The making of a table

[RivennHewn]

Thanks guys,

Much appreciated.

 

[RivennHewn]

Sold the shear brake roll a little too soon.

I guess that's life.

The zinc I'm using is leftover scrap, and didn't have any good edges.

I thought about going out and buying a Festool track saw, then realized I can do the same thing for free.

Made a rip guide and used the cordless. The zinc cut clean, with no real burrs or roughness.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Great progress to date, looking good.

Regards

 

[RivennHewn]

Thanks 1/2 Cup.

I see your making good progress on the carport. I really do like the brackets your had cast for the climbing rose. They look great.


I got some progress with layout, cutting, brake work, and glue up.

Going to let it set up a bit, then hammer the rest of the flanges down and add screws to the bottom side, out of sight.

 

[RivennHewn]

The top side will all be riveted.

Getting the layout right is a PITA.

Check, check and then double check.

53 holes tonight, and 53 clecos.

Might have gotten further, but we ran into a little problem with my son's car.

But that story is in my other thread.

 

[RivennHewn]

Stayed up late last night and finished the layout/ drilling of the rivet holes.

Now I'm on hold til my Zoro order of rivets shows up.

That gave me the chance this afternoon to clean up and paint the legs.

55 degrees and sunny. Another great day in Seattle.

Some of you might recognize the frame as the base off a Juki sewing machine.

It was left out in the weather for some time, and getting into all the tight corners was best done with the needle scaler.

Basic black was all I had on hand, so black they are.

 

[RivennHewn]

I set the top onto the legs for the first time this evening.

Not sure how I'm feeling about how they go together.

Not bad, just not as cool as I had envisioned.

As it sits tonight:

 

[PugetDude]

I set the top onto the legs for the first time this evening.

Not sure how I'm feeling about how they go together.

Not bad, just not as cool as I had envisioned.

As it sits tonight:

Love the zinc top. Great idea and execution.
On the juki legs?... as my wife might say
"You're not wearing that shirt with those pants, are you?"

 

[RivennHewn]

Thanks for the laugh, Puget Dude.

I'm thinking the legs aren't really the problem, it's the paint.

And I really do not like bright, new shiny bolts.

I'm going to rethink the paint.

Something more like the color, sheen and texture of an old war bird.

(All pics ripped from webs)

 

[RivennHewn]

I love cutt'n & fitt'n!

Matching the radius was challenging, especially for my 1st time, but I'm pretty happy with the fit up.

Soldering them in is going to be another challenge.

 

[RivennHewn]

The corner pieces were just yelling to get soldered on, so after dinner it was back to the shop.

I placed a cold, wet towel around the joint to keep the zinc cool. I didn't want any deformation.

Well lathered in flux, I put the MAPP torch to it and 3 of the 4 corners went well.

A little too much solder, but it files off easy.

The last corner, I left the flame on the infill piece, and it deformed, and also lost a little material at the joint. I tried to fill it with more solder.

We'll see what it looks like tomorrow, after I file it off.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Soldering is an art in itself, you have done well thus far.

Regards

 

[RivennHewn]

Well 1/2 cup, apparently it's not an art I've mastered.

3 of the corners came out decent, but the 4th kinda *****.

Not sure what I want to do with it. Maybe heat it up so the solder lets go, and start over.

I think I left the heat on too long and burned out all the flux, starving the joint.

I had such high hopes

 

[RivennHewn]

Frustrated with my zinc corners, I turned my attention to another project.

I wanted a light source for my welding table. One that I could move and position frequently. It needed to be easy to move.

This is what I came up with.

4' flex gooseneck mounted to a little bracket that just slips onto the edge of the table. The weight of the light keeps in nicely in place. I put an electrical box under it, for the switch.

I have LED flood and spot lights that I can switch out as needed.

Out of all my boxes of electrical and misc. fittings I could not find one wire clamp to secure the cord. Off to the store for another 99 cent part.

The neck and bulbs came out of a remodel, and the bracket is a cut up pipe clamp left over from a fire sprinkler job.

Out of pocket about $6 for the switch, plate and box.

 

[RivennHewn]

Zoro does kick *** in the shipping dept.

Got my rivet order today, and went to work.

Remove cleco, countersink, cut rivet length, place, set, repeat………………….

I had a few that I drove too hard, and left some marks that I'm going to have to live with.

That's life.

Hit the joints with a roloc wheel to finish flushing them out, ready for a final buff when they're all in and done.

Wired up the gooseneck light for the welding table tonight as well.

 

[RivennHewn]

Good day to take off work, and play in the shop.

