design. Floor space is at a premium and I need a portable system, one at each end of the workshop. This is what the first unit looks like:

Automotive tire Gas Engineering Machine Composite material


John's dimensions were incomplete. To find center for the hole, I drew a diagonal line from corner to corner. At the center point, I drew an 11-1/8" circle with a compass. This was the diameter needed to made sure my bucket fit snugly in the hole. I measured 3" from each corner along each size, then took a square at that point and extended 3" into the plywood. Where adjacent sides intersected is where the holes were drilled for the bolt caps-this was done before the corners were rounded. If measured correctly, the holes should be 24" from each other, which is the same distance between the centers of the casters.

The PVC caps from my local Big Box were highly domed, so I went with oversized (3/8" x 1-1/2") bolts to secure them to the underside of the plywood top.

Once assembled, I rolled it around on the Dungeon's uneven floor to check for stability. Quite stable, I was happy to see. However, when I tugged on the separator inlet hose to move the unit forward the back of the bucket would lift out of the plywood holder. Adding a slide bolt took care of this, but I think I will add a pair of handles to the plywood on this unit and probably make cut out hand holds in the second unit.

Dishware Tableware Serveware Wood Porcelain


I'll start on the second unit tomorrow: the same Rigid model vacuum and HomeDepot DustStopper separator. I will add another post if I do make any changes in the build.
 

Attachments

#580 ·
The Ultimate Space-Saving Dust Cyclone Separator Cart

The Dungeon Workshop continues to be a war zone, but progress is being had, albeit s-l-o-w-l-y. This evening I finished one of two identical dust control builds, based on this YouTube video:

The Ultimate Space-Saving Dust Cyclone Separator Cart | Dustopper & Ridgid Vac Cart


I liked the space-saving design of John's design. Floor space is at a premium and I need a portable system, one at each end of the workshop. This is what the first unit looks like:

Automotive tire Gas Engineering Machine Composite material


John's dimensions were incomplete. To find center for the hole, I drew a diagonal line from corner to corner. At the center point, I drew an 11-1/8" circle with a compass. This was the diameter needed to made sure my bucket fit snugly in the hole. I measured 3" from each corner along each size, then took a square at that point and extended 3" into the plywood. Where adjacent sides intersected is where the holes were drilled for the bolt caps-this was done before the corners were rounded. If measured correctly, the holes should be 24" from each other, which is the same distance between the centers of the casters.

The PVC caps from my local Big Box were highly domed, so I went with oversized (3/8" x 1-1/2") bolts to secure them to the underside of the plywood top.

Once assembled, I rolled it around on the Dungeon's uneven floor to check for stability. Quite stable, I was happy to see. However, when I tugged on the separator inlet hose to move the unit forward the back of the bucket would lift out of the plywood holder. Adding a slide bolt took care of this, but I think I will add a pair of handles to the plywood on this unit and probably make cut out hand holds in the second unit.

Dishware Tableware Serveware Wood Porcelain


I'll start on the second unit tomorrow: the same Rigid model vacuum and HomeDepot DustStopper separator. I will add another post if I do make any changes in the build.
I like it! I like it!!
Let the hose hang down and be tied to a leg by the Ridgid sign and it won't be top heavy and tip over.
 

Attachments

#589 ·
Scrappy Solution

I found a simple solution in the ongoing reorganization of the Dungeon Workshop. The challenge in finding the home for benchtop tools is when the unit has multiple angles of usage. A combination disc and belt sander is a good example. So is the WorkSharp WS3000. Besides the front approach, rotating the tool 90 degrees to the left and to the right gives better or needed access to wide blade honing and see-through free-hand honing, respectively. The research I've been doing on a rotating top tool station (ShopNotes 35) inspired me to do something similar, on a much smaller scale, and I found the perfect board for a turntable.

In my recently completed dual unit dust collectors project, two holes were cutout of the 3/4" plywood tops for the 5 gallon buckets to hang in. The scraps were just large enough for the turntable I needed. Cleaning up the top and bottom edges of the pilot hole drilled to allow jigsaw access make for a handy, albeit unnecessary, finger hole to aid in turning the platform. A shanked woodscrew becomes the pivot and a penny nail is used to secure rotation stops, in either of two holes that go through the turntable and into the benchtop. A small nylon cable clip gives a grip when removing the nail.

Furniture Sundial Table Wood Circle


Automotive tire Bumper Automotive exterior Gas Automotive wheel system


Kitchen appliance Gas Wood Font Machine


Gas Machine Kitchen appliance Composite material Wood


Another K.I.S.S. solution, and one less scrap I need to toss out.
 

Attachments

#590 ·
Flip-Top Tool Cart - Down-n-Dirty

Another episode in the ongoing effort to organize the dungeon workshop, which is driven by the need to have every tool, screw, nut, and bolt, in its appropriate place for when I have to pack it all up next year for the big move. In this episode: the completion of a down-n-dirty flip-top tool cart.

My DeWalt thickness planer has always been too heavy for me to lift onto and off a bench top, so I made a couple of years ago a mobile cart for it. Unfortunately, the cart's narrow trac and oversize casters made it a bit unstable on the moon-crater surface of my workshop. It was top-heavy, as well as always in the way. Really, I didn't have the floor space to give up for it, either. And with the massive rearranging of benches and reorganization of tools and equipment, I also now needed a home for two other tools. Converting the current thickness planer cart, over starting from scratch, was the most cost-effective and time-saving choice.

The sides, base, and plywood shelf atop the base, are original to the previous cart. To increase the cart's trac and improve stability on my uneven floor, I added a two-by at the bottom of each end and braced. Smaller casters were used than before; a wise decision.

Table Wood Machine tool Gas Engineering


The top is comprised of three layers of 3/4" plywood, sandwiching a channel made for the 36" x 3/4" steel rod. Four 3/4" Jeremywell Set Screw Shaft Collars were used to secure the rod to the bench, one on either side of each end mount/pivot. This worked out better than I had expected, making sure the ends can't splay out or bend inward over time due to the weight of the mounted tools and movement of the top.

Wood Machine tool Gas Engineering Automotive wheel system


Four 5" eye bolts are used to lock the top in place, support each corner when pushed in. I had these in the shop, and I liked the handles, handy when pulling them out and pushing into place.

Table Wood Gas Engineering Machine


Cable clips hold in place the wrapped up cables of the Delta disc/belt sander and WorkSharp WS3000 when not in use, securing the wraps to the top when the thickness planer is on top. Cable clips were also used to secure the power strip's cord when neither of the tools are needed.

Table Wood Gas Engineering Machine


I had in mind of adding a hinged door to each open side, as well as sheathing the ends. It won't be long before the arachnids take over and the saw dust coats their webmaking. Besides, the thickness planer doesn't come out very often, so it's no real hassle to have to open both doors when I need to flip. We'll see over time. The To-Do list is pretty long.
 

