intimadatorsquizz
Well-known member
I stopped over on this weekend to see his work and it turned out very nice. It wasa lot of work Bob, but it would have been worse if the drywall hanging was not done so damn good...lol
west of Philly - barn saving
- Thread starter rieferman
- Start date
Finished building the bar for the barn rec room today. When I was rebuilding the structure, I saved a bunch of the original barn boards for some later (at that point, unknown) purpose. The bar was that purpose.
Recently, I also got some salvaged heart pine flooring. It wasn't as good of a deal as I hoped. Ended up sneaking a nail through my planer, so now I have to get the blade tuned up or replaced. The boards were so difficult to work with that I ended up not using them for the bar top as I'd planned. Instead, I lined the inside of the bar with them.
For a top, I scored a butcher block kitchen table on CL, and removed the legs. Really heavy and solid, and in good condition too!
I built the frame by making two 2x4 picture frames basically (one for the top and one at the floor) and separating them with 2x4 legs (notched so they'll carry the load). Inside the bar are two electrical outlets (one for the microwave that will live inside, and another that's more easily accessible for charging phones etc.). I mitered all the corners using the band saw, and was able to get pretty nice joints without having to further trim out each corner.
We're on the fence as to whether to paint the barn board or not. On one hand, this shows the original "patina". On the other hand, a nice shade of burgundy would be a sweet look. What do you think?
Recently, I also got some salvaged heart pine flooring. It wasn't as good of a deal as I hoped. Ended up sneaking a nail through my planer, so now I have to get the blade tuned up or replaced. The boards were so difficult to work with that I ended up not using them for the bar top as I'd planned. Instead, I lined the inside of the bar with them.
For a top, I scored a butcher block kitchen table on CL, and removed the legs. Really heavy and solid, and in good condition too!
I built the frame by making two 2x4 picture frames basically (one for the top and one at the floor) and separating them with 2x4 legs (notched so they'll carry the load). Inside the bar are two electrical outlets (one for the microwave that will live inside, and another that's more easily accessible for charging phones etc.). I mitered all the corners using the band saw, and was able to get pretty nice joints without having to further trim out each corner.
We're on the fence as to whether to paint the barn board or not. On one hand, this shows the original "patina". On the other hand, a nice shade of burgundy would be a sweet look. What do you think?
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Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
Have you considered a 'milk paint wash' in Burgundy? Properly applied, it should let the patina/grain to show through, or with repeated coats, provide a richer color.
http://www.ehow.com/how_12060144_make-antiquing-paint-wash.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_12060144_make-antiquing-paint-wash.html
The wife and I painted like maniacs all weekend, and still she will be finishing it up while the kids are at school this week. The good news is that the mudding job has proven to be very well done and the seams are invisible! More good news is that our first attempt to find a stain that matches all the exposed beams in the room was a dead-on match - so, all the new trim (windows/doors, baseboard etc.) will blend in with all the old wood work.
Anyways, I can't wait to get home from work today to see her progress!
Next week, HVAC is scheduled, followed by carpet installation a day later. All the furniture in the room is stored and ready to go into the room. CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!
Anyways, I can't wait to get home from work today to see her progress!
Next week, HVAC is scheduled, followed by carpet installation a day later. All the furniture in the room is stored and ready to go into the room. CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!
intimadatorsquizz
Well-known member
cool Bob. Can't wait to come over and party up there....
Man have I been busy!!!!! Just started at a new client, and barn finishing stuff.
But, by Monday afternoon, carpet will be installed in the rec room, and I will be able to share all the pictures. We're so close to the finish line that I'm going to wait until we're FINAL before I share the last set of pictures.
But, as a teaser, here's pics of the new HVAC system that was installed today. This is one of 4 tasks during the entire project that I hired out (HVAC, concrete floor, carpet install, siding). I haven't been home to see it yet, but the wife reports that it's quiet as can be and that the entire room is nice and cool now. NICE.
PS - yes, the mini-split is installed perfectly level, it's my old barn that's crooked.
But, by Monday afternoon, carpet will be installed in the rec room, and I will be able to share all the pictures. We're so close to the finish line that I'm going to wait until we're FINAL before I share the last set of pictures.
But, as a teaser, here's pics of the new HVAC system that was installed today. This is one of 4 tasks during the entire project that I hired out (HVAC, concrete floor, carpet install, siding). I haven't been home to see it yet, but the wife reports that it's quiet as can be and that the entire room is nice and cool now. NICE.
PS - yes, the mini-split is installed perfectly level, it's my old barn that's crooked.
Attachments
Well, it’s a big day in the barn saving – we are finished with the 2nd story renovation!
Over 4 years ago, I decided that I wanted to become a woodworker. In my mind, the only logical way to go about that was to create a woodworking space. As such, I started trying to save my old barn.... and then the vision grew and morphed over time to what we have today.
If you’ve been reading along all this time, you’ll recall that I started this journey with very little (practically zero) experience. The barn was leaning, sinking into the ground, was structurally unsound and extremely neglected in every way…. From every perspective, this was a project that I should not have even started.
