Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Bob Heine's Auto Emporium

[oldironfarmer]

Driftpin: I know what you mean by Bob's situation, trying to live in Florida is a real disability.

1/2: We're in an exclusive club, those who have never cut a dovetail.

 

[driftpin]

Driftpin: I know what you mean by Bob's situation, trying to live in Florida is a real disability.

1/2: We're in an exclusive club, those who have never cut a dovetail.

Ain't dat de t'rut!

If the humidity doesn't get you, the palmettos will carry you away at night, and I'm not referring to the vegetation.

Years-ago a national pest extermination company held a contest for "the biggest cockroach." We're not speaking of some African bug the size of your hand, just everyday 'run under your cabinet when you turn on the light at midnight, in the kitchen' cucarachas. That year the winning bug was submitted by a contestant from Hallandale Beach, in Broward County FL (metro Ft. Lauderdale), it was captured at the city oceanfront park by a jetty on the ocean. The closest domicile to this location was the fire/rescue station at-which I spent a considerable portion of my career. So, I've got that goin' for me!

They should make the palmetto bug the official state greeter/hospitality host, because for many visitors to the Sunshine State, when the day's sunshine ebbs, he's the most-memorable resident for a tourist here.

 

[cbacres]

Hey Bob, I just read where they found rabid bats in the Boca area.
Not sure if they meant the flying kind or the old bat kind.

Be carful heading out to your workshop.

 

[Bob Heine]

Superb work Bob, just great.
Bob's Box Making Co. LTD.

Steve

Steve, coming from you that is high praise. If you ever decide you have too much time on your hands, start your own thread. What you've done to your house and property is amazing, including that kitchen (a 'home-on-the-range trivet caps it off).

Bob dovetail joints are something I must have a crack at.

Steve, I don't know if it's maturity or dumb luck but I tried making dovetail joints years ago and it was a complete failure. With a better jig and instructions it is going better than expected.

The joint looks good to me.

Kirk, thank you and thanks for commenting.

Bob, I am always impressed by the stuff you complete, or even undertake, I probably wouldn't want to try in the same situation. I hope that remark isn't offensive to you.

I have a couple of dovetail jigs I acquired over the years, but they collect dust. I went as-far as to read the instructions, and played with the pieces, to see about using it/them, but I never had any project where they would work for me; that is, where I needed something like that, done. I have used the Panda Kitchen solid-wood knockdown cabinets to make a kitchen and a laundry/pantry, those come pre-cut w/dovetails for the drawers. I like the solidity you get from dovetails, and I always glance at them when I open a so-equipped drawer.

About your Japanese draw-saw: whenever I've used mine, I'm always impressed with the ease it cuts, and how its use saves me significant work. I think an oscillating multi-tool would probably work similarly, but breaking-out the manual draw-saw and using it makes me happy to 1] have one, and 2] be able to use it. I bought mine at International Tool in Davie FL (see below).

Have you ever-been to International Tool south of I-595 at the -595/Davie Rd. exit? It's in Davie, and not to be confused with Davie Blvd. exit off I-95. They have a very well-equipped showroom, probably one of the biggest Milwaukee displays you'll ever-see. They specialize in woodworking tools both manual and shop/powered, hand-held and floor models. They carry FEIN and Metabo, DeWalt, Porter-Cable, Hitachi, and others. They have mechanic's tools too. If you want to drool over machine tools they have Delta, JET, Grizzly, and more. A little further down Davie Rd. is the Flashback Diner, a family-owned restaurant that serves deli-sized portions without the deli pricing. It's a good place to eat if you make the trip. I know the family, they have another restaurant across the street from Gulfstream Racetrack, the thoroughbred horsetrack in Hallandale Beach FL.

Take a look at the International Tool website and you can see what their inventory is like, they deal a lot with the yacht and marine trade. Their warehouse is behind the salesroom and I'd guess is probably six-times the size of it. I estimate the salesroom is the size of a small supermarket. They used to do tool repair on-site but about a year-ago they began farming it out. You used to be able to get good deals on used repaired tools there. Rudy, the counter guy was helpful, but now he's another counter salesman.