78 more rivets prepped and ready to hammer.

Mailman brought me my new work light.

I'm thinking it's the best purchase I've done in a long while.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Luv it, well done.

Have you attacked the soldering on the corner that you were having issues with yet?

Regards

 

[nine4gmc]

What rivets are you using? Looks great!!

 

[RivennHewn]

1/2 cup,

I was blissfully avoiding that corner,until I read your post. Before I could answer, I went to the shop, heated it up, removed the ugly corner, cut a new piece, bent it in the brake, mounted the shrinker, bent the new corner, cut and fit it in, fluxed the heck out of it, soldered it in, filed it clean.

I will however, have to wait til tomorrow to fire up the compressor and die grinder to roloc it smooth and see if it all holds up and looks good.

So, the answer to your question is "Yes"

Thank you. I was needing some motivation.

Nine,

I ordered the rivets thru Zoro. They are 3/16" 100 degree flush aluminum.

I ordered them at 1/2" and cut them to length.

I do that so the left overs will be useable on the next project, which will probably be a different length.

Thanks again,

 

[Big Rick]

Is that the Jet 12" disc sander?

just read your thread I am going to use some of your ideas thank you

 

[RivennHewn]

just read your thread I am going to use some of your ideas thank you

Thanks Big Rick. Love to see what you come up with.

Please post pics of your projects.

 

[RivennHewn]

Took the HF DA to the zinc top today with some Meguiar's cutting compound.

Came out real nice. maybe a little too nice…………...

 

[1/2 Cup]

I am going to have to agree to disagree on too nice, I think the top has come up absolutely fantastic, just let it develop its own patina over time.

Well done.

 

[RivennHewn]

Well 1/2 cup,……I kinda done went and did it.

This is me following a whim. Don't have everything figured out just yet, but I'm headed down a path at this point.

It's only paint, it can be taken off.

 

[RivennHewn]

WTF?

 

[csp]

You kind went and did what?

Kinda hard to tell WTF without any info of what you did.

 

[RivennHewn]

You kind went and did what?

Kinda hard to tell WTF without any info of what you did.

I painted it,

Sorry, I thought it was fairly apparent.

 

[csp]

Ok I assumed your WTF was asking why it looks like it does. Not sure what that's all about now.

 

[RivennHewn]

Ok I assumed your WTF was asking why it looks like it does. Not sure what that's all about now.

Stay tuned.

It's a work in progress.

 

[RivennHewn]

A little more paint this afternoon.

Now it needs to cure up good, then the distressing can start.

Again, I'm making this up as I go. Not sure what it will turn out like.

It's only paint, and can be removed. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Looking great, I really like the aviation theme. stick with it..

 

[RivennHewn]

Growing up, I spent a fair amount of time around the de Havilland DHC-2 Beavers. They were the common means of travel around SE Alaska.

I've always loved the planes and the way they sound, especially at start up.

Most of them where on floats.

I recently saw one in full military paint.

Thought I'd take a stab at a "themed" table.

Freedom to fail is a part of my approach to furniture making. We'll see how this one turns out.

 

[little d]

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead...

 

[RivennHewn]

Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead...

I like that approach!

Played a little with adding some "Patina". I'm liking it more already.

Dulled down the white and the yellow paint a bit. Looking a bit more vintage.

 

[RivennHewn]

A little more late night goofing around in the shop tonight.

Brought out my little can of "Insta-grime". It's a concoction of end grain sealing wax, sanding dust off my belt sander, a little black colored wax, and whatever else I could find that looked grimy.

Usually I use it on wood, but we'll see how it works on metal. Wipe it into the voids, cracks and around the rivet heads, then wipe it off. leaves just a little residual and makes things look old.

I also had an area that had a defect in the zinc. It was my last piece, so I couldn't work around it. it's on the back edge. I made up a small patch panel to cover it.

I used some blackening solution on it and the mounting screws.

 

[nine4gmc]

I saw it coming in post 424 but had no idea you would pull it off so well. Nice job, can't wait to see it finished!

 

[1/2 Cup]

Big tick, luv the insta - grime patina

 

[RivennHewn]

Thanks guys.

This one is a little out of the norm for me, but I'm having fun with it.

On that note, I'm contemplating add a few "accessories".

One is adding a power outlet that I bought from Boeing Surplus some 15 years ago.

The other would be just for fun- a covered toggle switch and an amber light.

No real purpose for the switch/light other than adding to the look.

Any thoughts?

 

[RivennHewn]

Sometimes less really is more.

I'm going to call this one done.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Sometimes less really is more.

I'm going to call this one done.

You have nailed it.