Category Archives: Woodworking

Progress

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Installing the second set of shelves

Installing the second set of shelves

Yesterday, I ambitiously decided I’d get the second set of shelves installed after work. So I cleared out that side of the office (and piled crap into the guest bedroom). I carried all the pieces and assorting tools upstairs in three or four trips, assembled the backs to the carcasses, and started setup.

The floor on this side of the room is considerably less level. Fortunately, on all of these units I’ve been installing screw-adjustable feet, which makes quick work of the problem. You can also see how I bracketed the lower unit to the wall.

Second shelving unit assembled

Second shelving unit assembled

With the lower in place, I added some LED rope lights to the top of the upper section, lifted it into place, and screwed it to the lower unit, from below. I *really* like the dark teal – it’s grown on me further since I picked the color out a few weeks ago.

Today, I jointed and started laying out the cherry boards for the desk top. Next step for that? Biscuit cutter, biscuits, and glue.

Preparing the cherry desk top

Preparing the cherry desk top

 

Clear and Cold

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Thankfully, we didn’t take the winter storm hit that nailed the North East – one of the “advantages”of being mid-Atlantic, I guess. It was quite windy, especially over Friday night into Saturday morning, that much did swing south, but other than a bit of rain on Friday, there was no precipitation for us. All it takes is half an inch of snow to grind this place nearly to a halt.

I will take note that my 328i really does do well in the snow and ice. Earlier in the week, I was joking that I’d have a chance to see how much of a big, fat liar the marketing folks are, showing me commercials with BMWs slewing around on snow-covered areas appearing to be in fairly decent control… We did have some frozen stuff on the ground for the morning commute, in the early part of the week, and the traction control systems on the car are simply excellent.

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I made progress on the shelving, mostly, over the weekend. I also picked up a piece of poplar, ensuring it was straight and true. With that, I fabricated a sled to use for truing up rough-sawn stock, like the cherry 4/4 lumber I’m going to use for the surface of my “desk” table in the new office:

Ripping sled for rough lumber

Ripping sled for rough lumber

At least one edge of most of the 4/4 lumber I have is raw edge, that is, the part of the tree from which bark is removed. The two main surfaces are nicely surfaced, and one edge is sort of straight. I screw through the two uprights on the sled (or with narrow stock, using a buffer scrap) to hold the piece stable. I run the sled through once, yielding a straight edge. I can then unmount the board from the sled, turn it over, and make the second side straight and parallel to the first edge. Now the board is ready for the jointer. Seven or eight of those, and I’ve got a desktop!

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Another week with no casualties announced by DoD! It doesn’t mean that we don’t have folks in harm’s way … but I’m grateful that we haven’t had any losses announced since 23 Jan! Thank you to every warrior out there – you do us all honor in the execution of your duty!

There’s a game on? Also, a Red Letter day!

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Ah, but you see, the Ravens ensured that I wouldn’t have to watch football this year. But this morning I did get rolling on the first shelving install (the new five-foot wide unit), following shopping…

Old shelving setup... w/dog

Old shelving setup… w/dog

Lexi always has to “help”, but actually through most of this process today she was a good girl, and slept on a chair in the library. I unloaded all of those shelves into stacks in the guest bedroom, then hauled the shelves downstairs. I’m going to make use of the white one in my storage room, for paints and such. The brown one is a bit crufty, and likely to sport a “free” sign on it, by the roadside, come the next sunny weekend day. Then I hauled the new shelves up stairs, and did final assembly in my office:

Final assembly of the new shelving

Final assembly

The shiny dark teal backers really look good! I got the deeper bottom unit together, then stood it up and down a few times while I adjusted the feet to match the floor: and the unit is level side to side, and canted just a bit back. Then I brought up the upper section, assembled it, and put it up top. It’s screwed to the lower section with countersunk stainless screws.

Shelving in place

Shelving in place

Now all that was left was to haul all the books back in, migrate my paperbacks over from their triple-deep stacks on the other side of the room (behind the camera in most of these shots), and load it all in:

New shelves loaded

New shelves loaded

Some of the media there is likely to move across the room to the four-foot wide shelves I’m going to build next, to leave room for more books here and there. But it’s big, stable, and I really do like it. It isn’t perfect, but I built it, and I’m happy about that.