But, I started it.
We were tight on money at the time (still am today as a matter of fact) and picking away at the project meant my labor was free, and we could pull little by little from my paycheck. The entire project came in under $40,000 total and included hiring out of concrete floor, exterior siding, carpet upstairs, and HVAC upstairs. All the rest I did myself. From being in the industry, I estimate this entire project would have been closer to $100,000 (likely more) had I hired the entire project out. That savings and $1.78 will buy me a cup of coffee, but it feels good to say it.
Along the way, the barn led me to work in the industry selling high end construction (and then I promptly got out of the industry after a roller coaster year). It also led me to the emergency room twice (cut got infected, and pulled my back out). I met a real close buddy of mine (Jim) and learned the value of trading sweat as we both bonded and improved both of our homes. And I met so many others because of the barn too (e.g. George from Geobarns). The damn barn was hard on my marriage early on but has learned to know its place in our relationship. It nearly made me cry at times, and in other moments I marveled at what a stupid man can accomplish if he’s willing to go balls to the walls for something. It sure as hell ain’t perfect, but I am sure as hell damn proud of what I’ve accomplished.
I’m sore and tired now, but in a few days I’ll be getting the itch to do stuff again. Now it will be out in the yard, woodworking, shooting baskets, planning the porch re-build, spending time with the family. The barn will continue to be upgraded over time of course, it’s in our blood to keep fussing with our “garages”. But the hardest work is done, and the well-deserved cold beer tastes especially sweet today.
Cheers and thanks for all the encouragement along the way!
(a few pics of my most recent work are posted below. For a full before / during / after set of pictures, including the most recent full-building tour, please check this out: http://rieferbarn.shutterfly.com/385)
Over 4 years ago, I decided that I wanted to become a woodworker. In my mind, the only logical way to go about that was to create a woodworking space. As such, I started trying to save my old barn.... and then the vision grew and morphed over time to what we have today.
If you’ve been reading along all this time, you’ll recall that I started this journey with very little (practically zero) experience. The barn was leaning, sinking into the ground, was structurally unsound and extremely neglected in every way…. From every perspective, this was a project that I should not have even started.
But, I started it.
We were tight on money at the time (still am today as a matter of fact) and picking away at the project meant my labor was free, and we could pull little by little from my paycheck. The entire project came in under $40,000 total and included hiring out of concrete floor, exterior siding, carpet upstairs, and HVAC upstairs. All the rest I did myself. From being in the industry, I estimate this entire project would have been closer to $100,000 (likely more) had I hired the entire project out. That savings and $1.78 will buy me a cup of coffee, but it feels good to say it.
Along the way, the barn led me to work in the industry selling high end construction (and then I promptly got out of the industry after a roller coaster year). It also led me to the emergency room twice (cut got infected, and pulled my back out). I met a real close buddy of mine (Jim) and learned the value of trading sweat as we both bonded and improved both of our homes. And I met so many others because of the barn too (e.g. George from Geobarns). The damn barn was hard on my marriage early on but has learned to know its place in our relationship. It nearly made me cry at times, and in other moments I marveled at what a stupid man can accomplish if he’s willing to go balls to the walls for something. It sure as hell ain’t perfect, but I am sure as hell damn proud of what I’ve accomplished.
I’m sore and tired now, but in a few days I’ll be getting the itch to do stuff again. Now it will be out in the yard, woodworking, shooting baskets, planning the porch re-build, spending time with the family. The barn will continue to be upgraded over time of course, it’s in our blood to keep fussing with our “garages”. But the hardest work is done, and the well-deserved cold beer tastes especially sweet today.
Cheers and thanks for all the encouragement along the way!
(a few pics of my most recent work are posted below. For a full before / during / after set of pictures, including the most recent full-building tour, please check this out: http://rieferbarn.shutterfly.com/385)
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Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Rieferman.........That sign in your last pic is appropriate. I remember your first post when you started. At that time, I would have never thought it would have turned out as fantastic as what it has. You took what a lot of people would have let fall into further disrepair, or would have tore down in lieu of a new building, and made what is basically another home. Everything you have done to it has just turned out fantastic. If we hadn't witnessed it on here, most wouldn't believe what it used to be.
You've really made a place to be proud of
You've really made a place to be proud of
I don't think I could have wrote that better myself, other than the ER visits. I fully understand what length it takes to get that far, money, sweat, wife, kids, work and a few "Oh my God" and a few "aw F@*k" along the way.
You build, aka barn saving, shows what perseverance, hard work, sweat equity and time can accomplish. The younger generation should learn from this thread that you can have it all but you don't have to have it right this minute. There's nothing wrong with doing it over a long period as your time and wallet allows.
A great job my friend, this is a place that your family will enjoy very much in coming years as it will give the kids a place to hang and stay out of trouble, a place for family and friends to socialize and a little escape when the time comes.
You build, aka barn saving, shows what perseverance, hard work, sweat equity and time can accomplish. The younger generation should learn from this thread that you can have it all but you don't have to have it right this minute. There's nothing wrong with doing it over a long period as your time and wallet allows.