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#591 ·
Recovery Update

I'm happy to tell you that 2-1/2 years after my serious accident, my right foot has healed to the point where I am at about 90 percent of pre-accident physical abilities. Balance has been improving, albeit subtly, gradually to the point that I only would notice if I stop to look back and compare what I can do now to what I was able to in the recent past. I can tell that I have lost quite a bit of muscle mass, especially in my legs. Once Spring brings days of dry roads and warm temperatures I hope to get out on a bicycle and do some easy leg strengthening and eventually some cardio. Much credit to improvements in my health and in dealing with recovery must be given to my weight loss. I've lost about 25 pounds since summer of last year. Another ten needs to be dropped to be into an athletic, health and safety promoting shape. I'm taking it slow, having first and foremost developed a lasting lifestyle change, some of which recently came about from a sincere effort to finally tackle digestive system ailments and limitations. Life is about progress. When you stop, you die. So I'm doing what I can to keep this old wagon a'running.

I have some other things to post, to follow this one-more updates that will affect my future in the workshop, for the better, rest assured.
 
#594 ·
Benchtop Moxon Vice

Table Wood Rectangle Wood stain Plank


Wood Wood stain Workbench Hardwood Plank


My latest addition is a portable benchtop Moxon vice, something I've had in my mind to do for some time. I based this build on Jay Bate's Sliding Moxon design. Several changes were made to accommodate my needs and workspace limitations. Mine is several inches shorter, a half inch taller, uses 3/4" pipe and clamp fittings, and some other variations or changes made to improve upon his original design.

Here are some of the mods I made and realizations after having built the unit:

Wood Saw Hardwood Workbench Machine tool


- In retrospect, the narrower width of the jaws in my build, compared to Jay's, could have allowed for a reduction in number of 3/4" plywood planks used-from four (3" thick) to three (2-1/4" thick)-without sacrificing overall strength. No way these are going to flex with normal use, so retrospection doesn't negate its value as-is.

- If I had to make this again, or something similar (i.e, thick laminated jaws), I would drill the holes in each plank, line them up in gluing together. I didn't catch this until after I had laminated. What a PITA it was to drill 3" holes with my benchtop drill press!

Wood Workbench Hardwood Machine tool Gas


- I didn't bother chamfering the jaws for looks, as Jay did. Sure, it looks like it could hold a 2-ton car in its jaws, because of its massive block-like shape, but the proximity of the Yost jaws to the top edge of the front jaw left me unwilling to take a chance in looks-over-function.

Wood Workbench Hardwood Plank Table


Wood Hardwood Plank Wood stain Rectangle


- The rear cast iron clutches won't sit flat against the rear jaw when clamping force isn't applied, so I drilled a couple of holes in each and screwed to the jaw. This not only solved the problem, it reduced a fair amount of unwanted slop in the vice. Jay's method was to use double-sided carpet take, which wouldn't have stuck to the pine plywood face.

- Jay included an open box in his design, to maximize use of otherwise wasted space, as well as create a brace for the rear jaw. I added a lid made from scrap to keep sawdust and shavings out. The hinges came from a local dollar store. Yeah, way too flashy for such a build, but for a buck…got use them up.

Table Wood Wood stain Floor Flooring


- I settled on a three-point mounting method to the workbench: three slots, one on each side and one down the middle. For now I am using course threaded lag bolts as-is. In the future I will make up wood handles for each.

Table Wood Tool Floor Rectangle


Wood Table Rectangle Gas Hardwood


Wood Table Tool Workbench Machine tool


Wood Table Rectangle Gas Hardwood


I wanted to be able to use this on more than one bench in my shop-hence the narrower width. I've shown it here on two of the benches it will spend most of its time on.

All I have left to do is apply some BLO.

If you are interested in building something similar, the cost for a pair of Yost 3/4" clamps is about $11.00 USD on Amazon. I paid about $10.00 USD for a 30" black pipe. Jay's build was accomplished in a 48" x 48" sheet of 3/4" of Baltic Birch plywood. I used what I had, which was interior general use pine. The rest you should already have in your shop or can find at your local Big Box Store.
 

Attachments

#595 ·
Benchtop Moxon Vice

Table Wood Rectangle Wood stain Plank


Wood Wood stain Workbench Hardwood Plank


My latest addition is a portable benchtop Moxon vice, something I've had in my mind to do for some time. I based this build on Jay Bate's Sliding Moxon design. Several changes were made to accommodate my needs and workspace limitations. Mine is several inches shorter, a half inch taller, uses 3/4" pipe and clamp fittings, and some other variations or changes made to improve upon his original design.

Here are some of the mods I made and realizations after having built the unit:

Wood Saw Hardwood Workbench Machine tool


- In retrospect, the narrower width of the jaws in my build, compared to Jay's, could have allowed for a reduction in number of 3/4" plywood planks used-from four (3" thick) to three (2-1/4" thick)-without sacrificing overall strength. No way these are going to flex with normal use, so retrospection doesn't negate its value as-is.

- If I had to make this again, or something similar (i.e, thick laminated jaws), I would drill the holes in each plank, line them up in gluing together. I didn't catch this until after I had laminated. What a PITA it was to drill 3" holes with my benchtop drill press!

Wood Workbench Hardwood Machine tool Gas


- I didn't bother chamfering the jaws for looks, as Jay did. Sure, it looks like it could hold a 2-ton car in its jaws, because of its massive block-like shape, but the proximity of the Yost jaws to the top edge of the front jaw left me unwilling to take a chance in looks-over-function.

Wood Workbench Hardwood Plank Table


Wood Hardwood Plank Wood stain Rectangle


- The rear cast iron clutches won't sit flat against the rear jaw when clamping force isn't applied, so I drilled a couple of holes in each and screwed to the jaw. This not only solved the problem, it reduced a fair amount of unwanted slop in the vice. Jay's method was to use double-sided carpet take, which wouldn't have stuck to the pine plywood face.

- Jay included an open box in his design, to maximize use of otherwise wasted space, as well as create a brace for the rear jaw. I added a lid made from scrap to keep sawdust and shavings out. The hinges came from a local dollar store. Yeah, way too flashy for such a build, but for a buck…got use them up.

Table Wood Wood stain Floor Flooring


- I settled on a three-point mounting method to the workbench: three slots, one on each side and one down the middle. For now I am using course threaded lag bolts as-is. In the future I will make up wood handles for each.

Table Wood Tool Floor Rectangle


Wood Table Rectangle Gas Hardwood


Wood Table Tool Workbench Machine tool


Wood Table Rectangle Gas Hardwood


I wanted to be able to use this on more than one bench in my shop-hence the narrower width. I've shown it here on two of the benches it will spend most of its time on.

All I have left to do is apply some BLO.

If you are interested in building something similar, the cost for a pair of Yost 3/4" clamps is about $11.00 USD on Amazon. I paid about $10.00 USD for a 30" black pipe. Jay's build was accomplished in a 48" x 48" sheet of 3/4" of Baltic Birch plywood. I used what I had, which was interior general use pine. The rest you should already have in your shop or can find at your local Big Box Store.
That vice looks like it can handle anything you can throw at it Paul. Nicely done!!
 

