Showing posts with label the. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the. Show all posts
Sunday, February 23, 2014
The Horrendous Waterfall Desk
Ok. Feast your eyes on this beauty. A CL find. It had been sitting out on a balcony. Boy oh boy, she did not look good for her age. The veneer was in shambles. No way to save it the bottom portion. The top was stained beyond recognition, the drawers were beat to hell and back. Why did I buy this? (Gasp, "you actually paid money for this creature??") Um yeah,,15 bucks. What the heck; its how we learn people! Besides, I just love me a good challenge! So here ya go,,,,feast your eyes:
the black stains (usually caused by water). Its supposed to set for a day or so. Uh no, I neither have the patience or inclination to wait. I hoped the stain would cover it. 
I like to use this Deft instead of poly. This is a waterbourne acrylic finish. It goes on beautifully. I turned the desk on its back and painted it on like that. I didnt want it running down the front curved part. It dries fast and doesnt leave brush marks. Very important to use a quality brush. This was brand new. I clean them immediately and only use this for finishes. If you use a brush that was used with paint, you are likely to get little paint bits in the finish. Keep your brushes separate.
The flash has wiped out all the stenciling. You can barely see it.
Read More..
This baby put my wood finishing skills to the test.
I used, oh, about a pound of bondo and wood filler.
Surprisingly, the top sanded down pretty nicely.
Those wet stains are an attempt to bleach out
the black stains (usually caused by water). Its supposed to set for a day or so. Uh no, I neither have the patience or inclination to wait. I hoped the stain would cover it. Well Shut my mouth! Looka that finish! Not too B A D.....if I do say so myself.
(Dontcha yall peek now...just stay with me and scroll slowly to the bottom)
I believe I used a mixture of stains again. Gel walnut is great tho.
I like to use this Deft instead of poly. This is a waterbourne acrylic finish. It goes on beautifully. I turned the desk on its back and painted it on like that. I didnt want it running down the front curved part. It dries fast and doesnt leave brush marks. Very important to use a quality brush. This was brand new. I clean them immediately and only use this for finishes. If you use a brush that was used with paint, you are likely to get little paint bits in the finish. Keep your brushes separate.
So I had patched the knob holes but since I was leaving these unpainted, they were kind of noticeable.
I decided to do some light stenciling with a metallic glaze on the drawer fronts, on the inside toe kick pieces and on the faux drawer right in front.
And here she is....all dressed up
Paint color is a mixture of light blue and a gray/blue cut with some white.
You cant really tell in these pics, but the knobs are black w/a metallic-y iridescence.
Hobby Lobby.
She will hitting the market and hopefully going home with someone
who likes the Hollywood Glam style of decor.
She will hitting the market and hopefully going home with someone
who likes the Hollywood Glam style of decor.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
The Cats In The Cradle and The Smoking Table
I was at my in-laws home with my oldest daughter Chloe. We were helping move some things around and rearranging a few rooms.
"And that small little table by the bed is so old and broken, just put it out with the trash." My mother-in-law instructed.
I picked up the little table for a closer look at it. It sure was a cute little thing, old and fairly well made, but not old enough looking for me to consider it a true antique. I considered bringing it back to the shop and mending its broken wings but this was late June - early July. We were still unpacking a house and I was still setting up a shop so I could get moving on the backlog of work I was facing there. I decided I could let it go.
Then Chloe, 17 years old and full of energy, grabs the table. "Oh cool grandma, what kind of table is it?"
"Its a smoking table, the little round drawer is where you were supposed to keep your wacky tabacky." (Yes my mother-in-law talks like that, she is the crowned queen of making up words.)
Chloe then looked at me and I knew the outcome before she even said a word. The table came back to the shop so she could fix it, with my help of course.
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It really is a pleasing little table to look at and the round drawer adds just the right amount of whimsy and flair. There was a fair amount of grime and water damage to the finish, I suspect it spent years with a potted plant resting on it at some point and the little leaks and spills from watering made trouble.
The top was pegged and nailed into place but had developed two cracks along the grain.
