Above 1200 Sq/FT Plugger Workshop

[rharman]

Just never ends, does it? Good to keep busy though.

 

[Prospecter]

It was sunny and fifties yesterday, so a good day to open up all the doors and dry things out. Two months of recycling and a winter's worth of metal scrap hauled off this week. I got the Boathouse swept out and a few things put away. Today is still sunny, but thirties and windy, so I'll try to finish up some inside stuff today.

 

[Prospecter]

Just never ends, does it? Good to keep busy though.

Can't die until our work is done. I might live forever! And yes, good to keep busy. It's important to have a reason to get going in the morning.

 

[Prospecter]

Two months of recycling left this week. (We missed last month.) A winter's accumulation of metal scrap also left this week. Deer gates are up. These won't keep out a determined deer, but are enough to discourage them.
We are still in Mud Season, but the snowdrops are up.
I replaced the coupler on the orange yard trailer. I also used my coin driver. It works well. Two small jobs off the list.
The two verticle cane rows ad the first horizontal row are done. I am part way through the second horizontal row, which is the first time I've needed to weave the cane. I also tied off loose ends, which frees up the pegs. When the second horizontal row is done, it will be time to straighten the rows, and begin the diagonal weaving.

 

[Prospecter]

Trimming the Pen Boards (Companionway Hatch Boards). The track saw worked well for these, since the cuts were at an odd angle, and each board cues off the ones beside it.

I set aside the chairs I still need to do this Spring, and moved the rest to store in the Boathouse for next winter.

We had a heavy, 5" snow. Arrived quickly, and is melting fast. I did not bother to plow. I like snow anyway, but a heavy Spring snow is especially nice. Kind of the same feeling as those bonus sunny warm days in late October.

Several deer were apparently indecisive overnight about passing through the front yard. Lots of tracks. They evidently decided to go back the way they came.

Lots of sanding and urethaning. I think I am finally satisfied with those shelves.

 

[Prospecter]

I finished the horizontal and vertical rows, and began the diagonals.

 

[drivesitfar]

I'm still about 6-8 months out catching up on your thread. funny to hear you had 5 inches of snow and over here on the other coast we had 70 degrees yesterday and it was a bit muggy.

I love all the projects you are doing so keep up the great work. If I ever get a little woodshop built (maybe 2026, but more likely 2027 now) I was thinking of getting a few Festool tools (track saw and sander were on top of the list) and noticed you have one. do you like it and since I can't see the blade what brand and type of blades do you like using?

keep up the great work and stay warm!!!

 

[Prospecter]

I'm still about 6-8 months out catching up on your thread. funny to hear you had 5 inches of snow and over here on the other coast we had 70 degrees yesterday and it was a bit muggy.

I love all the projects you are doing so keep up the great work. If I ever get a little woodshop built (maybe 2026, but more likely 2027 now) I was thinking of getting a few Festool tools (track saw and sander were on top of the list) and noticed you have one. do you like it and since I can't see the blade what brand and type of blades do you like using?

keep up the great work and stay warm!!!

Mid-forties here, so melting fast. I quick moved the boat into the shop while the ground was frozen this morning.

I love the track saw. I primarily bought it for table saw functions when I was on the road. I was not overly impressed with the SawStop portable, and a track saw is pretty safe. I am very impressed with the quality. Every time I use it, I am glad I have it, and don't think about the $$$. I am not sure it is worth the extra money compared to others. I think Bob H went with a Wen, and is happy with his. I use the blade it came with. If you change blades, there's a good chance you need to change the consumable guide strip, too.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

I love your track saw too. Nice orderly shop, I just have never been able to do that. But I do keep trying.
The wood work/staining looks great and redoing the chair amazing. When I do tasks similar my buddy calls it therapeutic.
He might be on to something there as I’ve never needed therapy. My mother had me tested and all they said was to hide the matches and anything sharp. I have never burnt anything down and have all my digits.

 

[Prospecter]

Thanks, Pontiac. Thanks for checking in. I've enjoyed your threads. No structure fires here, but I've had some others we don't need to get into. All my fingers too, but some nerve damage from a table saw accident. I could have paid for several SawStops and Track Saws and had $$$ left over if I had made those purchases BEFORE the microsurgery on my wrist! So things are not always as they appear.