A great job my friend, this is a place that your family will enjoy very much in coming years as it will give the kids a place to hang and stay out of trouble, a place for family and friends to socialize and a little escape when the time comes.
Very nice, you how I know?, the yellow lab looks right at home, sacked out on the floor
.
Awesome project, sure feels good to finish a project but even better when its one of that size. Now its time to enjoy it
One other thing, love seeing those beams
.Awesome project, sure feels good to finish a project but even better when its one of that size. Now its time to enjoy it
One other thing, love seeing those beams
Very nice, you how I know?, the yellow lab looks right at home, sacked out on the floor
Right at home would be on the couch !
impala4speed
Well-known member
And here's the rest. Please do let me know if you like it.
Bob,
I have followed your build for quite some time now and I haven't commented because, well, I just haven't gotten around to it. That's a very poor excuse I know so let me rectify that right now. I love this build and what you have done with this barn. The amount of labor you've put into this project speaks volumes about your drive and commitment and also the vision you had for this build. Not too many others would have tackled this and then have done such an outstanding job. You've got every right to be extremely proud.
markviii
Well-known member
We know that good feeling of accomplishment to finally complete the project and have it come out as intended (only you know what's hidden)! No one can envision the toll that "sweat equity" can take on a body and on a family. To keep all in balance, still complete the project and come out of it positively is a great accomplishment. When our insurance company wouldn't insure our derelict 1930's Auto Shop, that just gave Tom incentive to dig into the project. When we called our agent upon completion, he, of course, couldn't believe something that bad could be brought back. The adjuster recommended insuring it as "new construction". Having your hand on every piece of that reconstruction is just so satisfying, isn't it? Anyone can have something built for them, but doing it all yourself makes it really yours.
Congrats on a job well done.
Chris
Congrats on a job well done.
Chris
Sunbimmer
Well-known member
Oh man I haven't checked in for a while and today I'm glad I did, I love everything you did in this project.
Congrats on your final result, absolutely beautiful
"The longest journey begins with the first step".......NICE
Congrats on your final result, absolutely beautiful
"The longest journey begins with the first step".......NICE
Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
"Well, it’s a big day in the barn saving – we are finished with the 2nd story renovation!"
Congratulations!
Now that you've completed such an intensive project in the 'barn', you and your family can begin many years of enjoyment from it. It looks so good, you are going to have to come up with another name for the space besides 'barn'. lol
The 4th of July is right around the corner; no better holiday to have a big christening party for your new recreation space. Especially now that it is nice and cool up there!
Congratulations!
Now that you've completed such an intensive project in the 'barn', you and your family can begin many years of enjoyment from it. It looks so good, you are going to have to come up with another name for the space besides 'barn'. lol
The 4th of July is right around the corner; no better holiday to have a big christening party for your new recreation space. Especially now that it is nice and cool up there!
hatdragracer
Member
Wow...inspirational!
Wow, awesome replies! Thanks so much! We have the place booked out for friends/family events for 2 months' worth of weekends already!
I really was so happy to turn on the computer this morning and see all the nice words you all took the time to write. Honestly, having GJ support along the way has helped keep the engine going. Thank you again for your comments, they do help and are appreciated.
Yesterday, we had a long day of swimming and playing basketball, and wrapped up the afternoon with pizza and tunes up in the barn. YESSSSS!
I really was so happy to turn on the computer this morning and see all the nice words you all took the time to write. Honestly, having GJ support along the way has helped keep the engine going. Thank you again for your comments, they do help and are appreciated.
Yesterday, we had a long day of swimming and playing basketball, and wrapped up the afternoon with pizza and tunes up in the barn. YESSSSS!
intimadatorsquizz
Well-known member
Let me tell you all first hand how nice it turned out. Me and the wife went over Friday night to check it out and have some drinks.
It looks awesome and much nicer in person. I'm glad to have met you thru GJ because of your project Bob.
We have become great friend with each other and our families. i look forwardto future builds together(I know there will be more) And also to getting together more without having to work...lol
Cheers to you and Meg for all the work you did to the barn. You have an awseome place to make new memories.
It looks awesome and much nicer in person. I'm glad to have met you thru GJ because of your project Bob.
We have become great friend with each other and our families. i look forwardto future builds together(I know there will be more) And also to getting together more without having to work...lol
Cheers to you and Meg for all the work you did to the barn. You have an awseome place to make new memories.
slackgt
Member
Love it !!!
"And here's the rest. Please do let me know if you like it."
I LIKE!
Your efforts and persistence have turned the proverbial sow's ear into a silk purse. Very impressive. Thanks for sharing it with us-it gives me hope that my project will turn out half as nice!
GGB
I LIKE!
Your efforts and persistence have turned the proverbial sow's ear into a silk purse. Very impressive. Thanks for sharing it with us-it gives me hope that my project will turn out half as nice!
