Well the future is now!!

These are some of the cutting boards that I have completed and also a few cheese cutting boards.

	Maple and cherry cutting board
Maple, cherry and walnut end grain cutting board
	Maple, cherry and walnut long and end grain cutting boards

What I have learned out of this small project, is how long it takes to make end grain boards, what jigs I need to do this in a more production process, and the sanding methods to use in the final stages.

The process of gluing up the blanks and then cutting the blanks into sections for making the end grain boards is time consuming. Trying to keep each of the small groups of end grain pieces together when you apply glue and try to clamp is fun!! However, when I made a jig out of MDF and two pieces of hardwood to form an right angle glue up jig and also limited the number f sections of end grain blanks I glued up, all went well.

Neat projects for the winter and a way to recycle small cut-offs.

Well back to the shop…

See you in the Workshop!

The costs of these are minimal and the skills of turning gained are great.

I am also going to try and do some pen turning. I have never done them before. I have a pen mandrel that I bought for my lathe. I also bought some pen kits to practice with.

See you in the Workshop!

This is a table for my buddy”s dad to use in his Dad’s residence. The table measures 24 1/2” x 38” by 33” high. Under the front aprons the inside measures 29” between legs and 30” high.

The table legs are made by gluing two pieces of Maple and adding a 1/4” solid Maple veneer to cover the both sides where the seam of the glue up would show. I routered an inset into the legs sides measuring 1/4” x 1/4”(on the veneer side) to add some detail to the legs.

The aprons are joined using mortise and tenon joinery to the legs. The top which is 24” x 38” is affixed to the aprons using small table top mounting clips which are mounted into slots cut in the top of the aprons. There is a small chamfer on the underside edges of the top.

The table will be finished using a water based satin finish from General Finishes called “Enduro-Var”. This finish is recommended for table tops.

So now onto the finishing. Hopefully done for delivery next week.

See you in the Workshop!

Yeah, Pluto thought I had done a good job. He sat in the cradle to make sure it was a good fit for my grandchild, and he looked it over for workmanship. I passed…

He even liked the turned Cherry stop that I made

Well off to the Baby Shower tomorrow and show off the cradle and get approval for the colour of finish.

See you in the Workshop!

The design is mostly my own, as I did not like the plan that I had and I wanted the cradle to be one of a kind. The hardware for the cradle swing is from Workshop Supply Inc., in Embro, Ontario.

What I have left to do is glue up the main cradle basket, install cradle bottom assembly, plug some screw hole and do a final sanding.  Then off to finishing. The cradle is made from Cherry and will be finished a brownish cherry.

Nice project for a first time Grandpa .

See you in the Workshop!

Got out in the workshop after a long winter hibernation and started on a set of lower kitchen cabinets for a client. I am in the closing stages of construction at this point. I have used “Prefinished Maples veneer plywood” for the first time. I bit of change needed to construct the cabinetry boxes. Hard Maple, finished naturally is the choice for door and drawer fronts. Blum TandemBOX is the choice by the drawer hardware. Nice drawer pulls from Lee Valley.

Next up is a cradle for my son and his wife for my first Grandchild. Cherry is the choice.  Pressure is on to finish the cradle for the new addition in August.

Then a table for a good friend’s dad.  Maple table to accommodate a safe and wheel chair accessible.

After that I have a few projects for the house. Hall closet remodel, which includes a drawer and shelf section. Then a closet door project.

Then a I going to try my hand at Guitar making.  Telecasters to be specific, a 1969 Thinline model and a good old Telecaster. I got the plans form my favourite BLOG for Telecaster junkies http://www.tdpri.com/. Went over to Sherwood printing and had copies made of a great detailed Telecaster drawings from Terry Downs and another set of various 1969 and 1972 Thinline models. Going to use Curly Maple for the Telecaster body and Mahogany for the 1969 Thinline body.  Stay tune for more details as I start on the road for the build.

Well back to the workshop to continue with the kitchen cabinets and start of the cradle.

See you in the Workshop!

I was making a carving table top from an old butcher block top that use to fit on our old dishwasher. Well, that lead me design a table structure, to support the carving table top, that could be adjusted to various heights. Then that lead me to look at the shop stands that I had ( can’t afford more tools stands in a small shop!), that would do the job of the table top support.

Well the old multi height roller stand that I made some time ago that serves as a table top support as well as outfeed support for the stationary tools. I decided to revamp the roller stand to 24” width instead of the 18” width I had built add padded feet. Here is a SketchUp drawing of the new Adjustable Height Sawhorse unit as it now stands.

I made two saw horses. The units themselves are made from Pine 2 x4 material with screw and glue joinery. I could have used Mortise and Tenon or Kreg Jig joinery but the panels add the main body structured support to provide a solid base unit.