Over the counter sales area is a picture of a older guy, partially-bald, that would be Louie Wild, he of Wild Electric in Hollywood FL. He was a smaller version of International Tool, they bought him out and until he died, he was one of the counter guys, you'd never-know he was one of the owners. Louie's store was about 5 minutes from my home, and he never air-conditioned it. Rumor has it he did that to promote customers to come-in and buy, and to leave. I bought my first cordless drill from him, a DeWalt 12 V which is still functional, but of-course, the batteries have to be hand-built, as they're obsolete now. Anyway, Louie was a character, and his squinting visage stares-down on the customers to this day at the International Tool store.

When gluing dovetails, I always use plenty of carpenter's glue and clamps, and use a damp rag to wipe-off the excess 'squeezed-out' after clamping.

Philip, thanks for commenting. You would be surprised how motivating necessity is. And your remark is certainly not offensive to me. My wife straightened me out a long time ago.

I threw out the Craftsman dovetail jig many years ago. It was OK but the plastic guides were easy to mess up with a router in my careless hand. Most of my cabinetry is low-end. The fancy stuff is glued and the not so fancy stuff is screwed. Because of the size of this drawer (32"ish deep, 22"ish wide and 12"ish deep) I thought it needed as much strength as possible.

My Japanese pull saw is seeing more use than I expected. I really like the narrow kerf and super sharp teeth. I do use my multi-tool but mostly for blade-dulling work like drywall and mystery cuts (where exactly is that nail?). My saw came from Lazy Land (aka Amazon).

International Tool sounds like a great store but I suffer from an addictive personality so one or two visits could put me back in rehab. It would also require me to venture into traffic that I still recall as frustrating and a time-toilet. It's a half-hour drive on a Sunday but dealing with I95 on a workday is another story. I don't know how you have survived riding a motorcycle in that part of God's Waiting Room.

Funny you mention the Flashback Diner. One of their locations is a 1.1-mile walk from my house. OK, it's a 3-minute drive going against traffic on Glades Road. There's a great hamburger joint almost next door, called M.E.A. T Eatery and Taproom. It's part of Ulcer Gulch in Boca with just about every fast food restaurant known to Americans and a few international dives, like Punjab Fine Indian Dining and Fran's Chicken Haven.

I expect I'll be using a fair amount of glue to hold this drawer together. I can probably only glue one or two corners at a time with my limited clamp collection.

I know and love International. I first discovered them when I was going to fire school just down the road. And the diner too, though I would never have remembered the name.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

Andrew, I managed to visit the Cheetah (**********) many years ago and left with money in my wallet A visit to International Tool would not end as well. Whenever the South Florida Corvette Association had a club event on the west coast, we would meet at Lester's Diner before taking State Road 84 and Alligator Alley.

 

[cbacres]

Lester’s Diner. Know that place, have eaten lunch with my Dad and uncle in past years.

 

[driftpin]

Lester’s Diner. Know that place, have eaten lunch with my Dad and uncle in past years.

One of the great hardware stores is across the street from Lester's Diner on State Rd. 84. (Ft. Lauderdale, for you out-of-towners) Mcdonald's Hardware. They do a lot of business with the marine industry too, as they're the closest hardware store to Port Everglades, which is probably the third-largest port in Florida, after the Ports of Miami and Jacksonville. They have a great selection of hand tools, and taps and dies, lots of fasteners and in stainless steel. The floor salespeople are helpful. I once got a very-young female salesperson (well compared to Social Security me) and she knew her stuff. The reason: either her aunt or grandmother owns the place, I take that to mean, it's one of the senior members of the family who owns it. Anyway, be sure and stop-in to see their stock.

 

[Bob Heine]

Projects are stacking up. The oil cooler arrived along with hoses and clamps. Looks like the investment in the hoses was a good one -- they are 5/8" on the cooler end and 1/2" on the radiator end.

The new bump stops for the rear axle also arrived. Because of the lowering springs they need to be cut down a bit.

The Snot Cannon parts arrived as well. Most have to be installed in the attic so this will have to be an early morning project.

 

[Bob Heine]

Driftpin: I know what you mean by Bob's situation, trying to live in Florida is a real disability.

1/2: We're in an exclusive club, those who have never cut a dovetail.

Andy, it really is a problem. The closest state border is Georgia and that's 340 miles north. Almost 700 miles coming and going just to get to someplace else.

A large club doesn't make it exclusive. I took 73 years to resign.

Ain't dat de t'rut!

If the humidity doesn't get you, the palmettos will carry you away at night, and I'm not referring to the vegetation.