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#604 ·
Using Drill Press Clamps in Workbench Dog Holes

A while ago I was at a Harbor Freight store picking up some 6" F-clamps when I came across their Pittsburgh 9" Drill Press Locking Clamps. An idea came to mind, so I picked up two at the price of $8.99 each. Sure enough, when I got home and tried them out in the dog holes on my Harbor Freight Windsor workbench, they fit perfectly. I've recently drilled out the dog holes to the standard 3/4" size, and they still work just as well.

Obviously, the threaded ends aren't very long, more than adequate for the thin top on the HF workbench, and you have to be able to get to the underside of the top to work the eye nuts, which isn't a problem for this workbench. The threads are course, so spinning the eye nuts on and off is a breeze, very fast in fact. You'd be surprised at how quickly these clamps can be put into service and put away when done.

Clamping pressure is quite adequate. One of these applied to 5/4 oak board seen in the picture was enough to make the whole bench move when trying to budge the board.

On the apron opposite the end vice I have a twin hat hook, where I store the clamps when not needed.

Of course, you don't need to own a HF Windsor workbench to capitalized on this tip. Any accessible bench or table top, B&D Workmates, etc., with a top thickness no greater than the threaded ends will work.

Wood Pruning shears Hand tool Tool Table


Wood Table Rectangle Flooring Hardwood
 

Attachments

#605 ·
Using Drill Press Clamps in Workbench Dog Holes

A while ago I was at a Harbor Freight store picking up some 6" F-clamps when I came across their Pittsburgh 9" Drill Press Locking Clamps. An idea came to mind, so I picked up two at the price of $8.99 each. Sure enough, when I got home and tried them out in the dog holes on my Harbor Freight Windsor workbench, they fit perfectly. I've recently drilled out the dog holes to the standard 3/4" size, and they still work just as well.

Obviously, the threaded ends aren't very long, more than adequate for the thin top on the HF workbench, and you have to be able to get to the underside of the top to work the eye nuts, which isn't a problem for this workbench. The threads are course, so spinning the eye nuts on and off is a breeze, very fast in fact. You'd be surprised at how quickly these clamps can be put into service and put away when done.

Clamping pressure is quite adequate. One of these applied to 5/4 oak board seen in the picture was enough to make the whole bench move when trying to budge the board.

On the apron opposite the end vice I have a twin hat hook, where I store the clamps when not needed.

Of course, you don't need to own a HF Windsor workbench to capitalized on this tip. Any accessible bench or table top, B&D Workmates, etc., with a top thickness no greater than the threaded ends will work.

Wood Pruning shears Hand tool Tool Table


Wood Table Rectangle Flooring Hardwood
I saw these in a Lee Valley catalogue the other day and almost ordered them. How are they for getting your hand around to lock down and release them? I thought maybe the bench would get in the way too much?
 

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#614 ·
Variable Thickness Anti-Racking Gadget

I probably already posted this find a long time back. For those who are not inclined to sift through a hundred or more blog entries to find out, here it is again. It's a cheap, very useful tip, and I think worth mentioning (~ again).

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Rectangle Wood Grey Floor Flooring


The end vice on my Harbor Freight Windsor workbench racks whenever I clamp a board off center in the jaws. I found (I can't remember where) this easy to make gadget that works perfectly at eliminating racking.

The length of the 1/4" bolt used should reflect the maximum width of a board you would ever mount into your vice. I used the longest bolt I had at the time, a 4-1/2" carriage bolt. Obviously, a hex or Allen key head bolt would be a preferable alternative to what I used, and I would suggest using one nylon locknut instead of locking together two standard nuts.

The only tricky aspect in making this is getting the holes drilled in the tongue depressors without tear out and cracking the thin wood. I made a simple jig to hold several atop of each other while I used the drill press to bore the holes. That worked okay, but I did spit a couple of stick in the process. A box of a hundred of these is dirt cheap, but I'm thinking a better method would be to sandwich one or two sticks between two hardboard templates, clamping the ensemble down to the drill press table, then drilling. The clamping is necessary because you will find that tongue depressors come in all manners of twist, bow and cup.

The one shown in the pictures is at least a few years old. I've only broken two sticks since I made it.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Trunk


Outdoor bench Wood Outdoor furniture Bench Plank
 

Attachments

#615 ·
Variable Thickness Anti-Racking Gadget

I probably already posted this find a long time back. For those who are not inclined to sift through a hundred or more blog entries to find out, here it is again. It's a cheap, very useful tip, and I think worth mentioning (~ again).

------

Rectangle Wood Grey Floor Flooring


The end vice on my Harbor Freight Windsor workbench racks whenever I clamp a board off center in the jaws. I found (I can't remember where) this easy to make gadget that works perfectly at eliminating racking.

The length of the 1/4" bolt used should reflect the maximum width of a board you would ever mount into your vice. I used the longest bolt I had at the time, a 4-1/2" carriage bolt. Obviously, a hex or Allen key head bolt would be a preferable alternative to what I used, and I would suggest using one nylon locknut instead of locking together two standard nuts.

The only tricky aspect in making this is getting the holes drilled in the tongue depressors without tear out and cracking the thin wood. I made a simple jig to hold several atop of each other while I used the drill press to bore the holes. That worked okay, but I did spit a couple of stick in the process. A box of a hundred of these is dirt cheap, but I'm thinking a better method would be to sandwich one or two sticks between two hardboard templates, clamping the ensemble down to the drill press table, then drilling. The clamping is necessary because you will find that tongue depressors come in all manners of twist, bow and cup.

The one shown in the pictures is at least a few years old. I've only broken two sticks since I made it.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Trunk


Outdoor bench Wood Outdoor furniture Bench Plank
Good suggesting using pop sticks techno'... I used 3mm MDF, however, with the thinner pieces you get better "precision".
 

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#623 ·
3 Dollar Saws

Wood Tool Automotive exterior Bumper Auto part


The other day I answered a Pennysaver ad for a bunch of hand saws selling for $3.00 each. He told me over the phone he had over 30 of them for sale. When I got there he apologized for the wrong count: 67 saws!

Many had warped, bent and/or dented plates, especially along the teeth, and were quite rusty, with a few exceptions. I found two rip saws and a back saw that had flat plates and spine, respectively. Since taking this picture, I've run all three saws through pine lumber. I was surprised at how sharp all three were, especially the large rips. If it wasn't for the rust binding in the kerf they would be ready for action. I suspect the back saw to be a tenon saw, by the look of the teeth and the way it handled going through the grain better than across, filed for ripping.

Some time next week I will remove the handles, work out the rust, and recondition the handles. I may be able to get away with just touching up the teeth with a file.
 

Attachments

#624 ·
3 Dollar Saws

Wood Tool Automotive exterior Bumper Auto part


The other day I answered a Pennysaver ad for a bunch of hand saws selling for $3.00 each. He told me over the phone he had over 30 of them for sale. When I got there he apologized for the wrong count: 67 saws!

Many had warped, bent and/or dented plates, especially along the teeth, and were quite rusty, with a few exceptions. I found two rip saws and a back saw that had flat plates and spine, respectively. Since taking this picture, I've run all three saws through pine lumber. I was surprised at how sharp all three were, especially the large rips. If it wasn't for the rust binding in the kerf they would be ready for action. I suspect the back saw to be a tenon saw, by the look of the teeth and the way it handled going through the grain better than across, filed for ripping.