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I’m chuffed to bits – DoD reported no casualties in the last week. I don’t think there’s been none since I started this ritual to ensure that I gave attention to the cost our troops pay for our foreign policies. Huzzah!

 

 

 

 

Another weekend gone

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Also this weekend, I baked cookies, and made an army’s worth of chili. I used the last of the summer’s freezer-reserve tomato sauce, a couple of pounds each of ground turkey and ground spicy italian sausage, and mixed red kidney and black beans. Heat and chili powder added. Yum! Sadly, the cookies are almost gone…

I got the second coat of white on the shelving today. A small roller with a smooth-coat cover, and a gallon-size rolling grid solved the problems I was having with painting. I still have to decide what to do next: Poly or no poly. I’m thinking yes, because it’ll make the finish much more robust. And I shouldn’t be lazy about it.

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Our condolences to the family, friends, and unit of Sgt. Schoonhoven:

  • Sgt. Mark H. Schoonhoven, 38, of Plainwell, Michigan, died Jan. 20, at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas from wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device on Dec. 15, 2012 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Finishing in Stages

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The woodshop isn’t big enough to build everything, then finish everything, then put everything in place up here in my office. SO … I’ve assembled the first set of shelves (which was done by the end of last weekend). Since then, I’ve been applying finishes. Four days of finish, just for the shelving backs. A coat of the dark teal, knock down the grain, and recoat with the teal. Coat once with satin finish oil-modified water-based polyurethane, sand with 320 grit, and recoat with the poly. The backs are stunning, but not photographable as standalone objects. You’ll see what I’m on about when they’re installed.

Last night, I started painting out the shelves in the selected off-white:

Painting the shelves

Painting the shelves

I didn’t finish that step last night – I was paged by work at about 80% completion. Since I had to put the brush in water, I ended up calling it a night. The painting is, frankly, a bit fiddly – I see why spray booths are so popular. But I don’t have space for one of those, either. I am going to go shopping tomorrow for applicators that are more suited to the work I’m doing…

I finished up the first coat of white today. I’ll work it tomorrow and recoat … by the weekend of 2 February these should be pictured in my office. Then I can start building the next set!

Have you been by Marcia’s Makings lately?

Happy 2013

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Or as Jenny puts it, “The Library opened yesterday.” I like that metaphor. It’s a bit Doctor Who-ish, but cool.

I spent most of New Year’s Day doing production work down in the basement, trimming and cutting dadoes and rabbets for the other three shelving units. Tonight, I started assembly:

The Second Shelf in assembly

The Second Shelf

Wider

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The shelving unit that goes beside the door is a two-piece: a 12″ deep bottom section, and a 9″ deep upper, totalling 7 feet tall. Here’s the next stage of assembly of the bottom section, glued up and curing right now:

Door Lower Shelving Glue Up

Door Lower Shelving Glue Up

This evening, I plan to get the side piece glued on, so that I can fabricate the back, and start preparing this unit for paint.

Shelving begins

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Finished assembly on the bones of the trial shelving unit: It’ll stay in the workshop, sans face frame. The first half of one of the office lower shelves is in glue-up on the table saw extension:

Shelving assembly

Shelving assembly

Fixtures and Late Posting

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Last night … I was playing Fallout 3, and went from game to sleep. My bad.

Today, I’m back in fabrication and assembly mode in the woodshop:

Cutting a rabbet

Cutting a rabbet

I’m running with the dadoe set installed for cutting 3/4″ slots for the shelves, but by embedding about half of that width into the sacrificial fence, I can also cut the rabbets for the back panel. Notice that I’m using a finger board to help keep the workpiece in control – a 4′ long side needs a third hand, and the finger board provides the safest method of control near the blades.

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Our condolences to Commander Price’s family, friends, and team:

  • Cdr. Job W. Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, died Dec. 22 of a non-combat related injury while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.