Years-ago a national pest extermination company held a contest for "the biggest cockroach." We're not speaking of some African bug the size of your hand, just everyday 'run under your cabinet when you turn on the light at midnight, in the kitchen' cucarachas. That year the winning bug was submitted by a contestant from Hallandale Beach, in Broward County FL (metro Ft. Lauderdale), it was captured at the city oceanfront park by a jetty on the ocean. The closest domicile to this location was the fire/rescue station at-which I spent a considerable portion of my career. So, I've got that goin' for me!

They should make the palmetto bug the official state greeter/hospitality host, because for many visitors to the Sunshine State, when the day's sunshine ebbs, he's the most-memorable resident for a tourist here.

Philip, Palmetto Bug sounds so much better than American Cockroach! We also need a better name for the Florida state bird, the Construction Crane.

Hey Bob, I just read where they found rabid bats in the Boca area.
Not sure if they meant the flying kind or the old bat kind.

Be carful heading out to your workshop.

Craig, thanks for the warning. Most of the rabid animals in Boca Raton stay inside City Hall during the day. That bat turned up close to the Everglades, where their mosquito buffet is best. I can't remember the last time I saw a flying bat at my house but I wouldn't dare mention seeing the other kind -- life is short enough.

 

[Bob Heine]

Lester’s Diner. Know that place, have eaten lunch with my Dad and uncle in past years.

Craig, no matter what time of day or night we stopped, Lester's was always busy. Haven't been there in probably 25 years.

One of the great hardware stores is across the street from Lester's Diner on State Rd. 84. (Ft. Lauderdale, for you out-of-towners) Mcdonald's Hardware. They do a lot of business with the marine industry too, as they're the closest hardware store to Port Everglades, which is probably the third-largest port in Florida, after the Ports of Miami and Jacksonville. They have a great selection of hand tools, and taps and dies, lots of fasteners and in stainless steel. The floor salespeople are helpful. I once got a very-young female salesperson (well compared to Social Security me) and she knew her stuff. The reason: either her aunt or grandmother owns the place, I take that to mean, it's one of the senior members of the family who owns it. Anyway, be sure and stop-in to see their stock.

Philip, when you head south from Palm Beach County there are a whole lot of great places to get tools and hardware. I used to go to Specialty Supplies for my cabinet hardware and they had a pretty extensive showroom and warehouse. In Boca Raton I use Beltzer's Hardware just because they have been here forever and when I only need a few things, they get my business.

 

[Bob Heine]

The Mapp gas holder has taken a turn. As I was cutting up the pieces to make a second holder, I realized they needed to be together. That meant the 3-inch PVC holder for the grease gun had to move. The obvious place for it is on the other side of the window where the small grease gun holder is located.

The Harbor Freight 7" Buffer doesn't really need to be there so I took it down. The small grease gun hose looked like it was going to be a problem but the pipe for the big gun just fit.

My new spot for the Buffer isn't ideal right next to the garage door but being orange there's a chance I won't walk into it every day. I tried knocking it off the cabinet and it felt pretty secure.

I turned the A/C on in the shop around noon so I felt guilty not working in there. I decided not to practice (professionals practice -- I just light the fuse). After cutting the 4-foot 1"x12" board in half, I re-read the instructions and set up a side and an end and made the cuts. One tiny mistake took only a few minutes to fix (no glue or wood scraps were involved in the repair -- i needed to cut one more tail on the end piece).

Getting the clamps in place was a slow, stupid juggling show but after setting the bottom in the slots on both sides, it came together. I didn't cut the slots in the ends because I wanted to make sure I routed them in the right place. Now I can cut the ends to size and dovetail the other three corners.

I haven't verified the height on all the routers but if they all fit within the height of the drawer, I may be able to set up the router bits on a sliding tray rather than mount them on the door. No bending over to get a bit, just lift out the tray and make my choice standing up (you're welcome, Bob's Back),.

 

[Toolfool]

Hey, I don't like hearing all the negative comments about Florida coming from Floridians !! I'm just trying to decide if I should move to Tallahassee !!

 

[1/2 Cup]

Nice work Bob

 

[Craptain]

Hey, I don't like hearing all the negative comments about Florida coming from Floridians !! I'm just trying to decide if I should move to Tallahassee !!