Your compliment regarding the shop orderliness surprised me. I had to go back and look, since I don't think of myself that way. I guess I have made some progress. Steve Ramsey (Woodworking for Mere Mortals) suggests that it is easier to put something away and get it out again than to leave it out. That helps, to the extent I do it. Discovering the cardboard storage helps. Cheap. Eco Friendly. Uniform. Disposable. The tool chests were all purchased on sale or on Craigslist, etc. Labeling helps me make clear decisions about what goes where, and also trains me quickly. Other than those things, lots of trial and error.

 

[Prospecter]

I cleared some space in the shop so I could move the boat in. I can keep the shop warm so urethane will dry and adhesives will kick.

Hanging the shelves took some finagling to find a combination of shims, screws, washers, and adhesive that would hold the shelves without piercing the deck.

The teak bulkheads will provide attachment surfaces without putting holes in fiberglass. The cleats are screwed to the backs of the bulkheads temporarily will gluing the cleats to the fiberglass. It makes the cleats easier to clamp, and hopefully will keep the screw holes lined up during gluing. I used 3M 5200 Fast Cure, which is supposedly a permanent attachment. Messy stuff to deal with. 24 hours to full cure. Then I can detach the bulkheads from the cleats and finish sanding / urethaning.

I also purchased some ramps at Harbor Freight to use as Canine Disability Ramps.

 

[Prospecter]

The ramps also worked well to unload a new toy. At 92 lbs, it is not a "Portable" bench top planer for this old guy!

 

[drivesitfar]

Great purchases. I have several ramps and they really do come in handy.

I’ve had a similar Dewalt planer for maybe 4 or 5 years that is due for a knife rotation and tune up/ cleaning that has worked great for my needs which has been mostly cedar fence boards and posts so far. There are several great YouTube vids on how to use and clean and change blades when you have time to watch any. Also there is one YouTube video where the guy set up his planer to lengthen boards cause he believes in the cut twice measure once method.

Sorry to hear about your injury but sounds like your tool inventory is not only high quality but a lot safer now.

 

[Prospecter]

Great purchases. I have several ramps and they really do come in handy.

I’ve had a similar Dewalt planer for maybe 4 or 5 years that is due for a knife rotation and tune up/ cleaning that has worked great for my needs which has been mostly cedar fence boards and posts so far. There are several great YouTube vids on how to use and clean and change blades when you have time to watch any. Also there is one YouTube video where the guy set up his planer to lengthen boards cause he believes in the cut twice measure once method.

Good to know. I had a Ryobi lunch box planer that I bought used, and wore out. I have a Foley Belsaw which planed most of our flooring and woodwork. Replaced the switch, rollers, and blades. Time to change out the rollers and blades again. . . I could do that, but I don't really need a beast anymore, so I treated myself to a new one. Who knows? Between not doing the repairs and selling the old one, I might break even!

 

[kaymccampbell]

The ramps also worked well to unload a new toy. At 92 lbs, it is not a "Portable" bench top planer for this old guy!

You may come to hate that planer. I know of several that are permanently sidelined. The owners have too much in them to throw them away, so they collect dust. They generate a pretty high static field, have a touchy overload sensor, and some of them have voltage leaks. Hopefully the mfr has got the bugs out of them by now.

 

[drivesitfar]

Prosp: Kay is correct about the Dewalt sometimes being a bit "finicky" lets say for lack of a better word. the interior circuit breaker can trip and I think when it does (in my situation) it's because I'm running off a 100 foot 10 amp extension cord. I have one set up in my yard that is about 50 feet from the GFCI outdoor plug I installed, but the 15 amp breaker in service panel is another 50 or so feet away. when I use it this summer I bought 2 25 foot 15 amp extension cords (I think about $50 on Amazon) so we'll see if that issue still exists. another issue might have been was the depth of the cut because since I am planing cedar boards cut at a mill are sometimes a bit thicker than others and I don't always measure each board. that said I'm due to either turn or replace the 2 blades which also should help.

since yours is new and you are using it inside your shop just use it on a plug that has a 15 or 20 amp breaker and nothing else plugged in it and you should be good to go. since i'm more of a wood butcher than a woodworker I'm positive you'll have more success with it than I do and I still love mine.

find a shelf to store it or maybe you have enough room to have it on it's own stand or build a rolling bench for it.

good luck!!