At one corner of the lower shelf the leg had broken and separated from the shelf.
There was other evidence of past repairs. Glue lines and hardened drips on three of the four legs. Probably not all done by the same hand or at the same time.
The drawer was the coolest part of the piece. Two pieces of thin sheet metal with the edges folded into opposing "J" channels. The channels mate together to allow the drawer to slide and support itself.
The downside is the thin metal has no rigidity and relied on the wooden rounds at the front and back to stay stable. Unfortunately the tacks that held the metal in place has worked their way loose over time as well.
We popped the top off the table and glued it up into one piece again. After it dried I put her to work with a scraper to clean of the squeeze out and remove the damaged finish.
Then we got to work tacking the sheet metal drawer back in place.
Then I helped her repair the finish. We used Dark Walnut Danish Oil to refinish the table top followed by several coats of thinned shellac and paste wax The end result was very satisfying.
But more satisfying than the finished table was spending some time in the shop with Chloe. Its difficult to not get into cliche overtures when it comes to the precious and finite amount of time you really get to spend with your children. I will spare you the over-reaching prose that would undoubtedly fall well short of the mark.
Read More..
"And that small little table by the bed is so old and broken, just put it out with the trash." My mother-in-law instructed.
I picked up the little table for a closer look at it. It sure was a cute little thing, old and fairly well made, but not old enough looking for me to consider it a true antique. I considered bringing it back to the shop and mending its broken wings but this was late June - early July. We were still unpacking a house and I was still setting up a shop so I could get moving on the backlog of work I was facing there. I decided I could let it go.
Then Chloe, 17 years old and full of energy, grabs the table. "Oh cool grandma, what kind of table is it?"
"Its a smoking table, the little round drawer is where you were supposed to keep your wacky tabacky." (Yes my mother-in-law talks like that, she is the crowned queen of making up words.)
Chloe then looked at me and I knew the outcome before she even said a word. The table came back to the shop so she could fix it, with my help of course.
It really is a pleasing little table to look at and the round drawer adds just the right amount of whimsy and flair. There was a fair amount of grime and water damage to the finish, I suspect it spent years with a potted plant resting on it at some point and the little leaks and spills from watering made trouble.
The top was pegged and nailed into place but had developed two cracks along the grain.
At one corner of the lower shelf the leg had broken and separated from the shelf.
There was other evidence of past repairs. Glue lines and hardened drips on three of the four legs. Probably not all done by the same hand or at the same time.
The drawer was the coolest part of the piece. Two pieces of thin sheet metal with the edges folded into opposing "J" channels. The channels mate together to allow the drawer to slide and support itself.
The downside is the thin metal has no rigidity and relied on the wooden rounds at the front and back to stay stable. Unfortunately the tacks that held the metal in place has worked their way loose over time as well.
We popped the top off the table and glued it up into one piece again. After it dried I put her to work with a scraper to clean of the squeeze out and remove the damaged finish.
Then we got to work tacking the sheet metal drawer back in place.
Then I helped her repair the finish. We used Dark Walnut Danish Oil to refinish the table top followed by several coats of thinned shellac and paste wax The end result was very satisfying.
But more satisfying than the finished table was spending some time in the shop with Chloe. Its difficult to not get into cliche overtures when it comes to the precious and finite amount of time you really get to spend with your children. I will spare you the over-reaching prose that would undoubtedly fall well short of the mark.
Instead I will simply say that I find opportunities like this to be incredibly special. I didnt take a lot of pictures because I was having too much fun being there with her, in the moment.
My children are all big readers, it was important to me that they should be. My parental strategy was simple. I never made them read a thing (with the exception of homework), and I rarely read to them. Instead I would often talk about how important I felt reading was, and I made sure they saw me doing a lot of it. As theyve grown all three have taken to books as precious things and reading as a skill to practice.
My children are all big readers, it was important to me that they should be. My parental strategy was simple. I never made them read a thing (with the exception of homework), and I rarely read to them. Instead I would often talk about how important I felt reading was, and I made sure they saw me doing a lot of it. As theyve grown all three have taken to books as precious things and reading as a skill to practice.