Think very carefully about that. Tallahassee has some odd people living in the vicinity. Shorty, the safety officer lives there. Then again so does Jim Reed, so maybe one balances the other. Though both of them have been known to buy tools in large quantities.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[jimreed2160]

Hey, I don't like hearing all the negative comments about Florida coming from Floridians !! I'm just trying to decide if I should move to Tallahassee !!

Shhh. Tallahassee is a well kept secret place on the "forgotten coast" area of Florida that is only lightly inhabited. The beaches, and the hurricanes, are 30-45 minutes away and rush hour in Tallahassee is defined by more than four cars at a stoplight. If you move here, be sure to bring a lightweight jacket because it gets chilly and uncomfortable down here for a few days in January.

 

[jimreed2160]

Think very carefully about that. Tallahassee has some odd people living in the vicinity. Shorty, the safety officer lives there. Then again so does Jim Reed, so maybe one balances the other. Though both of them have been known to buy tools in large quantities.

Just don't forget all of our GJ buddies who live on the "down low" of FL.

 

[driftpin]

I bet things are hopping today in Tallahassee today. Here in south Florida it's the first day of school for gradeschool and the public colleges and universities. This is my first fall semester off since I retired from the public college system. I'm glad to have the time-off, and can't wait for the change in temps as fall arrives.

 

[Bob Heine]

Hey, I don't like hearing all the negative comments about Florida coming from Floridians !! I'm just trying to decide if I should move to Tallahassee !!

John, I should put this in secret ink. More people live in Florida (21,312,211) than New York (19,862,512). Only Texas and California have more people. When I moved to Florida in 1975 there were 8.5 million people and apparently we told our northern friends it was a great place to live. At some point Floridians realized too many people got the word so we've changed our story. Yes, there are alligators in every swimming pool having fights to the death with giant pythons. The heat is unbearable and relentless. Hurricanes hit us almost daily. Bugs as big as dogs infest every house. Finally, there are rabid bats flying overhead just looking for people to bite. Anyone who is planning to move to Florida should know these "Facts."

Nice work Bob

Thank you Steve.

Think very carefully about that. Tallahassee has some odd people living in the vicinity. Shorty, the safety officer lives there. Then again so does Jim Reed, so maybe one balances the other. Though both of them have been known to buy tools in large quantities.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

Andrew, don't forget all the male and female serial killers. Every county in Florida is required to have and report on the activities of at least one.

Shhh. Tallahassee is a well kept secret place on the "forgotten coast" area of Florida that is only lightly inhabited. The beaches, and the hurricanes, are 30-45 minutes away and rush hour in Tallahassee is defined by more than four cars at a stoplight. If you move here, be sure to bring a lightweight jacket because it gets chilly and uncomfortable down here for a few days in January.

Jim, you know that's Fake News. Every winter it gets colder than Alaska. You didn't mention that every intersection in Tallahassee has a stoplight, which means there are always 16 cars jamming every intersection. You also failed to mention that every resident of Florida is required to learn Spanish.

Just don't forget all of our GJ buddies who live on the "down low" of FL.

Jim, we don't live down here, we simply survive.

I bet things are hopping today in Tallahassee today. Here in south Florida it's the first day of school for gradeschool and the public colleges and universities. This is my first fall semester off since I retired from the public college system. I'm glad to have the time-off, and can't wait for the change in temps as fall arrives.

Philip, I can't speak for all of Florida but this is also the first day of the traffic explosion. Because of all the serial killers and child molesters in Florida, children can no longer walk to school. Most parents drive their children to school but some let them take the school bus once they determine the bus driver's felonies are non-child related. There are way more kids in cars than school buses. This first traffic wave is the warmup for the tourist invasion when Florida has it's change of season, going from Summer to Tourist. It's easy to spot the change because the license plates change color.


Did I mention I love living in Florida? It's a horrible place but it's my horrible place.

 

[cbacres]

John, I should put this in secret ink. More people live in Florida (21,312,211) than New York (19,862,512). Only Texas and California have more people. When I moved to Florida in 1975 there were 8.5 million people and apparently we told our northern friends it was a great place to live. At some point Floridians realized too many people got the word so we've changed our story. Yes, there are alligators in every swimming pool having fights to the death with giant pythons. The heat is unbearable and relentless. Hurricanes hit us almost daily. Bugs as big as dogs infest every house. Finally, there are rabid bats flying overhead just looking for people to bite. Anyone who is planning to move to Florida should know these "Facts."

Thank you Steve.