 

[Prospecter]

Prosp: Kay is correct about the Dewalt sometimes being a bit "finicky" lets say for lack of a better word. the interior circuit breaker can trip and I think when it does (in my situation) it's because I'm running off a 100 foot 10 amp extension cord. I have one set up in my yard that is about 50 feet from the GFCI outdoor plug I installed, but the 15 amp breaker in service panel is another 50 or so feet away. when I use it this summer I bought 2 25 foot 15 amp extension cords (I think about $50 on Amazon) so we'll see if that issue still exists. another issue might have been was the depth of the cut because since I am planing cedar boards cut at a mill are sometimes a bit thicker than others and I don't always measure each board. that said I'm due to either turn or replace the 2 blades which also should help.

since yours is new and you are using it inside your shop just use it on a plug that has a 15 or 20 amp breaker and nothing else plugged in it and you should be good to go. since i'm more of a wood butcher than a woodworker I'm positive you'll have more success with it than I do and I still love mine.

find a shelf to store it or maybe you have enough room to have it on it's own stand or build a rolling bench for it.

good luck!!

Kay and Drives: Thank you. This confirms some of my thinking. I think of it as a fancy lunch box planer, rather than a beast planer like my other one. As far as power goes, mine is pretty lean. I ran robust conductors to the shop, with virtually no voltage drop. My breakers and wiring are 20 amp, and I can plug directly into the outlets. My big fence type projects are done. I tried it today. I am very pleased with the cut. VERY smooth! Mine has 3 blades, and I ran it at the finish setting, which turns out to be about the same as my beast planer. My cyclone uses 6" pipe, so it will take the ejector shavings, and also some surface collectors,

I'm thinking about a rolling cart. The planer is a bit heavier than I thought. At or beyond what I want to haul around by myself without a cart.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Prospecter]

Some minor updates.
The Beast Foley Belsaw Planer that is getting replaced. FWIW, it did its job. Very rugged. I replaced the switch, added a longer cord, and put new rollers on it when I got it 20 years ago. It dimensioned lumber well, left an acceptable finish, (ready to be sanded with 80g.), and would run all day. A little loud, and better to use outside, since it is not really set up of dust collection, and my adaptations were a compromise. VERY heavy, even on casters. (Woodstove heavy.)

The bulkhead cover cleats are well adhered. Placing the cleats while attached to the covers positioned the cleats just where I wanted them. The bulkheads are uneven, but the covers kept them in position. I will need to fill in behind one end of one of the cleats with more 3m 5200.

 

[drivesitfar]

If you don’t build or buy the Dewalt planer stand/cart I’d suggest either having it stored on a bench or shelf that is about waist high. I store mine on a shelf that if about my shoulder height and it isn’t easy getting it up and in it or down when I need to.

Great to hear your power is about perfect and that it cuts nicely. I use about a 6 foot piece of plastic 4 inch flexible ducting and just let shavings pile up on the ground. I’m guessing you have a better plan?

I’m guessing you’re tuning up your old planer to sell or are you just keeping it as a backup or moving to the north property garage?

 

[drivesitfar]

The Dewalt planer I think is about 80-90 pounds which isn’t horrible for me to lift up and firm at shoulder height. The hardest thing is I have both ramps attached and usually one or both are hard to tie up so they don’t drop down during the move.

Did I mention I love your woodworking projects and I’m so jealous of you having that workshop cause I really would like something similar. Carry on and keep warm.

 

[Prospecter]

Blue sky day in the high 30s. We still put an upstairs fire in at night, but no cellar fire, and the heat pump takes up the slack.

I reshimmed the centerboard. Apparently all owners of these boats struggle to get a leak free pivot bolt. My attempt is a disk cut from a cutting board, foam washers, and butyl tape. We'll see.

I reworked my broken creeper into a work tray, kind of as a proof of concept. The idea is to place a large tray in my work area so that when I set things on a flat surface, they actually wind up on the tray so they are easy to move, and also easy to put away. I copied the idea. Since I had the broken creeper, it was a cheap and easy experiment. We'll see how I like it.

A quick repair on an ancient Father's Day gift. The mast had come loose, and the lines were tangled. All fixed up.

Mia spends her days wishing for a fire in the woodstove, and her evenings soaking up heat in front of the fire.

