The making of a table

[RivennHewn]

Those are nice scissors. You have some nice vintage stuff. You've been getting so many things done, maybe you should stay on nights.

I do like vintage toys. Seems I'm obsessing with sharpening them these days.

Wearing my finger tips out lapping chisel and plane blades on my diamond plate.

It's nice to have a friend with a Tormek. They are crazy cool, but stupid expensive.

 

[drivesitfar]

Riv: nice picture of your sharp chisels.

I agree you seem to get a lot done while you are on NIGHT SHIFT so guess you can sleep when you die.

I'm not sure how thin you might be able to cut some of your slabs, but a friend of mine makes vintage signs mostly out of old wood cabinet wood, but she had some of these pieces with bark on them from her daughter's wedding that might interest you if you might have a need to make a sign.

cheers and keep up the great work and I'm enjoying all the projects you are showing off.

 

[RivennHewn]

Mixed up a little cocktail this afternoon.
My favorite furniture finish: equal parts Spar Varnish/ Tung oil/ Turpentine.
Love the way my shop smells while applying this finish.

That nasty crack doesn't look so bad now, does it?

Ready to leave my workbench

 

[royce]

That looks fantastic

Royce

 

[RivennHewn]

That looks fantastic

Royce

About as simple as it gets, not like the awesome stands you’ve been cranking out!

 

[Benw455]

I love that table!!!

 

[RivennHewn]

I love that table!!!

Thanks Ben,

A fun project, and I'm happy with how it turned out,

 

[Toolfool]

I see you decided no bark. Looks good.

 

[RivennHewn]

I see you decided no bark. Looks good.

Some of it started falling off, the rest was a pain.

 

[drivesitfar]

Riv: when i first saw the crack I thought it was fatal to your project. did you fill it with epoxy or just leave it be? maybe one of those butterfly type holders that you see so often in slab tables if it gets worse?

care to share the ratios of your mix that you finish your wood with cause it looks great?

still working nights? getting any sleep?

 

[stioc]

I have no idea how I missed this thread! Awesome work! would be great to see your other random projects linked in your signature for easy finding (MR2, dually etc).

 

[RivennHewn]

Thanks Drives,

I don't use epoxy for this type of application. Epoxy turns into a solid. If the slab continues to move/crack, the epoxy fails.

I use a polysulfide rubber type product that remains flexible. As the wood moves, so does the filler.

I thought about routing in some butterflies, but I'm kinda over them. You see too many. I did route in some steel plates on the underside to help stabilize the top.

The finish is equal parts of Tung Oil, Varnish, and Turpentine.

stioc,

Thank you,

I like the idea of adding the links. Will do.

 

[drivesitfar]

Riv: thanks for the wood treatment recipe and your thoughts on the CRACK. to get the finish you did on that little table did you put a few coats of your recipe on it and is your shop heated? about how long to dry?

what's next or are you back working on your truck?

 

[RivennHewn]

I put two coats on. The turpentine takes the oil/varnish deep into the wood, then evaporates. The second coat evens it all out.

It’s not a high build finish that stays on top of the wood.

Leaves wood looking natural, not plasticy like poly **** finishes.

The biggest reason I like this finish is that it is super easy to repair.

A simple re-wipe, and most scratches just disappear.

As far as what’s next? I dunno, nothing is speaking to me yet.

 

[dwysywd]

Here's another little leather project I did while back. A bullhide sheath hand stitched with deer sinew. Copper rivets hold the belt loop on.

The knife is a Robeson that I picked up on a trip through the Goodwill with my kids. I've never seen another knife with the texture on the blade.

Would love to know what year it was made. I've done a few google searches, and there is info on the company, but nothing I've found on this style of knife.

Riv, strangely enough, I was catching up on this thread, saw the knife, though, hmmm, that's cool. Then I'm reading small Russian garage, by Vieux. That led me to Stas26, where someone comments about reading www.siberiantimes.com, where curious, I clicked to see what it was about... Low and behold on the front page of Dec 1 there is a YouTube video...I kid you not, of a textured blade being made. Hope you like the video and hope it helps you solve some of the mystery.

 

[RivennHewn]

dwysywd,

Thanks for posting the link. I got a little nervous watching him chop wood, thought a finger was going to go flying.........

I watched a few of his vids.

He makes some nice tools, and has some nice toys.

 

[RivennHewn]

This one has all the right key words.

Live edge, tree round, slab, industrial, casters, Shou Sugi Ban, char, urban logging, salvage, recycle, reuse, repurpose,

Did I miss any????