Andrew, don't forget all the male and female serial killers. Every county in Florida is required to have and report on the activities of at least one.

Jim, you know that's Fake News. Every winter it gets colder than Alaska. You didn't mention that every intersection in Tallahassee has a stoplight, which means there are always 16 cars jamming every intersection. You also failed to mention that every resident of Florida is required to learn Spanish.

Jim, we don't live down here, we simply survive.

Philip, I can't speak for all of Florida but this is also the first day of the traffic explosion. Because of all the serial killers and child molesters in Florida, children can no longer walk to school. Most parents drive their children to school but some let them take the school bus once they determine the bus driver's felonies are non-child related. There are way more kids in cars than school buses. This first traffic wave is the warmup for the tourist invasion when Florida has it's change of season, going from Summer to Tourist. It's easy to spot the change because the license plates change color.


Did I mention I love living in Florida? It's a horrible place but it's my horrible place.

Bob, your writing and descriptive skills are second to none. The ex-northerners in the docs office waiting room are eyeing me kinda of funny after I keep laughing out loud reading this thread.
Don't forget about the stucco eating snails that were discovered in Miami area few years ago.

 

[Toolfool]

Now I'm seeing what the intense heat can do to a person's brain.

 

[Guster]

Really nice work on the dovetails Bob. That is a woodworking merit badge material right there!!!

Snot cannon looks like a few fittings sized just shy of a decent spudgun(https://www.spudtech.com) There is a whole world of PVC ballistic weaponry out there that goes right in the face of using PVC air lines!

Maybe change the ball valve with a sprinkler valve for a true impulse discharge at the touch of a button.

 

[shortykorte]

Hey, I don't like hearing all the negative comments about Florida coming from Floridians !! I'm just trying to decide if I should move to Tallahassee !!

Negative comments? There not negative comments, just great Florida wildlife. Wait til you Cheatahs.
The panhandle doesn’t have all those critters so they must have come from up north. lol!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[driftpin]

There's a 'gentlemen's club' on A1A in Cocoa Beach named, "Cheater's." Bring plenty of singles.

 

[jimreed2160]

But the real money is in South Florida. Little known fact, "Boca Raton" is really a corruption of the Spanish phrase, "My purse is too big."

 

[Toolfool]

When I opened a business in Pompano Beach in 1982 (?) I vaguely remember visiting a club called something like "Cheetah's".

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob, your writing and descriptive skills are second to none. The ex-northerners in the docs office waiting room are eyeing me kinda of funny after I keep laughing out loud reading this thread.
Don't forget about the stucco eating snails that were discovered in Miami area few years ago.

Thanks Craig! I hope you weren't in a mental health doctor's office. I'd hate to think of you in one of those loooong sleeve jackets that buttons up the back.

I think those snails were helped by the concrete-eating termites!

Now I'm seeing what the intense heat can do to a person's brain.

John, it happens pretty fast in Florida. Like the Hotel California, "You can check out any time but you can never leave."

Really nice work on the dovetails Bob. That is a woodworking merit badge material right there!!!

Snot cannon looks like a few fittings sized just shy of a decent spudgun(https://www.spudtech.com) There is a whole world of PVC ballistic weaponry out there that goes right in the face of using PVC air lines!

Maybe change the ball valve with a sprinkler valve for a true impulse discharge at the touch of a button.

Guster, I appreciate the compliment! If I keep this up, someday I can advance beyond Tenderfoot.

The Snot Cannon has to start slow. The builder of my house saved money on the plumbing so I hope the A/C guys didn't work for him. I have this nightmare that the A/C condensate line isn't glued together inside the wall. One real powerful blast and I'm doing a lot of drywall patching.

Negative comments? There not negative comments, just great Florida wildlife. Wait til you Cheatahs.
The panhandle doesn’t have all those critters so they must have come from up north. lol!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Stewart, I have seen evidence of a lot of very friendly owls in your neck of the swamp.

There's a 'gentlemen's club' on A1A in Cocoa Beach named, "Cheater's." Bring plenty of singles.

Philip,

But the real money is in South Florida. Little known fact, "Boca Raton" is really a corruption of the Spanish phrase, "My purse is too big."

Jim, I think you're right. It's the slang term that evolved from "Rat'$ Mouth."

When I opened a business in Pompano Beach in 1982 (?) I vaguely remember visiting a club called something like "Cheetah's".