GGB
Hey GGB! Thanks for commenting The funny thing is, I never really noticed how bad it was. I mean, I *knew* it was bad, but the vision was pretty clear in my head, so my "blinders" were on. Interestingly, for almost everyone else, the vision wasn't clear until the job was basically done! LOL
-------------
This weekend, we entertained a bunch, which was very fun and validating. But, I did manage to sneak some work in too of course.
First, when we were preparing to have the siding put on the barn, we needed to take some trees down that had long been threatening the building. Portions of the enormous cherry tree and black walnut tree were sent to my local sawmill and yielded some amazing boards that I finally was able to pickup on Saturday. Many of the black walnut boards are over 15 inches wide. WOW. Many of the cherry boards are over 12 inches wide.
Upon getting them home (thanks to a neighbors truck... there was a LOT of wood) I stacked and stickered (separated for ventilation purposes) the lumber and covered it. A year from now I will be ready to use the lumber.
Cost to me was $200. Retail cost (so says the sawyer) was closer to $1200. NICE.
--
In other news, in my spare time I've been teaching myself to use sketchup. My primary purpose is for woodworking as it can really help you think through a project and plan the measurements etc. But, I think it will come in handy for home design projects over the years as well.
Anyways, my buddy is getting married in September, so I decided that I'd make him a memory box. This looks simple, and it is, but I will dress it up by using beautiful woods - I will likely do the front/back and top in one species, and a contrasting species for the sides. Perhaps a chamfer detail around the edges of the top. Inside the lid, I'll have an engraved plate with initials/wedding date type of thing.
I'll post pics of the project as I go.
The funny thing is, I never really noticed how bad it was. I mean, I *knew* it was bad, but the vision was pretty clear in my head, so my "blinders" were on. Interestingly, for almost everyone else, the vision wasn't clear until the job was basically done! LOL-------------
This weekend, we entertained a bunch, which was very fun and validating. But, I did manage to sneak some work in too of course.
First, when we were preparing to have the siding put on the barn, we needed to take some trees down that had long been threatening the building. Portions of the enormous cherry tree and black walnut tree were sent to my local sawmill and yielded some amazing boards that I finally was able to pickup on Saturday. Many of the black walnut boards are over 15 inches wide. WOW. Many of the cherry boards are over 12 inches wide.
Upon getting them home (thanks to a neighbors truck... there was a LOT of wood) I stacked and stickered (separated for ventilation purposes) the lumber and covered it. A year from now I will be ready to use the lumber.
Cost to me was $200. Retail cost (so says the sawyer) was closer to $1200. NICE.
--
In other news, in my spare time I've been teaching myself to use sketchup. My primary purpose is for woodworking as it can really help you think through a project and plan the measurements etc. But, I think it will come in handy for home design projects over the years as well.
Anyways, my buddy is getting married in September, so I decided that I'd make him a memory box. This looks simple, and it is, but I will dress it up by using beautiful woods - I will likely do the front/back and top in one species, and a contrasting species for the sides. Perhaps a chamfer detail around the edges of the top. Inside the lid, I'll have an engraved plate with initials/wedding date type of thing.
I'll post pics of the project as I go.
Attachments
Sketchup is awesome.
Do you have a dovetail jig yet? Contrasting hardwoods look really cool in dovetails. (I also like Baltic birch plywood dovetails for something different)
Sketchup IS awesome, I agree. I loaded the plugin called "cut list" which will search your drawing for anything you've converted into a "component" and will spit out the name of that component as well as it's dimensions into a printable list (aka, the cut list). What a time saver.
For this simple box, there's not a ton of difficult math, but still.... for example, the dimensions of the inset plywood bottom into dadoes on 4 sides... wouldn't be that hard to calculate, but sketchup does it perfectly and quickly.
I don't have a dovetail jig yet, but want one. I think I'll be getting the pocket hole jig as my next purchase, followed by a dado blade and then the dovetail jig. In the meantime, I'll mes arround with various box joints (like the modified box joint in the design above) and things that I can cut on the band saw or with my router.
I'm actually going to think through the projects I want to do over the next bunch of months. Now that I can actually do hobby stuff instead of construction stuff, I find that my mind is blanking out on what to do. An initial brainstorm:
- Box for buddy's wedding
- Coffee table for rec room
- tilt out garbage can and recycling center for rec room
- entry storage bench (for shoes) and storage shelf (for coats / hats etc.)
- built ins for pantry
- built ins for master bedroom closet
- built in for tv/components in living room
I have a feeling the built ins will get de-prioritized because I want to delve into chairs soon (other than the adirondacks that I built awhile back). I'd really like to do some new rockers for the porch, as well as a nice patio set for up there. I have furniture up there already that's working "fine" but this would be a fun thing to really do to a higher level. 6 chairs and a large table, as well as 4 rocking chairs... That'd be a thesis statement I think.
LOL, I guess my mind wasn't as blank as I thought.
For this simple box, there's not a ton of difficult math, but still.... for example, the dimensions of the inset plywood bottom into dadoes on 4 sides... wouldn't be that hard to calculate, but sketchup does it perfectly and quickly.