I believe it's time to retire my torch, or just use it for weeding and melting ice

 

[Toolfool]

You going to tow that behind your flatbed ?

 

[RivennHewn]

No, but I did ride it down the street today!

 

[Toolfool]

I would be disappointed if you didn't.

 

[RivennHewn]

I would be disappointed if you didn't.

Still just a big kid

 

[royce]

Way cool

Royce

 

[RivennHewn]

Thanks Royce.

I decided I wanted to sand out the other table a bit smoother.

I wet sanded it with the same finish mix, and a 220 grit sponge.

Came out baby **** smooth.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Riven, well done..

 

[RivennHewn]

Riven, well done..

Thanks 1/2 Cup,
Always good to hear from you.



I didn't know I needed a new scraper this morning when I woke up, but it seems I needed a scraper. Not no store bought scraper either. No, I needed a hand made scraper made out of scraps in my shop.

Had some hot rolled off cuts. Started cutting and then some heat and beat.

Then I riveted some old brass from my old fire place screen.

I kinda like how it turned out.

It was all shiny. I don't like shiny much, so I blackened the steel. It dirtied up the brass a bit too.

 

[RivennHewn]

I'm starting to question the sanity of spending a lot of hours on something that I could have bought at the store for under $10.00


A close up of the brass and steel handle.

Put a slight offset on the blade so it lays flat on a table.

Originally was intending this to be a square edge scraper. Seems more like a chisel edge cutter now.

To protect that edge I spent an hour honing, and my fingers, I made a leather sheath for it too.

At this point, I figure I'm a couple big ones in the hole

 

[Toolfool]

But you're having fun !

 

[RivennHewn]

But you're having fun !

Ya, there is that

 

[RivennHewn]

In the land of make believe, I'm a blacksmith.

Playing around in the back yard on a nice afternoon.

Rough shape coming out looking more like a mini scimitar, but sometimes the hammer knows more than me.

 

[royce]

Looking good Sir,
What did you use for steel?

Royce

 

[RivennHewn]

Royce,

This is just a scrap of hot rolled. Probably won't be a knife to keep, as it most likely won't take/hold an edge all that well.

More of a practice round. Timing and coordination of hammer blows. Pulling or pushing with the hammer, angle of attack, which hammer to use for what.

There is too much to know, and I'm barely scratching the surface.

 

[Strouty]

Looks like lots of fun!

I have a question you may be able to answer. I bought an old butcher block top, someone had sanded the finish off and I was thinking about using it for a desk. Have you ever stained one a color? I am thinking about Blue. Just not sure how it will turn out.

 

[RivennHewn]

Strouty,

https://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/finishes/aniline-dyes

Read up on aniline dyes.

I’ve used some with amazing results.

Is it an end grain block top?
It may take the dye differently.

Clear all existing finish off prior to redoing any type finish you choose.

Test a sample spot/ extra piece if you can.

I’d love to see how it turns out!

 

[Strouty]

Thanks for the tip on the dye, looks like a great route to go. The top is by far perfect, someone started sanding it already and got a bit carried away. It has a slight cup to it, so the top is convex and a few seams are showing signs of spreading. I figure for a desk it will be fine. Here are a few pictures of it.

 

[RivennHewn]

Every butch block top I've ever had, or installed has had some splits in the joints.

Finish sanding it out, use filler is you care to. A test piece is a good idea, some fillers take stain/dye better than others. Always important to test all the products together to avoid problems with your finished piece.

That's going to finish out nicely. What are you going to use it for?

I'm thinking I'm liking the idea of the blue aniline dye. Post up pics of your progress!

 

[RivennHewn]

Got to hang out with my anvil and hammers again this afternoon.

I'm pretty happy with it, just a tad more grinding and honing. I've already started a sheath for it as well.

 

[Strouty]

That came out great. I have always heard that good steel for things like that is old leaf springs from trucks. You should be able to get it cheap too. I would look at shops that specialize in springs, they may just give you some of it.

That top is for my computer desk, I plan on doing more butcher block, so this is my trial run. I don’t think I will fill anything, it just adds character. If it was my kitchen, I would not want any gaps, but in my office it isn’t really a concern. I will post pictures of any progress.

 

[Toolfool]

Riv , are you working on your pirate costume for Seafair ?

 

[Bears Fan]

Arrr matey!!! shiver me timbers that is one cool project

 

[RivennHewn]

Thanks strouty, tool,bears,

Actually just my take on a classic traditional style knife.


Google image search: Viking women’s knife

https://images.search.yahoo.com/sea...king+women+s+knife&fr=yfp-hrmob-s&fr2=piv-web