In recent years Ive taken the same approach when it comes to being "Makers." I hope that parental gambit pays off in dividends as well. Time will tell, but I love watching the story unfold.
Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
After The War
I was hesitant as I unlocked the door and stepped inside my shop yesterday morning. I could almost imagine what was waiting for me. I wasnt disappointed.
(The end result, Im calling it the "Plate 11 Shop Stool", for its foundations in the Roubo workbench. I will finish the work up on it soon, but for now its back into the queue)
I kicked off the shop furnace, gathered the stool, my camera, sketchbook, and other errata. Hit the lights. Locked the door. And headed inside for warmth, ibuprofen, and bourbon. I didnt pick up or put away a single thing.
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Last Saturday I spent in the neighborhood of twelve hours busily making sawdust in a flurry. I was participating in a one day shop stool build off and I was losing. The clock hit 2230, I had just finished drawbore pegging all the mortise and tenon joints contained in my stool concept, and I felt it hit me. The big wave of exhaustion.
I knew in my heart of hearts if I pushed myself further and did the shaping of the seat I planned for there was an increasing probability I would damage the work I had already done, or worse, damage myself. My gut was telling me it was time to pack it in and I have spent my thirties learning I should listen to my gut more than I do. The deal was to build the stool completely in a day and I had fallen short of the mark. It was time to concede.
(The end result, Im calling it the "Plate 11 Shop Stool", for its foundations in the Roubo workbench. I will finish the work up on it soon, but for now its back into the queue)
I kicked off the shop furnace, gathered the stool, my camera, sketchbook, and other errata. Hit the lights. Locked the door. And headed inside for warmth, ibuprofen, and bourbon. I didnt pick up or put away a single thing.
Fast forward back to yesterday morning, on the tails of an unusually long work week at the hospital, I opened the door to my haven of sanity, hoping some shoemakers elves had shown up with the polar vortex and everything in the shop would be neat and orderly, the way I usually keep it. It was a long shot to believe something so miraculous could happen. I took a deep breath and looked around.
I guess I would be alone in righting the devastation.
It started just inside the door and the big pile of sawdust on the floor and around my bandsaw.
Along the floor in front of the workbench didnt look too bad, but there was a lot more dust than shavings. Im used to seeing more shavings.
On top the bench was everything I had been working with at the end. I realized I had also left my tool chest open, one of my cardinal no-nos. Cleaning the dust from inside there would take a while.
In my focus, I just didnt realize how much dust I was creating. I leaned a little more power tool than hand tool on this project, particularly to cut time and effort. You can follow my work in the scuff marks on the floor. Like Prince Humperdinck dissecting the sword fight between the Dread Pirate Roberts and Inigo Montoya by their footprints in the sand.
Ive never worried that much about dust collection in the shop. Nine months out of the year I work with the side door and the garage door wide open and a breeze blowing through the shop. I also focus more on my hand tools because I enjoy that process more. The sawdust created by my hand tools has a different quality than that made by my machines. Its heavier, spends less time in the air and gets up my nose even less. I dont have anything scientific to back up those observations, so dont ask.
But lately, I have been using my powered friends a little more than before. In late 2009 early 2010 I started a hand tool sabbatical, wanting to learn how to work in an unplugged capacity. No lie, there was a big learning curve, I mangled some wood and I learned a lot to where I am now. Master by no means, Id call it reasonably competent. Now that my power tools are creeping back into the workflow at appropriate times, I find the way I use them has changed.
I used to approach them from a very production like mentality. "Im going to cut all the boards for this part of the project to these dimensions and I wont move the fence until complete." Its become a lot more intuitive now. I look at measurements less because I know the cut Im expecting to get from saw. Ive almost completely given up crosscutting on my tablesaw and I havent cut much joinery, a tenon or rabbet, on it in forever.
But the thing I have to ponder now is my dust collection. If I continue using my power tools, even as much as 25% of the time, I should improve this part of my shop. If for no other reason than to improve the safety and enjoyability of the time I spend out there. This will take some significant planning and thought, but Im coming around to the idea that something more than my two brooms and a dust pan strategy is required.