I don't have a dovetail jig yet, but want one. I think I'll be getting the pocket hole jig as my next purchase, followed by a dado blade and then the dovetail jig. In the meantime, I'll mes arround with various box joints (like the modified box joint in the design above) and things that I can cut on the band saw or with my router.
I'm actually going to think through the projects I want to do over the next bunch of months. Now that I can actually do hobby stuff instead of construction stuff, I find that my mind is blanking out on what to do. An initial brainstorm:
- Box for buddy's wedding
- Coffee table for rec room
- tilt out garbage can and recycling center for rec room
- entry storage bench (for shoes) and storage shelf (for coats / hats etc.)
- built ins for pantry
- built ins for master bedroom closet
- built in for tv/components in living room
I have a feeling the built ins will get de-prioritized because I want to delve into chairs soon (other than the adirondacks that I built awhile back). I'd really like to do some new rockers for the porch, as well as a nice patio set for up there. I have furniture up there already that's working "fine" but this would be a fun thing to really do to a higher level. 6 chairs and a large table, as well as 4 rocking chairs... That'd be a thesis statement I think.
LOL, I guess my mind wasn't as blank as I thought.
Double post day!
Had a chance to play more with sketchup. This design is a bit more involved.
This is the tilt out garbage/recycling center I'd like to build. We want something that looks appropriate out in the new rec room, and since the trash won’t be emptied quite as frequently as it is in the house, we want to contain any smells etc.
Other than the face frames and counter top, the rest of the design would be cabinet grade plywood.
The drawer would hold garbage bags etc.
The two main panels would independently tilt out to reveal 41 quart (standard kitchen size) garbage or recycling cans.
I'll likely simplify the construction to some degree (I have this thing designed like a tank at the moment) but will use dadoes and rabbets as shown.
Sure, I could buy something like this for not much more than it will cost to build it, but this will be a great skill builder, and drawing it in sketchup was already a skill builder.
Had a chance to play more with sketchup. This design is a bit more involved.
This is the tilt out garbage/recycling center I'd like to build. We want something that looks appropriate out in the new rec room, and since the trash won’t be emptied quite as frequently as it is in the house, we want to contain any smells etc.
Other than the face frames and counter top, the rest of the design would be cabinet grade plywood.
The drawer would hold garbage bags etc.
The two main panels would independently tilt out to reveal 41 quart (standard kitchen size) garbage or recycling cans.
I'll likely simplify the construction to some degree (I have this thing designed like a tank at the moment) but will use dadoes and rabbets as shown.
Sure, I could buy something like this for not much more than it will cost to build it, but this will be a great skill builder, and drawing it in sketchup was already a skill builder.
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Had a fun little paying gig over the weekend. My neighbor sells equipment for a living and sold a couple utility carts to the Philadelphia Eagles for them to use during training camp (etc.) to haul equipment around the various fields and facilities. The factory option for side rails and a drop-in tail gate was both wimpy and expensive so he hired me to build it.
While not a complicated fine woodworking project, I did cut tenons for the uprights and recessed the bolts for a flush finish. My buddy was really happy with the results, and my price ended up being 1/2 of the factory number (and I certainly didn't give away my time for free).
Made a few bucks and had fun using my shop.
While not a complicated fine woodworking project, I did cut tenons for the uprights and recessed the bolts for a flush finish. My buddy was really happy with the results, and my price ended up being 1/2 of the factory number (and I certainly didn't give away my time for free).
Made a few bucks and had fun using my shop.
Attachments
Damn. I sure had a frustrating weekend in the shop. After all this time in construction mode (with woodworking intermingled) I finally was working on a real precision piece (the box for my buddy... picture above). While it's not a very complicated piece as far as "fine" woodworking goes, boxes do need precision.
I've come to realize during other recent efforts that several of my pieces of equipment need to be more finely tuned in order to get the results I desire. For example, my table saw is inaccurate in about 4 areas - none of them woefully out of whack, but all together, it's enough to cause problems.
Now, I've created some nice stuff with these issues... sometimes because being a little off just doesn't matter that much, and other times because I have figured out way to compensate. BUT, in trying some test methods to produce the stupid little box, I found that it was all mattering quite a bit. ARRRRGH!!!!!!!!!
On top of this, I have to invest in some upgrades in things such as blades etc. I've dulled everything I own while building the kitchen and the barn.
So, now instead of woodworking, I need to spend painstaking hours dialing things in, researching and buying new parts, and so on.
Sigh.
I've come to realize during other recent efforts that several of my pieces of equipment need to be more finely tuned in order to get the results I desire. For example, my table saw is inaccurate in about 4 areas - none of them woefully out of whack, but all together, it's enough to cause problems.
Now, I've created some nice stuff with these issues... sometimes because being a little off just doesn't matter that much, and other times because I have figured out way to compensate. BUT, in trying some test methods to produce the stupid little box, I found that it was all mattering quite a bit. ARRRRGH!!!!!!!!!
On top of this, I have to invest in some upgrades in things such as blades etc. I've dulled everything I own while building the kitchen and the barn.
So, now instead of woodworking, I need to spend painstaking hours dialing things in, researching and buying new parts, and so on.