Some time next week I will remove the handles, work out the rust, and recondition the handles. I may be able to get away with just touching up the teeth with a file.
Looking forward to the update.
 

Attachments

#632 ·
Simple, Efficient Wall Rack for Hand Wood Screws

Wood Gas Hardwood Machine Lumber


I finished building and mounting this evening a rack to hold my hand wood screws. Of the designs I found on the Web, and in the mags I own, the horizontal beam configuration was the most storage efficient for the space it has to occupy.

I'm now completely out of wall space to mount anything on.

Of course, we all know that no good turn goes without its appropriate rewards, right?

"Hun, I need to buy more hand wood screws…"
 

Attachments

#633 ·
Kicking Excuses to the Curb

It's been a month since my last post, and unlike previous lengthy periods between posts, this time it's because of diligent effort to re-organize the dungeon workshop. As of this writing, I'm close to 90% complete, that being really 'almost done', to where I can say all my tools, supplies, and equipment, are put away with some hope of finding everything when needed. The North room off the main workspace makes up the bulk of that 10 percent when I get there. Fortunately, it's an area that doesn't need to be tamed for the workshop to be where I need and want it to be.

I'm sure most of you have experienced the 'sliding puzzle' problem, where you have a finite space that is smaller than all the contents within, and therefore you must 'slide' the excess around as you work to find the means to neatly pack everything in its place. Last summer, when I came to realize I wasn't going to be a hopeless cripple, I made important changes in the way I viewed my existence. Procrastination, and can't, were put on notice, and since then I've been kicking both to the curb at every possible opportunity, and with extreme prejudice. Once the winter arrived, the last open project completed, I focused my time in the dungeon solely on re-organizing. I built simple cabinets from the over-abundance of marketing paneling I acquired for free from a local Big Box Store. I made every attempt to incorporate the stockpile of lumber on hand before buying materials, all of which has to be gone before our relocation to a new home in the near future. And as I started off, I'd get one small section of the workshop organized, to end up making a mess in 9 other places around the shop. It's been frustrating, but you know over time, subtly at first, it becomes apparent that the mess made becomes smaller in size with each new project completed. I guess that has been the best true sign of progress for me, and it has pushed me forward when I have felt overwhelmed and wanted to quit.

I plan on posting several pics of the results when I reach that magic '90 percent'. No point doing so until I do. Should be soon, though, as early as next week or the week after. I have a time table to adhere to. It won't be long before the weather allows for the dungeon to be vented to the outside while bringing in fresh air. That will be the time to start work on home renovations, furniture making, and finding all manner of notion on how best to use up all the scraps that have been multiplying in the dungeon since last fall. For once, it's a race I think I can win. Take that, Procrastination. Can't is no longer a part of my vocabulary.
 
#634 ·
Polypropylene Router Table Runners

Recently I purchased a Rockler Box Joint Jig with the intent on using it in either of the two router tables in my workshop. The newer Ryobi has standard 3/4" W x 3/8" D slots, but the older entry-level Blue Hawk (commonly sold at Lowe's) table has 5/8" wide slots. The Rockler jig comes with runners to fit only the standard size slot. So I knew going into this purchase I would be making new runners, and if it worked, out of polypropylene strips I had cut from new cutting boards bought for this purpose.

Wood Tool Automotive design Workbench Hardwood


The cutting board had been previously ripped a few years ago to ~ 3/4" wide strips, intended for use in table saw jigs. The were too thick as well as too wide for the Blue Hawk slots, so I mounted a strip in my benchtop Moxon vice and used a Stanley No. 6 plane to re-dimension height and width.

Wood Wood stain Bumper Automotive exterior Hardwood


If you haven't hand planed polypropylene before, the difference over planing wood is in the need to use even, steady downward pressure on both the toe knob and rear tote or the plane will skip. You don't need a lot of momentum, as in with hard woods. A slow, even push does it, giving some pretty cool shavings.

Plane Jack plane Rebate plane Wood Bumper


Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Engineering Gas


Once dimensioned, I first replaced the super sloppy aluminum bar in the miter gauge. Polypropylene is less dense than HDPE, and will try to deform before splitting. It took a couple of tries to get the holes the right diameter to hold the bolt threads.

Table Wood Writing implement Font Pen


Unlike the miter gauge, which works best with a smooth sliding runner, the Rockler jig needs its runners to expand in the slot to clamp itself to the table. It took a few designs to find the right length and reliefs holes for the bolt head to expand the plastic for a tight grip in the slot.

Watch Azure Material property Household hardware Rectangle


Conclusion:
The miter gauge slides smoothly in the slot and has no play. With steel threads seated in soft plastic, there's no doubt they will eventually loosen and enlarge the holes. Still, I was surprised at the amount of torque I could but on the gauge without altering its setting.

Audio equipment Gas Machine Electronic device Auto part


It appears to me the runners on the jig will work just fine on the Blue Hawk table. I have enough polypropylene to make many more runners as they wear out, at an original investment for the cutting board of around $6.00. More important is that I can use this jig on a table it wasn't designed for and marketed to fit. For me, a win-win.
 

Attachments

#635 ·
Polypropylene Router Table Runners

Recently I purchased a Rockler Box Joint Jig with the intent on using it in either of the two router tables in my workshop. The newer Ryobi has standard 3/4" W x 3/8" D slots, but the older entry-level Blue Hawk (commonly sold at Lowe's) table has 5/8" wide slots. The Rockler jig comes with runners to fit only the standard size slot. So I knew going into this purchase I would be making new runners, and if it worked, out of polypropylene strips I had cut from new cutting boards bought for this purpose.

Wood Tool Automotive design Workbench Hardwood


The cutting board had been previously ripped a few years ago to ~ 3/4" wide strips, intended for use in table saw jigs. The were too thick as well as too wide for the Blue Hawk slots, so I mounted a strip in my benchtop Moxon vice and used a Stanley No. 6 plane to re-dimension height and width.

Wood Wood stain Bumper Automotive exterior Hardwood


If you haven't hand planed polypropylene before, the difference over planing wood is in the need to use even, steady downward pressure on both the toe knob and rear tote or the plane will skip. You don't need a lot of momentum, as in with hard woods. A slow, even push does it, giving some pretty cool shavings.

Plane Jack plane Rebate plane Wood Bumper


Wood Rectangle Automotive exterior Engineering Gas


Once dimensioned, I first replaced the super sloppy aluminum bar in the miter gauge. Polypropylene is less dense than HDPE, and will try to deform before splitting. It took a couple of tries to get the holes the right diameter to hold the bolt threads.

Table Wood Writing implement Font Pen


Unlike the miter gauge, which works best with a smooth sliding runner, the Rockler jig needs its runners to expand in the slot to clamp itself to the table. It took a few designs to find the right length and reliefs holes for the bolt head to expand the plastic for a tight grip in the slot.

Watch Azure Material property Household hardware Rectangle


Conclusion:
The miter gauge slides smoothly in the slot and has no play. With steel threads seated in soft plastic, there's no doubt they will eventually loosen and enlarge the holes. Still, I was surprised at the amount of torque I could but on the gauge without altering its setting.