I can use alone for outfeed purposes or with the carving top to make an adjustable height carving table, or with table tops to make an adjustable height work bench. Neat revamping project.

Try these out for your shop.

See you in the Workshop!

I modified my outdoor knockdown table that I use for cutting sheet goods by replacing the long sides with a shorter pair which when added to the other short sides makes a 44” x44” table leg and apron setup. To that I have added three supports which mount along a track on the insides of two aprons and spans the width of the inside opening of the table base to give a top some support. Then I rounded the corners and edges of two 1/2” MDF panels and used then as the top of the structure. This makes a very useful table which is about 24” off the floor.

I placed the vacuum bag on the table setup, placed one of my platens inside the bag and connected that to my 6 CFM vacuum pump.

Turned on the pump. The vacuum started and away we vacuum press.

Cool. Great project.

Now I am going to look at the panels that I need for table tops, doors and sides of cabinets and see what I can get pressed this winter. That way I am started on the 2011 furniture projects.

See you in the Workshop!

http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/vacuum-frame-press.htm ,,)

The frame is made from 3/4” thick x 2 1/2” wide solid Maple rails and stiles joined together using Kreg Jig joinery. The frame was sprayed with a couple of coats of Zinsser Bulls Eye Shellac before I added the poly top and wooden sealer strips. The top of the frame has a 3/8” x 1/8” vacuum gasket tape added around the parameter of the frame 1/2” in from the inside of the frame. A 20mil Poly sheet is then placed over the whole frame and wooden 3/4” x 1” strips are screwed through the poly and over the gasket tape to seal the poly to the frame. The excess plastic from the outside edge of the top wooden sealer strips to the outside edge of the frame press is cut off and a good bead of clear silicone is applied to the outside bottom edge of the wooden strips where they meet the frame press rails and stiles to further help seal the unit. Two rows of gasket tape are run around the underside of the frame, one near the front edge and once near the outside edge of the frame, to help seal the frame to a top surface the frame is placed on when in use. A hole is drilled through the side of the frame and a brass fitting is threaded through the hole. The fitting provides a way for the vacuum hose to be connected between the pump and frame. The vacuum hose from the pump to the frame is connected to the frame using a quick connect value. Once the vacuum process has been complete you simply remove the quick connection to the bag and the outside air flows in.

(I have made the testing room, my living room, which does provide easy access to seating for mulling over decisions and a much warmer environment than my garage which is around  at 32 or 36 degrees F.

In the picture I have 4 small panels under a piece of 1/4” MDF which has a melamine covered side facing the top of the panels. The MDF has had all corners rounded over to prevent and sharp side puncturing the frame’s poly surface while in use. The panel and MDF combo is covered with a piece of “Breathing Mesh”, which provides a way to ensure that you can release the frame after the pressing. This setup prevents glue from getting on the bag and provides a good vacuum pressure distribution over the panels. The surface which you place the frame press on for the vacuuming operation, should be “flat” and “clean” and have a surface that will not allow air to go through or glue to stick to. In my case the melamine covered top.

The advantage of using the frame press is that you can apply glue to the substrate of you project  fit the substrate to the top and bottom veneers and then place the frame over the whole thing and apply the vacuum. This eliminates having to do the same prep outside of a vacuum bag and then lifting open the bag. placing in the substrate and veneer sandwich and then closing the bag and applying the vacuum.

I will add there is a constraint on my setup, and that is the size of panel(s) I can press is restricted by the inside dimensions of the frame and a need to have space between project and side walls of frame. Also I can not exceed 3/4” to 7/8” above the table top surface the unit is mounted on.

However there still seems to be a small leak and I want to find it as the pump keeps recycling. Well back to finding a small leak which is going to be the challenge.

See you in the Workshop!

Last year he took on a monumental build, remodelling a walk-in master bedroom closet. His closet was wire shelves units before, but now is door and drawer full height cabinetry all in solid Red Oak frame and panel design with solid wood drawer fronts. He built two 30” high by 24” deep drawer cabinets, two 59” high x 24 deep adjustable shelf cabinets (which sit on the drawer units), one 89” high x24” deep adjustable shelf cabinet, and a wall cabinet with 4 doors that house hanging rods for clothes. Quite a feat and a nice finish. I don’t have pictures of this reno, but he and his wife did a great job building and staining the cabinets.

Then he started on a mantel for a natural gas fireplace in his basement. Here is the result

The fireplace was framed and the front and side walls covered with drywall. He added the ceramic tile to surround the fireplace insert. Then he added a solid Red Oak Mantel by working it into the structure above the fireplace opening. The mantel material I got from large piece of Red Oak that my father-in-law had bought many years ago. The mantel is approx. 50” long and 5 3/4” wide and almost 3” thick.

Nice job…

See you in the Workshop!