Search the Community

Still have a few of Ash, to use up. Thought I could do something with....I had two other 3/4" x 6" x 54" flat sawn Ash boards, and brought them to the shop. Very wavy edges, set up the rip fence a few times...to remove the worst of the waves, cut out a few of the worst knots....while doing all this saw work...had a cut off fly back at me... I think the T-shirt took most of the hit.....yep, that will leave a mark.. Got 3 blanks ready for a glue up....just under 22" long, to make a panel 14" wide.. Glue clamps and cauls... Wonder which face will be the "show" face? There is still 3 boards upstairs, can be glued up into leg blanks....thinking this one will be a drawer front... And maybe some aprons? Right now, letting the glue cure, and me heal up.... Stay tuned

Or, "Hide yer eyes, Mabel!" Added yesterday's haul to the 2 planks on hand.. There is 8 boards sitting there, average size...4/4 x 6" x 54". End grain? Has some fancy-schmancy grain, too... Might be entertaining to use? Counting the 2 boards I already had....about..$15 sitting here. Might last a while? May see how some match up, maybe a book-match? Stay tuned.

Had a pile of scraps from the last projects. Some of the wider ones needed ripped down a bit for width, as the tablesaw only goes so high... One board had "issues" Bandsaw removed most of the bad stuff... Which left a few good pieces.. I cut the skinny one in half. Set up the zero clearance plywood panel, and then the fence to cut about 1/2" thick slices... Which left a mess of 1/4" thick stuff (0.290" thick)..as opposed to these 0.445" thick parts.. Most of these two stacks were less then flat....leaned a bit from the fence...we have ways.. had two slats, about 2-1/2" wide...somewhere around 12" long....decided to cut them at 11" long, to make the longer sides of a box... And a pair at 6-1/2" long....was trying to get 4 sides all the same width... Had to joint all 4, until they were all alike. There was also a stack of narrow strips...picked out the best of the bunch..5 of them. Jointed the edges, then clamps and glue... And let this sit a day or two....corner joints were next....laid out to cut two ends, by stacking the longer sides together...making sure they matched.. Combo square, and a chisel. 6mm mortise chisel to do the spacings. Start in from the outside edges, work towards the middle....Square marks the line all around. Set to the thickness of the shorter sides. "Drop" the pair down low in the vise, to avoid vibrations from the saw.... Split the lines, or leave them...doesn't matter much..as the matching fingers will be marked from these, once they are chopped out.. Then, turn around, and do the other end the same way...Mark one one as #1, and one end of the shorter ends the same...lay out where to cut, cutting on the waste side of the lines...more line you leave, tighter the fit. One corner at a time...test fitting as I go... Finally, got all 4 corners chopped out.. Which left plowing a groove for the plywood bottom panel to sit in....had to sharpen the #12 cutter, was getting a bit dull, anyway....then set up the 45 And set up a jig, of sorts... Nothing fancy, just enough to hold things steady...to do the longer sides.. Just move two screws a bit....then check for alignment of the grooves... A few pencil lines, to help size the plywood panel....which was a hair too thick, too...we have ways.. Once it was the correct size, a block plane beveled all the edges, both faces.....then sanded the panel, and did a test fit.. No glue, yet. Checking the fit of the plywood, and getting a bunch of clamps set up. hate fumbling around, trying to set up a clamp, with glue running everywhere....so, glue is next.. Then flip this mess over, check the inside of the corners for square...add a couple more clamps....some of which came from the lid blank... Need to clean up the glue-ups...maybe today....once the clamps come off. Need to flatten the lid, too. Stay tuned...there MIGHT be a bit more to this story....than just a plain, old box...

That stash of Ash has sat long enough..brought home in the van a few weeks ago... I think there was 40bf in this mess? That fancy grained one...used to be 11' or so long...may look good as raised panels? So, I did a rough sketch of what I wanted to build...to keep measurements from getting lost There will be a "hutch" on top....waiting to see how the rest turns out... Need to build 3 panels, to form the sides... "RP" is for raised panels. Frame is 3/4' x 2" x how ever long I need. Raised panels will sit in 3/8" grooves. Set up so the "rails" are where the runners for each drawer will be. The place where my knees go? Figured a 28" wide drawer was a bit much...split the drawer into 2 drawers. Drawer fronts are 2" by about 14" (closer to 12" with the center divider) means I need to build 2 frames, with the center divider... need to get the shop "cleared for action" and then decided where to start cutting....and shaping...and gluing up....Top is a 5 board glue-up! 3/4" x 26" x 50"! Stay tuned....

had a bunch of scraps of Ash stashed away....from before all the medical stuff went on....decided to see what I could cobble together from it.... found 4 pieces that almost matched each other...almost. Cut them for length...at least to remove a couple bad knots...and clamped them all together Goal was to get 2 pairs close enough for a couple glue ups.. First pair needed a caul in the middle, to keep things flat... Which left these two.... About 3/8" thick, maybe? which left a stack of shorties to sort through... May glue up the best of these for ends of a box? There was a few thicker pieces.. That I could make corner posts out of.....even had a few to make a lid with.. Might be enough there? may need to use a few toys... Grandson is using one of these, remodeling a passage door to his room.... letting the glue-ups sit a while....and see how things shape up.... Stay tuned

Road trip to buy a stash of Ash, today....five 1 x 6 x 6', and a 2 x 4 x 8'.....$17. Was looking around for something to build out of it.... The Woodwright's Shop....Peter Follansee building a Carved Oak Desk Box.... Hmmmm... Except..my last name isn't Follansee Except ...I do not carve... Except...I have a stash of Ash...instead of the Oak.... And...I don't have a measured drawing of the dang thing..... Not that ever stopped me before... Will let the Infamous Single Brain Cell Sketch Up work out the details.... Stay tuned

Grandson wants a Coffee Table for his home....and I need it done by Christmas...Hmmmm...doable? First, need a few boards....back to the usual supplier...$10 for a stack of Ash One board for a top...2 x 4 for legs..and a vise rehab... Even a few scraps were tossed into the van.. Not too sure about the spalted one....middle one was needed... 10' of 1 x 6 Ash....will make a 3/4 x 16 x 36 top....got these three jointed, and glued up.. Let this sit overnight.... Clamps came off...cauls can wait awhile...Hauled that 2 x 4 x 8' board to the shop...needed two blanks cut from it....without including too many knots.. Set up the rip fence.. Roughly all the same size, and square? Marked a few lines...bandsaw to make a few cuts, junior jack to clean up.. Couple cuts weren't working out...reset the rip fence, run the fat ends through...about a blade's width... Brought the better of the two 3/4 x 6 x 6' planks to the shop...was trying to get all four aprons out of it...Laid out the legs on the table top...to get the lengths needed...was coming up a tad short....that short scrap then became the short apron... But..there needs to be a drawer? Ok, simple enough to do.. Make 2 rip cuts...followed by.. The "missing" middle section is now the drawer's front...glue this mess back together.. IF you watch the grain..it will look like a solid apron..until you open the drawer... While that glue up dries...the other 6 tenons got milled...and.. Bread board blanks....have since installed these...sliding dovetails. Have laid out a few cuts in what is left of the 2 x 4....looks to be plenty for the vise rebuild. Should be able to toss that knot into the fire pit...later... Stay tuned...I have the mortise jig all set up..for tomorrow.