Audio equipment Gas Machine Electronic device Auto part


It appears to me the runners on the jig will work just fine on the Blue Hawk table. I have enough polypropylene to make many more runners as they wear out, at an original investment for the cutting board of around $6.00. More important is that I can use this jig on a table it wasn't designed for and marketed to fit. For me, a win-win.
Nice mod Paul.
 

Attachments

#637 ·
Match-Making: Ryobi Benchtop Router Table & HF 2 HP Fixed-Base Router

A while back I acquired a Harbor Freight 2 HP single-speed fixed-base router and a variable-speed control. Yesterday I decided to see if the Ryobi face plate would mate with the HP router.

Because the screws that came with the table were either too long or too short, I had to make a trip to Lowe's for the M5-.80Ă—12 mm screws needed. All they had were 16 mm. I didn't want to delay this project with an online order, so I added the HF base and used some longer screws that came with the table.

The HF plate worked, but I felt it was too thick and obstructed the router's ability to use a wide cutting bit. I made a ring spacer from some 3/32" fiber board and used the 16 mm screws I had bought. This appeared to me to be a usable compromise.

Wood Gas Audio equipment Automotive tire Composite material


Double-side industrial tape was used to mount the speed control to a scrap of particle board, and the board to a metal table leg. A spot was picked to work with the really short power cord that comes with the table's power switch.

Font Gas Audio equipment Machine Wood


The speed control appears to transition well from low to high speed. I've heard some say that routers lose a lot of torque when dialed down. Soon I have to make some half-sash window replacements. That will be a good test for this setup.

Table Furniture Wood Gas Engineering
 

Attachments

#638 ·
Lumber and Cut-Offs Reorganization

Since my father passed on last summer, I've been cleaning out, clearing out, and reorganizing the dungeon workshop. I've made shop cabinets, added drawers to benches, made some carts, sorted fasteners and supplies. As I have mentioned already, it has been like playing with a Rubik cube, a sliding puzzle, where I've had to shuffle stuff around to make progress in any one area of the shop. I've accomplished a lot-my wife keeps telling me I have-and I do feel as if I am very close to being finished.

A major accomplishment has been the sorting/reorganizing of lumber and cut-offs I had stored in the basement and on both back porches. What a difference between now and the way it was before. I have a '95 Ford F-150 XLT with a full size bed filled to the top with the lumber to be taken to the landfill. This is what I kept…

The North room is the final frontier in the workshop. I hope to have the room completely resolved by the end of this month. I made a rack several years ago. Now I have stacked on it the cut-offs and small boards that survived the Great Purge.

Wood Tread Gas Hardwood Lumber


Smaller cut-offs were placed in plastic containers. I was happy to see an old 5.25" floppy disk container be useful again.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Wooden block


Particle board and plywood are temporarily stacked against the side of the drill presses bench until I reorganize the two sheet goods racks-pictures later on in this post.

Wood Wood stain Floor Wooden block Hardwood


Some smaller plywood pieces are temporarily in an plastic crate. The grooved poplar boards in the blue Lowe's bucket were salvaged from an old bureau I disassembled a month ago.

Wood Desk organizer Crate Office supplies Storage basket


The main rack wasn't designed well, nor large enough to hold and access all the long boards I had. I took everything off the rack and extended the arms. The left side of the rack (as you are looking at it in this picture) gives up to 10' of support on the bottom shelf, 8' on the 2nd and 3rd shelves, and about 4' on the top one. The right side of the 2nd and 3rd shelves supports about 4'. The longest two-buys sticking out of the left side of the bottom most shelf are 12' white oak pallet runners.

Wood Beam Window Hardwood Lumber


I was surprised to find I had this many 4' pallet runners. I guess I will be making a lot of flower pot wheelbarrows and plant stands! (You can find pictures of these back in this blog.) I'll have to make a rack for these…somewhere.

Wood Wood stain Rectangle Plank Hardwood


I inherited this bamboo collection from my late father. I've used some already in our garden, but I think there has to be a creative use for them in woodworking projects, too.

Wood Composite material Hardwood Plank Grass


I've used up half of the cast-out 8' long 5/8" melamine I acquired from Lowe's a couple of years ago to build shop cabinets and drawers. The East and West racks are in need of reassigning and some cleaning out. I'll start on that today or tomorrow. For now, the stuff is out of my way and no longer under foot.

Wood Floor Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


Wood Floor Flooring Gas Building material


Wood Floor Flooring Gas Composite material


The last rack is outside of the workshop, on a built-up landing underneath a stairway inside the back entrance. I've pulled some pieces out of the stash recently, so it needs to be reorganized, and I'm sure some of the boards will need to be discarded from adverse wood movement over time.

Wood Natural material Wood stain Hardwood Plank


Getting there. I can see the light at the end of the..dungeon!
 

Attachments

#639 ·
Lumber and Cut-Offs Reorganization

Since my father passed on last summer, I've been cleaning out, clearing out, and reorganizing the dungeon workshop. I've made shop cabinets, added drawers to benches, made some carts, sorted fasteners and supplies. As I have mentioned already, it has been like playing with a Rubik cube, a sliding puzzle, where I've had to shuffle stuff around to make progress in any one area of the shop. I've accomplished a lot-my wife keeps telling me I have-and I do feel as if I am very close to being finished.

A major accomplishment has been the sorting/reorganizing of lumber and cut-offs I had stored in the basement and on both back porches. What a difference between now and the way it was before. I have a '95 Ford F-150 XLT with a full size bed filled to the top with the lumber to be taken to the landfill. This is what I kept…

The North room is the final frontier in the workshop. I hope to have the room completely resolved by the end of this month. I made a rack several years ago. Now I have stacked on it the cut-offs and small boards that survived the Great Purge.

Wood Tread Gas Hardwood Lumber


Smaller cut-offs were placed in plastic containers. I was happy to see an old 5.25" floppy disk container be useful again.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Wooden block


Particle board and plywood are temporarily stacked against the side of the drill presses bench until I reorganize the two sheet goods racks-pictures later on in this post.

Wood Wood stain Floor Wooden block Hardwood


Some smaller plywood pieces are temporarily in an plastic crate. The grooved poplar boards in the blue Lowe's bucket were salvaged from an old bureau I disassembled a month ago.

Wood Desk organizer Crate Office supplies Storage basket


The main rack wasn't designed well, nor large enough to hold and access all the long boards I had. I took everything off the rack and extended the arms. The left side of the rack (as you are looking at it in this picture) gives up to 10' of support on the bottom shelf, 8' on the 2nd and 3rd shelves, and about 4' on the top one. The right side of the 2nd and 3rd shelves supports about 4'. The longest two-buys sticking out of the left side of the bottom most shelf are 12' white oak pallet runners.

Wood Beam Window Hardwood Lumber


I was surprised to find I had this many 4' pallet runners. I guess I will be making a lot of flower pot wheelbarrows and plant stands! (You can find pictures of these back in this blog.) I'll have to make a rack for these…somewhere.