John, it wasn't called the Cheetah back then. I did a little checking and discovered it was the Cheetah III (the first Cheetah in the chain was in Kenosha, WI). I visited the Cheetah III twice in one month back in prehistoric times (the late 1970s). Two guys I knew had their bachelor parties there. Apparently they have changed its name to just Cheetah to match the others in the chain.

 

[driftpin]

The "Cheetah Lounge" is close to the north campus of the state college branch by Pompano Beach FL, in Coconut Creek. Also withing spittin' distance is Steeda Automotive, which started out doing some great builds with the Fox-body Mustang. https://www.steeda.com They offer a lot of Ford performance products.

One of my friends is friends with the Cheetah owner, and has served as a pilot/captain to get the owner's deep-V hull powerboat (think 'like a Cigarette') down to the Florida Keys. Great work if you can get it.

 

[Bob Heine]

The "Cheetah Lounge" is close to the north campus of the state college branch by Pompano Beach FL, in Coconut Creek. Also withing spittin' distance is Steeda Automotive, which started out doing some great builds with the Fox-body Mustang. https://www.steeda.com They offer a lot of Ford performance products.

One of my friends is friends with the Cheetah owner, and has served as a pilot/captain to get the owner's deep-V hull powerboat (think 'like a Cigarette') down to the Florida Keys. Great work if you can get it.

Philip, I remember a lot of Steeda Mustangs at car shows years ago. Since our Corvette club disbanded in the '90s I don't get to many car shows. Not as much fun if I'm there alone.

There is a Cheetah offshore powerboat manufacturer so it would appropriate for the owner to sell his Cigarette and buy a Cheetah.

 

[Bob Heine]

I succeeded in cutting the drawer front to size and cutting the dovetails. Routed the groove for the 3/4" drawer bottom as well (plunge cut the groove rather than cut to the ends so the groove doesn't show).

This is my first dovetail joint project so I am taking my time. I tend to rush when I have a small success and it often leads to disaster. Baby step forward and quit for the day. Next day repeat and it may reduce the number of mistakes. I now have three sides of a box complete.

The back is going to fit into the sides without capturing the drawer bottom (no groove in the back piece). The drawer bottom will attach to the back with screws. This will allow me to take the bottom out of the drawer to make changes to the layout of the dividers or holders inside the drawer.

Sitting here thinking about the next steps, I realize I marked the drawer side cuts wrong. The sides will be 1/2" too long and the drawer bottom won't match up with the outside edge of the drawer back. I forgot to include the thickness of the blind dovetail in the measurement. Slow is sometimes good.

 

[jimreed2160]

Bob--Lookin good. That 1/2" issue is probably something that the routers can take care of.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Bob that's sweet.

 

[xtremek]

Since your a pro at making drawers, I have a few at the house I need to replace. I can send you the dimensions.

 

[bcoke]

Bob I am amaized at your amount of work and fine quality with great attention to detail. I find as I have passed 70 years that my hand, eye,and patience has produced what I would have not accepted years ago! Do not know how you workin such a small shop as I have a big shop/barn/garage and have no room and it is always a MESS! I have written on a blackboard the following W.W.B.H.D...........[ What Would Bob Heine Do? ] as an inspiration to me. Being in rural Vermont I do not have the ability to have a close neighbor come help me on a two person part of a job,so I think WWBHD? and work around it, I mean it you can produce so much with "one hand tied behind your back" [Pun intended,I hope it is not offensive just a warped sense of humor] I should be able to think of a solution and do my dad always would say you should be able to "outthink a piece of Wood [subsitute, metal, electrons} and do it!.......I have ranted enough good health and enjoy life !!!! Bobbycoke

 

[drivesitfar]

Bob: i'm amazed at the time and energy you are taking to make a drawer like that. I still haven't tackled dove tail joints so WELL DONE SIR!!

that said i've been sort of hanging around and learning a bit more about Woodworking on the Woodworking 101 thread and hearing from some of them it seems like the dovetail joints might need a little room to expand and contract as the weather changes. I think I heard and you can tell me i'm wrong if I am that the joints should be a little loose with the glue maybe a little thicker to allow for this expansion and contraction?

anyway it's a great project and good for you for attempting it!!

good luck

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob--Lookin good. That 1/2" issue is probably something that the routers can take care of.

Jim, I took the time to re-measure and try again. It actually worked!