After the war is over, the dust settles down and you get to see what you have left to work with.
Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf
I guess I would be alone in righting the devastation.
It started just inside the door and the big pile of sawdust on the floor and around my bandsaw.
Along the floor in front of the workbench didnt look too bad, but there was a lot more dust than shavings. Im used to seeing more shavings.
On top the bench was everything I had been working with at the end. I realized I had also left my tool chest open, one of my cardinal no-nos. Cleaning the dust from inside there would take a while.
In my focus, I just didnt realize how much dust I was creating. I leaned a little more power tool than hand tool on this project, particularly to cut time and effort. You can follow my work in the scuff marks on the floor. Like Prince Humperdinck dissecting the sword fight between the Dread Pirate Roberts and Inigo Montoya by their footprints in the sand.
Ive never worried that much about dust collection in the shop. Nine months out of the year I work with the side door and the garage door wide open and a breeze blowing through the shop. I also focus more on my hand tools because I enjoy that process more. The sawdust created by my hand tools has a different quality than that made by my machines. Its heavier, spends less time in the air and gets up my nose even less. I dont have anything scientific to back up those observations, so dont ask.
But lately, I have been using my powered friends a little more than before. In late 2009 early 2010 I started a hand tool sabbatical, wanting to learn how to work in an unplugged capacity. No lie, there was a big learning curve, I mangled some wood and I learned a lot to where I am now. Master by no means, Id call it reasonably competent. Now that my power tools are creeping back into the workflow at appropriate times, I find the way I use them has changed.
I used to approach them from a very production like mentality. "Im going to cut all the boards for this part of the project to these dimensions and I wont move the fence until complete." Its become a lot more intuitive now. I look at measurements less because I know the cut Im expecting to get from saw. Ive almost completely given up crosscutting on my tablesaw and I havent cut much joinery, a tenon or rabbet, on it in forever.
 |
| Dammit, I even left my chisels out. |
But the thing I have to ponder now is my dust collection. If I continue using my power tools, even as much as 25% of the time, I should improve this part of my shop. If for no other reason than to improve the safety and enjoyability of the time I spend out there. This will take some significant planning and thought, but Im coming around to the idea that something more than my two brooms and a dust pan strategy is required.
After the war is over, the dust settles down and you get to see what you have left to work with.
Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf
After the avalanche starts
I know I spent my last post kind of whining about the work there was to do yet. Sometimes I wonder if I have a little adult onset attention deficit disorder. The truth is I like to look like Im making progress even to myself, and just knowing it sometimes isnt good enough, I have to see it.
The night after I made the post I had a little revelation that helped spur me back to work. Recently I have had the good fortune to find some seasons of the old sci-fi TV show "Babylon 5" at Wally World. I loved this show in syndication and is one of the only TV shows in my life I have ever made it a point to pay attention to watch. It was just a cut above most sci-fi shows, (including imho star trek) because the storyline was so well developed and it played the politics of a future in space with other species so well. If you have never seen it I know you can see episodes on Hulu here. Anyhow, not to get into things very deep at all, but at one point an alien ambassador gave some advice to another of the shows main characters, and I fell in love with the line, it went something like this. "After the avalanche starts, it is too late for the pebbles to vote." I know very Confucius.
This line kind of stuck in my head the last few days, I know an avalanche can start with just the mere shifting of a few pebbles, but once the course of one is set, there is no denying or turning back, no staying put on top of the mountain. You can resist in futility, or you can go with the flow. Although the analogy is not perfectly clean, and I have never really considered my projects to be an avalanche. Sometimes they do take on a life of their own and represent themselves as bigger than their initial intentions. I will think of this line from time to time when this happens, and remind myself that I was the pebble that started the slide, I should settle down and enjoy the ride.
Speaking of the ride itself, I did manage to finishing sharpening the saws that I have named the 4 Brothers. but speaking of the avalanche, I have also decided now that I cannot abide by the plastic handle on the one Disston Crosscut. The very next thing I do will be to make a wooden handle for him.