Sigh.
Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
I'll agree that it is a pain in the **** to tune machines to do precision work, but at the same time, it is very gratifying to know all your future use of the machine will not result in wasted wood. Take your time, get some precision set-up tools and enjoy the process knowing the time spent will benefit you and your work in the years to come.
Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
I don't know if you are familiar with Taunton Press, but they publish some excellent books for the home craftsman. Here's one I think you will find very useful -
http://www.tauntonstore.com/care-and-repair-of-shop-machines-john-white-070551.html
http://www.tauntonstore.com/care-and-repair-of-shop-machines-john-white-070551.html
Blades can be sharpened, if they are decent blades to start with.
And a great source for blades and stuff for machinery is Bobby at Woodworkers Tool Works http://www.woodworkerstoolworks.com/services/index.php
Hey Ompha, thanks! My wife put a request in at the local library. I've also had good success with the Wood Whisperer videos too.
Hey Shoottx, thanks for dropping in! The blades that I own right now are cheapie's from big box stores that have plowed through construction lumber, nails, whatever else for a long time now - I doubt they're worth the sharpening and shipping fee. However, I will be upgrading blade selection now little by little (and thanks for that web link!)
Hey Shoottx, thanks for dropping in! The blades that I own right now are cheapie's from big box stores that have plowed through construction lumber, nails, whatever else for a long time now - I doubt they're worth the sharpening and shipping fee. However, I will be upgrading blade selection now little by little (and thanks for that web link!)
This weekend, I set about getting the table saw tuned. This ended up being a large task.
First, I decided that the left extension table was nice to have, but that gaining 20 inches of shop space in that tight pass through area was even nicer to have. So, some deconstruction and reconstruction ensued.
With that side table removed, I then was able to slide the saw (which weighs about 500 pounds) to allow more freedom of movement by my miter saw station, while still improving the tight pass through area by 10+ inches.
Since the table moved, I had to adjust the dust collection underneath.
Then, I loosened the bolts on the table top and hammered it into square with the blade. It was out 1/16th of an inch from front to back of the blade, and is now square. Big win.
Next, I set my sights on the fence. The face of the fence had a dip in it, so I shimmed that to be perfectly flat. Then I squared the fence to the miter slot (which I had just squared to the blade in the step above). This resulting in another 1/16th of an inch improvement! YIKES, it's amazing I could make anything before these tune ups!
While I was at it, the left cast iron extension wing was slightly dipping. So I loosened those bolts and shimmed it with some old playing cards before re-tightening.
Lastly, I squared the blade to the table surface.
Once this was all done, I jointed a pine board and ripped it three times in a row as a test. When the three pieces are put next to each other, the cuts completely disappeared. When the pieces were stacked on each other, they were exactly identical. NICE. I think we are TUNED! Again, I can't believe I built anything before these changes, it was so out of alignment. Sheesh!
----
With the new found additional space in the tight pass through area, I will soon be able to move my shop around a bit more. The goal is that 100% of the equipment is on one side of the shop, and that the assembly is on the other side. This facilitates dust collection, makes the flow better, and also gives me more room during bulky assembly activities.
For example, today, jointing and planing involves a lot of lumber being moved and staged, and a lot of walking. With my new design, all lumber will sit in one spot during both operations, and I will be able to stand in one spot to do all of the work. It may not sound that significant, but all these steps saved really add up to being able to get more done and in a more enjoyable fashion.
I have to move a door this winter, and then I can do this rearranging.
First, I decided that the left extension table was nice to have, but that gaining 20 inches of shop space in that tight pass through area was even nicer to have. So, some deconstruction and reconstruction ensued.
With that side table removed, I then was able to slide the saw (which weighs about 500 pounds) to allow more freedom of movement by my miter saw station, while still improving the tight pass through area by 10+ inches.
Since the table moved, I had to adjust the dust collection underneath.
Then, I loosened the bolts on the table top and hammered it into square with the blade. It was out 1/16th of an inch from front to back of the blade, and is now square. Big win.
Next, I set my sights on the fence. The face of the fence had a dip in it, so I shimmed that to be perfectly flat. Then I squared the fence to the miter slot (which I had just squared to the blade in the step above). This resulting in another 1/16th of an inch improvement! YIKES, it's amazing I could make anything before these tune ups!
While I was at it, the left cast iron extension wing was slightly dipping. So I loosened those bolts and shimmed it with some old playing cards before re-tightening.
Lastly, I squared the blade to the table surface.
Once this was all done, I jointed a pine board and ripped it three times in a row as a test. When the three pieces are put next to each other, the cuts completely disappeared. When the pieces were stacked on each other, they were exactly identical. NICE. I think we are TUNED! Again, I can't believe I built anything before these changes, it was so out of alignment. Sheesh!
----
With the new found additional space in the tight pass through area, I will soon be able to move my shop around a bit more. The goal is that 100% of the equipment is on one side of the shop, and that the assembly is on the other side. This facilitates dust collection, makes the flow better, and also gives me more room during bulky assembly activities.