Wood Wood stain Rectangle Plank Hardwood


I inherited this bamboo collection from my late father. I've used some already in our garden, but I think there has to be a creative use for them in woodworking projects, too.

Wood Composite material Hardwood Plank Grass


I've used up half of the cast-out 8' long 5/8" melamine I acquired from Lowe's a couple of years ago to build shop cabinets and drawers. The East and West racks are in need of reassigning and some cleaning out. I'll start on that today or tomorrow. For now, the stuff is out of my way and no longer under foot.

Wood Floor Hardwood Flooring Wood stain


Wood Floor Flooring Gas Building material


Wood Floor Flooring Gas Composite material


The last rack is outside of the workshop, on a built-up landing underneath a stairway inside the back entrance. I've pulled some pieces out of the stash recently, so it needs to be reorganized, and I'm sure some of the boards will need to be discarded from adverse wood movement over time.

Wood Natural material Wood stain Hardwood Plank


Getting there. I can see the light at the end of the..dungeon!
Paul,

When you're done there, you're invited to organize ours!!

L/W
 

Attachments

#645 ·
Working "Clean"

My previous post was about the complete re-organization of lumber and cut-offs in and around my dungeon workshop. I call it a 'dungeon' because of the several issues I have with it, and the compromises or extra lengths I have to go through to equal what many of my peers take for granted in their own workshops.

My workshop is the basement of my 120 year old home, poorly constructed (in my opinion), showing its age more than it should. There isn't a flat spot of concrete floor in the workshop, nor any patches that are co-planar with each other. The Southwest end of the main workspace floor slopes a good 5 or more degrees to the East, and overall, all the concrete is breaking up so badly that even rolling large diameter casters on it requires a lot of tugging and pushing. A good fifth of the square footage is unuseable due to the age-old accumulation of coal dust-an old coal bin in its day. Ceilings are low enough that I can touch the floor joists above without effort, and I'm always banging projects, lumber, and my flipped up face shield, against asbestos covered water pipes. The list of compromises is long, but hey, it's still home-for now. Had the COVID-19 outbreak not been happening, we would be in a serious search for a new home, and maybe closing on one at this time. Until this is possible (and safely practical), I'm making due with what I have to work with.

Which brings me to the topic of this post. An article in an email I received today sparked my interest in creating this blog entry. It's a good read, although I will be the first to mention I have some issues with some of it recommendations-scraps, for one:

https://www.finewoodworking.com/2020/04/08/the-importance-of-working-clean

My version of 'working clean' is now, and will continue to be, a top priority in this workshop. Between the arachnids and the asbestos, the concrete dust and hundred-plus year old timbers, and my general allergies around wood dust, I have to wear a P100 respirator (chemical cartridges when working with VOCs) every time I use or do a dust-producing process. My allergies are such that even a good does of unfiltered pine dust will cause a severe reaction that lays me out for the better part of a day. It's uncomfortable working for hours with a half-mask and face shield on, but there isn't any cost effective way for me to get around this situation in this environment. For this reason alone, working with hand tools is a first choice whenever practical. (More of a challenge is being on my feet for more than a couple of hours-this will be a forever thing.) And still I'm content to do this work, work with these materials, and under the dungeon's demanding conditions. I'm happiest in the shop when I can do what I want to do, create as I wish to and knowing I am not going to be suffering later on from what I have inhaled. Keeping my work area 'clean' makes this possible. It's an effort that will save my sanity now, potentially my health for years to come.

---

ADDENDUM
Recently I purchased a Jet Air-Filtration System that hangs from the ceiling. I had a spot earmarked for it when I was making the order. It turns out that spot won't work, so I'll be stressing some brain cells to the max to figure out where this monster can be mounted. Oh, the first-world problems…
 
#658 ·
Powertec USA - USPS Settled, Sort of

I received adequate correspondence and expedient crediting to find no need to keep the original post on record. I'm still annoyed that neither Powertec or the USPS are accepting blame in this matter. I'll leave it at that.
 
#659 ·
I am having a similar problem with different shipper from amazon. Amazon has something called an A-Z guarantee.
Yesterday I was offered a refund, by Amazon under that guarantee . Have seen nothing credited to my account yet, but I hope it works.
Glad you got your money refunded.
 
#666 ·
Dungeon Workshop Walkaround Tour - Spring 2020

I promised Shawn ( @shawnSK ) pictures of the workshop, once the reorganization was complete enough to get back to building projects. I'm not quite there, as you will see in this post, but close enough that I decided I wanted to do it, as an earmark for when I look back at where I've been and what's been done over time.

I moan and groan a lot about the limitations I deal with in this workshop, but for the amount of time I spend in it, and how far I have come along in dealing with my mild case of arachnophobia, I think it's more about the Sicilian in me-we just love to bitch, it's in our blood. I've impressed my wife over the past year, so there's that, too. But seriously, safety is what drives my concerns more than anything else. Allergies and ingesting micro-sized bad boys are no laughing matter. I've come to grips with the processes I need to adhere to.

Here is the criteria used in the reworking the dungeon workshop:

1) The use of lumber products already owned takes precedent over buying new, especially in regard to processed sheet goods I've had around for way too long and will not transport to our new home once we can get back to looking for one again.

2) Function far more important than design and visual appeal. Cabinets, carts, benches, wall coverings, holders, mounts, etc., etc., are all tools, not the end game. There isn't a flat, square, plumb area within this entire house, and the dungeon is the worst of it. You will see this in the pictures.

3) Speed. I have to get this project completed like yesterday. As good weather begins to roll in I have some major projects that need the workshop to be ready. Building what works takes precedent over building what promotes longevity in the build. The only shop constructs I will take with me to the new home are the unattached benches and what's on wheels, and even then I have accepted that if there's not a place for them in the new place they will be left behind.

4) While the intent is to place tools and equipment of a similar supporting theme together, I'm more concerned with easy access for often used tools and supplies, and being able to remember where I put said stuff. I can't stress this last point enough-bad memory!

The shape of the workshop isn't four sided. I tried to follow a path that will lead you around it in such a away that you can figure out it's dimensions. Consequently, it took quite a few pictures to capture it all. If you fall asleep or lose patience in the tour, you have my leave to take off. No harm. No foul on me.



You are now entering the Dungeon Workshop. Tall people must duck their heads. If your head breaks the overhead light bulb or fixture, you will be asked to pay for it.

Wood Architecture Flooring House Ceiling


Top Left: I have a 250 cfm vent fan replacement for the window. Helps in the months I can open a window on the opposite end of the shop.

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Beam


Turning 180 degree to the right: Wall space is at a premium because of the field stone. A saw till would be preferable, if I had a place to put it. The work desk is cramped, but suffices for now. Underneath is my main compressor. You can't see it behind the hose reel.

Wood Clothes hanger Building Snips Eyewear


Behind that corner wall space is an old oil tank. I made sure to allow air space to it and if really, really, REALLY necessary, a means to get to the blocked off window.

Wood Table Automotive design Desk Engineering


A spin back to the entrance way: My main clamp rack. I need more clamps!!!