Nice weather allowed me to pull the ZT into the shop. I put flat free tires on the front this year. New belt, blades, plugs, oil, filters, and discharge chute. I left the boat out overnight, and will finish the ZT today in time to get the boat back in before snow tonight.

 

[Prospecter]

The planer stand arrived yesterday. I had planned on just using the planer as a portable, but 92 lbs is too heavy to be portable for me. Nice design, solid, and good hardware. All the hardware was standardized to 13mm, which was convenient. I assembled it with all the hardware fingertight, and tightened it up after. Surprisingly, everything was square and plumb even with just the fingertight hardware. Very poor directions, so I just worked off the exploded diagram. Short a single split washer.

This is the first time I have used my "New to me" Crowntop Craftsman creeper. I like it. The steel wheels roll easily. I left it flat for a picture, but I have learned the hard way to tip it up when I am not using it so I don't accidentally use it as a skate board.

 

[drivesitfar]

I used to own that stand and it was solid and mine had a roller under it where you could raise and lower the casters. Sadly I have very little flat open concrete space so I sold my stand and I use mine usually on benches or sawhorses.

It’s had to tell if yours has wheels or if Dewalt still sells them but your stand looks like it’s solid and should work great for your needs.

Good to hear things are warming up outside cause I’m sure you enjoy sitting in your tractor on sunny days.

 

[Prospecter]

Yup. Still comes with the wheels and raise/lower pedal.

 

[drivesitfar]

Well maybe sitting in your favorite chair on the porch?? Glad to hear it has wheels cause my old eyes couldn’t see them and wheels on mine were orange or maybe red.

Here’s to another day above dirt even if it’s raining, snowing or sunny cause it will be 24 hours of something interesting.

 

[Jacko264]

Mr Prospecter
This is one of the most inspiring and informative threads I have seen.
I am so jealous of your set up and all the toys garages etc
please keep posting I have enjoyed reading the tread from end to end
Graham

 

[Prospecter]

Drives: Always appreciate you very positive support and encouragement. You'll appreciate my "After 5pm" error. I was installing the bolts for the table extensions. Took the planer back off the stand to install the bolts and springs. Bolted the planer back on. Forgot one nut. I will need to unbolt again to attach the nut, then rebolt again. I'll tackle that tomorrow.

Jacko: Thanks for checking in. Glad you are enjoying the thread. I just keep plodding along, hoping something gets done, and I have fun doing it.

 

[kaymccampbell]

This is the first time I have used my "New to me" Crowntop Craftsman creeper. I like it. The steel wheels roll easily. I left it flat for a picture, but I have learned the hard way to tip it up when I am not using it so I don't accidentally use it as a skate board.

I used to have that one, til some goofer backed over it. Then I got its blood brother, cause it was all I could find. I wore the wheels out on both of them. This one now has 6 casters instead of 4.

 

[Prospecter]

That creeper looks heavier duty than mine. Love those old creepers. They just work.

 

[Prospecter]

Well maybe sitting in your favorite chair on the porch??

I'm a little slow sometimes. . . It is warming up, but too cold to sit or stand still. 50d is nice in the Fall when it is dry. This time of year the wet damp air and the frost coming out of the ground just soaks into my bones. Even in mid May, the first one or two mowings and tilling the garden can be very cold.

 

[Prospecter]

I replaced batteries in the porch lights. These are 2/3 AA batteries. I didn't know there was such a thing!

Spring maintenance on the mower. An expensive year. New chute. New, never flat tires on the front. New blades and belt. Usual oil mess. I broke the plastic oil drain. Fortunately, my dealer also had broken his, and had ordered two. That gave me a chance to easily size tubing to avoid the oil mess in the future.

Planer feed extensions installed.

I went to the ReStore, and Liberty Tool on Thursday. It was a great way to spend a rainy day. I donated more than I bought at the ReStore, which is always a good thing. There was a virtually new tool box, and a nice jar of hardware, among other things. I don't usually buy mixed jars, but this was worth it.

At Liberty Tool, I bought some stuff that I probably don't need. An upgraded woodworking vise and a second drill press vise. They did not have any bags handy, so gave me an old box jointed cheese box.

A bag of lobster trap nails. I have not seen these anywhere in a while. They were used on wooden traps. Sort of like box nails, but with very thin shanks. Very handy for repairing a shingle sided house, because they don't split the faded shingles I use to replace broken ones.

A funny little inspection mirror. It has a push button on the end to adjust the angle of the mirror. Picked it up just because.