For example, today, jointing and planing involves a lot of lumber being moved and staged, and a lot of walking. With my new design, all lumber will sit in one spot during both operations, and I will be able to stand in one spot to do all of the work. It may not sound that significant, but all these steps saved really add up to being able to get more done and in a more enjoyable fashion.
I have to move a door this winter, and then I can do this rearranging.
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Omphaloskeptic
Well-known member
Good to hear that you are having success tuning up your shop!
Now, about those missing pics.... lol
Now, about those missing pics.... lol
This weekend I built a test version of the box for my buddy's wedding present. I used scrap pine I had laying around to test out techniques. The modified box joint is going to take more fine tuning and technique building than I have time for right now, so I am doing simpler mitered corners in the name of completing the project on time. Once I made this switch, I was able to produce a near-professional result quickly. Next, I will buy some nice lumber from the local sawmill to build the real thing.
During this work, I learned how to install and use a dado blade that I purchased for this project. That will come in handy lots of situations.
In other shop news, I replaced all saw blades in the shop (dull from use) and the planer knives that were chipped on a nail during a recent project working with reclaimed lumber.
I also swapped the planer and sanding stations location with my band saw location.
In their original formation, I never had to move the planer (which I use only on some projects), but frequently had to move the bandsaw (which I use constantly). By adding casters to the base that my planer sits on, I flip flopped the problem so that it won't be such a frequent nuisance - and when it does occur, the planer move is now very easy to accomplish. The band saw will never have to move in its new home, and that's a nice win.
The other benefit to swapping the locations of the machines is that the planer is now directly next to the jointer and table saw. So, one location will stage lumber for all board preparation tasks. This saves a LOT of needless steps and is much more efficient.
Side benefit: Since I swapped two machine locations (as opposed to creating a whole new location) I was able to simply swap dust collection pickups (as opposed to having to run new pipe).
During this work, I learned how to install and use a dado blade that I purchased for this project. That will come in handy lots of situations.
In other shop news, I replaced all saw blades in the shop (dull from use) and the planer knives that were chipped on a nail during a recent project working with reclaimed lumber.
I also swapped the planer and sanding stations location with my band saw location.
In their original formation, I never had to move the planer (which I use only on some projects), but frequently had to move the bandsaw (which I use constantly). By adding casters to the base that my planer sits on, I flip flopped the problem so that it won't be such a frequent nuisance - and when it does occur, the planer move is now very easy to accomplish. The band saw will never have to move in its new home, and that's a nice win.
The other benefit to swapping the locations of the machines is that the planer is now directly next to the jointer and table saw. So, one location will stage lumber for all board preparation tasks. This saves a LOT of needless steps and is much more efficient.
Side benefit: Since I swapped two machine locations (as opposed to creating a whole new location) I was able to simply swap dust collection pickups (as opposed to having to run new pipe).
I finished the memory box for my buddy's wedding today. Just in the nick of time since we leave for the wedding on Thursday!
Construction details:
The box is made from maple from a local sawmill.
The corners are mitered and biscuited (meaning there are flat little football shaped connectors hidden in the joint for alignment and strength purposes).
The bottom is not glued in, because it must be allowed to move with changes in humidity (else it will rip the box apart). Instead, it sits in a dado (a fancy word for “groove”) on all 4 sides, and it has about 1/16” of an inch of play all the way around to allow for that movement.
The hinges are mortised in (meaning they are recessed into the edge of the box). I used a sharp chisel to accomplish that.
Metal personalized tag from Things Remembered, and a matching chain to prevent the lid from opening too far.
Finished with stain and clear polyurethane.
My favorite detail: The knob on the front of the box is a square cut nail from my barn. About 110 years old. I had to drill an oblong hole to fit the shape of the nail, and cut the nail off at about 1.5 inches. The hole is packed with sawdust and glue before I tapped the nail in.
And... the new shop flow worked great for this project!
Construction details:
The box is made from maple from a local sawmill.
The corners are mitered and biscuited (meaning there are flat little football shaped connectors hidden in the joint for alignment and strength purposes).
The bottom is not glued in, because it must be allowed to move with changes in humidity (else it will rip the box apart). Instead, it sits in a dado (a fancy word for “groove”) on all 4 sides, and it has about 1/16” of an inch of play all the way around to allow for that movement.
The hinges are mortised in (meaning they are recessed into the edge of the box). I used a sharp chisel to accomplish that.
Metal personalized tag from Things Remembered, and a matching chain to prevent the lid from opening too far.
Finished with stain and clear polyurethane.
My favorite detail: The knob on the front of the box is a square cut nail from my barn. About 110 years old. I had to drill an oblong hole to fit the shape of the nail, and cut the nail off at about 1.5 inches. The hole is packed with sawdust and glue before I tapped the nail in.
And... the new shop flow worked great for this project!
Attachments
Yard projects are in full swing at our household right now. It's so weird not having barn stuff to do. Weird in a good way for sure.
Anyways, we are putting in a 15x30 oval out of ground pool this spring, which requires the wife's garden to be moved across the yard to where the kid's cabin used to be. The kid's cabin (which they'd outgrown) was disassembled and I'll use materials for this and other projects.