Bob that's sweet.

Thank you Steve!

Since your a pro at making drawers, I have a few at the house I need to replace. I can send you the dimensions.

Kirk, no need for dimensions. I'll just make a drawer and send it to you. Then you can tell me if in needs to be a two or three fingers wider and a thumb taller so I can start over. Six or seven iterations and you should have something you can shim to fit.

Bob I am amaized at your amount of work and fine quality with great attention to detail. I find as I have passed 70 years that my hand, eye,and patience has produced what I would have not accepted years ago! Do not know how you workin such a small shop as I have a big shop/barn/garage and have no room and it is always a MESS! I have written on a blackboard the following W.W.B.H.D...........[ What Would Bob Heine Do? ] as an inspiration to me. Being in rural Vermont I do not have the ability to have a close neighbor come help me on a two person part of a job,so I think WWBHD? and work around it, I mean it you can produce so much with "one hand tied behind your back" [Pun intended,I hope it is not offensive just a warped sense of humor] I should be able to think of a solution and do my dad always would say you should be able to "outthink a piece of Wood [subsitute, metal, electrons} and do it!.......I have ranted enough good health and enjoy life !!!! Bobbycoke

BobbyCoke, you are getting there! I consider making it past 70 to be a whole new era in my life. These are my "could not care less" and "you have me confused with someone who gives a $hit" years. It means there's no stress in getting stuff done or getting it perfect. I don't have all that much patience but my inability to keep track of time means I get more done than I intended to.

Not only no offense taken, it's my favorite ice breaker. When that sweet young girl asked what happened to my arm, I looked at my stump and said.. OOOOH $HIT! I'm honored to be in your thoughts and sometimes WWBHD might be to try again tomorrrow.

Bob: i'm amazed at the time and energy you are taking to make a drawer like that. I still haven't tackled dove tail joints so WELL DONE SIR!!

that said i've been sort of hanging around and learning a bit more about Woodworking on the Woodworking 101 thread and hearing from some of them it seems like the dovetail joints might need a little room to expand and contract as the weather changes. I think I heard and you can tell me i'm wrong if I am that the joints should be a little loose with the glue maybe a little thicker to allow for this expansion and contraction?

anyway it's a great project and good for you for attempting it!!

good luck

Drives, I have always admired dovetail joints and never had a project that justified spending the time to learn. The Porter Cable jig and its instructions have been a great help.

I don't know how to add space to the dovetail joints but I think their strength lies in them being tight. I don't really know if I'm doing it right because this is my first try at doing it for real (making one joint doesn't really count).

 

[Bob Heine]

Well, it isn't done but I've made some real progress. I cut the back of the drawer to size, routed the dovetails and after re-routing the dovetails on three corners (for better fit), I got out the glue and put it together. Mounted the full extension slides.

Put the drawer inside the box. It fits perfectly and I'll attach the slides to the sides of the box (with the drawer shimmed up 5/8"). Double-checked my guesstimate and it looks like those wooden router boxes will fit on the door just fine.

EDIT: The fit isn't quite perfect. The hinges I have will prevent the drawer from sliding out so I ordered some different hinges to fix the problem.

 

[xtremek]

.......no need for dimensions. I'll just make a drawer and send it to you. Then you can tell me if in needs to be a two or three fingers wider and a thumb taller so I can start over. Six or seven iterations and you should have something you can shim to fit.
.......

I've been owned . Thanks for the chuckle, it was a good way to start my day.

 

[driftpin]

The drawer is looking good, and the cabinet. I always have something come-up which throws a monkey wrench into my plans for a scratch-built project, it seems. Like you found-out with the hinges. I could never do things as a machinist in metal because wood gives me enough problems.

Sadly, one of my best friends died yesterday morning, at age 68. He was a friend since college days, I met him through a mutual friend. He was a Division 1 football player in MI, a lineman who was so-big, when they were doing tackling sled drills, he broke it-twice. The line coach said, "you've gotta be heavy to do that!," and he got his nickname. He was also a martial artist, and though his professional career was social services administration, he helped in a friend's dojo, and traveled to Okinawa for a visit to see the land where his style he practiced originated. When his wife and he arrived and were met by a representative from the organization representing his combat style, my friend told him, "I'm excited to be here to learn and to study." The representative told him, "you were invited here to fight!" He came-home sore from that one.