Some spare chisels, an original Jamestown Crescent wrench, an original DeWitt Iowa Visegrips, and some bundles of drill bits.

 

[Prospecter]

Close up of a lobster trap nail.

I was reading about wire bending. Wanted to try it, just because. The jig is inexpensive and works well. Make my own S hooks!

I received a 4' long box suitable to ship a snake in. Turns out it is a collapsable paddle for the boat.

We sorted some more shop attic stuff. Uncovered some chair parts, and moved books. The bins are books we will keep. A similar number of books (college texts, etc.) are binned and waiting for recycling.

I also sorted screws, nuts, and bolts. Saved the good stuff. Junk is also waiting for recycling day.

 

[Prospecter]

I've been playing around with making some different size storage bins. I really like the cardboard bins I bought, and those are inexpensive, but I wanted some others of different sizes. I had been working on patterns to cut out of sheets of cardboard, when I realized I could just run the ends of appropriately sized boxes through the table saw. Super easy. I hot glued the loose flaps. Done. Basically free. Didn't need to buy in quantity. It's the little things in life!

Inexplicably, sometimes the big images don't load.

 

[Prospecter]

I've been distracted the past few days with errands, but I also managed to do a few things.

Dust collection hose and fittings arrived. I am still waiting for one last fitting.

I'm still working on boat woodwork. I had another setback with the urethane. With a little luck, I will be able to sand with 320 tomorrow, put on a final coat, and call them done.

I sharpened the chainsaw in anticipation of cutting some firewood when it is drier. I like to split and stack the wood as I cut it, and the ground is still quite mushy.

Worked on my charger cart. This has been a long time goal as we keep aquiring battery tools.

I also started some seeds. The tops of the milk bottles get cut off, seeds started in soil, and the tops taped back on. They become little greenhouses.

 

[Prospecter]

I've been keeping a bunch of projects going, depending on weather, travel, appointments, and so on.

The boat woodwork projects are finally done and mounted. I will stop with those and put the boat back together so we can splash it. I've got the mast transport mounts lined up, though I think I still need to make adjustments. I am trying to get everything under 7' so it will fit in the Boathouse without removing anything. Rushed the pulpit installation, which of course meant I broke not one, but two of the four machine screws. Stainless steel is a bear to work with, so my rushing wasted more time than it saved.

The blue thing in the last picture is a new toy. It is an electronic signal horn. Very loud.

 

[Prospecter]

Before and after shop cleanup pictures. Skipping around between projects quickly clutters things up. I was thinking about replacing my old anchor, but when I saw prices, I decided to use leftover paint to beautify the old one.

Firewood cutting season has arrived. Comfortable temps, and no bugs yet. The ground is still drying out (almost got stuck in the garden), so I try to stick to higher ground when moving stuff around. I also set out the 14 potting soil bags for seed starting. I bought them a while back with curbside pickup at Sams Club. If I just bought them myself, I would need to load them up on a cart outside, push them inside to pay, and then wheel them out to the van to load again. With curbside pickup, I only need to unload them. They felt surprisingly light after flinging firewood.

"Camp" (porch) is open for the season, and Mia made the most of it.

 

[Prospecter]

The Mariner Class Association recommends that DIY boat renovators have a "Moaning Chair" to contemplate disasters, such as when I was rushing on the pulpit. This is mine.

 

[drivesitfar]

Your morning chair looks similar to my resting one (hee hee)!!

I bet the metal is better quality in your old anchor than a new one too so nice work spiffing it back up.

Looks like the sun is out and now just a bit warmer and I bet everything will start growing like weeds.

Keep on keeping on and hope your splashing around has you smiling even more.

 

[Jacko264]

Liking all your doing keep up the great posting
Graham.

 

[Prospecter]

Your morning chair looks similar to my resting one (hee hee)!!

I bet the metal is better quality in your old anchor than a new one too so nice work spiffing it back up.

Looks like the sun is out and now just a bit warmer and I bet everything will start growing like weeds.

Keep on keeping on and hope your splashing around has you smiling even more.

Liking all your doing keep up the great posting
Graham.

Thanks for the encouragement! Not much except bulbs starting to grow yet. Weeds should be next. Of course, if weeds won't grow, nothing else will either, so that's a good thing! (Hard to remember sometimes, though.)