I can recycle many items from the existing garden, but will be making new raised beds. The old ones were just dimensional lumber, and worked fine while she was learning about gardening. Now that we know she loves it as a hobby (and the whole family enjoys fresh salads etc.) the next garden will be a bit better thought out and implemented.
Firstly, the raised garden beds will be constructed of 4" thick x 8" wide x 16" long solid cement blocks. These blocks are often used as spread footers under sheds, or as caps to cinder block walls. In this case, I'll tip them on their sides for a permanent installation. Full cinder blocks would be more stable, but they're uglier and take up planting room. In my case, the entire perimeter of the beds will be supported on the outside (by the fence, or by the walkway) and will have dirt obviously on the inside, so stability should be fine. This setup will never rot, so I won't have to do this again. Under each raised bed, hardware cloth will help thwart the mole/vole popluation.
Secondly, as part of my overall mission to make mowing and string trimming as efficient as possible, the non-bed portion of her garden area will be a deck walking surface. The runners that I will attach slats to are recycled split rail fence components, and the slats are recycled PT 2x4's from other projects. Once assembled and stained it will look nice, and eliminate the need for me to maintain anything inside her garden area.
For the fence, we have most of it already from the old garden, but will need to pickup a few sections. I'll make my own gate out of something I have laying around. The interior of the fence will have some wire to discourage rabbits from coming in for a snack. Deer aren't in my neighborhood, so we're good there.
Overall, we'll have about 120 square feet of planting area. This is more than she had in past years - and in those years we had plenty of crops for salads, pickles, salsa etc. The wife has gotten smarter about planting too - focusing on manageable varieties, and items that will be either eaten real-time, or can be converted to other uses. For example, peppers and onions are good crops because you can cook with them or eat them raw today, or you can can them in sauces or salsa for later.
Around the perimeter of the garden fence, she plans some blue berry bushes and flowers.
Edit: I can't get the attachment to work, so I'll describe it instead. The layout is a simple horseshoe design with beds around the perimeter on 3 sides and a gate centered on the 4th side. In the middle, is an "island" bed. This layout allows the fence or the walkway to support the bricks of the raised bed, and allows my wife easy reaching distance to the deepest portions of all the beds. The walk way is plenty wide enough for her to kneel on comfortably, or even to have a stool to sit on to admire her garden.
So far, I have the old garden down, the new area prepped, and one fence section installed.
Anyways, we are putting in a 15x30 oval out of ground pool this spring, which requires the wife's garden to be moved across the yard to where the kid's cabin used to be. The kid's cabin (which they'd outgrown) was disassembled and I'll use materials for this and other projects.
I can recycle many items from the existing garden, but will be making new raised beds. The old ones were just dimensional lumber, and worked fine while she was learning about gardening. Now that we know she loves it as a hobby (and the whole family enjoys fresh salads etc.) the next garden will be a bit better thought out and implemented.
Firstly, the raised garden beds will be constructed of 4" thick x 8" wide x 16" long solid cement blocks. These blocks are often used as spread footers under sheds, or as caps to cinder block walls. In this case, I'll tip them on their sides for a permanent installation. Full cinder blocks would be more stable, but they're uglier and take up planting room. In my case, the entire perimeter of the beds will be supported on the outside (by the fence, or by the walkway) and will have dirt obviously on the inside, so stability should be fine. This setup will never rot, so I won't have to do this again. Under each raised bed, hardware cloth will help thwart the mole/vole popluation.
Secondly, as part of my overall mission to make mowing and string trimming as efficient as possible, the non-bed portion of her garden area will be a deck walking surface. The runners that I will attach slats to are recycled split rail fence components, and the slats are recycled PT 2x4's from other projects. Once assembled and stained it will look nice, and eliminate the need for me to maintain anything inside her garden area.
For the fence, we have most of it already from the old garden, but will need to pickup a few sections. I'll make my own gate out of something I have laying around. The interior of the fence will have some wire to discourage rabbits from coming in for a snack. Deer aren't in my neighborhood, so we're good there.
Overall, we'll have about 120 square feet of planting area. This is more than she had in past years - and in those years we had plenty of crops for salads, pickles, salsa etc. The wife has gotten smarter about planting too - focusing on manageable varieties, and items that will be either eaten real-time, or can be converted to other uses. For example, peppers and onions are good crops because you can cook with them or eat them raw today, or you can can them in sauces or salsa for later.
Around the perimeter of the garden fence, she plans some blue berry bushes and flowers.
Edit: I can't get the attachment to work, so I'll describe it instead. The layout is a simple horseshoe design with beds around the perimeter on 3 sides and a gate centered on the 4th side. In the middle, is an "island" bed. This layout allows the fence or the walkway to support the bricks of the raised bed, and allows my wife easy reaching distance to the deepest portions of all the beds. The walk way is plenty wide enough for her to kneel on comfortably, or even to have a stool to sit on to admire her garden.
So far, I have the old garden down, the new area prepped, and one fence section installed.
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