Again speaking for the ride itself, I received what may be my last plane purchase for a while two days ago. A vintage wooden German make horned plane I plan to use it for a scrub plane. Last night I took the time to scour the rust from the plane blade and chipbreaker and to sharpen and hone the blades. I took it for a test drive on a short piece of 2x4 . . . in less than 2 minutes of very light work, I had turned half of its thickness into shavings, knots and all. I love this thing. Now speaking of the avalanche, as I made room for my new friend in the drawers of my tool cart, I really settled down to the realization that I need to make the changes to how I store my tools that I mused about several posts ago, with building a hanging tool cabinet and rearranging the Wood Shop Jr. to make it more user friendly.
Still I cannot help myself, I love to be the pebble thats responsible for starting the show, but sometimes I get a little tired and wonder if the avalanche will ever stop. Maybe what I need to realize is the avalanche may just be perpetual, and I may forever be just along for the ride. If thats really how it is . . . I guess that will be OK by me, as long as there is some moments of accomplishment along the way.
Cheers
Oldwolf
Read More..
Speaking of the ride itself, I did manage to finishing sharpening the saws that I have named the 4 Brothers. but speaking of the avalanche, I have also decided now that I cannot abide by the plastic handle on the one Disston Crosscut. The very next thing I do will be to make a wooden handle for him.
Cheers
Oldwolf
Thursday, February 13, 2014
4 22 The Duck Bed Has Flown To Its New Home
Update 4/22 ... Usually, after a long and complex project like this one, Im glad to see it go. You know, time for the next one. This one was different. Its been in the works for about six weeks, involved a lot of old and new skills, and everyone in the shop pitched in ... I give Will the credit for the turning, carving, fussy inlay fitting and finishing; Trevor gets the credit for the complex cnc work on the headboard and walnut overlay with the inlay pockets, and Sam, well, he did a great job with the metal shaping and patina work ... Ill take a little credit, for the CAD drawing of most of the ducks and for leading the parade, but it was overall a shop wide effort. Jim pitched in too but mainly his job was to keep our other projects truckin along. The clients were happy today and I thank them for their trust in us to commission and support us on a challenging project like this. Whew ! Ill also miss the ongoing duck puns ... ducks in a row, all ducked up, just ducky, duckinaround, what a bunch of quacks ... and so it went ... The whole project was a great one .. Click the photos to enlarge them ...
The whole shebang ...
To the right
To the left
At homeOther posts
Waterjetting the inlays
A Bed Update
A New Bed Project
Update ... Tax Day ... 4/15 ... Glad I have an accountant ... Jim had to leave early to do his ...
Inlay update .... Almost finished ... Sam has done all the chemical patinas on the ducks and I think he has just one or two more wing parts to wrap up tomorrow ... Will will be applying the final coat of varnish to the wood parts and well epoxy the inlays into the finished headboard next week. Cant wait ... Gonna be cool ... Click the photos to enlarge them ...
To see how we made the parts for these inlays, check this post on waterjetting
This is the headboard today, after the gel stain coat ... top coat tomorrow ... Out the door soon ....4/13/2010
Previous blog posts on the bed here and here
Close up of the center inlay for the headboard below .... Sams adding the color now ....
Inlays for the duck bed are underway ... click the photos to enlarge them, ... more later
Cad drawing of the headboard
Waterjet cut inlay parts ... see this post here
Trevors sample mdf headboard overlay ... Always best to test. You can quote me on that.
In the test pockets
Fitting, filing, and beveling where the pieces meet. Some of the individual pieces (beaks, wings and feet) were also made thinner to create an illusion of depth ...
The first sample center inlay ... cut in aluminum, just to see if it would work ... who knew?
The brass grass was rounded and the inlay pockets were pointed by Will with an Exacto knife.
Unpatinaed redhead
More on the inlays for this bed coming soon .....
First test assembly .. twist and pinecone carvings by Will see previous bed posts linked above
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