Wood Clock Gas Electrical wiring Machine


To the right of the clamps: My main router table and dust collector for the North end of the workshop.

Wood Floor Table Flooring Gas


To the right of the router table area: our chest freezer. Funny story here. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, during the beginning of the clean-out and decision making on what to move and what to leave behind, we came to the conclusion that there was no way to get the chest freezer out of the basement without major deconstruction at the entrance of the workshop. It's quite old, so no great loss to leave it behind. But-it does get in the way.

I attached a dolly to the bottom of one of two stackable Craftsman storage bins. I can roll this around and out of the way quite easily. In the open area above it I will attempt to suspend from the floor joists a recently purchased Jet Air-Filtration System. I have to be careful, though. It moves up to 1,000 cfm, and there is the fryable asbestos to the left. A baffle may help. We'll see.

By the way, this is the North most end of the old coal bin, a space filled with rebar sticking out of the ground and lots and lost of coal dust mixed in with the dirt. Yippee!

Wood Gas Flooring Automotive design Machine


The main lumber rack, recently redesigned and restocked, behind the drill press table. I have to find a place for the wood on the floor. (sigh)

Wood Hardwood Building Lumber Box


Drill Press Table and and a view of how long some of the racks are. You can see I used drawers from an old bureau I recently deconstructed. Waste not, want not.

Wood Gas Machine Engineering Machine tool


The view most often presented, looking South. The table saw stand was made a few months ago. A good choice in design and storage capacity, I've come to see. Regarding the DeWalt saw: the only time I miss its predecessor, the Hitachi C10FL is when I am cutting up large sheet goods. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy it and its much smaller footprint.

Motor vehicle Automotive design Wood Shipping box Floor


A closer look at the East side bench area.

Wood Automotive design Building Table Market


More of the East wall, progressing South.

Wood Gas Toolroom Machine Tool


Southeast corner of the workshop. Yes, the cabinets are slanting back a bit. I used the wall framing that was there for many years. I would have had to do major renovation to work the wall over. It's a secure wall and cabinet mount. Moving on…

Furniture Table Wood Lighting Interior design


South wall bench area. Since taking this picture I have moved the small plastic drawer unit out and replaced it with new hand planes bought over the winter and not tuned up yet.

Property Furniture Table Cabinetry Wood


Around the corner of the South bench area is a small cubby area. You can see I found a home for the Hyper Tough parts containers. Underneath is a roll around flip-top cart that houses my DeWalt thickness planer. You are also looking at the South end dust collector unit.

Wood Gas Machine Kitchen cart Kitchen appliance


You can see how damp the wall gets. Some old construction hanging from the wall, probably a good 70 or more years old. A sink used to be there, tapped into the sewer pipe long ago. I'm probably going to built a shelf or cabinet to sit atop of the metal shelf unit some time soon. On the floor: bamboo rods I inherited from Dad. I'm thinking to mount hooks in the joists above and rack them up above. We'll see.

Automotive tire Wood Building Flooring Floor


The Harbor Freight midi-lathe with Excelsior extension attached. Above, a recently made wall rack for the cutting tools. The Kobalt wood chisels are squatters. They will be evicted soon.

Wood Gas Machine tool Hardwood Workbench


I found a good use for these clear plastic folder units that hadn't been used in years. The only addition, for safety sake, was to mount a small metal "L" bracket beneath each to guard against brushing fingers against the carbide teeth sticking out of the front most shelf. Also, South most end of the old coal bin. In good weather I open up the screened window, a must when using the vent fan.

Wood Gas Living room House Building


The next group of pictures are in the North room, still the wild, wild west, yet to be fully tamed…

The secondary storage rack for small cut-offs. I've recently posted this one. I use the air tank for tire inflation on the vehicles and bikes we own. The sheet metal feet offer a convenient wall mount using hooks on the wall.

Wood Gas Machine Engineering Toolroom


Beyond the feet of the Kobalt Miter Saw Stand is a mixture of owned "junk" and what was already here 30 years ago. Once the weather allows for an open door I expect to tackle cleaning the area out. This is dirt floor area. Not sure there will be much value to the workshop once it's cleared out.

Gas Engineering Building Machine Electrical wiring


The resident before us was a carpenter, and he wasn't afraid to mix up what materials were on hand to make the shelf unit before you. Doors, chunks of firewood and tree trunks, iron railroad rails, nailed sticks, and more. All of that has to go.

Table Automotive design Wood Engineering Audio equipment


This is where stuff gets put that doesn't have a home yet. This is small compared to what the pile looked like a few weeks ago. Patience, Paul. Patience.

Shipping box Wood Gas Office supplies Machine


Close the door to the North room and you have access to some racked air hose and extension cords.

Electrical wiring Wood Gas Cable Electrical supply


I have a lot of volatiles that need to be placed into a fire-retardant cabinet.

Wood Motor vehicle Gas Shipping box Plastic bag


Shelf Tin can Aluminum can Shelving Beverage can


And this, ladies and gentlemen, concludes the tour. Watch your step as you exit the dungeon. Feel free to add whatever you can afford in the tip box at the exit. And be a good sport-nudge awake those who have fallen asleep on the floor. Thank you for coming! Come again soon!

The End
 

Attachments

#667 ·
Creamer and Sugar Bowl Carrier - Build Progress

With the workshop mostly reorganized, I've started to get at projects already started and on my To-Do list. A simple project I had been putting off was a small carrier for our Nortake creamer and sugar bowl set. The design is similar to the one used in the salt and pepper mill carrier I made a few years back.

The design incorporates two different size boards glue together to give the top ledge look, which also simplifies the build process by using a hole in the top board to create a recess once the boards are laminated together. I've included the salt and pepper mill carrier pics. Both carriers will be side-by-side on our kitchen table.

Brown Table Rectangle Wood Beige


I used red oak for this project, to match the wood used in the salt and pepper mill carrier. As with the previous project, the oak is from a pallet I deconstructed a few years back.

The holes made in the top board were of two different dimensions, both larger than the largest Forstner bit I owned. I bored a couple of holes large enough for a clean-cut jigsaw blade to fit and removed the waste accordingly. A little time on the oscillating sander cleaned up the circumferences.

It was at this point in the construction that I realized I didn't prepare for the chamfering of the holes to accommodate the sloped bottoms of the creamer and sugar bowl. There were only two options that made sense: 1) make a router template and use a trim router with a top bearing 45 degree bit to bevel the holes, 2) mark the dimensions for the chamfers and remove the waste with a rasp. I opted to use the rasp. I added a small indent for the creamer handle. When finished, the boards were joined with Titebond I PVA glue.

Rectangle Wood Font Wood stain Hardwood


A pretty good fit. Should be just enough play to deal with humidity changes in the kitchen.

Tableware Drinkware Dishware Table Wood


As long as the router was being shunned, I decided to use a block plane to create the 45 degree chamfers on the top edges. I knocked off the opposing corners before skewing the block plane across both ends to eliminate blow out.

Rectangle Table Wood Flooring Floor


I have to say, I was impressed with how well the first chamfer went, since I didn't make an effort to sharpen or hone the iron beforehand.

