2016 January updates

This doesn't look like much, but hanging the TV, mounting speakers and running wire took forever:

Of course it wasn't a simple matter of buying a bracket for the TV, the wall had to be special (exterior wall to the garage) so the studs where NOT on 16" centers and I had to open it up in order to add studs to hold the TV.  Floating shelf is a threaded rod that was threaded into the studs.  I'll have to figure out a way to hide the power cords for the subs.  Also, found out my level isn't level.  Pretty annoying, do you just throw them in the garbage at that point?


Finished the pair of subwoofers veneered in 1/4" walnut.  From a sound perspective, probably didn't need two of them, they are must more powerful that I would have ever thought.  African blackwood feet were offcuts from the jewelry box project.  They are probably 50 lbs each.


Picture of the completed bookshelf to match the existing one on the left of the fireplace.

Even the speaker mounts are custom.  French cleat, that toed in towards the listening position.  Lots more steps to make these than one would imagine.  Used a black walnut slab that was left out for firewood that I got for "free" from the guy I bought a bunch of walnut from (floating shelf, veneer for subs, Tom's dresser, Amy and Chris' nightstands)

2015 tool purchase review

The  biggest thing I got was the minimax s500p (mm20) bandsaw.

My holtzapffel bench is a perfect outfeed for it.  Been using it quite a bit more, the carbide bade is wonderful.  Used it for ripping to avoid kerf loss and already a bunch of resawing.  It's a little louder than I would expect (need to debug that one), and the fence doesn't secure squarely to the table (need to file some bad machining, but otherwise, this thing is pretty sweet.

Plenty of room for ripping.  Sometimes it interferes with my planer/joiner, but that's only if I have a board bigger than 7' long.  It's easy enough to move if that's the case.

During my sabbatical, I dropped some bills on some Bad Axe saws.  They're so nice, I don't want them breathed on wrong:

Bronze backed Stilleto dovetail saw and a short carcase saw.  Apple wood handles.  The long stilleto dovetail saw really works.  I don't know why, but I struggle with the longer Lie-nielsen carcass saw, wanted to try the shorter one instead which is the saw on the top


Roubo beastmaster that was from the saw plate that I practiced saw sharping on at the Bad Axe class in La Crosse.  That's a #7 in the background!



A Lie-Nielsen scrub plane and a small violin maker's plane.  The smaller one is for Sarah.  The scrub is for when I make the furniture out of the huge walnut tree I bought.


A couple of fishtail chisels and a PM-V11 chisel.  Used the PM-V11 quite a bit on all the ipe projects this summer.  Can't seem to tell the difference between this chisel and my LNs....


Just decided to go all in by my a Mitutoyo caliber.  Didn't want to fuss with other calipers that either got fantastic reviews or reviews that called them junk.



Forgot to mention that I made this tool tote out of scraps.  Nailed together with copper rosehead nails. Did this on a rainy weekend during the deck railing project, couldn't just keep gathering all my tools in random places on the deck every evening.  Needed to keep them organized


This has turned out to be one of my most used tools.  I'm constantly working on projects in the house that needs lots of tools from the garage, this way, I keep the work area nice and neat.  Mine is designed to hold a 24" rule + a panel saw, has a removable center divider and a couple of pencil/screw driver holders.

2015 Woodworking in Review

I think this is the 4th one I've done.  This year, got a tremendous amount done, lots having to do with stuff around the house.

Started with the stairs, what an absolute pain.  The pain started with the previous installers gluing the MDF trim before nailing it.  It made it nearly impossible to remove and lost of chisel work to scrape off.  Someone deserves a donkey punch.


Then, I did a ton of nagging things around the shop.  After an especially painful house project, I always pick 1-2 projects in the shop to help organize it or make things more efficient.  Here are some:



What I call the "roubo assembly bench."  Made from salvaged cedar posts that I saved from the deck railing.  Not the right wood, but I need to be able to move this around and since it's salvaged, I don't care of it I cut into it with the track saw.


Took lots of scrap plywood and made dividers for all the garage drawers.  Can actually find stuff now


A shooting board with the veritas shoot board plane and track.  Thing works awesome


Just a simple charging station installed with a french cleat.

Then on to a stack of hardwood floors for the living room and dining room.  That was basically the month of february.

My "take a break shop project" this time was what I call the "roubo sharpening station"  Made from offcuts lets from the oak stair project.  Many of the pieces were crazy curly, but were on the butt end of the tree which had some bad checking.  Thought it would be cool to book match the drawer front, but now that I look at it, not too fond of it.

Then it was on to the family room hardwood floors.  That was the month of april.  Notice we tore down the corner entertainment center to the right of the fireplace.

Then there was my sabbatical, worked on my brother Tom's 4 drawer chest, and Sister and Brother-inlaws pair of end tables.  I can't see to find any pictures of them.

Towards the end of my sabbatical, was the deck railing project.  Here is a picture of a lot of the ipe that was purchased for it.














The ipe 4x4 were 10' long and about $100 each.  That was some seriously heavy and expensive lumber.



Built something like 6 different jigs in order to cut all the joinery in the railing and posts.  Here it shows all the dados in the posts

'
With the steel cabling installed.


Pictures don't do it justice how much work this was.  Replaced all the lame connections the previous installers used (like hundreds of 2" brad nails), with stuff actually up to code.  Also wired, the low voltage led lights.  Can kinda see the outdoor kitchen off to the right, built that right after the deck, but again, forgot to take pics.  Top cap is a ipe 2x4 with a ipe 1x6 on top.  The 2x4 has a groove in order to house the low voltage wiring for the lights.  The 2x4 is connected to the 4x4 posts with stainless, heavy duty pocket screws in a dado.


And some planter boxes to boot with the leftover ipe.  I don't remember why we ended up with so much extra...

Back to my break projects after those beasts were done:

A nail cabinet inspired by Roy Underhill.  Mine is pained with real milk paint.  Drawers made from left over scraps, including lots of resawn laminated hardwood offcuts.


Next to my dutch tool chest.  Blue tape is for the labels.



And finally, a new William Ng inspired sharpening pond on top of the Roubo sharpening bench.  The old one was just too high and wasn't enough surface area for all my stones.  Also, the old one leaked because I used a cheap storage bin, this one is made with a small bus tray.  All the wood were scraps, including hardwood floor offcuts, legs were made out of soft curly maple I salvaged from the cord of firewood we bought.  I decided against a pump and faucet, it was just easy enough for me to dunk the stone in the pond and the faucet just seems like it would get in the way.