His cancer was being treated with chemo, a growth on one lung, though he wasn't a smoker. He did do bodywork while he was in college to pay the bills. Whatever caused it, got him, he had a myocardial infarction (heart attack) yesterday morning, and didn't make-it. I'm glad his wife and he were close to us in Florida. We all had moved down to FL from MI at different times, and we had a lot of fun along the way. I'm gonna miss my big buddy.

 

[Craptain]

Sorry to hear about your loss driftpin. Sadly I, and I presume most of us here, have reached that time of life when we lose more than our fair share of friends and family. I have lost several this year.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[Bob Heine]

I've been owned . Thanks for the chuckle, it was a good way to start my day.

Kirk, I'm happy any time I can help.

The drawer is looking good, and the cabinet. I always have something come-up which throws a monkey wrench into my plans for a scratch-built project, it seems. Like you found-out with the hinges. I could never do things as a machinist in metal because wood gives me enough problems.

Sadly, one of my best friends died yesterday morning, at age 68. He was a friend since college days, I met him through a mutual friend. He was a Division 1 football player in MI, a lineman who was so-big, when they were doing tackling sled drills, he broke it-twice. The line coach said, "you've gotta be heavy to do that!," and he got his nickname. He was also a martial artist, and though his professional career was social services administration, he helped in a friend's dojo, and traveled to Okinawa for a visit to see the land where his style he practiced originated. When his wife and he arrived and were met by a representative from the organization representing his combat style, my friend told him, "I'm excited to be here to learn and to study." The representative told him, "you were invited here to fight!" He came-home sore from that one.

His cancer was being treated with chemo, a growth on one lung, though he wasn't a smoker. He did do bodywork while he was in college to pay the bills. Whatever caused it, got him, he had a myocardial infarction (heart attack) yesterday morning, and didn't make-it. I'm glad his wife and he were close to us in Florida. We all had moved down to FL from MI at different times, and we had a lot of fun along the way. I'm gonna miss my big buddy.

Philip, I have come to enjoy working with both wood and metal but I also would be a terrible machinist. I think it's a little easier to work with metal because cutting something short can usually be fixed with a welder. Cutting a piece of wood too short could be fixed with (or by?) a dutchman. Great idea but beyond my skill set.

Losing your friend is difficult on many levels. Knowing you'll never have another conversation or share a major event in your lives is depressing. The reminder of our own mortality is also a bummer.

I met Ray, my friend since childhood, in 1952 when our new homes were built across the street from each other. We both worked in Manhattan and he moved his famly to Florida a few years before us. He was CFO for Ryder Trucking and left to start his own successful debt-collecting service (multi-million dollar corporate debt). Three years ago he had his hip replaced. Subsequent complications (MRSA infection) exposed a long-standing liver problem that took his life this past April. He was a year younger than me so it hit home hard. I celebrate his life when I remember the fun we've had over the years.

Sorry to hear about your loss driftpin. Sadly I, and I presume most of us here, have reached that time of life when we lose more than our fair share of friends and family. I have lost several this year.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

Andrew, well said.

 

[Bob Heine]

Finished the drawer and installed it in the cabinet. Took a little longer than expected because I had a WW1/2CD moment. Two corners were not aligned and I thought I had made a mistake on the dovetails. Turns out it was just different dimension one-by boards from the big box store.

I bought a $15 plane from Harbor Freight last time I visited and after a little time sharpening and tuning it, it worked fine, peeling off translucent strips of wood until the two sides matched. Repeated for the other corners just to be sure they were even.

Now the corners are even but very sharp so I grabbed a couple of those miniature planes and beveled the edges a little.

Brushed a couple of coats of tung oil on the drawer and attached the bottom to the back with some stainless trim screws. I figured three would hold it in place.

To keep the routers from falling in a pile in the drawer I made some dividers out of a piece of old 3/8" plywood from the pile (it's getting smaller) and some ripped pieces of oak gifted by an old friend.

I was feeling bad about not using my Kreg pocket screw jig so I drilled 3 holes in the back side of each divider.

The drawer is done and ready to be installed. As I test fit all the stuff I was planning to put in the drawer, it occurred to me it might exceed the 100-pound capacity of the full extension drawer slides. I stood the drawer on end on a bathroom scale and stacked the tools. The empty drawer weighs 32.4 pounds and the loaded drawer weighs 83.6 pounds so it should be a good test for the slides.