Rectangle Wood Tableware Dishware Grey


With all four chamfers done, sanding, sealing, and top coat finishing is left.

Tableware Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain


The salt and pepper mill carrier was finished with spray shellac. Because this carrier will have the potential to receive milk spills, I will be top coating with Minwax Polycrylic instead.

Here is what the salt and pepper mill carrier looks like. I'm sure I posted this here before.

Liquid Bottle Fluid Solution Glass bottle


I will post the finished build as a Project.
 

Attachments

#668 ·
Creamer and Sugar Bowl Carrier - Build Progress

With the workshop mostly reorganized, I've started to get at projects already started and on my To-Do list. A simple project I had been putting off was a small carrier for our Nortake creamer and sugar bowl set. The design is similar to the one used in the salt and pepper mill carrier I made a few years back.

The design incorporates two different size boards glue together to give the top ledge look, which also simplifies the build process by using a hole in the top board to create a recess once the boards are laminated together. I've included the salt and pepper mill carrier pics. Both carriers will be side-by-side on our kitchen table.

Brown Table Rectangle Wood Beige


I used red oak for this project, to match the wood used in the salt and pepper mill carrier. As with the previous project, the oak is from a pallet I deconstructed a few years back.

The holes made in the top board were of two different dimensions, both larger than the largest Forstner bit I owned. I bored a couple of holes large enough for a clean-cut jigsaw blade to fit and removed the waste accordingly. A little time on the oscillating sander cleaned up the circumferences.

It was at this point in the construction that I realized I didn't prepare for the chamfering of the holes to accommodate the sloped bottoms of the creamer and sugar bowl. There were only two options that made sense: 1) make a router template and use a trim router with a top bearing 45 degree bit to bevel the holes, 2) mark the dimensions for the chamfers and remove the waste with a rasp. I opted to use the rasp. I added a small indent for the creamer handle. When finished, the boards were joined with Titebond I PVA glue.

Rectangle Wood Font Wood stain Hardwood


A pretty good fit. Should be just enough play to deal with humidity changes in the kitchen.

Tableware Drinkware Dishware Table Wood


As long as the router was being shunned, I decided to use a block plane to create the 45 degree chamfers on the top edges. I knocked off the opposing corners before skewing the block plane across both ends to eliminate blow out.

Rectangle Table Wood Flooring Floor


I have to say, I was impressed with how well the first chamfer went, since I didn't make an effort to sharpen or hone the iron beforehand.

Rectangle Wood Tableware Dishware Grey


With all four chamfers done, sanding, sealing, and top coat finishing is left.

Tableware Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain


The salt and pepper mill carrier was finished with spray shellac. Because this carrier will have the potential to receive milk spills, I will be top coating with Minwax Polycrylic instead.

Here is what the salt and pepper mill carrier looks like. I'm sure I posted this here before.

Liquid Bottle Fluid Solution Glass bottle


I will post the finished build as a Project.
Nicely done Paul. I like the simplicity of your design.
 

Attachments

#670 ·
Candy Jar Rack - Prototyping

We have four Anchor-Hocking Candy Jars that we use for snacks. I found a set of plans for a country style countertop rack designed to hold two jars, but the dimensions are not for the particular jars we have, and they are assuming six-sided jars, which ours are not.

When I come across a need to modify plans, I will sometimes build a prototype to get a visual on what the plans want and how that differs from what I need. I use crapwood, like this salvaged particle board, once part of department store put-it-together-yourself furniture, to build the prototype. In most cases I end up disassembling and discarding the prototype when I'm done. Joinery for the prototype has been reduced to butt joints and screws. This allows for disassembly and replacing components. Dimensions have been adjusted accordingly, including a short bed for only one jar.

Table Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring


I promised this a while ago. The wife will be happy to see this project done soon.
 

Attachments

#671 ·
Candy Jar Rack - Prototyping

We have four Anchor-Hocking Candy Jars that we use for snacks. I found a set of plans for a country style countertop rack designed to hold two jars, but the dimensions are not for the particular jars we have, and they are assuming six-sided jars, which ours are not.

When I come across a need to modify plans, I will sometimes build a prototype to get a visual on what the plans want and how that differs from what I need. I use crapwood, like this salvaged particle board, once part of department store put-it-together-yourself furniture, to build the prototype. In most cases I end up disassembling and discarding the prototype when I'm done. Joinery for the prototype has been reduced to butt joints and screws. This allows for disassembly and replacing components. Dimensions have been adjusted accordingly, including a short bed for only one jar.

Table Wood Gas Hardwood Flooring


I promised this a while ago. The wife will be happy to see this project done soon.
With a little modification Paul this could be a doll's bed….LOL!! Nicely done!
 

Attachments

#675 ·
Refurbing the Harbor Freight Folding Trailer - Pre-Blog Inquiry

This week or next I will begin the process of refurbishing a Harbor Freight folding trailer I purchase several years back.

Wheel Tire Plant Motor vehicle Wood

Original Build

Wheel Tire Wood Motor vehicle Vehicle

Before Removing Wood and Electrical

All the wood I added on to make a staked side trailer has been removed, as well as the electrical wiring and lights. Before I can add the new wiring and lights I need to remove surface rust in some areas, spot prime and paint once cleaned up. Once the electrical is installed and working properly I will add new pressure treated plywood sheeting to make the bed and proceed to build the staked sides similar to before. The most obvious difference this time is that I plan on painting the wood (sans pressure treated plywood bed) instead of using a deck sealer-the sealer I used failed to keep mold from building up underneath the finish and rot from setting in months after application, and the wood as it aged didn't look all that great.

I will be taking progress photos. In the past a few people have asked me for detailed plans, more pictures of the build. If there is interest in seeing a multi-part build series here, let me know in the comments below. I plan on posting the build series elsewhere if there isn't enough interest here. TIA
 

Attachments

#676 ·
Refurbing the Harbor Freight Folding Trailer - Pre-Blog Inquiry

This week or next I will begin the process of refurbishing a Harbor Freight folding trailer I purchase several years back.

Wheel Tire Plant Motor vehicle Wood

Original Build

Wheel Tire Wood Motor vehicle Vehicle

Before Removing Wood and Electrical

All the wood I added on to make a staked side trailer has been removed, as well as the electrical wiring and lights. Before I can add the new wiring and lights I need to remove surface rust in some areas, spot prime and paint once cleaned up. Once the electrical is installed and working properly I will add new pressure treated plywood sheeting to make the bed and proceed to build the staked sides similar to before. The most obvious difference this time is that I plan on painting the wood (sans pressure treated plywood bed) instead of using a deck sealer-the sealer I used failed to keep mold from building up underneath the finish and rot from setting in months after application, and the wood as it aged didn't look all that great.

I will be taking progress photos. In the past a few people have asked me for detailed plans, more pictures of the build. If there is interest in seeing a multi-part build series here, let me know in the comments below. I plan on posting the build series elsewhere if there isn't enough interest here. TIA
I'd be interested in seeing your build process. Since I've moved into larger projects that require larger materials I either need a small trailer or a bigger truck. I'm thinking a small trailer is cheaper than a new truck.
 

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