It's official, Spring is officially here and I know you are ready to get out and get into the shop. I have been a bit under the weather this week so I haven't gotten a lot done, but I did manage to get some work early in the week and will try to work on some of it this weekend hopefully.

 

I got the bases for the table rounded over on the ends.

 

 

And I got started cutting the 45's on the braces. The problem came when I found out my Dewalt SCMS was not cutting a true 45. More about that in another post.

 

 

So I will be working on this table and a few other small projects this weekend.

 

What about the rest of you Patriot Woodworkers, what is on your woodworking agenda this weekend. Share your projects with us as you know we love to all see the projects you are working on. Start to finish we love to see what you are making.

 

Come on and share with us and post those pictures of your weekend projects.

For the foreseeable future-- 

 

 

Been working with Sketchup all day trying to draw a cabriole leg. Made one that will work but something is off a little??

finished up some tea light holders, lazy susans, wine glass caddies, and business card holders. loaded everything into the wife's suv for her to do shows this weekend while I'm at the state Elks bowling tourney. then a little bit of shop time cutting and shaping and sanding some treen ware. A quick jaunt with the router to round over a dozen cheese boards for my wife to sand.

I was able to spend the last half hour or so at the lathe to make 2 bottle stoppers. I really like how those easy wood tools work but I wish I had enough inventory built up to spend a few days spinning more wood. maybe next week I'll find a night or two.

off to bed for now as we have to be on the road in 5 hours.

A couple Morris chairs and ottomans are on the agenda. Wife's idea, for a housewarming gift for one of our sons and DIL. She's graciously committed to assisting in the shop...BUT...she complains that she

"can never find anything out there". (truth be told, I have a problem in that area, too) So, I've started re-organizing the shop and labeling 45 drawers and 14 doors. I am finding all sorts of gadgets and tools that I had forgotten about. 

Gene, My wife and I had the same discussion when she started helping me in the shop. I told her that stuff had been hiding for a long time.

You guys are ambitious.  As for me, I'm on holiday in Crossville, Tennessee loafing at a Wyndham resort.  Tough life, this retirement stuff.  I do have two dressers to would but they'll wait.  As for now.......FORE!

Time to replace the top on my workbench. The one I have is a Grizzly special from about 15 years ago, 30x72x1 5/8" thick. Just went and picked up enough 6/4 hard maple yesterday to build a replacement...think I'll make this one about 3-3 1/2" thick.

With the nice weather I've been able to get some more shop time in. First "flea market" is next weekend and with Mother's Day coming up I made up some more key fobs, and word art for it.

 

Also made up some Mt. state drink coasters and bookmarks.

Time to replace the top on my workbench. The one I have is a Grizzly special from about 15 years ago, 30x72x1 5/8" thick. Just went and picked up enough 6/4 hard maple yesterday to build a replacement...think I'll make this one about 3-3 1/2" thick.

When you get done with yours Fred, head on out here and redo mine.

I've been milling this wood down yesterday and today and I'm pretty sure I won't be doing this again. Handling this stuff isn't one of the fun things I've done.

I've been milling this wood down yesterday and today and I'm pretty sure I won't be doing this again. Handling this stuff isn't one of the fun things I've done.

Because it's so heavy?? I'd imagine 3 1/2" stuff would wear a guy out. 

I enjoy working with maple, hard or soft. I don't like working with curly. Gotta sharpen every tool first.

Yep, a couple of the boards were 12" wide, most of the others were 7-8", all were 8' long. I now have a pile of hard maple 2x4's, and my tools are glad it's done. I was able to get about 1 1/2" thick wood  on average out fof them. I did rip them down to just a tad under 3", expecting them to finish out at 2 3/4" thick. I'll be gluing up in 3 sections of 7 boards, and then glue those sections together; that way I can plane them smooth before the final glue...the rest will probably be hand planes. Anyway, my stack of 2x4's :

 

Man! That's going to be a very nice, hefty bench top. 

According to google, it will be in the vincity of 225# (+/-). Hence the change of plans to a slightly less thick top. I was going to glue it in 2 sections, but gave up on that as well. Thais was all rough sawn when I brought it home, so it's been handled plenty...and I'm ready to rest a while.

That will be awesome Fred. I did that maple island top and that was 2" think and 5' long and it wore me out. It was 41" wide so I had to make four panels then glue them together. 

 

That will be one awesome bench. Look forward to seeing it finished.

Fred, I recommend you run all thread rod through it to clamp it together and keep it there

John Heckel, you're suggesting I leave the all-thread in place after the glue cures? Seem like that would be a problem with wood movement. My plan is to use biscuits for alignment to keep the boards from sliding around, and I'll glue them together with plastic resin glue (no glue creep on the surface that way). I'm still cutting the biscuit slots, hope to finish that today then a final clean up inspection (looking for snipe, etc) and then try gluing. It's also supposed to be very cold tonight, may wait for it to warm up just a tad. The shop is heated, but if I wait for slightly warmer temps (tomorrow or Wed.) I won't burn as much gas.

Fred, I just used biscuits for mine when it glued up and it was fine. I also used the Tightbond III to glue it up. It has been in place in Florida for a while now on an Island top and they have had no problems with it at all.

Thanks John. I got the boards all ready for glue up this morning and dry fit the 3 sections together...only to find I was short on #20 biscuits. Oh, well.